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The room was ominously quiet. Had he gone somewhere else entirely? I couldn’t see anything to confirm, and without the usual tricks, I couldn’t sense anyone either. It was torturouswaiting on this table, hyper-focused on every sound, every sway of shadow, and never know what any of it truly meant. Never know when he’d start the ritual and seal my fate.

But a relieved breath escaped me when a familiar voice broke through the quiet.

“There’s our pretty girl.” Ryker’s head popped into view, the usual smile on his face. “That fucking bastard used a knife on our girl, Tome! I’ll eat his fucking face.”

Tometi came into view, his gentle gaze taking in the state of me. His jaw clenched as he looked at my injury. It was the first time I’d seen the giant radiate fury that veered on homicidal.

A tear broke away from my eye and trailed down my face. Happy didn’t cover the feeling it gave me to see them. The whispering voices quieted. I didn’t have to understand them to know they’d summoned them here. It was their voices that led the two phantoms to where I’d been taken.

Growling, Ryker brushed back his hair in agitation. “I’ll gut that bastard like a fish and feast on his innards while he’s still alive to feel it all.”

Tometi nodded in agreement, saying nothing but every strained muscle suggested he’d join in.

After mumbling to himself, Ryker smiled down at me in that sassy way of his. “Oh, wait. Is this the part of the story where the handsome prince who just so happens to also be the wolf kisses the fair maiden, and they ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after?”

Tometi grunted, acting as if Ryker hadn’t spoken at all. “Can you move, Nika?”

I stared up, blinking once and hoping they took it for a no. Surprisingly, it was Tometi who understood the message first.

Nodding, he cradled his chin and stared down at me. “Is it magic?”

I blinked twice.

It was magic, but not his. I hoped at least he’d ask more questions to find out what sort Rilas had used on me. It’d be a guessing game if he didn’t, and it wasn’t likely to end well for us.

Ryker tried to touch me, but Tometi intercepted at the last second. “Not yet, wolf. If he senses us in the other form, we’ll lose our advantage. It’s better to find out what he did to her before we try to help.” He crossed his arms and stared down at me with a tenderness that didn’t match the power radiating off of him. “Was it his magic?”

I blinked once.

“An enchanted item, then?”

I blinked twice.

“I’m usually the clever one in this comedy duo. Guess I’ve been dethroned tonight,” Ryker grumbled with a cute wink at me, trying to ease some of the tension. “Did you see anything on him, Tome?” he asked the bear while still looking at me.

“Not that I remember,” the bear replied, agitated.

Ryker tapped his chin before his eyes widened. “Wasn’t that asshole wearing a necklace? I thought it was odd because I’d never seen that brute wear one with that fancy assassin outfit of his. Not one single time.”

I blinked twice.

A proud grin split the wolf’s face. “See, I’m helping.”

Tometi grunted again. “The demon’s gone to deal with something, but once he’s back we’ll have our chance. He didn’t sense us in this form. He might in the other.” The giant’s evil grin made even me uncomfortable. “You snatch it, and I’ll break it. That should disrupt the magic enough to drop its hold over her. We can overpower him in all the suddenness.”

Ryker whistled, impressed. “I keep forgetting how battle smart you are, big guy. Okay, so once she’s free…”

“We’ll have a fight on our hands. He’s lost his ability to take souls, right?” Tometi asked me.

I blinked twice.

It was clear he had, otherwise it would’ve gone differently tonight. He would’ve used his ability to freeze time, and he hadn’t. I would’ve known because the feeling echoed inside me every time. Tonight he hadn’t.

The giant hummed and scratched his jaw in contemplation. “Is there a way you can hold him with your magic?”

I blinked twice.

There was, but I wasn’t sure how long it’d hold him. He wasn’t as powerful with his Soul Collector abilities bound, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t break through my magic. I wasn’t as strong with it as Silas was. It was definitely not something I’d rely on for longer than ten or so minutes.