an inward shrug. The answer didn’t really matter so long as the leader of Valhalla believed she would.
“I will do whatever is necessary to survive.”
The Mave leaned forward, her face filling the screen. “What do you want?”
Stella licked her lips, barely suppressing the urge to back away. The woman couldn’t blast her magic through an intercom. Even if it did feel as if there were electrical currents dancing over her skin.
Fiercely she shoved aside the worry she might be losing her mind. She was under a lot of stress. It was no wonder her body was so twitchy. Instead she concentrated on the Mave’s question.
Her first thought was to demand safe passage out of Valhalla. All she wanted was to be miles away from this godforsaken place. But she wasn’t stupid.
Even if they did let her out, they would soon hunt her down and return her to the dungeons. And this time they would make very certain she didn’t have the opportunity to escape. Unless they simply killed her.
No. Her only chance to survive was to get what was promised to her.
“I want the clairvoyant,” she at last informed the Mave.
Dark brows arched. “That’s all?”
“For now.”
“Fine.” The Mave settled back in her seat. “Release the girl and—”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” Stella interrupted with a sharp laugh. “The girl stays with me until I have my hands on the clairvoyant.”
The older woman studied her with an unreadable expression. She could make a fortune at poker, Stella wryly acknowledged.
“Then we are at a standstill.” The Mave lifted a slender hand, as if reaching to turn off the intercom. “I won’t allow Myst to come to you until I know her daughter is safe.”
Tightening her grip on Molly’s arm, she lifted the girl off the ground to give her a rough shake.
“Don’t push me, Mave.”
“Ow,” Molly cried, struggling to get free.
Something dark and lethally terrifying entered the Mave’s eyes, making Stella deeply relieved that the older woman wasn’t in the storage room with her. She had a terrible suspicion that she would be lying dead on the floor in that case.
“Stop,” the Mave snapped. “I will see if I can locate Myst.”
“Make it soon,” Stella hissed, dropping Molly to the floor when the screen went black. “The bitch better not disappoint me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Myst had endured terror over the years.
The vision. Being sold to the Brotherhood. Living on the run. Discovering that she was pregnant and knowing she couldn’t keep her child.
But when Molly had been kidnapped a few weeks ago, she’d learned the true meaning of fear.
And now she was forced to live through it again.
Standing near a bank of windows in the Mave’s office, she trembled in the circle of Bas’s arms as the computer screen went dark and the image of her precious daughter was lost.
If it wasn’t for Bas’s ruthless grip, she would be running screaming from the office like a lunatic.
“Dear God,” she breathed, her voice choked with tears. “You have to let me go to her.”
“There’s no way to get you past the barrier,” Lana reminded her in grim tones. “Even if we were willing to negotiate with the female.”
Myst stiffened, glaring at the older woman. This was her child they were talking about. It wasn’t the Mave’s decision if they would or wouldn’t negotiate to get her back.
“We have to do something.”
“We will, cara. I swear,” Bas murmured, brushing his lips over the top of her head before he was glaring at Lana. “I’m getting my daughter; I don’t care what I have to do to get past the spells.”
Wolfe moved to stand next to Lana as she rose from her chair.
“We are all worried about Molly, assassin,” he retorted in sharp tones. “There’s no need for threats.”
Lana regarded them with a sympathetic expression, even as she took firm control of the situation.
“Wolfe is right, Bas. We all love your daughter, but it’s not going to help to fight with each other,” she pointed out in gentle tones. “We need to work together to figure out a plan.”
Myst felt Bas tremble with the effort to contain his furious need to hunt down the female who’d threatened their daughter. His voice, however, was stripped of emotions when he at last spoke.
“You actually think the female can be convinced to give up her only hostage?”
Lana didn’t flinch beneath his fierce glare. “The obvious solution is to convince Stella that releasing Molly is in her own best interest.”
“Or we could give her what she wants,” a voice drawled from