Isaura by Ruth Silver Page A

are,” she taunted me.
    I maneuvered through the town, finding my way higher so I
could see what awaited us outside the stone gates. Spade was well protected but
how long these men could keep Isaura out?
    “Olivia!” I heard Henry's voice and turned around to see him
and Rane walking alongside one another. “You need to get inside where it's
safe.”
    “No.” I wanted Isaura to know I wasn't afraid and I needed
to see what we were up against. I refused to cower and hide behind the castle
walls.
    Cate came rushing outside towards us. “You need to hide!” she
insisted.
    Henry sighed. “I'm not going to just hand you over to her.
If she sees you, the minute she knows you're in here, she's going to storm the
castle and kill you.”
    I won't deny that it was one of my concerns, but I also knew
if she could have broken through the barriers she'd have come into the walls already.
The stone was impenetrable. “Maybe not.” I tried to remain tough. I walked over
towards Rane and threw my arms around her in a hug. My breath tickled her ear. “Find
Adelaide and protect her at all costs. Okay?” I couldn't chance Isaura coming
after her. She may have wanted me now, but I didn't want to risk Adelaide being
her next target. If I didn't survive, Adelaide would.
    Rane didn't speak. With wide eyes she took off in the
opposite direction descending the tower as fast as possible.
    “What are you doing, Olivia?” Cate asked with trepidation.
    “You can't.” Henry stared at me, concern pleading in his
eyes. “You can't let her take you.”
    I scoffed under my breath. “You think she can?” I was tough
but I wasn't fearless. I walked towards the window embedded in stone. I was
careful not to be spotted, concerned if she did know exactly where I was it
might not take much for her to attack. I hid as best as I could, peering
through the opening and finding her outside. She looked harmless. If it had
been anyone else I'd have thought she was lost. Perhaps I should have been
grateful she hadn't come in disguise.
    Henry watched for a moment before pulling me away from the
window. “You'll get yourself killed if you're not careful.”
    “What do you suggest we do?” I questioned. “We have a
madwoman outside and she wants me dead. Come to think of it, as soon as she
finds out you're like me, she'll want you dead, too,” I reminded him bluntly. “Same
with Cate.” I glanced at her.
    “I'll fight alongside of you,” Cate offered. “You don't have
to do this alone.”
    “I need you here, Cate. Someone has to protect these people.”
    Henry sighed. “Fine, fine, but you staying here isn't doing
anyone any good,” he reminded me. Abruptly he grabbed my arm, dragging me away
from the window and the highest point of the castle. Together we slowly
descended the tower.
    “Where are we going?” I was going to slap him if he
suggested someplace safe.
    Henry kept walking but glanced at me quickly. “How do you
think she found you?”
    I shook my head. I hadn't considered it. “The Mindonsiphan,”
I answered slowly. “You think it has some sort of tracking ability?”
    “It runs in our blood. It's possible we're linked together,”
he said. “Anyway there are more of us in Spade with Mindonsiphan than anywhere
else, right?”
    Joshua was in Torv with Elsa and Aidan but Adelaide, Cate,
Henry and I were in Spade. “Yeah, you’re right,” I agreed. “You think it's
possible she can find us because we're all connected?”
    “It's how I knew where you were when Isaura arrived.” Henry
stared at me. I felt another quake and gripped the stone wall. I stopped
walking, just trying to keep my feet upright.
    “Is that so?” I was more than slightly surprised. When I had
needed it to guide me to find Joshua when he'd been taken by Craynor it hadn't
been so easy. Maybe I hadn't known how it worked. Knowing how to use Mindonsiphan
was a tricky business.
    Henry shrugged. “Or maybe I just knew where you'd be.”
    “How?” I asked