Briony
The bathroom door flings open and a man stands in the doorway. I scream, attempting to cover myself with my arms and my hands. There’s no questioning who the man is – it’s damn obvious. Fine white-blonde hair and those colorful eyes. He looks like the man who’s attempting to shield me with his body. The only one of Dray’s brothers I haven’t met. The one closest to him in age.
“What the fuck, Danders?” Dray snaps. “Get out!”
For a moment I think it’s some kind of mistake. And then I think it’s some kind of family prank. Didn’t Dray tell me all the stories of the times he and his brothers played tricks on each other, the times they locked each other in cupboards or spiked each other’s food? But the look on this man’s face – sneering, and something not quite right glinting in their eyes – tells me this is no game, no trick, nothing fun at all. This is serious.
He stands there resolute, glaring at his brother, chin raised in defiance.
“Who told you we were here?”
“No one, but you’re freaking predictable, big brother, and also Dirk is a shitty liar.”
“How many?” Dray says lowly. “How many are there?”
“Too many,” the man says with a smirk. “You’re not going anywhere, big brother.”
“How many?” Dray repeats.
“All her elite guards,” his brother responds.
I don’t understand the conversation or what the hell they’re talking about, but in the next split second both of them are shooting shadow magic at one another so quickly it flashes through the air in a supersonic blur, smacking into each other with a deafening crash.
“Little Kitten!” Dray says, jumping right up onto his feet. “Get the hell out of here. Get the hell out of herenow!”
“What?” I say, also attempting to stumble up onto my feet. “What’s going on, Dray? I don’t understand.”
“It’s an ambush,” he says. “It’s a trap. You need to get away. You need to get awaynow.”
As he says the words, I hear shouting below us, the thunder of many pairs of feet and the clashing of magic. I see it flash past the window.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say, scrabbling for the nearest piece of clothing and forcing Dray’s shirt down over my head. “If they’ve come for us, I’m staying here, and I’m fighting with you.”
“No!” Dray growls. “You’re going. We can hold them back, Kitten. So go find that dragon and get the hell out of here.”
“I’m not leaving you,” I cry.
Haven’t we just spent the last two days trekking through the demon realm, fighting demons, battling the Madame, risking our lives because one of my mates was missing and I had to find him – had to save him? I’m not about to be parted from them again. I’m not about to let them all risk their lives for me.
“You don’t understand,” Dray says. There’s none of his usual humor in his voice at all. “If we’re arrested, if we’re taken in – all of us – it’s game over. There will be no escape. It will be the end. But if you go, if you go now, there’s a chance.”
“A chance?” I say, shaking my head in disbelief. “That’s madness, Dray. If I stay, if we all fight together, we can drive them back.”
“No, Kitten, there’re too many. It’s our only chance.”
“I can’t go,” I sob, “I can’t be parted from you.”
“Briony!” he snaps, throwing ever more powerful shadow magic toward his brother, as footsteps thunder on the staircase. “There’re more coming. Go now, before it’s too late.”
I jolt, and then I’m doing as he says, swinging my gaze around desperately, looking for a way of escape.
“Wait – the window,” he says. “The window, Briony!”
I rush toward it and yank it open, leaning my head out of the window and seeing just how many guards are out there circling the house, so many I can’t even count. Their magic is powerful and violent, windows smashing, wood splintering in all directions.
I look up into the clear sky, the sun so much higher than it was when we arrived hours ago. I can’t see Blaze. I don’t know where he is.
I close my eyes and feel for him.
