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‘Not recently,’ Torj started. ‘Probably because she’s off with mine up the northern coast.’

Wilder’s blood went cold. ‘What?’

Torj shut the door and folded his arms over his broad chest, brows raised as if to say,Don’t bring your foul mood to my doorstep. But Wilder didn’t give a flying fuck what he was bringing to Torj’s doorstep. If he knew where Thea was, Torj was going to tell him everything.

Torj sighed. ‘Thea went with Cal and Kipp to observe that disturbance to the north.’

‘No one told me,’ Wilder ground out. Images of reapers and shadow wraiths attacking Thea invaded his mind. He saw her snatched up and taken to the Daughter of Darkness, a prize to be tortured and used. Gods, he felt sick.

‘I assumed your apprentice would. But then… she doesn’t seem like your biggest fan these days.’

‘You don’t understand —’ Wilder cut himself off, desperation clawing at his insides. He couldn’t tell Torj. Couldn’t explain. ‘You should have —’

Torj shook his head. ‘Your bullshit is your bullshit, Hawthorne. I’m staying well out of it.’

‘Is that so?’ Wilder cracked his knuckles, his fear for Thea turning to something more violent.

‘You spoiling for a fight?’ Torj challenged, his blue eyes shining. ‘As I recall, that’s how you used to deal with things.’

‘Maybe.’

‘Then by all means, I’ll beat you to a pulp in the training arena, but I like my furniture as is.’

‘Your furniture is shit.’

Torj snorted. ‘True. But I like it intact all the same.’

Wilder took a deep breath and tried to wrangle his temper, his terror, under control. Regret tasted sour on his tongue. Thea didn’t know that the dangers out there huntedher. Anything could happen to her. She had put herself at risk without even knowing, and it was his fault. He’d been too caught up in everything else —

Torj was watching him pace. ‘Instead of using your fists, you could use your words for a change.’

‘You’re one to talk.’

‘Sometimes a conversation is the better option.’

Wilder ground his teeth. ‘When are they due back?’

‘Should have been back by now.’

Wilder’s stomach went leaden. ‘And no sign of them?’

‘Not yet. But Kipp, Esyllt’s would-be apprentice, he’s thorough. He was asked to come back with actionable information. They’ve likely camped out there to re-check things in the morning.’

‘And they’re not doing anything but scouting?’

‘Those were the orders.’

It was Wilder’s turn to snort. Thea wasn’t known for following the rules. His mind churned through the worst-case scenarios, each more harrowing than the last. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she was capable. It was that he hadn’t prepared her. If anything happened to her, it would be on him. And he’d been down that path before. Tal, Malik… He hadn’t been able to save them.

Wilder stopped pacing to rummage through the bottles in Torj’s side cabinet, looking for his supply of fire extract. ‘Where’s your liquor?’

‘I’m doing a cleanse,’ Torj replied, deadpan.

Wilder gave him a stony look and waited.

Torj waved to the lower half of the cabinet. ‘Bottom left cupboard. If I don’t hide it, Kipp tends to help himself.’

Wilder huffed a laugh at that. It wasn’t surprising, considering the lad had been raised at the Laughing Fox. But as he reached for the bottle, he paused, spotting a familiar-looking vial. Carefully, he picked it up.