I crouch in the mud beside him. It’s hard to look into his lustrous brown eyes for long. “I’m going to bring you inside now. This will only work if you don’t make any sudden movements. If you do, I will take full advantage of your being restrained to eliminate you. Understood?” “Wow,” Ambrose said, eyebrows arching. “Did you tell yourself to get meaner while you were in the cabin just now?” I keep my face impassive. He’s right, of course. I did that very thing. Fought against my own weakness. “On your feet,” I say.

