She shook her head in short jerks, closed her eyes, opened them and whispered, "He's been taken to Specter Isle."

G.o.ds d.a.m.n it.

"And?" Apollo clipped.

"And, they told me I have unique access to both Finnie and Ils...I mean," she corrected hurriedly at seeing the look that moved over Apollo's face, "Madeleine. They said if I could get them access, they would release him."

b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l.

They were after the women.

"Why are Finnie and Madeleine targets?" Apollo asked curtly.

"They didn't share their strategy," she replied shakily.

As they wouldn't.

"They just told me, if I didn't, I'd receive his shaft back, the only part they said I liked, which isn't true," she spat. "And that was all I'd get back."

Shocked deeply she cared about anyone enough to risk her own neck, Apollo stared at her a moment before he went on. "And who approached you?"

"Helda," she answered.

"And is her magic black?" Apollo pressed.

She held his eyes but couldn't hold back her obvious shudder.

Helda's magic was black.

It was Helda's magic that spirited Maddie away.

So it would be Helda's head that rotted on a spike at Rimee Keep, the Queen's palace in Snowdon.

Apollo would take it there himself.

"They've hurt him," Apollo guessed quietly.

"She showed me a mirror. He was in it," she snapped. "And yes. Every day. On the hour. Every hour. They hurt him."

Apollo felt Frey draw close but he didn't take his eyes off Franka.

"So you schemed to trap your brother, shift blame should this plan be discovered?" Frey asked.

"No," she replied. "The Keer parcel had to be laid somewhere in the house. A Keer parcel is easily detected as it glows when the magic outside is trying to pierce the enchantments protecting a location, so it had to be well-placed. Calder informed me there was no room for me."

She sent a bitter look to Calder, who Apollo already liked but he grew in Apollo's estimation greatly, seeing it was clear he had no wish for Franka to be under his roof.

Her eyes came back to Frey. "So I shared what was happening with Kristian and begged for his help. He didn't want to do it," she hastened to add. "But, I...he..." She swallowed. "My brother has a soft heart."

Her eyes went to her brother and she swallowed again.

Then she whispered to the floor, "He's always had a soft heart. It doesn't fit a Drakkar."

"Congratulations, cousin, with that, you've spoken more truth tonight than you have since you emerged bawling from your mother's womb," Frey drawled and she turned bitter eyes to him.

"They have my Antoine," she hissed.

"And did it occur to you that if you came direct to me with this problem, we could see about getting him back?" Frey returned.

"And why would you do me any favors?" she spat.

"Because I understand what it means to be in love but, cousin, you surprisingly forget. I owe you a debt," Frey replied.

Her face grew cold as she slipped her mask in place.

"I'm not in love," she snapped.

"Tell yourself that, Franka," Frey said quietly. "But you do not commit treason for a heady climax and we both know it. It's just that you only know it deep inside, where you've buried any emotion that might make you resemble a human being."

She glared at her cousin but there was more that they needed to know.

"You sent the informant," Apollo remarked and her eyes came to him.

But she said nothing.

"You knew I'd sent my apologies for the Drakkar gale and to lure me there, hoping I would bring Madeleine, you sent the informant."

She lifted her chin and confessed by saying, "Hope prevailed. It worked."

Apollo drew in a sharp breath and made note to send his men on a hunt.

The informant would not earn a spike but he would earn a noose.

Franka tired of their discourse and demanded, "What do you do with Kristian and I now?"

"What I do is send my dragons to Specter Isle to annihilate it," Frey answered and her eyes grew large with alarm.

"If you do that, they'll incinerate Antoine," she whispered.

"Franka," Frey started, his voice gentling. "It would end his pain and..." he stressed his last word when she opened her mouth to speak. "Ask yourself if one sacrifice is worth saving the lives of many. We know not what they plan, we just know it is ill and every soul on two continents is at risk."

Her eyes narrowed with hostility. "What I'll ask is for you to consider the same should it be Finnie who was obliterated and it was you facing an empty bed until the end of your days. Ask your bride. Your Winter Bride knows." She turned furious eyes to Apollo. "You know." She leaned toward him and hissed. "You know."

"You compare this loss to mine?" Apollo asked, his tone dripping with disgust.

"Is there ever a compare?" she shot back. "I couldn't begin to imagine what you lost for I never knew your wife in that manner. All I know is Antoine has a kind heart, a soft touch and he is the one and only person on this earth who has ever made me feel like I was me. Not a Drakkar. You may not think that's worth saving. Worth treason. Worth dying for. But I do."

Apollo took a step away from her but kept his gaze on her.

She also did not move hers from him.

"Remember, Franka, what you did this night," he finally said quietly. "You nearly cost me something I've grown to cherish."

"I would apologize if the stakes were not so high," she returned, tossing her head and when she was done speaking, pushing to her feet.

"You have no remorse," Apollo noted.

She straightened her shoulders. "I think I've made it known I have little regard for your Madeleine. And I know who she is." She looked to Frey. "I know where Finnie comes from, too. Helda told me." Her eyes moved back to Apollo. "Regardless, I have little time for remorse knowing Antoine endures agony every hour. So pardon me for not admiring her spirit. But in the end, I've never been good at making friends."

Apollo drew in a deep breath and looked to Frey when he let it out.

Frey was studying Franka.

"Frey?" he called and Frey's eyes came to Apollo.

"Tonight, I send the dragons," he decided.

Apollo nodded. Franka uttered not a noise but that didn't mean the depth of emotion emanating from her didn't beat into both men.

It was just that, in times like these, soldiers had no choice but to be immune to it.

Frey turned to Ruben. "Sequester Kristian and Franka down here. Arrange for them to be made comfortable." He looked to his mother and father. "Will what you've seen and heard here be shared with anyone? Or do we have to arrange for your accommodation in Brunskar's dungeons as well?"

"I will not say a word," Valeria declared quickly.

"And I will be too busy dissolving my union with my wife to be bothered with this...mess," Eirik stated.

"My wife and son," Kristian said quietly.

Frey looked to his cousin. "They'll be sequestered with you."

Kristian opened his mouth to speak but Frey lifted a hand.

"Until the dragons return, it's necessary anyone who could be connected even remotely to the plot that evolved this evening needs to be isolated," Frey explained, turned his head and jerked his chin to Lund who immediately left the room.

Kristian took a step forward and regained Apollo's attention.

"They know nothing of this," he stated.

"They will be made comfortable."

"But-"

"Kristian," Frey interrupted him, his voice low with warning. "Your loyalty to your sister is admirable but it is also beyond foolhardy. You committed treason."

"But the...the..." his eyes darted to Apollo and back to Frey, "lady in question isn't even of this world."

"She is now and she's betrothed to the general who commands your queen's soldiers," Apollo returned and watched Kristian swallow.

"We'll discuss your situation after the dragons return," Frey decreed.

Kristian held his cousin's eyes before he looked to his sister almost beseechingly.

He clearly got nothing there because he then looked to his boots.

Frey looked to his parents. "A word is breathed, I'll know."

That was all he needed to say. Neither spoke but both of their faces did it for them.

They would speak not a word.

He turned his eyes to Apollo.

Apollo jerked up his chin, moved from the room and felt Frey follow him out.

They'd turned the corner before he stopped and looked to his friend.

"They seek to a.s.sa.s.sinate the women," Apollo stated.

"I'm sending the dragons."

This, he predicted, would not work and he shared his concerns with Frey. "They'll have enchantments protecting Specter Isle."

Frey nodded. "It's likely the beasts won't succeed."

"It would take mighty magic to protect an entire island from dragon fire," Apollo noted.

Frey's lips moved up into a small smile. "They weaken."

They did. And this could be why they didn't waste magic on their first strike.

But their side needed an alternate plan. "Should the dragons return unsuccessful, we can use Franka and Kristian."

Frey nodded again. "Agreed."

"We need Lavinia."

"And Valentine."

This time, Apollo nodded. "The Circe of the other world, who used to be Baldur's sorceress, she's powerful?"

"It's said she is. As is Lahn's Circe. But he's had words with me and Tor. They seek to recoup her powers, and although Circe doesn't know this, Lahn is allowing it for her to use should she need to protect herself. He's forbid us to use her in any way. She will volunteer, he's made that clear. But he will not allow it. He does not want her made vulnerable in any way."

"Understandable," Apollo murmured.

Frey studied him closely and Apollo would know why when he asked quietly, "She pleases you?"

He was talking about Madeleine.