"There's one light," Galina said. With a small click, the room was lit by a lone lightbulb dangling from the ceiling.
Angus blinked. The whole room seemed to shimmer with sparkly lights.
Galina laughed. "Pretty, isn't it?"
"Expensive," Katya muttered.
"The plates on the ceiling are pure silver," Galina boasted. "And the walls, window, and door are covered with silver necklaces. It's almost like the old chain mail that knights wore."
"As long as it keeps them from escaping." Alek prowled around the room, examining the walls.
"Oh, it works," Galina assured them. "I had Miroslav try teleporting through the walls, and he couldn't. He bounced right off and ended up with severe burns. And Burien tried to send telepathic messages to me, but nothing could come through."
"Excellent." Katya sounded pleased. "Now all we need to do is locate Casimir and offer him our little gifts."
They filed from the room and slammed the door shut. A bolt slid across. Angus closed his eyes. As soon as the nightshade wore off, he would see to their escape. But a room lined with silver would be difficult. Thank God Emma was mortal. Silver wouldn't burn her. Nor would it stop her from using her psychic abilities.
An hour or so passed, then he heard movement on the cot.
"Emma?" he managed to croak.
She groaned.
He cleared his throat. "Emma?" That sounded better.
"God, my head hurts." The cot creaked. "Are you all right?"
"Canna move. Nightshade."
"Oh, bummer." The cot squeaked again. "Shit, they took the phone." Footsteps came toward him. She knelt beside him.
He saw her face splotched with purple and black bruises. "Bugger."
She touched her face and winced. "Lovely, huh?"
"Ye're always lovely. But I feel badly that ye were fighting for yer life, and I wasna able to help you."
"I feel badly for getting us into this mess." She looked him over. "They took your sporran." She gave him a sly look. "I mean your purse."
He growled.
"Any idea where we are?"
"I'm guessing either western Russia or the Ukraine. I canna teleport or send psychic messages through the silver."
"Silver?" She glanced around, then up at the ceiling. "Good heavens, it's everywhere."
"I wish I could touch you," he whispered. "It grieves me to see ye in pain."
Her gaze lowered back to his face. With a small smile, she touched his cheek. "What happened while I was knocked out?"
"I killed Brouchard."
"Oh." Her eyes widened. "Wicked. Congratulations."
"Uri and Alek attacked. Katya missed with her blowpipe and hit Uri."
Emma grinned, then winced at the pain. "Ouch. I guess the royal bitch managed to hit you eventually."
"Aye."
Emma gave him a worried look. "I get the feeling there's something personal between you and her."
Angus closed his eyes briefly. "It was a mistake. And a long time ago."
"She hates you now."
"She hates you, too."
Emma smiled. "Well, I did kill six of her men."
"'Tis more than that. She… suspects that I care very deeply about you."
Emma's smile faded. "She could be wrong."
"Nay. She's always had good instincts."
Emma's eyes glistened with tears as she touched his face. "I'm so sorry. They would have never captured us if I'd stayed put like you asked."
"But they would have kept killing every night until we came. The showdown was inevitable."
She leaned closer. "I'll get us out of here. Somehow."
"We'll do it together."
She searched his eyes, and he thought his heart would break. Her gaze lowered to his mouth. She touched her lips against his, then sat up.
His mouth quirked. "I'm completely helpless. Are ye sure ye wouldna like to have yer way with me?"
She snorted. "You're such a he-man." She rose to her feet and moved from his view.
"Oh, gross!" Her voice came from a far corner. "Our bathroom consists of a wooden tub, a bucket of water, and a chamber pot."
"I used a chamber pot for centuries. Ye'll get used to it."
"I guess," she muttered. "I really need to go."
"Then go." He heard a series of curses and scrambling noises.
"They call this toilet paper? I could file my nails with this stuff!" Finally she announced she was done. He heard a splash of water as she rinsed her hands.