“Eat, partner,” he said. “You need sustenance.”
I looked at Jules, Jules who was so thin. Jules who wasn’t herself anymore. Who hadn’t even touched the food.
He set the plate down, took a fork, and pushed into the eggs, before holding it to my lips.
“There’s more than enough for her. Not eating won’t change the fact that she didn’t. Eat. For me.”
I opened my mouth and accepted the food.
“Good girl,” he said. “Eat more. You need to be fortified for whatever comes next.”
He handed me the fork, and I did, as he did the same.
“What is going to be next, do you think? Going on the run? Claiming the red shard for Mercurial? Or …” Shit. I froze.
“What?”
“The shield,” I said. “Your father and Kane can’t touch it now, but … it can’t stay in the Palace.”
Meera nodded. “I’ve been thinking. The shard may be the very thing that is allowing so much magic to work in the capital. It’s the only place we know of that can ward against traveling.”
I considered. That made a lot of sense—I had to believe they knew what they had on their hands—what else could they be using it for?
“Even if it’s not in the hands of the Emperor, it’s still a danger. Morgana and Aemon are going to try and claim it.” Meera’s aura flashed with worry.
“They’d be in possession of their own shards.” And we had none. And a lot more people to protect.
Rhyan shook his head. “This is a conversation for tomorrow. Tonight, we eat, and we rest.”
Meera finished her plate and soon fell asleep, but I stayed awake with Rhyan, watching over three of the people I loved most in this world. And when the sun came up hours later, I was still up. Still watching.
Until there was a loud, violent bang on the door.
I stilled, my eyes meeting Rhyan’s. “Cal?” I whispered.
But Rhyan shook his head violently. “No,” he mouthed, his hand already reaching for me.
I pressed myself against the door, trying to hold in my breath as I looked through the peephole.
The hall was full of nahashim.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
LYRIANA
“Rhyan,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, my entire body still.
He was already at my side, his hand on the small of my back. I stepped away, our hands clasping together as he looked through the peephole. I watched as his eyes narrowed, his shoulders tensing.
“They’re small,” he said, his jaw working as he brandished his sword. “We can take them.”
“There’s so many. They can still bite us,” I said, a tremor in my arm. I still remembered the feel of their venom. The absolute spread of paralysis, the fear of being unable to move, unable to stay awake or in control. And then being taken by Brockton.
Rhyan’s nostrils flared, looking back out, before he said decisively, “They can, but they can’t move us.”
“What’s wrong?” Meera asked. Her voice was sleepy, but her eyes were alert and she was already slipping out of her bed.
Jules groaned and sat up, the blankets falling from her thin shoulders. Immediately I felt her panic.
