Page 87 of His Claim
She shrugged. “Rumors spread. People talk where they shouldn’t. The Watch has ears in plenty of places. Plus, I met a scientist who was too drunk to lie. He gave a nice little soliloquy about contingency protocols.” Her jaw tightened. “The point is we can’t let them have the chance.”
“Then we destroy the lab first and free the women as simultaneously as possible to that action,” I offered.
Elsie nodded. “Exactly. And that’s where your sweet little mate comes in.”
I blinked. “My—what?”
She rolled her eyes. “Your mate. Mariah. I need her on this run. No one else. Not because I’m sentimental, but because the Watch knows you’d die for her. It’ll keep you honest, in their eyes.”
“You want me to hand her over,” I said slowly, “to go into the belly of the beast, to use as collateral.”
She didn’t flinch. She folded her arms and leaned in until the firelight cut hard lines across her face. “Listen to me,” she said, her voice quietly urgent. “The Watch will not throw their peopleinto your plan without assurances that they won’t be caught bare-assed in the midst of it all.”
My jaw tightened. “You told them that I’d agree.”
“Not exactly,” Elsie hedged.
“You’re using her,” I said, voice tight.
“No,” Elsie shot back, softening only a fraction. “I’m asking her to choose the only chance those women have. The Watch will agree to a truce, but they made it conditional. Mariah goes with me, or they don’t come at all. The Watch wants a sign of good faith. This is it.”
I felt the animal in me bristle. “And if she refuses?”
“Then you lose,” Elsie said bluntly. “You storm the city, and they dose them all, or you don’t storm the city and nothing changes. Either way, the women die after being used and abused. Again.”
There was a beat of silence as I processed what she was saying. I gritted my teeth, not seeing any way out of this that wouldn’t put my mate in danger.
“All right,” I said finally. “She goes with you, with my blessing and my blade. But one condition.”
Elsie arched a brow. “I was wondering when you’d get to the part where you tried to be dramatic.”
“You keep your people in line,” I said. “If anyone in the Watch tries to dose anyone with the rage serum, you stop them. I want you to swear it.”
Her eyes measured me for a long beat, then she laughed, and the sound was genuine. “Fine. I swear it. I’ll babysit my own rabble.”
She extended her hand and I took it. Her grip was rough and confident.
“Good,” she said. “Get her fed. Get her rested. She leaves with me in first thing in the morning.”
CHAPTER 22
Varek
The camp was quieter now, most of the night watch settled into their posts along the ridge. Lanterns threw circles of gold on the ground, and the smell of smoke and pine needles hung thick in the air. I followed one of the well-trodden paths until I reached the tent Soren’s people had pitched for us near the edge of camp. The canvas glowed faintly from the small lamp inside.
I paused for a heartbeat before stepping in. I’d fought wars and monsters, but the thought of telling Mariah what Elsie and I had just agreed on made my pulse hit a new rhythm I’d not experienced before.
She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her flannel half unbuttoned and hanging off one shoulder, hair pulled back, her cheek marked with ash from the fire. When she looked up, the tired lines around her mouth softened. “You look like you’ve been arguing with someone who talks too much,” she said.
“Close,” I answered, dropping to one knee beside her. “Elsie.”
“That explains it.” She smiled faintly, but it faded when she saw my expression. “What happened?”
I exhaled and rubbed a hand over my face. “The Watch has agreed to fight with us. They’ll bring their people through the tunnels, and coordinate with the Resistance. But there’s a condition.”
Her brow furrowed. “A condition?”
“They wantyouto go with Elsie.”
