He felt the moment when his friend understood. His stillness caught hold of Lucien and pressed even harder on his chest.
“We’ll find her.”
“And if it’s too late when we do?” At the words he felt the prick of tears, the painful grip of grief clogging his throat.
“She’s not dead,” Ryder promised. “You would feel if she were gone. And this is Caia Ribeiro we’re talking about here. She’s a frickin’ nuclear warhead. Have a little faith.”
The pressure eased a little. “You think?”
“I know.”
Slowly, his breathing grew less labored and he turned to Ryder. “Sorry.”
“No need. If I thought for a second something had happened to Jae, I would be ripping this place apart.”
“We’re lucky Jaeden’s quick. They couldn’t touch her once she was in wolf form. And it looks like Caia was right about Marita wanting her specifically. She was more than a little pissed off she couldn’t get to Jae.”
Ryder grinned proudly. “Yup, plus she got a few slices in while they grabbed us.”
“Sorry you didn’t get your wedding night.”
His friend shrugged lazily. “We’ll be out of here soon enough.”
“You really are an optimistic son of a bitch, aren’t you?”
“Have to be.” Ryder frowned. “She’s got the kids. And I’m guessing she’s got them in that lab Caia told us about. We have to get out of here and get those kids back to the pack.”
“What are you talking about?”
Lucien spun at the voice that had caused Ryder’s eyes to narrow in disgust.
“Marion,” Lucien snarled. “How nice of you to show up.”
Her presence was like a punch to his gut. All these years she’d been a close friend of the pack, one of Magnus’s best friends, in fact. Now she had betrayed them just as her sister had betrayed the coven. He was about to spit and vent his fear over Caia and his fury over his predicament in her face, when he took in her appearance. The witch flinched at his tone, her pale features wan and drawn. Her mouth was pinched with strain and her eyes dark with distress.
“I … I don’t know what’s going on here, Lucien,” she whispered, drawing slowly closer to the Plexiglas. “I can’t stay. She doesn’t know I’m here.”
As the truth of the situation hit him, he deflated, his anger just as suddenly replaced with reluctant sympathy for her. “She’s threatened you?”
Marion nodded. “With imprisonment.”
“You know the Council didn’t do anything wrong.”
She threw up her hands. “Lucien, I don’t know anything. I thought I believed her about the Council … maybe … I don’t know. But taking you and Ryder? Telling me Caia betrayed the Coven?”
Lucien growled, rushing forward. He almost blasted into the Plexiglas without thought, but Ryder was fast, grabbing hold of his shirt and tugging him back. “Caia didn’t betray the coven. She found out your sister was playing with the dark side.”
Marion shook her head, her wide eyes filled with fear and confusion. “No. No. She couldn’t be … we … our family are the ones who put the coven to right.”
“Then why did she take the pack kids?”
Marion frowned. “What do you mean?”
Lucien snorted. “You’re telling me you didn’t see us come to the Center with all the pack kids in tow?”
“I missed your arrival.”
“That’s a nice way to put it. Almost as if we came here by choice.”
“Lucien, I’m so sorry. Maybe if I could speak to Caia—”
“CAIA’S GONE!” he roared, causing her to stumble back in shock.
“Lucien,” Ryder cajoled, pulling him back. Ryder turned more gently to Marion. “Caia was kidnapped before we were. Not by your sister. We don’t know who has her.”
The witch stiffened. “How is that possible? Are you sure it was kidnap?”
Ryder snarled this time. “Her blood was at the scene of the kidnap.”
“Oh goddess,” Marion gasped, running her trembling hands through her wild hair as she digested the news. Finally, she looked up, her face taut with determination. “I’ll find her.”
“So your sister can have her killed?” Lucien spat.
Marion appeared appalled by the idea. “No … she would never …”
“Before you go making any statements of assurance on your sister’s high moral standing, why don’t you go into the Altar of Gaia. To the right of the statue, you’ll find a small metal stud embedded in the marble flooring. The slab opens up, revealing an entrance to an underground lab, where your sister is running illegal experiments on lykan children. Possibly even vampyres.”
A bit of her usual fire flared in her eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
“Would you believe Caia? She’s the one who found it. That’s the reason she went to the Council. They were investigating her claims. I guess they found out it was true. Otherwise why would Marita have them imprisoned?”
She shook her head, dazed … “No,” she whispered.
Lucien sighed and stepped slowly toward her. “Marion, please. We need your help. Please just check it out. If we’re right, you have to get us out of here. We have to free the Council and those children.”