Nothing could save Ilsa.

But nothing would ever again harm Maddie.

Not ever again.

Not ever.

His thoughts in turmoil, Apollo had no sleep. So he was awake when the soft knock came at the door.

He carefully disengaged from Maddie, strode swiftly to his trousers and yanked them on.

He then headed to the door.

He unlocked and opened it an inch.

Frey's man Ruben stood outside.

His deep voice was low and concerned when he stated, "The dragons failed."

Apollo felt his mouth get tight.

Very bad news.

But at least this meant his men lived.

And that their foe's magic had to be weakened.

"Frey will meet you here in an hour's time to discuss what we do next," Ruben went on.

Apollo nodded.

Ruben moved away from the door.

Apollo closed it, leaned against it and aimed his eyes at Maddie's sleeping form in the bed, his mind slotting the priorities in his head.

First, he would send men to find the false informant and put him in prison, awaiting trial.

Second, they would interrogate Franka, find the witch who created the Keer parcel and put her in prison to await trial.

Next, use Franka and Kristian to draw out the enemy.

Strike that.

Kristian could barely hold his water during the tame interrogation he'd endured.

Kristian and his family would "disappear."

Franka would be their tool.

And last, find b.l.o.o.d.y Valentine and put the woman to work.

She'd been paid a handsome fee.

It was her time to earn it.

On that thought, he moved to the bed and commenced in waking Maddie with his mouth.

Then he made her climax with it.

After, he made her climax on his c.o.c.k.

And after he joined her, content he'd started her day with happiness, he kissed her so hard he bruised her lips and made her gasp with pleasured pain when he finally released her mouth.

Then he left her in order to continue down his path of vengeance.

The path that would end with her safety.

Chapter Twenty-Three.

It Was All I Had "We cannot trust her."

Apollo tore his gaze away from the window where he was studying Maddie outside with his daughter.

He was also studying his son.

Maddie and elan were smiling and he often heard their laughter as they did whatever-they-were-doing in the snow outside the inn, waiting for Apollo and Frey to finish speaking so they could leave Brunskar and be away to Karsvall.

Seeing the vision outside the window, he was relieved that it seemed he had led Maddie beyond her concerns of last night, for she was no different than she normally was around his elan.

Therefore, his thoughts were with Chris, who was not often far from his sister, and thus, of late, Maddie. But now, for some reason, he was well away from them both and not in a manner where he was simply interested in his own pursuits.

No, he appeared to be avoiding the two females.

This did not sit right with Apollo.

However, he had no time to dwell on it. He would keep his eye on the situation and approach his son later, if need be.

Now, he was discussing their next steps with Frey.

"Indeed Franka is not trustworthy," he told his friend as he turned his eyes to Frey. "And matters will be worse than before, for even if there is now hope she will get her lover back alive, she will not forget your willingness to sacrifice him."

Frey nodded. "This is true. And it seems Franka is unaware that if this Antoine has been tortured every hour for some time, if she gets him back, she may not find the man she knows returned."

"Undoubtedly," Apollo agreed.

Frey's expression turned pensive. "Or she is aware and doesn't care. She will simply take him as he comes."

"This may be the case as it would appear she's in love," Apollo pointed out.

Frey focused on Apollo and shook his head. "I do not wish to think that as it would be indication that the world is coming to an end."

Apollo chuckled and Frey gave him a smile.

"And you send the dragons again," Apollo stated.

This was another part of their new strategy. Bombard the isle with dragon fire in hopes to either weaken the shield or weaken their magic.

"Daily, randomly," Frey confirmed. "They will need to expend much magic to keep it strong against my dragons' blaze and do it constantly for they will not know when the next attack will occur."

"The elves?" Apollo asked.

"I always keep the branch close. I will visit them after I talk to Franka and before I join your party en route to Karsvall."

Apollo nodded.

During the last war, in his play to depose Finnie's father and unite Lunwyn and Middleland, Baldur's son Broderick's agents had burned all the adela trees to the ground. As these were the conduits used for the elves to ascend from their world under the ice, this was done to trap them and their formidable magic so they could not be of aid.

Since, Lavinia had made it her mission to plant new adelas all through Lunwyn. They were taking root but it would be decades before they'd grow strong.

Which made it fortunate that Frey and his Raiders had purloined an ancient relic, a branch of adela that Frey could touch to the earth anywhere and summon the elves to the ice.

"I'm rethinking staying separated from Tor and Lahn," Apollo told him. "The magic you have at your command, Lavinia, and if we can find Valentine, Lunwyn is far safer for us all."

Frey shook his head. "That reasoning holds merit, cousin, but your suggestion to divide their energies is sound. There are far more witches in the Vale than Lunwyn. They don't hold the power of Lavinia and Valentine singly, and no one holds the power of the elves, save Minerva, but ama.s.sed, these witches are formidable. Tor has ama.s.sed them. Though, we'll send birds and discuss how they feel about this course of action."

Apollo nodded his agreement.

Frey's eyes moved to the door and back to Apollo before he said, "We mustn't delay."

Apollo again looked toward the window, taking in Maddie, elan and Christophe, who had not come any nearer to his sister, and thus Madeleine.

He turned his eyes back to Frey and said, "The sleighs should be ready. Finnie and Viktor will ride with Maddie and elan. I ride at their side. We'll expect you tomorrow evening in Skogarholt."

Frey looked to the ceiling where Apollo knew Finnie was with their young son, Viktor, before his gaze came again to Apollo.

"Tomorrow evening in Skogarholt," he agreed.

"Until then," Apollo replied.

"Until then," Frey returned on a low wave as he walked out the door.

Apollo watched the door close before he returned his attention to the window.

He felt his lips curving up when he saw elan lean heavily into Maddie, head tipped back, face alight. Maddie had her hand curved over the pink knit cap on his daughter's head, something she insisted elan wear (she also insisted that Christophe wear a hat but he had balked when Apollo approached him and Maddie didn't press).

She was looking down at elan and her expression, too, was beaming.

His eyes went to Chris to see he was making his way toward the door of the inn and as he did this, he didn't even look Maddie and his sister's way.

Very strange.

Apollo decided to have a word.

But not now.

Now they needed to be away to get to Karsvall so that he could get his family to safety.

That night, Apollo turned the key to Maddie's room and entered to see her sitting in bed, a loosely-knitted shawl around her shoulders to keep the chill at bay, the fire and all the lights blazing in the room. She had a book in her hands but her eyes were on him.

"How did the talk go?" she asked before he even got the door closed behind him.

He felt his lips curve up as he closed and locked the door.

She, too, had noticed that something was amiss with Christophe. She'd shared this when he'd told her he intended to have a word.

However, Christophe did not confide in his father during the talk.

Apollo was concerned, but not overly. He knew his son and if he asked, and it was his time to share, Chris would explain. If it wasn't time, Christophe would explain when it was.

Maddie didn't know Christophe as well. She did, however, care.

A great deal.

Therefore, she was anxious.

He didn't like her to feel anxiety but he liked why she did.

He didn't answer until he'd moved to her and sat beside her hip on the bed. Then he went about setting her mind at ease.

He leaned toward her and rested his weight into his fist in the bed. "He says all is well."

She pressed her lips together, indication she didn't believe this and the corners of his mouth again turned up.

"We both know all is not well, my dove," he told her, and this had remained true through the ride as Chris did not stay close to Maddie's sleigh as usual. Instead, he'd ridden with Remi and Gaston. "However, I trust my son that whatever is on his mind, he will share it with me when he's ready. Now, he's working through it and I need to give him time to do this."

"It started last night when he saw me before the gale," she told him and Apollo tipped his head to the side.