“No!” Franka shrieked as Kristian cowered into the wall.
“What has he done, Franka?” Apollo asked.
“He…he…” She shook her head. “Nothing.”
Oleg started to move to Kristian and Kristian turned his side to the corner, pressing in like the stone could absorb him.
“What has he done, Franka?” Apollo asked.
Oleg made it to Kristian.
“Nothing!” Franka shouted and started toward Kristian but Apollo caught her in the chest and shoved her back roughly. He watched without remorse as she lost her footing and went down on her arse.
He bent deep, leaning into her and roared, “What has he done?”
“Nothing!” she shrieked.
There was a thud of flesh hitting the wall and Franka’s eyes flew there. Apollo looked over his shoulder to see Kristian shoved face first in the wall, one of Oleg’s hands at his neck keeping him there, the other wrapped around his wrist, twisting it behind his back.
Kristian was struggling and panting.
Oleg was looking at Frey.
“How ugly to start?” he asked.
“Mark him,” Frey ordered.
Oleg turned back to Kristian.
“I have a lover!” Franka cried and Apollo looked back to her.
“Continue!” he barked when she said no more.
She shook her head in short jerks, closed her eyes, opened them and whispered, “He’s been taken to Specter Isle.”
Gods damn it.
“And?” Apollo clipped.
“And, they told me I have unique access to both Finnie and Ils…I mean,” she corrected hurriedly at seeing the look that moved over Apollo’s face, “Madeleine. They said if I could get them access, they would release him.”
Bloody hell.
They were after the women.
“Why are Finnie and Madeleine targets?” Apollo asked curtly.
“They didn’t share their strategy,” she replied shakily.
As they wouldn’t.
“They just told me, if I didn’t, I’d receive his shaft back, the only part they said I liked, which isn’t true,” she spat. “And that was all I’d get back.”
Shocked deeply she cared about anyone enough to risk her own neck, Apollo stared at her a moment before he went on. “And who approached you?”
“Helda,” she answered.
“And is her magic black?” Apollo pressed.