Grime streaked the woman’s long blond hair and her light blue eyes gave him the gaze of death from a filthy face. One long leg moved incessantly in her agitation. Too bad she was a warlock; she was pretty. But she definitely had the temper to go with her element.

“What’s your name?”

Her full lips compressed and she looked away.

“Tell me now or tell me later, but you’ll like it better if you tell me now.”

Her gaze snapped to his face. “Don’t threaten me.” Her chin rose. “I can call fire.”

“And I can call earth. You know that because you’re wearing it. Don’t play with me. Earth trumps fire. I can counter anything you throw at me. Don’t make empty threats.” He bared his teeth. “I don’t.”

Carefully and slowly, she unclenched her teeth. “My name is Sarafina Connell.”

“Before I throw your warlock ass in Gribben, Sarafina Connell, tell me what you and Stefan were talking about when I came in.”

She drew a breath and looked away from him. Her fingers found dog fur and stroked. “He was telling me I was his prisoner. That I owed him for showing me I was a witch and I had to stay there with them and do—” She broke off. The breath hissed between her teeth. “Whatever it is they want me to do. I don’t know. I had the feeling that if I pressed the matter my safety would be in question.”

Theo considered her for a moment before drawing the obvious conclusion. “You’re going to play the part of an abductee to avoid Gribben, is that your plan? It won’t work with me. I know better than that. Stefan wouldn’t be playing footsie with a kidnapped witch.”

Her head snapped around. “I am an abductee! Twice! First Stefan Faucheux appears in my living room, then you take me from him. God, I’m so sick of this whole thing!”

She stood and paced the room, leaving dirt marks on the carpet as she went. Her dog leapt from her arms and watched her. She muttered to herself as she walked back and forth. “I was minding my own business, living my life. I come home from a trip to find Stefan Faucheux has broken into my apartment. Two seconds later, I’m out cold. I wake up in a strange place, surrounded by strange people—kidnapped. They pull this . . . this ball of fire out from the center of my chest and teach me how to use it.” She stopped short and the silence stretched like a piece of taffy. “They told me my mother wasn’t half as crazy everyone thought she was,” she finished softly.

Theo blinked, staring at her back. If she was acting, she should get an Oscar. And maybe that meant she wasn’t really acting. Maybe.