“Should we tell her?”
Sylvan shook his head. “Not yet,” he murmured. “Let’s see if we can do anything first.”
“Sylvan’s right. There’s no point it giving her news like that until we look into it and make sure,” Baird said in a low voice.
Aunt Abby appeared once more. “Well?”
“We’ll do everything in our power to help you.” Sylvan put a hand over his heart. “Any kin of our mates is a priority with us. You can believe that, Ms. Jakes.”
“Thank you.” Aunt Abby looked like she was going to cry again. “You can reach me through the HKR building in Sarasota, Florida. That’s where Lauren was living when she was…was taken.” The last word turned into a sob and suddenly the viewscreen went blank.
“What can we do?” Sophie looked at Sylvan frantically. “The Scourge have her, Sylvan—I just know it. Oh that poor girl!” She and Liv both knew first hand what it was like to be captured and interrogated by the evil AllFather. Sophie wouldn’t have wished it on her worst enemy.
Sylvan looked grim. “I don’t know if there’s anything we can do, short of attacking the Fathership to take her back by force.”
“And I don’t think the High Council is gonna go for that,” Baird rumbled, frowning. “Not unless we get some kind of incontrovertible proof that they have her and that’s where she’s being held.”
“Where else could she be?” Liv demanded.
“Anywhere.” Baird shook his head. “The Fathership isn’t the only Scourge stronghold, you know, Lilenta. They have a home planet too. It’s a Deadworld now—they killed it with their greed and pollution. But they still have impregnable fortresses there they can go back to in a pinch.”
“So you’re saying we just have to leave her there?” Liv was beginning to cry. “Leave her with that…that monster?”
“I’m saying let us talk to the Council first before you go gettin’ all upset.” Baird stroked her shoulders soothingly. “This news has a bigger impact than just the fact that your kin has been kidnapped.”
“Baird is right.” Sylvan nodded. “If the Scourge have finally found the key to their prophesy, something big may be about to happen. The Council will want to consider all complications and repercussions before they act.”
“Which means she’ll be dead or as good as dead by the time we get to her,” Liv said dully. “If we get to her. Oh, poor Lauren.”
“Poor Lauren,” Sophie echoed. Putting her arms around her sister, she held her tight and prayed for the cousin neither one of them had ever even known they had. Let her be strong. Let her be able to stand whatever the AllFather throws at her.
But she knew from experience how terribly difficult that could be.
Chapter Eight
Kat woke up feeling weak but rested. She was glad to find herself alone in bed—and, it seemed, alone in her own head, at least for awhile. Either Lock and Deep were far away, or neither of them was having any really strong emotions at the moment. Whatever the reason, Kat was glad to have some peace and quiet inside her skull for once.
Sitting up she stretched and yawned. God, she was starving! Was there anything to eat around here? The area she found herself in didn’t appear to have any food. It was a bedroom, from the look of it, with white walls and a green wooden floor. The huge Twin Kindred bed which dominated the entire center of the room was low to the ground. The spread was a warm green and gold that matched the floor and the sheets were a pale off-white color and softer than any linen Kat had ever felt. She pulled one of them around her as she got out of bed, because she had no idea where her clothes were.
Walking slowly, she made her way to the huge rectangular window across from the bed. It was covered with an indigo shade that gave the shadows in the room a bluish purple tinge Kat rather liked. She wanted to see out the window but the shade wouldn’t move and was firmly anchored in all four corners of the window.
“Stupid thing,” Kat muttered to herself, reaching high to run her fingers over the topmost edge of the shade. “How the hell does it open?” Just as she was about to give up, her seeking fingertips encountered two small buttons. “Okay, let’s just see what these do.”
She pressed the top button but instead of opening slowly, the shade suddenly snapped up sharply, leaving the entire window bare.
“Oh!” Kat stepped back as a flood of brilliant pinkish-gold sunlight bathed the room. She was momentarily blinded and had to shade her eyes with one hand while she clutched the white sheet to her chest with the other. Finally her vision adjusted and she was able to look out and see what was going on.