Page 75 of Seized to Sacrifice
They went straight to the heart of the Camp, directly to the Commander’s tent. They entered the comfortable space, finding Quin’s steward sitting at the imposing desk.
She looked up from her work, giving them a once-over.
‘Maeve,’ Rye greeted.
‘Haven't seen you in a while, ‘she commented before calling over her shoulder behind her to where the other rooms of the tent were.
‘Oh great and fearless commander,’ she yelled. ‘If you can tear yourself away from your Fourth for the barest moment, Rye and his unit have arrived.’
A moment later, Quin appeared, frowning at Maeve. ‘Gods, woman, Lily isn’t even here!’
She chuckled. ‘I know.’
‘Fuck off for a while, Maeve,’ Quin ordered.
She winked at them and stood up, bowing with a flourish, and striding out of the tent without a backwards glance.
Quin clasped Rye’s wrist with a groan. ‘Gods on the Mount! If I didn’t rely on that woman …’ He sighed.
’We expected you yesterday,’ he said, looking them over.
Rye shrugged. ‘Quakes.’
‘Aye. Fissures are appearing all over the land. We had to go two days out of our way to get here after one opened right in front of us. These are dark times. And now we’re stuck here until the thaw. It should be soon, but …’ Quin shrugged.
‘I'm afraid we aren't here to fight with the Army, my friend,’ Rye muttered, glancing at Elle. ‘Thorne needs the archives.’
‘Does it have something to do with this woman you bring with you?’
‘Our Fourth.’
Quin stared at him. ‘You don't have a Fourth.’
‘I assure you we do. She was lost to us for a long time, and we lately found her again, much like Callan, Seth, and Jax found Maeve.’
Rye didn’t give any more information away, but Quin didn’t seem overly curious about Elle now that he had the story, and knew she wasn’t any sort of threat.
‘You’re welcome at the Camp of course,’ the Commander said. ‘Use the archives as you will. They're in the usual area.’
Thorne nodded and left immediately. With everything that was happening, there was no time for prolonged pleasantries. He didn't know how long it would take to find what he needed. He should begin as soon as possible.
He only hoped that luck would be on his side and there would be something there that would help them.
* * *
Elle
Elle stayedwith Nyx and Rye, looking around the camp at the men in black milling around. Some of them looked at her curiously, others with an air of menace as if she was a lamb for the slaughter. She was glad Rye and Nyx were with her.
They took her to one of the many identical tents.
‘This one's ours,’ Rye said, pulling her inside.
‘How can you tell?’ she chuckled.
Her eyes widened as she walked in. Their tent was as cavernous as the Commander’s and its opulence rivaled his as well. There were rugs and furs on the floor and hangings to make up different rooms. The table was piled with food, some of it fresh such as meats and cheeses, but there were also bowls of nuts and plates of salted meats, hard biscuits, and dried fruits as well.
She took a dried date from a bowl and bit into it, closing her eyes as she savored the taste.
