“Well, your stupidity is not going to prove fatal. It’s a good thing you’re as big as you are. Anyone with less blood would be a corpse now.” Jordan’s voice was light, but his hand was infinitely gentle as he brushed the wild mane of hair back from Gregor’s face. “Where did it happen?”

“They were waiting for us…” Gregor trailed off and then roused himself. “Seven men. They knew we were coming.”

“Do you know who they were?”

“I recognized only one-Costain.”

Jordan cursed beneath his breath. “Where?”

“Down the road… other side of bridge… about… six miles…”

“Gregor,” Marianna whispered. “Alex?”

“They took him.” His eyes closed. “That’s why… they wanted him. Southwick. They took the road toward Southwick…”

He was in a faint again.

“Why would they take Alex?” she whispered.

“I’ll have to leave at once.” Jordan stood up and moved toward the staircase. “Stay here and take care of Gregor. I’ll get dressed and ride to Southwick.”

She felt a chill as she looked down at Gregor’s still body. Seven men, he had said. If Gregor’s tremendous strength had not prevailed, the danger to Jordan would be as great. “Alone?”

“There’s no time to go to Cambaron to get help.”

“You could take the two men you have on guard here.”

“No, I want them here to take care of you.”

“Sweet Mary, why? Do you think I’m going to run away when Alex is in danger?”

“No.” He looked down at her from the landing. “But you’ll stay here and not leave the house, and the guards will stay also. Do you understand?”

“The only thing I understand is that I want Alex back.” She recalled something else Gregor had said. “Who is this Costain?”

“We’ll talk later.” He threw open the door and strode into his room. “I have to get to Southwick at once.”

Gregor woke again four hours later. “Jordan?” he whispered.

“He went to Southwick.” She pressed the cool cloth to his temple. “He’s been gone some time now.”

“Alex.” He shook his head. “He won’t find him. It was too far… it took me too long. I… failed.” He closed his eyes. “Ship…”

A chill went through her. “Ship?”

“Why else… Southwick? Ship…”

“Don’t talk.” She pressed a cup of water to his lips. “Drink.”

He swallowed the water. “I am sorry, Marianna. Failed…”

“You couldn’t know this would happen. You could have been killed. It was one man against seven.”

“We were so careful. Should have been safe. Betrayed. I suspected nothing.” He closed his eyes. “But they were waiting…” He drifted off again.

Southwick.

A ship.

Who was waiting?

She was beginning to fear she knew the answer.

Gregor woke twice more during the night and appeared to be gaining more strength with each passing hour. Marianna sat by the fire tending him, waiting.

Jordan did not return until well after daybreak.

“How is he?” he asked as he strode into the lodge.

“Better.” She braced herself. “Where is Alex?”

“On a ship that sailed two hours before I arrived at Southwick.” He paused. “A ship bound for Montavia.”

“Nebrov,” she said numbly.

“Not Nebrov. One of his lieutenants, Marcus Costain. Nebrov is in Poland meeting with Napoleon. Passage was booked for a Marcus Costain and his nephew, James Lakalb.”

“Are you sure it was Alex?”

“I made inquiries on the dock. Costain booked a separate cabin for the boy and told the agent his nephew was ill and would have to remain in his cabin for the entire journey.”

Alex was a prisoner. Alex, who spent most of his waking hours outside, careening joyously around Cambaron, was going to be confined in that small space for the long journey to Montavia. It was too painful to consider. She suddenly recalled something else Jordan had said. “How do you know Nebrov is with Napoleon?”

He hesitated. “I received a message while I was in Sweden.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “You suspected he might be planning to make some move to do with the Jedalar. That’s why you brought me here; that’s how all this started.”

“It wasn’t a suspicion, only a vague possibility,” he said harshly. “We’ve been watching carefully since the moment you arrived at Cambaron. There was not one sign that Nebrov had discovered where you were.”

“You didn’t tell me,” she said dully. “I could have taken Alex and run away.”

“We didn’t know.”

“I wouldn’t have taken the chance. Not with Alex’s safety.” She stared directly into his eyes. “But you chose to do it.”

“I tried to-” He met her gaze and then said wearily, “Yes, I made the choice.”

She stood up and moved toward the staircase. “I’m going to pack my clothes, and then we’re going to go to Southwick. We’re going to board the Seastorm and follow Alex to Montavia.”

“We can’t do that,” he said. “Not yet.”

“Not yet!” She turned on him with blazing eyes. “Alex is alone and afraid. When he reaches Montavia, that monster may kill him as he did my mother.”

“No, he won’t. You’re not thinking clearly. Nebrov doesn’t want Alex; he wants you. He only took Alex to lure you to him.” He added, “I once told you that was the danger.”

“And you still let him be taken.”

“We’ll get him back.”

“Now!”

“We’re going back to Cambaron first.” He lifted his hand as she started to protest. “You don’t take a hostage without leaving terms. No terms will be given to me because Nebrov would be afraid I’d ignore any threat to the boy if it meant losing the Jedalar. He’ll make sure his terms are delivered to you personally. And then we’ll take the messenger.”

“What good will that do?”

“I want him,” he said coldly. “Costain’s men were lying in wait for Gregor and Alex. Someone at Cambaron had to have told them when they left the castle. I don’t like traitors.”

“We don’t have time for you to indulge your taste for vengeance.”

“It’s not only vengeance. He may know something. Nebrov has the advantage, but anything we learn may help.” He added, “I assure you that within a few hours we’ll know everything he does.”

Torture.

His tone was so savage, she should have been sickened, but she was not. She didn’t care what Jordan did to any of those beasts, if it would get Alex back. “And then we’ll go after Alex?”

“I promise you, the moment we have as much information as we can gather, we’ll set sail for Montavia.”

One part of her realized that Jordan’s way was the most reasonable, but she didn’t want to wait. She knew too well the brutality of which Nebrov was capable. She kept remembering her mother’s painracked body and hearing-

“Very well,” she said. “I’ll wait two days and no more. After that, I’ll find my own way to get to Montavia.”

She quickly climbed the steps and closed the door to her room.

Alex. She leaned back against the door as fear and sorrow overwhelmed her. It seemed impossible that only yesterday afternoon she had laughed as she watched him running along the bank.

She would not cry. Tears would do no good. They would not get Alex back. She crossed the room to her armoire and started drawing out her gowns. She had to keep herself busy and not let herself think of what might happen to him.

She must hold on tight.

CHAPTER 11