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through her heart, and she glanced at the man responsible.
    She couldn’t read his face in the darkness, and wondered again what he wanted from her. His kind words to get her through the tunnel forged a thread of trust, and she was willing to give him a chance to explain.
    She also couldn’t forget how safe she’d felt in his arms, nor his steady hands helping her up the ladder. Her pulse quickened as she thought of her response to his nearness, and how much she wanted to feel his arms around her again.
    But she couldn’t let that get in the way of his motives for helping her escape. If she could only talk him into removing the kundar , then she’d know she could trust him. But that might be harder than she thought.
    Given the rumors about her and her people, he’d have to be crazy to free her. She might be willing to trust him, but how could he ever learn to trust her?
     

 
    Chapter 2
    As Teya contemplated Bran’s motives, he turned toward her and paused, catching her staring. She flushed again under his scrutiny, but hoped the darkness kept it hidden.
    “I have horses hidden over the rise,” Bran said, a little sharply. “Can you ride?”
    “Yes, of course. But... now can you tell me what you want and where we’re going?”
    “I’ll explain after I get you to a safe place.”
    “Please. At least tell me why you got me out of there.”
    Bran let out his breath, clearly not wanting to talk about it. “All right, but explanations will have to wait, understand?” When she nodded he continued. “I want you to take me to your people…to the Kalorians.”
    Shock sent a shiver down her spine. “Why?”
    He let out a breath. “I have my reasons and I’ll tell you everything, but there’s no time to explain right now. We’re still too close to the city. We have to keep moving or we could get caught.”
    “All right,” she agreed.
    He started up the hill and Teya hurried to catch up, puzzled by his request. What could he possibly gain by finding the Kalorians? Did he intend to exploit her people? A knot of dread formed in her stomach. It was the one place she wanted to go, and now she didn’t know if she should. Did he intend to exact a price for returning her?
    The horses stood just where he’d said they’d be, and Teya realized he’d coordinated her escape down to the last detail. He’d probably been planning it for a long time, and she was impressed. It gave her hope that this might actually work.
    She mounted her horse and followed Bran away from the towering wall. They took a downward path and Teya glanced at the city below, surprised at how far the city spread beyond the wall. This ‘outer’ city was almost as big as the one inside the gates. Inns and houses dotted the land in front of the city wall, which soon gave way to larger estates before filtering out to farmhouses and country roads.
    Bran led her through the outside fringes of town, then into the countryside, skirting around homesteads and farms. Every once in a while he turned in the saddle to look back. At first she thought he was making sure she was following, but then realized he was watching for pursuit from the city. It rattled her that he thought there was a chance that they could still get caught. Soon she cast quick glances over her shoulder as well.
    As dawn approached, they’d left the last of the settlements behind. Bran turned off the road and took another path through the trees, leading toward a rocky ravine. He coaxed his horse into the ravine, and she followed down the trail through dense underbrush.
    Leveling out near the bottom, the flat ground led to a stream. Further on, the ground opened up into a little valley. Trees and brush helped camouflage the small cabin that stood in the thick shadows.
    Much to Teya’s relief, Bran stopped to rest. She hadn’t ridden a horse for years. Coupled with the exhaustion from being up all night, and she was completely worn out. Still, she couldn’t rest until she knew why Bran