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“What are you doing?” Thorn demanded from behind Garrick.

Beyond the two men, I could see Uthred open his eyes.

“He’s talking to the dungeon,” Rian offered as he walked back towards the other men, dragging Garrick with him.

I shot him a glance, my brow furrowing.

“What he said?” Uthred lifted an eyebrow at Rian, his forehead wrinkling.

“You are so weird today,” Garrick muttered.

“Come on, let’s get through the Goblin chief so we can get to a safe room,” Thorn said.

“How do you know that is up ahead?” Uthred asked.

“Because the Ordered sections are anchoring parts of the Dungeon so it can’t move around,” Thorn replied, frowning at Uthred. “Everyone knows this. You know this.”

Everyone was just ignoring me. I sidled to the side, eying back the way we came. Maybe I could run. I glanced back over at Uthred. If I ran, he would chase me. If I got away, these guys would hunt me down, and if they did, they might find me with my friends again and take them too. My entire body stiffened as I warred with my desire to run, to survive.

If I ran, more people would get hurt.

If I fought, they would hurt me worse than they already planned.

I swallowed against the taste of bile in my own mouth.

“I know nothing,” Uthred replied. “And I do a lot with it.”

“You know what, just watch the girl,” Thorn said. “Keep her alive during the fight.”

“I can do that,” Uthred said.

Thorn took a few steps over to me, and I shrank back. He reached out and grabbed me by the back of the neck and shoved me. I stumbled towards, crashing into Uthred as he reached out to grab my elbows to steady me.

“What did I say about touching her?” Uthred growled.

“For Order’s sake, Uthred, what is wrong with you?” Thorn shook his head and then turned and walked off down the dungeon. The others followed after him. Uthred let go of my elbows and stepped back.

I wanted the answer to that question, too. Uthred had been at this school for years. He had a clear reputation for being an active participant in the types of ‘activities’ groups of guys at this school participated in. This whole savior act he was pulling had to have another purpose. There was no way I was going to believe he actually wanted to protect me.

“You can just go,” Uthred said.

Those words had to be a trick, some sort of trap.

Was this his game? To act all kind and protective so he could mock me for trusting him later?

“I’m not stupid,” I said. “I’m not going to run off so that you can use that as an excuse. There is no pretending this is anything but what it is. You don’t get to lie to yourself about this.”

“Lying to oneself is not Proper Order,” Rian said. “It is my main guideline.”

I frowned at him, not understanding him at all, then turned and headed after the others.

“I’m not trying to lie to myself,” Uthred said behind me. “I don’t really know what is going on. You want to enlighten me?”

“The rest of your group intends to harm that woman,” Rian said. “I think you know that, but you are lying to yourself about it because it is easier to believe that you would be wrong than that they would be that evil.”

I snorted in disgust and picked up my pace so I didn’t have to listen to the two of them talk. I had heard first-hand from Becky that Uthred was one of the bad ones. I knew all about the mundanes he had killed. I knew what he and his friends did to Abigale.

We walked into a cavern.