“Hand yourself in, Bardin,” I say.
“I don’t think so, my child,” she replies, her gaze flicking back to Fox.
“I’ve already killed one vampire on this journey. Give me an excuse and I’ll happily kill another.”
Her eyes flash. “Another vampire? Who?”
“The head of the academy.”
She considers me, her head tilting to one side. “Did what I never could,” she whispers, words I don’t understand. “Interesting. Not so innocent after all. Your hands are stained now. You’ve taken another’s life.” She chuckles as if the thought is amusing. “And that marks your soul. I wonder what that will do to your magic. What it will do to your heart.”
What does she mean? Is she, as usual, trying to get inside my head?
I flick my gaze to Beaufort. He shakes his head as if to tell me to ignore her words.
“Do you have a taste for it now, darling?” she continues. “It’s such a thrill, isn’t it? Makes you feel so utterly powerful. It’s quite addictive. Once you start, you just can’t stop.”
I shake my head. The woman is sick and evil. I am not like her. I’m nothing like her.
“Has he offered to turn you yet, darling?” she asks, pointing to Fox, slumped between me and Beaufort. “If you enjoy the killing so much, you could join us.”
“Never,” Beaufort growls.
“You don’t fancy being immortal then, Prince Beaufort? Imagine the advantages it would give you against all your rivals to the throne.”
“What?” I can’t help but blurt out.
“I’d rather die than be like you,” Beaufort sneers.
“That can be arranged.”
Beaufort grips the sword in his hands and his shadows crackle in the air. Behind us Blaze growls as if he can feel the tension in the air. Above us, the demons squawk.
“Give yourself in,” Beaufort says.
“And why would I do that? I think I have the advantage here, don’t you? And so you are going to have to make a choice. Do as the Empress commands and arrest me.” Something must flicker in my eyes because she adds, “Oh yes, you think I didn’t know she’s commanded you? Of course, I did. So you can do as your Empress orders, or you can ignore that order and save your beloved Fox Tudor instead.”
“I’m going to do both,” I tell her.
“No, darling, you’re not.”
She cackles like she’s actually deranged, raises her hand above her head and the swarm of demons begin to rain down on us.
They dive at us with their talons outstretched, sharp and razor-like, and together Beaufort and I raise our hands. The professor collapses back down to his knees, as we send our magic soaring up to meet the creatures. Blaze follows our example, tipping back his great head and roaring flames of red-hot fire up towards the demons that dive-bomb us.
Perhaps we’d stand a chance if it was the three of us against them. But there’s Bardin as well. She’s still laughing hysterically as she sends her twisted shadow magic racing towards us. I’m forced to break away my magic from the onslaught and send it crashing into hers instead.
“Beaufort!” I cry, straining against the power of Bardin’s magic. Out here in this desolate realm it seems even stronger, as if it’s feeding on the evilness of this place.
“We need to leave, Briony.”
He’s right. It’s a trap, just like we expected. We need the others. We need them helping us. We need Fox.
“Beaufort,” I say, “can you hold off the Madame if Blaze can hold back the demons just for a moment?”
He looks at me quizzically.
“We need help,” I say. “We need Fox.”
