“I believe so.” He sat up and looked around. “We need to get out of here. I can’t wait to be out in the open air again.”

She made herself nod. “Let’s go.”

He rose to his feet and looked at the bow and arrow she still held in one hand. “There’s no need for those weapons. All is well now. Put those away.”

There was an incalculable amount of Power in his voice, held in check with a sure, steady control, like a hand on the reins of a dangerous stallion.

“All right.” Her hands shook as she obeyed.

They walked back to the hole. The silence that fell around them was complete. No wings, no whispers, no dark wind. When they stepped into sight, Tiago had joined Graydon at the rim, and a rope dangled, waiting for them.

“After you, my beauty.” He helped to adjust the loop of the rope underneath her foot, fingers lingering to caress her ankle. Her skin crawled. Somehow, she managed to keep from yanking away from him.

Graydon hauled her up easily, while Tiago and several others dropped another rope into the hole. She did a lot of thinking on that road to sunlight and fresh air, some of the fastest and most terrified thinking in her life. As soon as her feet connected to solid ground, she lunged at Graydon and grabbed his hands.

“What is it, cupcake?” he asked kindly. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

She very much feared that she had.

Gray, she said telepathically. Don’t speak out loud. Don’t show any reaction.

His gray gaze turned sharp. Pia, what’s wrong?

The creature they’re pulling out of the hole isn’t Dragos.

He went still. What do you mean?

I didn’t stutter. She dug her nails into his skin. I went down into that hellhole with my mate, but he isn’t coming back out with me. Do what I tell you to do and do it fast and quietly. Get Eva to take Niall away. I don’t care where. Send Giselle with him, along with all the other children.

Absolutely.

Who’s the fastest winged Wyr here—you or Tiago?

Tiago, he said without hesitation.