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“I don’t have that power!”

“Sure you do.”

“You’ve committed treason!”

Coral flips her hair behind her shoulder. “Exactly why I need your word. Once I have it, we’ll free daddy dearest.”

I throw Bash a questioning look, and this time he nods. Then I turn back to his psychotic aunt. “Fine.”

“I want to hear you say it.”

Through gritted teeth I say, “I grant you immunity from execution.”

“Not prison?”

“Don’t press your luck.”

Her mouth twists into a scowl. “We’ll see.”

My stomach knots as I try to imagine what else she has up her sleeve. “Where’s my dad?”

“Out back. You’re going to need that.” She gestures to my trident.

“Why?” Bash demands. “What have you done?”

Coral snickers.

He shakes his head. “You know, I’ve always resented you guys for sending me away to boarding school, but I actually have to thank you. Being raised by you would’ve been a much worse fate.”

Her mouth drops open.

Bash grabs her arm. “Take us to the king.”

“Only if you let me go.”

“Not happening.”

“Fine. We’ll have to go up to the main level and then out back.”

“Great.” He drags her up the stairs.

Before following them, I snatch Shane’s sword to give to Bash. From the sounds of it, he’s going to need a weapon.

We head outside and deep into the woods. Similar howls and growls sound to the ones I heard my first night back in Valora. At least this time, Bash is with me. And we have two weapons. Not only that, but if it comes down to it, we can always throw his aunt to whatever beast attacks. I only promised her immunity from execution, not a mauling.

“Turn down this path,” Coral says after a while.

“Where?” I can’t see a path.

“There.” She points to some bushes.

Bash and I exchange a raised eyebrow before squeezing through them. He forces her to go first. On the other side of the plant life, there actually is a path. Maybe she really is taking us to my dad.

She’d better be.

The path seems to go on forever. I’m certain we’re moving farther and farther away from Valora.

“How much longer?” Bash shoves her. “You aren’t leading us astray, are you?”

“No. It isn’t much farther. You don’t think we’d put him close to the cabin, do you? That’d be plain stupid.”

We go on for what has to be another hour. Maybe two. I swear the sky is getting light beyond the trees. Well, not the sky. Ugh. Will I ever stop thinking like a land-dweller?

Just when I’m ready to throw Coral against a tree and dig my trident into her chest for leading us on a goose chase, we round a corner.

A shed.