But Frey got there first.
“You will not enter.”
Apollo stopped close behind Maddie but had no chance to speak.
“Finnie’s in there,” she returned heatedly. “I saw her when you opened the door.”
“My Finnie is an unusual woman and princess of this realm,” Frey retorted.
“Well, I’m an unusual woman too. Seeing as she’s of my people, we’re the same kind of unusual and it was me and my girls”—she jerked her thumb at herself with each stressed word then threw out an arm—“who were out there with those things.”
Apollo felt his jaw grow tight at a reminder of the danger Madeleine had been in.
But Frey was not swayed
“What you would see in there is not for women’s eyes.”
“Huh,” Maddie huffed in disgust, and at that noise, Apollo lost his disquiet and rage at the events of earlier that night and again almost smiled. “I’ve seen Lo slit a man’s throat, gut another one, slice another one in the neck and cut off a man’s hand.” She twisted her neck and looked up at him. “What other carnage have you wrought in front of me, sweetheart?”
At that, there was no hope of stopping it, he smiled down at her.
“Lo, this is your decision,” Frey stated and Apollo looked to him.
“Let her enter.”
He felt Maddie relax in front of him.
Frey nodded and turned instantly to the door he was blocking, opened it and moved inside.
He left it open and Maddie began to move there but he caught her arm and turned her to him.
“Apollo—” she started impatiently.
“One moment, my dove,” he interrupted her gently. “Before you enter that room, you must be warned. You have seen Laures at work but you were in no state to let it register and he had just gotten started. Oleg, Frey’s man, is also skilled at extracting information. He does not relish using these skills, but he has them. What you may see in that room may be difficult to witness no matter the…” he paused, “carnage you’ve already beheld.”
Boots were sounding down the hall but he didn’t look, nor did Madeleine.
Instead, she assured him, “I’ll be fine, honey.”
“If you wish to leave. You go. But you do not go alone. I or one of my men goes with you and takes you immediately to the witch.”
“They have a witch in there,” she told him. “I saw her too.”
“Regardless, do as I say. Understood?”
She held his eyes as he felt others join them and he only looked to them when she nodded.
Alek and Hans had arrived.
“They have them?” Hans asked.
“All of them,” Apollo answered. “Save Franka. She’s staying at a cottage not far from here. They’re collecting her. ”
Hans jerked up his chin.
“The children?” Apollo asked.
“Quincy and Balthazar play guard. Calder has sent a witch as well.”