“Shut the fuck up,” Marc ordered, and hauled him out with a grip beneath both of the prisoner’s arms.

Lance wobbled at first, and danced like he had to relieve himself, which was no surprise, considering he hadn’t had a bathroom break in nearly twelve hours, since the guys had stood guard while he took aim on the side of a dark road.

“I think he has to pee,” I said, and Lance nodded frantically. Jace glanced away and Marc cursed rapidly in Spanish. We weren’t willing to free the prisoner’s hands, but neither of the guys wanted to help him out of his pants. Apparently they were dribbled on last time.

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I’ll help him.”

Marc growled. “I got it.” He hauled Lance to the side of the road and Jace and I stared at the ground as Lance did his business. Then we started walking.

The awkward, silent two-mile hike took nearly half an hour, even with us shoving Lance along when he started to drag. He was obviously reluctant to arrive at the site of his pending execution.

The sun hung low on the horizon when the nest came into sight, and Jace stopped cold, staring overhead with his face shielded from the glare by one hand. “Wow. How the hell are we supposed to get up there?”

“We’re not.” I followed his gaze, impressed all over again by the thunderbirds’ mountainside enclave. “That’s the whole point.”

When we stood near the base of the cliff, staring almost straight up, the door overhead opened and four mostly human thunderbirds filed out to stand at the edge of the porch looking down at us. At some unseen, unheard signal, they leaped from the edge one by one, unfolding huge wings from their sides like dark angels.

They landed in front of us with a massive gust of wind and the thunderous beat of huge feathers against the air. Two of the birds were unfamiliar, but I recognized Cade and Coyt, though I could not for my life tell one from the other.

Like last time, the birds stood mute, so I stepped forward, hauling Lance with me by one arm. He planted his feet on the ground, refusing to move so that I had to literally drag him through the dirt. Like his resistance would mean a damn thing in the long run.

“Here’s your proof, right on time.” I shoved him forward another step. The thunderbirds eyed him in malice so deep and cold that I got a chill just from looking into their eyes. “Now bring Kaci down.”

Cade—or maybe Coyt—shook his head. “You must present your evidence.”

I huffed in irritation but knew I really had no choice. “Fine. But you’re gonna need more ferry-birds.” I gestured behind me, to where Marc and Jace stood as my silent backup.

Coyt—or maybe Cade—shook his head. “Only you and your evidence. Your men will stay here.”

Thirty

“No way in hell.” Marc’s words were more growl than voice. “Where she goes, I go.”

The thunderbirds didn’t even spare him a glance. “If you’re ready…?” The bird nearest me gestured with one wing-claw toward the nest high above us.

“Yeah. Just a second.” I turned to Marc and Jace, fully aware that with my back to them, the thunderbirds could rip me in two before I even knew the blow was coming. At my side, Lance watched everything with wide, terrified eyes, pulling so hard against the tape binding his wrists that the muscles stood out in his arms, even beneath his long-sleeved tee.

Duct tape was truly the most awesome substance known to man—or Shifter—but even it would wear out over time. If they planned to hold him very long before…dealing with him, the birds would need to rebind him soon.

“Faythe, you can’t be serious,” Marc hissed, pulling me away from the birds and closer to him and Jace. “What’s to stop them from killing you and Kaci once they have you up there?”

“We would not harm her or your kitten, if Faythe Sanders has done what we’ve asked,” either Coyt or Cade said, addressing Marc for the first time. He glanced up, then his focus returned to me, his scowl evidently permanently fixed into place.

“That’s what will stop them.” I gestured toward the birds, to include the statement of their intentions. “I brought what they wanted, and they won’t go back on their word. And, anyway, there’s nothing either of you could do even if they hauled you up there. There are at least fifty grown thunderbirds in there, Marc. We’re on their turf. The best way for all of us to make it out of here alive is to play by their rules.”

“She’s right,” Jace said before Marc could object. “It’ll be worse for everyone if they feel threatened in their own home.”

Marc ignored him. He was busy eyeing me in an intense combination of frustration and fear. “You keep going places where I can’t protect you.”

I blinked at him in surprise. “Yeah. I do. But I keep coming back.” I reached out to run my hand over the delicious, dark stubble on his chin. “This is my job, Marc, and I swear I will do everything I can to get myself and Kaci out of there quickly and unharmed.” I glanced at Jace to include him in what I was about to say. “But listen, even if they don’t send anyone down here with you, they’ll be watching you, and their eyesight is incredible. If you guys start bickering or making trouble, they will come down here and end it, and there’s nothing I can do to stop them. So I need you to promise you’ll just stand here and wait quietly. Everything else that needs to be done or said can be addressed later. Okay?”