"So what? We're just going to leave him there?" The thought made Lena sick.

"Of course we're not gonna just leave 'im there! Are you out of your fuckin' mind?" Mercury replied.

"It's not like we can just knock on the door, is it? 'Excuse me, mister, can we have our Vampire back?'"

"Why are you even still here, Pixie?"

"Are we still on this?" Malandra replied with a roll of her violet eyes. "Seriously, my lady, get your priorities sorted."

Lena rushed her, grabbing the petite Sentinel by the throat. "I will sort that pretty fucking face of yours if you don't fuck off!"

Despite the vice-like grip at her neck, the stupid bitch still managed to smile at her. Lena's grip tightened, willing the poisoned dwarf's face to turn the same colour as her hair.

Somebody pulled at her shoulder and she shrugged it off.

"Lena!" Thorn's booming voice sliced through the red mist that had wrapped itself around her mind.

She shot him a look over her shoulder, daring him to intervene.

He shook his head slowly, golden eyes portraying his own anger.

She turned back to the Pixie. The woman's eyes were a messy mix of bloodshot purple as she gasped for air. Just a little longer.

The violent tug on her mating bond with Thorn loosened her grip. She looked back at him again, then at her brothers. Mercury had moved closer, his shoulders bunched, fists clenched, ready for a fight. With her.

"Ugh. Fine." She released the Pixie with a shove.

Malandra would have collapsed to the floor had Mercury not caught her. Still wheezing and spluttering, the Sentinel glowered back at her. Lena almost laughed until she saw a similar anger in Mercury's eyes as he helped the woman up.

Lena huffed. "Would it help if I ordered you to leave?" Surely her position in House Blackwood counted for something? As Queen, her orders carried weight. She was Malandra's superior and she wanted her gone.

"You could try," Malandra replied, sounding like she'd gone ten rounds with a chainsaw.

Lena narrowed her eyes.

"This is not my fault, Lena. Kaden and Phoenix were there too, you know."

The anger in the pit of her stomach bubbled away. She jabbed a finger in the woman's face. "You knew who Ryver and Mercury were. You should have left well alone."

Mercury stiffened and Lena instantly regretted her words.

"If that's the way we're playin' it, then it must be my fault. I took the kid to the club in the first place."

"Oh don't be ridiculous! If she hadn't—"

"Enough!" Kaden shouted.

Everyone turned to the Keeper, who sat at his battered desk, head in his hands.

"For the love of Faerie, will everyone just please, stop fucking talking." His voice sounded weary.

"Kaden, I'm sor—"

He held his hand up, his ice-blue eyes staring intently at her.

Right. Shutting the hell up.

Silence was supposed to be golden. Not that kind of silence. Heavy, full of anger and fear and unspoken regret, it hung in the air like a malevolent spirit, making everyone uneasy. She glanced around at her brethren, each of them inspecting their boots or finding something interesting on the walls to stare at. Even Thorn seemed reluctant to say anything, choosing instead to admonish her with his hard, golden stare. She risked a look at the Sentinel, who appeared fully recovered, though the fury in her eyes told Lena the Pixie wouldn't forget the incident in a hurry. Lena shook her head. Ryver was always reminding her to pick her battles, and of course he was right. Shit.

Roarke’s tutting captured everyone's attention. Unlike everyone else, he'd actually found something useful to do. His hands moved in a blur across the touch-sensitive OLED screen as he checked and rechecked information. As everyone gravitated towards him, three images remained on the display. A small smile planted on his face, the Prospect took a step backward.

Kaden had dragged himself out of his dilapidated chair and joined the rest of the crowd, watching with interest. "You got something, kid?"

The smile slid off the guy's face as he realised everyone was staring at him. He swallowed hard. "Um, y-yes. Well, um, maybe." He looked back at the expectant faces and seemed to shrink in stature.

Lena did her best to look as encouraging as possible. She clearly failed though because the guy seemed more terrified than ever. Goddess knew patience was not a virtue Lena was very well acquainted with, and as much as she was pleased Roarke had come up with something—anything—time was very much of the essence. "Come on, Roarke. Tell us what you have."

The guy shot another worried look at Kaden, who nodded. "At this point, kid, there is no such thing as a bad idea. I'm fresh out, so if you've got even an inkling of an idea, you'd better tell us."

Lena's eyes widened as her gaze snapped to the Keeper of the Watch. Things were desperate indeed if Kaden was willing to admit he didn't have a clue what to do next.

Roarke nodded and swallowed hard again before gesturing to the screen. There was a moment of ridiculous chaos as everyone jostled for position. They were all desperate to get their brother back.

"Guys! Back it up a bit!" Kaden said.

Everyone sort of shuffled about and made room for Thorn and Kaden. The rest of the guys stood well back, but still craned their necks to get a good look at their salvation.

No pressure, Roarke!

Their new communications expert enlarged a set of blueprints. "See here." He pointed at the uppermost left-hand corner.

"This is nothing new, Prospect," Thorn growled in frustration.

"Actually, Sir, they are new. Or old, actually," Roarke replied. "The plans we were working from are for the headquarters as they are now. These are from just after the first phase of remodelling."

"So?" Mercury asked.

"So this tunnel wasn't on the plans we had," Roarke explained.

Even Lena felt herself looking at the lad like he was touched in the head.

"Don't you see?" Roarke asked.

Kaden cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh. Well, um, what I mean to say is that it's part of the original building. It's a service tunnel. It carries the sewerage pipes and, at one time, part of the electrical system."

"Okay..."

"I think it's still there."

Roarke's statement was met with silence—briefly—and then everyone spoke at once. Like a gaggle of geese, all squawking and clamouring to be heard, the noise was deafening.

"How can it still be there? It's not on the latest plans!" Thorn said.

Kaden agreed. "There was absolutely no sign of this on the schematics for the building as it is now."

Mercury stepped forward and put a hand on Roarke's shoulder. "You sure about this?"

Roarke's hands moved across the screen as he brought up another image and moved it on top of the old plans. Overlaid on top of the earlier schematics, the latest blueprints lined up exactly with the original building—with some additions. The boys were right. The service tunnel wasn't on the new plan, but the new building was right on top of it. It had to still be there.

"It's probably fallen into disrepair, so there's no telling what kind of state it will be in, but I'm sure it's still there."

"Good enough for me," Mercury said. "There is one problem though."

"Just one, Guardian?" Kaden asked, still sounding tired.

"Do you mind?" Mercury asked Roarke as he gestured to the screen.

The Prospect nodded eagerly and got out of the bigger man's way.

Mercury twisted the plans around for a couple of seconds and replaced them so that the ventilation shaft they'd first aimed for sat on top of this newly discovered service tunnel. The problem was obvious. The tunnel was about two-thirds of the width of the ventilation shaft. "Ain't 'alf gonna be a tight squeeze."

Kaden rubbed his stubbled chin. "No way any of us are going to fit in there. The ventilation duct was pushing it." He tapped his chin with his finger and his gaze wandered away from the screen.

Lena followed his eye line and saw what he saw. "Oh no. No fucking way."

She felt rather than saw everyone else staring at the same thing she was.

Malandra looked back at them all, violet eyes wide. "What?" she snapped.

Kaden turned his attention to Lena. "I don't see we have any other choice, Lena."

"I'll go."

Thorn gave a sharp inhale and Kaden winced. "You will do no such thing!" Thorn said.

Lena spun on the spot to face her mate. "This isn't some two-bit Vampire we're talking about, Thorn. He's my best friend and I will damned well be the one to go get him. There is no way on the Goddess's green earth I'm letting the Pixie run this one. No. Way."

"Ria is my best friend too," Malandra added.

"Shut up!" Lena replied without even bothering to look at her. She still held the Pixie entirely accountable for this mess. "I'm more than qualified for this, Thorn, and you fucking know it." This was Ryver. Her best friend. Her counsel. She wouldn't leave his fate to a Pixie. She couldn't.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kaden straighten. She turned to face him and caught the clench at his jaw, the burning in his eyes. She knew he was just as worried as she was. As he lifted his chin, she also knew she wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"The last time I checked, My Lady, the Order was still mine to command." He spoke so softly a stranger might have taken it for an off-the-cuff comment.

It wasn't.

She saw the burning red in his aura. His blue eyes glowed hot white as he looked at her, daring her to challenge him. Months ago, she would have just done that. A creature of impulse, everything in her screamed to deny him, but she couldn't do it. She could feel the eyes of her brethren on her, their duty to her as Thorn's mate almost totally eclipsed by their love and loyalty to the Keeper of the Watch.

"Lena," Thorn whispered in warning.

Damn it.

Defeated and angry, she turned to leave. As she did so, she caught the look Thorn traded with his second in command. It looked like gratitude, though for what exactly, she couldn't determine.

* * *

Kaden watched Lena go. She wasn't going to take this lying down, and he knew he was in for a boat load of trouble on that front. He caught Thorn's eye as Lena left. The King gave him an almost imperceivable nod. At least on that score he'd done his duty, kept his promise, and prevented Lena from taking to the field. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up. Lena was strong willed, and though she'd curbed her recklessness since the incident last year, he knew full well that suffocating her would lead her running and screaming into the path of the enemy.

"You'd better tread carefully, Thorn," he told the King once he was sure Lena was gone.

"I can't bear the thought of her in the field at the best of times. There is no way the Queen is going anywhere near Asher or his headquarters."

Kaden agreed wholeheartedly. Thorn and Lena were mated, joined not just by blood, but by their very souls. One would very likely not survive without the other. Lena's talent for acting without thinking could end up killing her. She would die a Warrior's death; of that he had no doubt. She would die honourably, in the service of her King and the House that bore his name, but she would also die violently, suddenly and without warning. Thorn would suffer the same pain, feel every wound as if it was his own, and when she perished, that part of his soul she carried with him would die too. The agony and pain would kill him. The responsibility of keeping them both safe weighed heavily on Kaden.

"Kaden, are you alright?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked if you were okay."

No. He was far from okay. His exhaustion ran bone deep. Ryver's disappearance was just another strain on his already overstretched command. He looked at Thorn's worried face and feigned a smile. "I'm fine. Just mark my words. You need to talk to Lena yourself. I can't keep her here against her will for much longer. She heeds me out of loyalty and brotherly love, but she won't do it forever. She outranks me and some day very soon she will do just as she pleases, whether you like it or not."

Thorn's mouth flapped around as he tried to find the words to reply. In the end, they did not come. He simply nodded instead. Aware of the rest of his Guardians trying not to eavesdrop and hovering around like a bunch of lemons, he turned away from the King and headed over to Malandra.

She smiled up at him. "You don't need to ask, Keeper of the Watch."

"Yes, I do, and it is not something I ask lightly. I would not order any of my Guardians to do this, and you are no exception. You may not have pledged your allegiance to House Blackwood—"

"I cannot. You know that,"

Kaden raised his hands. "Nor would I ask it of you. You swore an oath of friendship and service while your head rests under our roof. You hail from House Ravenborn, and so your word is enough for me. I do ask that you accept this mission. We will support you as best we can, but you will be flying solo. You need to understand that you might not return. I would never order anyone to attempt a potential suicide mission. I may ask it, but I would never order it."

He was the first to admit he’d had his doubts when she first arrived. He still harboured some if he was honest, but he could not doubt the woman's love for her friend. She was still Sentinel to the Seelie Court regardless of which side of the gates she was on. Her rank alone demanded his respect, if not his wholehearted trust. It didn't appear that he had much choice in the matter though; Malandra Ravenborn was it. Their only hope of rescuing their brother.

She ducked her head in a little bow. "You honour me, Keeper of the Watch. Ria is my friend and I will not leave her to those inhuman bastards. You know I am happy to accept.”

Indeed he did. "There is one more thing I must ask of you."

"Name it."

"I need you to bind yourself to me."

The Pixie inhaled sharply. It was not a simple thing he asked, but it was necessary. He may have lost Ryver, but if Roarke was right, most of Malandra's journey into the camp would not be shielded by Osmium. It was the only way he could at least try to keep her safe.

"Kaden...I—"

"I do not ask you lightly." He glanced at the boys, all listening intently. "But it is necessary. It is the only way I can keep you safe."

She threw him a quizzical look. "You mean to trace me?"

He nodded.

"I need to think about this," she whispered, a frown creasing her brow.

"Fair enough." He meant it too.

Vampires, or any other Fae for that matter, did not run around binding themselves in blood to just anyone. Most bonds were forged in family, in duty, or in love. Malandra was not kin, nor was she obliged to House Blackwood in her duty. The bond would be permanent, however. They would always sense each other, they would know how the other felt, and they would know if either of them were injured. A blood bond was not without significant risk to those involved, but it was also what made them strong.

Malandra looked up at him. "I need to speak with Lena before I do this."

A collective gasp went up from the Guardians and Kaden felt his own eyes widen. That was the last thing he expected her to say. "What?"

"I ain't sure that's the best idea, Pixie," Mercury chimed in.

"You do remember she just tried to throttle you, don't you?" Phoenix added.

She flashed them a small smile. "I remember. I was there."

Roarke did his best to look like he wasn't listening, but even he thought she was mad—it was written all over his face. Only Skylar remained silent, a curious look in his eyes. Kaden narrowed his eyes at him, but the guy gave him nothing further.

He turned back to Malandra. "Why in Faerie would you want to talk to the woman who just tried to kill you?"

"Because I need to ask her something."

That was it. No other explanation. The woman raised her chin and Kaden could tell that meant the matter was settled. In her eyes at least.

"Very well." He looked at Thorn. "Would you escort the lady to your office, please?" He felt Malandra's eyes on him as Thorn raised an eyebrow in response to his request. "It's where you'll find Lena."

Realisation dawned on Thorn's face. "Of course. Right this way," he said as he gestured to the door.

Kaden watched them leave before returning his attention to Skylar. "Come on. What was the funny look about?"

"She doesn't trust you," he replied.

Sky wasn't telepathic like Ryver, but he had developed an extraordinary talent for perceptiveness. He'd always noticed things others didn't, but his empathy had become much more powerful in the months since Thorn and Lena's mating. No matter how guarded an individual was, Skylar knew the truth about them.

"She doesn't trust that I'll keep her safe?"

The Guardian shook his head. "No, I don't think it's that."

"What then?"

"I'm not sure."

"Women!" Mercury said with a scowl. "I'll be damned if I'll ever understand 'em!"

That caused an outburst of laughing from Phoenix.

"Did I say somethin' amusin, bruv?" he asked, looking anything but.

"Well, with the amount of notches in your bedpost, Mercury, if you can't understand them, what hope is there for the rest of us?"

Mercury did his level best to look offended, but a smile tugged at the corner of his ruined mouth.

"He makes a fair point, Guardian," Kaden replied with a laugh.

Mercury chuckled and held his hands up in surrender. "Yeah, okay. So we're all fucked then."

The laughter was much needed, and Kaden saw his Guardians relaxing, if only for a moment. "C'mon, let's go get a drink." Goddess knew he needed one.

* * *

Lena paced Thorn's office, muttering to herself. Who the hell did that fucking Pixie think she was? She could scream!

She knew, deep down, that it wasn't really Malandra's fault. But she needed someone to blame. Someone on whom to focus her anger. And her pain. Ryver was her only real friend, always had been. Even when she was being a complete cowbag—which was pretty often, by her own admission—he always had her back. He was always there, whether she liked it or not, to give her advice, to counsel her. To call her on her bullshit.

And now he was gone. She had no idea if he was alive or dead. She'd searched for him, looked closely at the blood bond she shared with him, but felt nothing. Literally nothing. Where Ryver should be, there was instead an emptiness, devoid of all feeling, all connection, all light. There was only a dark numbness. She swallowed hard as she looked away from that place within herself. Looking at it did nothing but cause pain and cloud her judgement.

She felt Thorn approaching and some of the tension bled from her shoulders. It returned with a vengeance a second later as she realised he was not alone. Her attention snapped to the huge, oak double doors that led out to the corridor. Her mate pulled open both doors, gave her a nod and then escorted Malandra Ravenborn inside.

Lena stared at Thorn in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

He held his hands up. "Lena, I—"

"It is my fault. I asked to speak with you," Malandra interrupted.

"I beg your pardon?" It was unexpected, to say the least.

"I need to speak with you," she replied as she shot Thorn a look. "Alone."

Lena had to give the woman kudos. She had balls. She looked at her mate, who had positioned himself oh so subtly between them, and nodded.

Thorn raised an eyebrow, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

Lena rolled her eyes. "It’s alright, Thorn. I promise not to kill her." Right then she meant it too. She was far too intrigued. "Not today at least."

That drew a quiet chuckle from Malandra.

Thorn still looked conflicted. "She is under my roof, Lena."

She understood his meaning. Malandra had sworn an oath of friendship with the King and he had accepted. She had his protection, and Lena had already threatened his honour once when she attacked the woman.

Lena didn't hold with the proceedings and the subtleties of court, but honour she did understand. She closed her eyes slowly. She owed Thorn an apology.

She opened her eyes again and looked up at him. "You have my word, Thorn."

Thorn searched her face before nodding and taking his leave.

Her heart constricted as she watched him go, the weight of the entire race on his shoulders. Damn it.

"He bears it well," Malandra whispered.

Lena felt too ashamed to argue with her, and plonked herself down in one of the antique armchairs. Bollocks. At this rate, they’d be renaming her Queen of the Gobshites. Taking a deep breath, she centred herself, reminding herself she could—no had—to do better, if not for her own sake, then for Thorn…and Ryver. "What do you want?"

Malandra took the seat opposite. "I need to ask you something."

"And that would be?"

"Whether I should trust Kaden."

Lena's jaw dropped as she stared back at the woman. Had she lost her fucking mind?

"Please don't misunderstand me. I am not questioning his honour."

"It sounds to me like that is exactly what you are doing! What the hell is wrong with you? Do you have the first clue who Kaden is to me?" Her voice shook with fury as she tried really hard not to stab the damned woman where she sat.

"I know what Kaden is, Lena. His reputation ensures that there is no one on this side of the gate, or the other for that matter, that does not hold him in the highest esteem. But I do not know him as a man."

Lena's brow furrowed. "I don't understand."

The Sentinel dropped her gaze to her lap where she wrung her hands. She seemed at a loss for words. Her aura was awash with indecision and, underneath it all, a great, corrosive pain. In the short time Lena had known her, Malandra had always been so guarded, so much so that the depth of feeling she showed then took Lena by surprise. It even served to dull some of her anger.

"Malandra?"

The woman raised her gaze and her aura grew less vivid as she closed herself off again. "This is not easy for me."

That much Lena could tell. What any of it had to do with her brother in all but name, she couldn't fathom.

"Things on the other side are not always as glorious as the history books would have you believe, especially for people like me."

"People like you?"

"Half-breeds."

"Okay..." She drew the word out, turning it into a subtle question.

"Don't get me wrong; everyone talks a good game, but what they say and do can be two very different things. What happened to me there, it...left its mark."

Kaden had told them as much as he could about Malandra. According to him, she was somewhat of a legend. Lena supposed he was right; people didn't become a Sentinel to the Seelie Court by baking cupcakes and dishing out free hugs, but it was clear from her tone that achieving that rank was not without sacrifice.

"I don't quite follow," Lena said. She still couldn't connect the dots between whatever happened to the woman in Faerie and the distrust of the Keeper.

"Surviving in Faerie takes a lot more than just the ability to fight. Politics, alliances, bonds. That's what really counts. When I was young, a lot younger than you are now, I made a mistake. I trusted someone I shouldn't have and it cost me dearly."

"What happened?"

"I trusted him because of who he was, not his rank or position, and he betrayed me. He worked against me, undermined me at every turn, used me to further his own position. He swore to protect me, but that was the last thing on his mind."

Lena frowned. "But you're a Sentinel. There aren't many people who outrank you."

"Except family."

Lena looked back at her in horror. "Who are you talking about? Who betrayed you?"

"My father," she whispered.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Lena couldn't imagine how that felt. She'd been blessed with two fathers—one adoptive, one biological—and they both loved her fiercely. He adoptive father had given his life to protect her. Heath, her biological father, had spent the best part of two centuries looking for her. Neither of them had ever shown her anything but the deepest kind of love. Something else occurred to her as she turned over what Malandra had said. "Wait a minute. You come from a long line of Sentinels. Wasn't your father one?"

A shadow skirted across her face. "Ravenborn is my mother's House."

"Oh!" She'd just assumed she'd taken her father's House. "So, your father is the Pixie then?"

Malandra nodded.

"Look, that was a bastard of a thing to do to his own daughter, but I still don't really understand what any of this has to do with Kaden."

"He wants me to bind myself to him."

Ah. "I see."

"It seems to be a condition of the mission."

"Are you asking me if you should do it? Because if you are, I can't answer you. It's not my decision. I can't make it for you."

"I realise that, and I wouldn't ask you to. You can help me though. I don't think you're the kind of woman who throws away her trust and loyalty on a whim."

Lena shook her head. "No. I suppose not."

The thought occurred to her that this was the perfect opportunity to sideline the miniature Sentinel. There were only three people available who were small enough to fit down that tunnel. Soraya wasn’t even an option, and if Malandra didn’t bind herself to Kaden, he wouldn’t allow her to go either. Lena would have to go. She would be in the field where she belonged, and she would bring Ryver home.

"So I'll ask you again. Should I trust the Keeper of the Watch?"