so long. She had been very good about being confined. Better than he ever would have. Still, she needed to let the cat run free. That part of her had been denied for almost as long as she’d been at their Thent.
They silently tracked the man through the forest. He traveled fast and the trail was so light, Colm wondered if he had any supplies with him. Kynar wasn’t panicked completely by being hunted. The man must think he had a chance to get away on foot. If he’d been too unnerved, he’d shift and run. For all Colm knew, this might not be the first time that the man had been hunted. It would be the last, regardless of Kynar’s choice. If he surrendered, he’d be taken back to the Thent and transport arranged. If he fought, there was a chance he could die now.
Colm had expected the man to run right after the other false Ardin, Laed, had been captured. The man had stayed. Colm assumed the man watched the Thent, trying to see if there was a way to get inside without detection. He didn’t know what the man’s motive was. Had he wanted to try to rescue his friend, Laed, or to try to get to Cami to get that crystal?
Tracking the man, he focused on getting closer to him. It took him a little time to catch the subtle change in direction. When he did, Colm’s eyes widened. He was looping back toward the Thent. And Cami. Colm gritted his teeth and bit back a curse. With a good number of men out in the forest helping with the search, Kynar might have a chance of getting inside without being detected.
“Linc.” He looked over at his bond brother, but knew from the hardening look on his face that he didn’t have to say any more.
“I’ll head straight back to the Thent. If he keeps on the arcing route he’s taking now, I should beat him there.” Linc took a deep breath and slowly released it, but his hands clenched into fists, revealing the tension in his body. “I’ll leave most of the men with you. Contact me if his route changes.”
“With any luck, we can trap him between us, cutting off any hope of flight.” Colm met Linc’s eyes. “Make sure Cami’s safe while we’re finishing this.”
“I’ll have her locked up tight. Don’t worry about her.” Linc smiled and selected a few men before leaving at a fast jog.
Colm focused on the trail and moving as fast as he could to catch up with the man. Kynar might seem to be going against logic, but Colm knew he probably had a plan.
Linc pushed the panic surging inside him down. When the Thent came into sight, he picked up his pace to get to it and Cami. He needed to see her, to know that Kynar hadn’t managed to get past the walls as the other tamaurg had. The gates opened as he approached them. He went through, pausing only to yell for a search of the inner courtyard and set the men on the walls to watch for any sign of the man.
Linc burst into the Thent and pushed open doors as he went, looking for Cami. He sniffed, searching for her scent. He grabbed a warrior as he searched and brought him along. A trace of her fragrance lingered on the first floor, but not fresh. He didn’t catch a hint of a strange shifter. That reassured him a little, but he didn’t stop moving.
As he reached the stairs, he found the trail a little fresher there. Letting his nose lead, he made his way up to the second level and toward their wing of rooms. Stationing a man at the entrance to their section of rooms, he went to find her.
Part of him was relieved. She was already here. Almost completely safe. He wouldn’t be completely satisfied until he’d searched the rooms here and had her lock the door. As satisfied as he could be since she couldn’t go to her haven yet. He hoped that they managed to do that soon. He struggled to hold onto his control when she was so exposed to danger. She’d be the main target of their enemies. He wanted to know she had someplace to safe to go.
He pushed open doors as he passed, checking inside for any sign of an intruder and looking for Cami. He’d do a more thorough search once he found her,