Chapter 77

"I'm going to need more details," Casey demanded.

Admit his shame? His shoulders slumped. "I met Theona by accident in the Marsh."

Accident? Not quite. But he didn't know that until much later, after he'd analyzed every moment that led to the betrayal.

He'd come across Theona while on a return trip from the port city. He'd gone to see his brother, a man he'd found out only by accident when Darius came looking for a father that was no longer alive.

The paths back to the marshes were many and varied. Back in those days, they were wilder, too, with the Enclave having chosen to concentrate their protection more on the area around the city. Since the game was plentiful, and his grumbly vehicle more than capable of lugging a beast, when he saw some promising tracks, he chose to stop and hunt.

Roark perched in a gnarled tree, bow at the ready, when he heard the sounds of a battle. Snarls and screams. Human screams.