They met Jethro at a large booth in the center of the floor, one covered in colorful, draping silks. He was in the middle of selling to a group of finely dressed women, who were poring over the silk napkins he had displayed across his table.

"Look how it reflects the light," he was saying, and his tone was completely different than the one in which he'd spoken to Natalie and Kira in earlier, smooth and deep, as silky as his products were. He was in full sales mode. He nodded briefly to them as they approached the booth, and then turned a brilliant smile on the ladies. "Just fifteen silver for the set. Think how it will set off the dinner table, yes?"

Kira was searching the crowd, but it was Natalie who spotted Sam making his way through the booths, his eyes dark, his mouth set in a grim line. Her stomach dropped. It was good that he'd got in, but it was clear that something had gone badly wrong.

When he reached them he bent his head close to theirs', keeping his voice low. "One of them said exactly the wrong thing and Edward's been kicked out. He won't be getting in, and I didn't get time to get his truth stone from him. Jewels has agreed to wander into the barracks, to try to get her stone in one of their cups, but I don't like it at all."

Natalie nodded. She was actually surprised he'd agreed to that, he was so protective of his people that sending Jewels into a barrack full of rowdy soldiers seemed way too risky for him. He seemed to guess what she was thinking, because he sighed and admitted, "She's got more than one trick up her sleeve if any of them get too friendly. Shock stone and poison gem and the like."

Natalie didn't know what any of this meant, but Kira seemed impressed, so that was probably a good sign.

"What happened back there?" Natalie said. "What did they say to set him off like that?"
Sam hesitated. "It's not really my story to tell."

"They said something about his features didn't they?" Kira said bluntly, and Sam winced. When Natalie continued to look at them blankly Kira explained, "You might not be able to tell because you haven't been here long, but Edward is half human. To most people here it's very evident. I'm assuming one of the guards said something about that?"

Sam nodded, his face miserable. "He was being difficult, pretending he wasn't going to let Edward in. But he was just mocking him, he wouldn't have held him there if Ed hadn't lost his temper."

"I didn't know." Natalie was having a difficult time digesting this new information, but things were starting to click into place. The extreme way Edward had reacted to her, the hatred he seemed to have for humans.

It must have something to do with his family. Or with the queen's hunt for humans.

"So now we're one down," Kira said. "Where are the others?"

"Already in place." Sam glanced over at Natalie. "And we better do the same. I don't want to stay longer than we have to. Are you ready?"

Was she? Natalie swallowed hard and nodded, trying to ignore the way her stomach was squirming. She wasn't ever going to be ready, not really. But it made her feel a little better to dip her hand beneath her collar and stroke her fingers over the smooth surface of the charm. She wasn't without her own power.

When she caught Sam staring at her she pulled her hand back, the guilt surging in her breast again.

"Meet back by this same booth after you're done," Sam turned to Kira. "I've already told the others."

Jethro, who had just bid goodbye to the group of ladies, turned back to them. He was holding a leather purse full of coins but his smile slid away the moment he looked at them. "I suppose you're using my booth as a rally point, Samuel? Do you know how much trouble you'll get me into if you're discovered?"

Kira answered before Sam could. "What would your sister say, Jeth? Wouldn't she want to help?"

Jethro grumbled, pocketing the coin purse. "She'd insist on joining whatever damn fool mission you're all about to go off on, is what she'd do." He waved a hand at them bad temperedly. "Fine, don't let me stop you, but if anyone asks you're just independent silk traders paying me for a spot in my booth and I don't know you."

Sam grabbed Natalie's arm before she could hear the rest of the conversation, towing her through the crowd, toward the wide exit doors at the back. "Come on, we don't want to be too long getting back there. The others are already in position."

"What if we don't find anything?" Natalie was hyper aware of Sam's grip on her arm, of his fingers wrapped around her wrist. His touch felt hot, yet it sent goosebumps over her skin. "What if no one admits anything?"

"I'm surprised you're concerned," Sam said, and he didn't look back over his shoulder at her. "I thought you were here for your mother and then you were getting out while you could."

They had gone from the brightly lit, noise of the great hall, to a dim and narrow passageway that sent their footsteps echoing back at them. The hallway ahead was completely empty. Natalie halted, digging her heels in so that Sam came up short.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Sam paused, turning back to her. His grip tightened on her wrist. He stepped forward his eyes flashing angrily, and Natalie took an unconscious step backwards, until her back bumped into the stone wall. "Then what did you mean? Because it sounded an awful lot like as soon as you find your mother you're out of here. That we can deal with whatever mess we're in by ourselves while you head back to the human world. After all, why should you care, this isn't your world. These aren't you're people."

"If you really think that, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought." Natalie glared up at him. "You rescued me, without you I'd be dead. Do you really think I'd just abandon you if you were in trouble?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth she realized they were true. She couldn't leave them.

His grip on her wrist loosened slightly, but Sam didn't let go or step back. Instead he came closer. Now they were only inches away, if she tilted her head up just a little...

"Yesterday you said you were going to just leave."

Now, she realized with a kind of flutter in the pit of her stomach, that his anger was mixed with something like regret. Disappointment. "I don't want to leave. I miss my home, my family. But..." she faltered, not sure what to say. The thought of never seeing Sam again made her throat tighten, choking the words off.

His expression relaxed a bit, his shoulders slumping. But still he didn't step back. "You're right about one thing." His voice was husky, still laced with irritation. "I think I might be an idiot."

She was about to reply, when he leaned down and kissed her full on the mouth, his lips crashing into hers, his hands pressing her hard against the wall. Shock made her freeze at first, and then prickles of heat washed over her skin, and something dangerous, something wild, made her draw him closer, pressing her mouth harder against his. Her hands were in his hair now, her fingers tangled in the messy strands. She had denied wanting to do this, had told herself that it was ridiculous. But it had been a lie she told herself. This was all she had wanted to do since she'd met him.

A muffled thud from somewhere overhead, followed by the sound of echoing voices pulled them apart. Sam was flushed and wide-eyed, and Natalie could feel her heart thrumming wildly in her ears, hummingbird fast, her breathes were shaky and uneven. It was hard to look him in the face as she said, "I guess we should find the kitchens."

"Yeah." Sam sounded bewildered, as if he hadn't meant to kiss her. As if he wasn't sure what had just happened. "I guess we should."