Someone else yells ahead, and Az’s gaze snaps to them. The person dragging me uses this distraction as an opportunity to haul me over his shoulder, but it’s no use.

I hear someone shout my name.

There’s enough possessiveness in the voice that I can’t confuse it with anyone else’s.

Then the Other lunges at us.

There’s a scream, and I hit the ground.

I don’t get to see what happens to my almost rescuer as another of the creatures approaches me, sinking its fangs into my hair and dragging me away.

CHAPTER 45

MARCUS

Shadows swirl about me, the product of my paldihv as the silvery Other crashes into me from the side, knocking Asha’s limp body from my grip.

The force of the impact would have knocked the breath out of me on a normal day, but with Abra’s poison necrosing my system, there’s very little breath to banish.

My back hits the ground, the rear of my skull slamming against the earth, firing stars through my vision as my bow digs into my musculature.

Above me, the Other bears its paws down into my chest, yawning its fangs.

I groan, then stab upward with my dagger, missing the Other’s major artery, but landing a blow to its throat all the same.

If this were a matter of my bow and arrow, the Other would have taken a blow straight through the airway. But alas. I really am better suited to long-range combat.

Still, that I’m the only one among our party who wears paldihv made me the obvious pick for infiltrating Az’s ritual and sneaking Asha away, relying on my shadows for protection.

I stab the Other in the neck again, and this time a spray of silvery blood spatters all over my face, yet another reminder of why I don’t enjoy close-range combat.

The Other sways, then slumps. It takes almost all of the strength I have left to shove its heavy body off of me. By the time I’m out from under its grip, I can hardly breathe, but I scan the perimeter just the same.

Asha is gone.

CHAPTER 46

ELLIE

As I chase Amity across the field toward Marcus, I wonder if Evander and I were mistaken about whether having a child was worth it.

My heart pounds, fear racing through me as I try to catch up to the foolish, brave little girl. We were supposed to stay behind—me monitoring her and staying out of harm’s way. Amity had been reluctant to agree, but she was a child and at the end of the day, Marcus’s word was law.

But that was when we thought Blaise had taken Asha out of hunger.

Before we realized Blaise had simply pulled the wool over our eyes. Again.

We’d watched from behind the tree line, Az’s and Blaise’s voices carrying across the open field in the wind as we slowly realized what exactly was happening.

We’d observed in horror as Az stood in front of the circlet of runes that glowed peculiarly in the air, as if the rest of the field were just a backdrop painted to look like a landscape.

And then Blaise threatened the Old Magic, sinking her teeth into Asha’s neck.

I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep from crying out. Marcus was even faster, slipping his hand over Amity’s eyes so she wouldn’t have to watch.

We couldn’t speak, not without risking Blaise hearing us, so Marcus had taken my hand and fixed it over Amity’s eyes to replace his.

Then the shadows of his paldihv had wrapped themselves around him, and he stepped into the open field, obscured by his magical garb.

I’d just stood there, clutching Amity’s shaking body to my chest, Evander’s grip firm on my shoulder, as if he were holding onto me for support lest the betrayal of his friend be too much.

At one point, I had to slip my hand over Amity’s tear-soaked mouth to muffle her sobs as her fear for Marcus’s life overwhelmed her.

And then there was a scream, and though it came from Asha’s mouth, it didn’t belong to her. It bellowed out.

And then something had Ripped.

Evander had bobbed next to me, and I could feel his muscles tensing, itching to go after Asha with Marcus, but there was no way he wouldn’t be spotted in the open field.

The Rip itself was so loud, the beings that emerged from it so stunning, so earth-shattering, I almost didn’t notice Nox’s body move.

Evander had tapped on my shoulder and pointed him out to me, the way he pushed himself up from the ground, looking dazed, until he turned toward where Blaise was still feeding on Asha, and went completely stiff.

For a moment, I remembered Nox was a vampire too, and I worried he might attack her. But then he approached them, stroking Blaise’s shoulders until she pulled away from Asha, allowing her friend’s body to slump to the ground.

The three of us had watched as the faint outline of Marcus’s paldihv reached Asha, as he wrapped his arms around her and began to drag her backward.

I’d realized too late that Amity had wriggled out from under my grip.

I’d realized too late that she was watching as the Other pounced, knocking her father to the ground.

Evander had been the first to move, rushing into the field with nothing to shield him from detection as he ran after Marcus and Asha.

Amity had been the second.

She’d sprinted off into the field, not in the direction most children would have, away from the danger.

But toward it, screaming Marcus’s name.

Stupid, foolish girl.

I suppose I’m just as stupid for following her.

CHAPTER 47

EVANDER

I’m regretting never having tried to master my magic at the Academy.