He met her gaze in the rearview mirror. "And now here you are, despite your fear."

"Yes."

"Were you punished for helping me escape, Claire?"

That night was burned into her memory. She'd spent weeks nursing Thomas through the torture Rue had inflicted on him, weeks planning his escape. On the night her plans had come to fruition and she'd helped Thomas from his cell to the portal chamber, the Ytrayi had discovered her betrayal. There had been a battle, but she'd taught Thomas how to fight daaeman with his elemental earth magick and they'd fought their way down the corridors of Yrystrayi successfully.

She'd betrayed the Ytrayi out of allegiance to the aeamon, because she was one. She'd done it to show Rue she was not his, that he'd never broken her and shouldn't take her for granted. She'd done it to show the Ytrayi she could do it, to prove her strength to them. Finally, she'd done it in honor of the love Thomas and Isabelle shared.

"Yes, I was punished, but not badly." She reflected. "Well, it was bad enough. Rue hobbled me magickically for six months."

Thomas glanced at her in the mirror. "But they didn't hurt you? I was very concerned they'd hurt you physically."

She shook her head. "Rue would never allow me to come to harm, no matter how dire my crime." Claire paused. "Until now, anyway."

"You're valuable to Rue, aren't you?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "I'm a magickal oddity on Eudae. A diversion, an… entertainment for him."

"What, like a pet?" Adam growled beside her.

"No, I'm more than that. I'm a servant, his handmaiden, but Rue has some emotional attachment to me. I am his property, though."

Adam's arm tightened around her. "Not anymore you aren't."

The realization that she was now free hadn't registered until that moment. Lightness flared briefly in her chest right before the sentiment crashed straight to her toes.

She shook her head. "Rue will come for me." She paused and drew a breath. "I remain his property."

Theo spoke for the first time as he turned toward her. "We need to deal with the Atrika demons first. Then we'll think of how to handle your keeper." He bared his teeth briefly, making Claire think he probably already had some idea of what he wished to do with Rue. "But you're only property if you choose to be." He turned back around.

"The Atrika will come after me with a vengeance," said Claire. "They can scent me from a long distance because of the nature of my magick. They also freely use blood magick, unlike the Ytrayi. I don't know much about blood magick, but they may have access to a tracking spell."

Thomas glanced at her in the mirror. "That's why we're running. Right now. When we've put some distance between ourselves and these guys, we'll stop and regroup, figure out where to go from there."