The guards apparently knew the trio because the door opened immediately, but only wide enough for them to enter single file.
Inside, three horses were waiting. Tolan stayed at the gate. Gred helped Quinn into the saddle, then mounted. He and Dorber rode on either side of her as they headed toward Griffin’s house.
Quinn looked around. It was strange to be back in the city after living in Caleb’s world and visiting a place like Washington,D.C. The roughly paved streets felt hemmed in by the wood and stone houses and shops, which all looked small and primitive.
This was a weekday, and she expected to see citizens goingabout their business. But the streets were almost empty. Apparently, people thought it was safer to stay inside.
She wanted to ask questions, but her escort rode in silence,and she realized that they weren’t going to give anythingaway where the wrong ears might hear.
Griffin’s great house was outside the commercial district. As the iron gate came into view, she thought of the first time she had come here—in a cart as a slave being brought to work in the kitchen.
Her status was much different now. But she felt almost as uncertain as she had that first time. She didn’t know what had happened, but she knew it had to be something bad.
They stopped and waited while the guards inside inspectedthem. Then the gate opened and a short, balding man stepped forward.
It was Philip, who ran Griffin’s household. He had escortedher here that first time. Then he had been all business. Now he held out his arms in greeting as she dismounted.
They had become friends, and she gave him a hug, glad to see someone familiar. But this wasn’t what she had expected.
“Where are Griffin and Zarah?”
“I’ll take you to them.”
She bit back her questions as she followed him into the building and over to the family wing. Griffin’s quarters were on the first floor, but Philip led her to a narrow staircase, where a guard stood at attention. They climbed to the second-floor landing, which was guarded by another soldier.
When he saw them, he stepped aside.
Philip knocked on the door, and someone looked through a peephole before the hinges creaked.
Then Griffin was standing before her, his dark hair tousledand his hard features etched with tension.
“What’s wrong?” Quinn asked. “What happened?”
He stepped onto the landing. “There was an assassination attempt last night.”
“On you?”
“No, they tried to kill Zarah.”
Quinn gasped. “But she’s all right?
The door opened again, and Zarah stepped out.
Griffin whirled around. “I told you to stay inside.”
“I was looking out the window. I saw Quinn cross the courtyard.”
“I also told you to stay away from the window!” Griffin snapped.
“I’m safe here.”
“We thought you were safe in our quarters,” he answered, fear making his voice rough.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re worried,” she murmured.
“If anything happens to you . . .”
Before he could finish the sentence, she reached for his hand, clasping her fingers tightly around his, and he turned to her. The look that passed between them melted Quinn’s heart.
Once again she felt her envy flair. Then she silently remindedherself that someone had tried to kill her friend the night before.
After squeezing her husband’s hand, Zarah let go and stepped forward, holding out her arms to Quinn. They embraced,two women who were closer than sisters. Once Zarah’s wavy blond hair cascading halfway down her back had been her most noticeable feature. Now the small bulge of her abdomen pressed against Quinn’s middle, capturing her attention.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Griffin looked around as though he expected spies to poke their heads above the stair risers. “Come inside.”
They stepped into a small apartment, and he closed and barred the door. He also walked to the window and closed the shutters.
“This room is shielded from psychic probing.” Turning to face Quinn, he said, “We were in bed last night, and I heard a scuffle in the hall. I ran out to find one of the guards down. Then a man screamed in the bedchamber, and I knew the part with the guard had been to draw me away. Zarah had a knife under the pillow. The man Baron sent to kill her wasn’t expecting that. She stabbed him in the eye.”
Quinn winced, her gaze shooting to her friend. “You did that?”
“I’ve changed from that soft girl who was a pampered noblein White Flint.”
“You were never soft. You were always brave. When that soldier tried to rape you on the way here, you hit him with the chain on your wrist.”
Zarah nodded. They had been slaves together then. Tied up for the night and helpless to escape. That was one of the first memories that the two of them had shared.
Griffin interrupted the conversation. “They are trying to strike at me through her. I want her out of danger. If this house isn’t safe, nowhere in Sun Acres is safe.”
Zarah’s eyes turned watery. “I don’t want to go.”
“I know,” Griffin answered, his voice gritty. Then he softenedhis tone and said it again. “I know.”
“I want to stay with my husband.”
“And would you endanger our baby?” he asked, his tone like a knife blade.
Quinn watched them, aware that Griffin had played his trump card. Zarah would have to put the baby first.
She gave her husband a fierce look. “That’s not fair, and you know it.”
“Unfortunately. But I have to make you understand that you’re still in jeopardy, and so is our child.”
“Then come with me.”
“You know I have to settle things down here. If I leave, the city will descend into chaos.”
The exchange grew rapid, and Quinn gathered that the two people involved were rehashing an old argument.
“Let it fall into a heap of stones! What do you owe them?”
“I want this city to be a better place.”
“Baron doesn’t have your vision. He wants Sun Acres to stay the same. That’s why he attacked me.”
“That doesn’t make him right and me wrong. Murder and assassination are the only tactics he understands.”
She sighed. “I know. So don’t stay here and risk your life.”
“It won’t come to that.”
“And you won’t leave.”
“No. You know I can’t.”
She bowed her head in defeat.
He crossed to her and wrapped her in his arms. “But we’ll be together soon.”
“How long?”
His face turned grave. “I can’t say for sure. It depends on how quickly I can deal with Baron.”
She laid her head against his shoulder, and he held her tenderly.Her arms tightened around him, and the embrace becamemore potent. If they’d been in their bedroom, she was sure that they would have started undressing each other.
Quinn looked away. It was a very private moment, and she knew she was intruding. These two people loved each other with a passion that was so real it was impossible to hide. What was it like to find a man who cared that much for you? And you for him?
Zarah had that. No matter what happened, she would alwayshave the knowledge of that love.
Quinn savagely cut off the thought. She wasn’t going to send her mind down that path. Everything was going to work out. Zarah would be safe and Griffin would get the city back under control. And then the two of them would be together again.
Griffin walked to the door and stepped onto the landing, where he issued terse orders before he returned.
“Will you stay here with me?” Zarah asked.
“I have to make arrangements. I’ll keep guards outside at all times. You try to get some rest.”
Zarah nodded. But when Griffin had left, she made a dismissivesound. “Rest!”
“Try. You have a long trip ahead of you.”
There were two couches in the room and both women lay down, although neither of them could sleep. They talked in low voices, Zarah telling Quinn about the state of things in the city and Quinn talking about the world Zarah was going to visit.
As they spoke, Quinn watched the window. Through the wooden shutters, she could see the light of the sun moving across the sky.
When it was far to the west, Griffin came back with a tray of fruit and meat.
“You should eat,” he said to both women. “We’ll be ready to leave soon.”
Quinn managed to get down a little of the meal. Zarah took only a few bites of melon.
Then they changed clothes.
Quinn hadn’t wanted to travel through the badlands or in the city alone wearing what would look like a strange outfit. But surrounded by Griffin’s soldiers, the situation would be different—both for her and Zarah. So she’d brought supplies from Logan’s world on a previous trip.
Now she showed Zarah how to put on clothing that a pregnant woman would wear in that universe. Not one of the voluminous gowns designed to hide a woman’s condition here, but clothes that were tighter fitting.
Zarah inspected herself in the mirror. “This outfit looks indecent.”
“But you will fit in.”
“Can we ever blend in over there?”
“I feel comfortable there. I just spent a few days visiting one of their cities. You’ll like it,” Quinn answered as she pulled off her Sun Acres shirt and changed into jeans and a T-shirt with a leather jacket over it. Both women put on socks and running shoes.
A few moments later, a guard knocked at the door. “Draden is ready for you.”
When she descended the stairs, a slender, balding man with dark glittery eyes was waiting for Quinn.
“What took you so long to get here from the other universe?” he asked as he led her to a small room off the courtyard.
“A ghost stopped me.”
“A ghost? Over there?”
“Yes.”
“I’d like to hear about it.”
“When we have time.” She sighed. “I wish we could hold a conversation when I’m away from you and you summon me.”
“So do I. But your psychic talents won’t allow it over such a long distance.”
She looked down. “I’m sorry for that.”
“Still, you have the best combination of skills for the job,” he conceded. “Now let me give you an additional treatment—in case I need to call you.”
She had done this before, and she stood staring straight ahead as he pressed his hands to her temples. Energy flowed from his mind into hers. Enough energy so that he could send her a message to summon her again.
When he was finished, he led her back to the doorway of the house, where a contingent of ten soldiers waited with Griffin and Zarah.
He escorted them to a sturdy, horse-drawn wagon. It was low and flat, with sacks of grain piled across the top surface. But when Griffin opened a panel at the back, Quinn saw that there was a compartment inside about three feet high and as wide as the wagon base.
“I’m sorry. This isn’t going to be very comfortable, but it’s the safest way to get you out of here. You’ll look like you’re a grain shipment. And the soldiers are just protecting the goods.”
Zarah fixed her gaze on him. “Do we say good-bye here?”
“No. I’ll go another way and meet you outside the city.”
“Thank the Great Mother.”
“Don’t open the door unless you hear me say, ‘The moon is up.’ ”
Zarah gulped. “All right.”
“I can only go as far as the portal with you,” Griffin warned.
“I understand.”
The women climbed inside and arranged themselves as comfortably as they could on the thin mattresses that coveredthe wagon bed. Then Griffin handed them each a long knife. “In case you need to defend yourselves.”
“Are you expecting trouble?” Quinn asked.
“No. But it’s best to be prepared.”
He closed the door, and they bolted it from the inside. The interior of the space was hot, stuffy, and dark, but some light and air seeped in from several cracks.
Quinn tensed when the wagon lurched and started toward the gate. She couldn’t let go of her tension as she felt the vehiclemove through the streets. It was impossible not to imagineBaron’s soldiers stopping them at any moment.
Zarah reached for her hand, and Quinn knew she was probably thinking the same thing.
“Are you all right?” Quinn whispered.
“As good as can be expected,” Zarah answered. “I’m tryingnot to cry and give us away.”
“I know this is hard for you.”
“And you. You came back to help me.”
“You’re my best friend.”
Zarah’s hand tightened on hers. “And you are mine.”
“We shouldn’t talk,” Quinn whispered.
“I know.”
They rode in silence after that. Quinn closed her eyes and lay back, trying to conserve her energy.
When the wagon stopped abruptly, she tensed and grabbed the knife with her free hand, ready for trouble—until she heard the soldiers conferring with the guards at the gate. Long, tense moments passed before she heard the hinges creak. Finally, they rolled through and out into the badlands.
Zarah made a low sound.
“Are you all right?” Quinn asked quickly.
“Yes. But I’m wondering if Griffin lied to me. Maybe he’s not coming.”
In the darkness, Quinn touched her friend’s arm. “Has he ever lied to you?”
“No.”
“He won’t start now,” Quinn answered, hoping she spoke the truth. “If he can meet us, he will.”
They rolled along, the ride considerably bumpier now that they had left the city streets for a rutted lane that led across open country and threaded through the ruined buildings.
Quinn tried to count the minutes, but it was impossible to keep track of time.
Then they stopped again, and Quinn grasped the knife more tightly.
“The moon is up. Open the door,” a voice called out.
“Griffin. Thank the gods,” Zarah answered as she slid down toward the end of the cart.