by the sound of breaking branches as Sebastian landed hard only feet away.
"We were wondering where you'd got to." Vincent glared at the Kyren. "You were supposed to bring them days ago. He's going to be displeased."
Sebastian pawed the ground, half-rearing as he let out another scream.
"What's he doing?" one of the men asked.
Vincent's sigh was annoyed. "Who knows?"
"Probably wants his little harem back," Kelly said snidely. "Well, too bad. You broke the agreement."
Sebastian let out another scream, leveling his horns at the men.
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "None of that now, or she'll end your bastards’ before they even take their first breath." His smile turned nasty. "Pierce said we'll get our first pick of the new foals once they're born."
Sebastian's nostrils flared.
"That's right, there's nothing you can do, if you want them to live," Vincent said, moving off. "And don't you forget it."
He and the others moved into the trees, leaving Sebastian, Eva and the rest behind.
"It was all a trick?" Eva's voice sounded lost and alone.
Sebastian shifted so he wasn't looking at them.
"You might as well own what you did," Eva said, allowing none of the betrayal licking her insides to show. "After all the times I listened to you and Ajari call humans deceptive, when it was really you who was the betrayer in the end."
She'd liked the Kyren. Put her neck out for him.
"I never should have saved you." Eva settled back into her vines, angry recriminations stinging her insides.
Sebastian bowed his head, sorrow and shame in every line of his body.
His tail flicked with agitation even as he faced away from them.
"Does anyone have a plan for how to get out of here?" Jason asked hopefully.
"Working on it." Caden shifted and Eva caught a glimpse of metal.
"You staged that fight to get a weapon," she said in realization.
He flashed her a grin. "You didn't think I'd surrender if I didn't have a way out of this."
She kind of thought he had.
"The rest of our weapons are on the short man with the scar under his jaw," Jason said helpfully. "They thought I was asleep, but I saw them take mine and Eva's dagger."
"Good to know," Caden said.
"Do you know where we are?" Eva asked.
"Some type of massive cavern. The ceiling caved in and lets enough light in to grow this," Caden said, looking around at the tall trees around them.
"It's a cenote," a voice said from the trees.
They all froze as Kent stepped into view.
Caden's lip curled. His movements were furtive as he slid the knife he'd stolen out of sight.
"Not you too," Eva said. She'd liked Kent. He'd been smart and she thought if he got his head out of his ass and separated himself from the troublemakers he could eventually make a place for himself among the Trateri. It seemed she'd been wrong about him, just like she'd been wrong about Sebastian.
Kent’s gaze locked on Eva. "I'm sorry for this. They don't trust me. I didn't know what was going to happen until we were engulfed in the mist and then it was follow or die."
"You could still turn back," Eva said.
He shook his head. "It's too late for that. The Trateri would kill me if I tried to return."
"We'll kill you even if you don't," Caden said.
Eva shot him a disbelieving look. He wasn't helping. At all.
Caden rolled his eyes but settled down.
"Is this the future you want?" Eva asked. "War. Because you know that's what it will be. The Trateri will hunt down all those you've allied with and exterminate them."
Fallon couldn't afford to have throwaways thinking they could betray the Trateri and get away with it. His reckoning would be brutal and bloody.
He sighed. "There are things going on you don't understand. This is bigger than a few throwaways unhappy with their lot. War is coming regardless. The people backing Vincent have allied with monsters worse than your Kyren and Tenrin."
"Who?" Caden asked, his gaze intent. "Who is their leader?"
Eva was quiet as she studied Caden. He'd been entirely too interested and not a bit surprised at Kent's revelation. He knew—or at least suspected.
Kent shrugged. "I don't know, but Vincent does. He boasted about it. Said he inserted himself into the throwaways on purpose to gather intelligence on the Trateri for this person."
Caden's lip curled in satisfaction. "We don't reveal our secrets to outsiders."
"You'd be surprised what you can glean when people underestimate you," Kent said in a mild voice.
In this Eva had to agree. The Trateri were closed-mouth, but