Page 82 of Caretaker

Angus shook his head. “He knows what he’s doing.”

And at last, the giant grasped the end of a sharp sliver of silver and pulled it from his flesh. He flung it away with a rage-filled roar, a roar that held a slight tone of heavy tears.

His features were thick, his hair long and dark. His eyes were such a light brown that they were almost like lightly tinted glass.

“Words are not enough to thank you,” he told me, his voice low and gravely. He looked at Angus. “This is your Trinity?”

Angus smiled. “Yeah. Trin, this is Leo. He helped keep me sane in there.”

“I’m glad to meet you, Trinity,” Leo said. “He knew you were coming. The whole time, he knew you would come for him. Even when he thought you were gone.” He shrugged, as though he couldn’t understand it.

I blinked against the sting of tears. “Of course I was coming.”

Leo dropped to his knees in front of me—and still, he was nearly as tall as I was. He bowed his head. “You’ve saved my life. It belongs to you now.”

I gaped at him, then at Angus, who only stared impassively back at me. “Your life belongs to you, big man,” I said, finally. “You’re free. Go home.”

He lifted his face. “I have no home. I’ll devote myself to you now. Along with the others at your back, I add myself. I will protect you with my life.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my chest, right over my heart.

I looked helplessly at Angus, unsure, but he gave me nothing.

Leo climbed to his feet, smoothly for such a big man. “Now let’s get out of here. I’ve heard whispers the island is rigged to explode before the night is over, and we don’t want to be here when that happens.”

I clutched Silverlight’s hilt, unable to breathe as ice slid down my spine. Finally, I understood what Jamie Stone had planned—and why he’d warned me to get the hell out of Dodge as quickly as I could.

“Clayton and Rhys are here,” I said. “Alejandro and Amias are here. There is an entire prison full of supernaturals locked up and helpless.” I glared at them both. “And I am not leaving them here to die.”

Angus’s smile was slow and hot. “That’s my girl,” he said, and then he put himself in front of me, and Leo took my back.

We strode toward the Byrdcage, preparing to set our people free before the prison, the island, and everything it contained was blown into oblivion.

I had a sinking feeling that was an impossible task, but we would try, and we would hope, and then, we would go home.