Rowan’s training kicked in. I managed to stomp on his foot and thrust backward with my elbow. The man grunted, and his hold loosened enough for me to stumble forward. Two arms, covered in white, with my bracelet sparkling on one wrist, caught me.
My Cayden caught me, pressing me to his chest, already drawing a rune with his other hand.
Emil, I recognized Cayden’s brother now, stepped forward with his hands out. “We were just having a dance.”
Cayden growled. “You’re early. The Prophet’s call wasn’t for another hour.”
Emil narrowed his eyes before his gaze flicked to me. “The Sun God must have blessed my preparedness.” His voice reminded me of a TV preacher. “For what’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours, right, brother?” He smiled, and my skin crawled.
Cayden slid his legs apart, as if readying for a fight, and growled like a wild animal.
The people closest to us stopped dancing to watch. Brit pushed through them, and without a word, Cayden thrust me into my friend’s arms.
“That’s not how the outside world works, Emil,” Cayden snarled.
A few of the waitstaff cut into the circle, fulfilling their usual role as peacemakers. A pathway through the crowd parted next to us, and I spied Matt’s burnt-caramel hair. I sighed, not wanting to owe him anything, but Brit and I took the provided exit.
The music cut out the moment we stepped off the dance floor. Not dimmed, ended. The back of the room was surprisingly empty. A few falling decorations caught my gaze as if the magic holding them up had stopped. I’d just left Cayden. Surrounded. Like I’d left Everly.
He’s fine,I told myself. Unease still crawled up my spine. Cayden wasn’t well-liked by anyone, and I’d never gotten a chance to tell him about Emil and Erick. My gut churned.
“I need to go back,” I said, turning in Brit’s grip. “I shouldn’t have abandoned him.”
“Relax, Quinn.” Brit gripped my shoulders. “You’re not abandoning anyone.”
The crowd noise faded. Something under my skin whispered wrong.
I swallowed, knowing her words were valid. Tingles ran up and down my back. “I don’t want to abandon my friends. This feels bad.”
Brit rested her hands on my shoulders. “You aren’t abandoning anyone.” She narrowed her eyes and shifted from one foot to the other.
One of Xan’s flags drifted to the ground.
“Like bad because we left ‘em, or bad because—” Brit didn’t get to finish her question.
Sound cracked before pain did. A solid force hit our side, sending us flying toward the wall. Instead of hitting stone, I passed through a cool sheet of nothing and fell, half-landing on my friend. Burnt-caramel light bled through the dust like a dying pulse. Someone’s hand plunged toward us, and a dart buried itself into Brit’s neck. Brit heaved and threw me mostly off her. I slammed into the wall and tumbled to the dusty floor. The light went out.
“Shit,” Brit said before going limp.
My heart froze. I crawled forward, fingers searching for Brit’s pulse. The burnt-caramel ball of light returned, along with a soft purple. The dust sparkled in the light like magic, trying to disguise decay. At my back, a long, dark passageway that looked nothing like the way we came in loomed.
I fumbled, my panic masking Brit’s faint heartbeat.
Two men walked toward us. The world tilted, familiar faces in a nightmare. I recognized Matt first. It took me longer to place the shorter man with scruffy light-purple hair as Horax. The man who took my TB probably attempted to sell me and then lost everything.
“I grew up in this castle.” Horax rubbed his stomach. “I ate, slept, and breathed in these tunnels.” He laughed. “Thought you’d outrun me? I warned him. You’re mine now.”
My pulse pounded. No, no, no. This wasn’t happening again.
“We can’t leave the pit fighter.” Matt kicked Brit’s unconscious body. “She saw me. She’ll give us up.”
Horax scowled. “Then bring her.”
I lunged. Horax’s fist crushed my nose. Pain detonated. My body forgot which way was up. Blood sprayed as I hit the ground. A familiar spell crushed me to my knees. Magic coiled through me, twisting muscle and bone until both begged to give. Then ropes. A gag. I was tied and silenced before I could think.
“Rowan has some connection to her,” Matt said, shucking his service uniform. A crystal glowed under his thin shirt. He closed his eyes, making it brighter, and Brit slowly rose off the ground.
“I’ve got it covered.” Horax reached down and pressed a solid metal collar to my throat.
