The answer became clear. She and Toby had to leave. There had to be somewhere she could go where they'd leave her alone, at least until Gabriel came for her. Her thoughts drifted to the Sanctuary, the only place she'd felt safe. When Toby was better, she'd take him and go. The convent would do a better job raising him than the Immortals. But now, she wanted a word with a certain Ancient.
Katie walked to Kris's chamber on the floor below. She heard a muffled response to her knock and walked in, not caring if he bid her enter or get lost. Kris wasn't there, but Sasha was.
She stopped in place. The door swung closed behind her, and fear trickled through her. She reminded herself she wasn't defenseless with him this time. If she called for Rhyn, he would come.
"I'm looking for Kris," she said, unable to help covering her neck with one hand.
"That makes two of us," Sasha said and rose from his seat beside the fire. He looked her up and down in approval, his gaze lingering on her neck. She silently thanked Lankha for healing her without her asking him. "You look well."
"Better than the last time we met."
"You're in one piece," he agreed and circled her with predatory slowness. She tried to keep her breathing steady even as she wanted to run screaming and hide behind Rhyn. "Something is different about you, though."
Her breath caught as she considered more Immortals than Rhyn might be able to read her mind. Sasha snatched her neck with one hand, his movement too fast for her to defend herself against.
"Don't!" she cried, squeezing her eyes closed as she waited for the pain of him tearing into her neck as he had once before. He didn't attack, simply let his cold power loose into her for a long moment before releasing her.
She opened her eyes, breathing hard. Sasha stepped back, a smile tugging up one side of his mouth.
"So simple," he said. "They can find you on the Sanctuary, too. They can find you everywhere, except Hell."
"Never going back there."
"Unless …" He drifted off and crossed to the window, clasping his hands behind him. "Unless what?"
"There's one way to break your bond with Rhyn."
"I don't believe you."
"You know no one can force the bond to break," he continued. "But if you and Rhyn voluntarily break it, you're free."