She woke just a few minutes later, certain it couldn’t have been longer than that, because the day didn’t appear any later, and the sun was where it had been, though obscured behind the clouds that had shadowed it all day. She was sitting in a van, and her arms were tied to the seat. She started struggling against them, trying to break the bonds, and a cool hand brushed across her brow. For some reason, she immediately felt less fearful.

It was the pale blond with the sandy-brown hair, and he was smiling kindly at her. He didn’t seem to be frightening, but she was certain she should be terrified. The ropes binding her to the seat were evidence of that.

“Just relax, North. We aren’t going to hurt you.”

She didn’t speak, but glared at him and made no attempt to hide her skepticism.

“I’m Ryland DiFarness, and I’m honored to be one of your guards.”

“Enough with the details, Ryland. Let Caius explain before you delve too much into it,” barked the one with flaming-red hair cropped close to his face.

“I was just introducing myself, Kriss. Chill out.”

“If you’re aren’t going to hurt me, why am I tied to the seat?”

Ryland’s gaze turned back to her. “We weren’t certain how you would react when you woke. You’re much calmer than they expected.”

“Please untie me.” It was her best chance of escaping, though she wasn’t certain how she was going to slip away from these four men. No, make that five, because the slighter guy with the freckles drove the van.

“Don’t do it,” said the Nordic-looking one, sounding bored.

Ryland looked undecided for a moment, and then he nodded and leaned forward. “Hold still.”

She watched, eyes widening as his fingernails elongated, and he easily sawed through the rope holding her to the chair. She spent a moment sitting there when it fell away, still staring at his long fingernails until they gradually returned to normal. “Neat trick,” she said in a dry voice as she rubbed her wrists. They weren’t uncomfortable by any means, but she needed something to distract herself, and hopefully them as well.

“It comes in handy.”

“How do you do it?” She was genuinely curious, but also hoping to take him off guard with her next move. It was a foolhardy plan, but it was all she could come up with.

“I’ll tell you about it sometime, after you’ve spoken with Caius and understand everything.”

“Who’s Caius, and why should I care?”

“You’ll find out soon enough, princess,” said the ice-blond again.

“You don’t have to be so dramatic about it, Marek,” said the purse-snatcher from earlier, lounging in the seat across the way. “You’re probably scaring her.”

“Fuck off, Orin,” said the one now identified as Marek.

“You’re all scaring me,” said North in a level tone. As she did so, she lunged out of her seat and reached for the handle on the door beside her, almost shocked when it slid open without resistance. They hadn’t thought to lock her in. She hovered on the edge of jumping for a moment as the pavement raced by, wondering if this was such a good idea after all. It was better to try to escape than to surrender without a peep of protest, wasn’t it?

Knowing she couldn’t delay any longer, North closed her eyes and jumped, bracing herself to hit the roadway. Instead, she hung in midair, and a firm hand grasped the back of her shirt. She struggled as it reeled her in, groaning when she found herself held firmly by the redhead. “Just let me go. I don’t know what you want with me, but if it’s money, I don’t have any.”

“We’re trying to keep you safe from them, and apparently from yourself.” He said the words with a hint of disgust as he shook his head and put her down in the seat a little harder than necessary. “Plant your ass and stay there.”

She glared up at him as she resisted the urge to rub her butt where it had collided with the firm seat. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’ll fight you every step of the way.”

“Yeah, you do that.” He wandered back to his original seat and leaned his head against it, eyes closed as if he had no cares in the world.

She glared at him, struggling to remember what Ryland had called him earlier. Kriss. It came to her after a long moment of contemplation. So she had names for four of the five, which left the driver unidentified. “And who are you?” she asked as she raised her voice and tried to direct it toward the one driving.

The steering wheel jerked in his hand, and the van jostled slightly before he straightened it out. He looked over his shoulder, frowning at her. “Me?” His cheeks bloomed with color.

“I know who the other four are, so I might as well know your name too, so I can tell it to the police.” Not that she thought the police would believe any of this, and she wasn’t certain she would go to them when she escaped anyway.

What if they wanted to return her to the Allises? She was certain she didn’t have to go back to them, since she was past the age of majority, but it might allow them to find her again, and she knew on an instinctive level that was a very bad thing.

“Eamon,” he said as the blush descended down his neck. He returned his attention to the road, not looking at her again.

“Eamon’s shy,” said Ryland as he leaned closer, apparently deciding not to address her escape attempt. “Try not to tease him about it.”

She was hardly likely to do that. Teasing implied a level of intimacy that she was certain they would never achieve, and being shy herself—or perhaps simply overwhelmed by interacting with all the people around her—she wasn’t going to tease him about it. “What do you want with me? Seriously?”

He smiled, and he appeared perfectly sane and not at all frightening when he did so. “You’re about to find out, North.”

The van stopped a moment later, and she struggled when Marek came to stand behind her, a black cloth in his hands. Other hands confined her, though Ryland’s voice was soothing when he said, “Just relax. We can’t let you see the location until we’re certain you can shield your thoughts from intruders.”

The words made no sense at all, but as he stroked his finger up and down her arm, the tension faded from her, though she couldn’t explain why. She sat docilely while Marek tied the blindfold around her eyes, and then stood up beside Ryland, certain it was him by the slight coolness of his skin as his hand took hers.

Like a ninny, she allowed Ryland to lift her from the van, embarrassed to enjoy the brief moment of contact with her body against his as he lowered her to his feet before taking her hand again. She waltzed right beside her kidnapper, barely even remembering the idea of escaping until she heard a door shut behind her.

There was a difference in the quality of light that suggested they were inside, and wherever they were was dim. She had nightmares of being held in a dank and filthy cage, so it was somewhat of a relief to find herself in a sterile white room when Marek’s fingers gently eased off the blindfold. She blinked, allowing her eyes to grow accustomed to the light again as she looked around. “What is this place? Where are we, and why am I here?”

“This is the Great Hall of the Council, and you’re here so we can help you.”

She stiffened at the voice, turning around with her mouth agape as she saw Dr. Elias Scott walking toward her. He wore a friendly grin, but she refused to be placated by the appearance of friendliness. People who wanted to help wouldn’t have kidnapped her.