“He tried to take me, too, to use me as a hostage, but Draven stopped him, nearly dying in the process.” I rise shakily. “Draven’s cards have been handled, but we can still stop Kasper.”
“I’m on it.” I’ve never seen Wynter so angry before. He rushes out and I hear the front door nearly fly off the hinges.
The others look to me. Ember still clutches Felix’s limp body, whispering to him as though he will wake up, but his eyes are so hauntingly blank.
I tell them all, “The rest of you go after him, but be careul—Kasper’s dangerous. I’ll be right behind you.”
The others run after Kasper and Wynter, though Ember stays with Felix.
Draven’s hand braces against his throat, the other one rubbing his freshly healed side. I scoop my cards, calling them to me until I have them all.
Draven staggers toward the door. “You can’t seriously be considering going after him.”
I snap, “You need to see a real healer.”
Draven shakes in anger.
I’m strung between staying here with him and comforting Ember, or chasing down Kasper, but the seraph prince is going after my mom. I have to try to stop him, stop Altair. I whisper to Draven, “Make sure Ember’s okay, explain what’s going on, it’s the best you can do with that much blood loss and no magic.”
“Don’t let him get away.” Draven’s voice is horribly hoarse but improving.
I nod. My legs aren’t long, but I sprint after the others, flying out of our Hearth, running harder than I’ve ever managed before, a gazelle bounding through the plains as if chased by a lion. Yet right now, I’m the one that’s hunting.
Summoning the Chariot, I increase my speed. Before I know it, I’m catching up to the others and then surpassing them as we race toward the center of the Oval. Kasper’s light hair catches the moonlight with two others—someone I don’t recognize, and Magda.
Scorpius, Wynter, and Malik scream profanities and threats at them. A black void opens ahead at the dead center of campus—whoever else is with them must be a Death Arcana. He must be there to transport them to the Sedah Royal Palace. Kasper turns and sees us gaining on him. He grabs Magda and throws her, screaming, into Wynter, buying himself enough time to slip through the wobbling portal.
Scorpius tackles the Death Arcana to the ground a second after, and the portal shuts. The yelp the stranger gives is nothing next to the cracking sound of his body hitting the stones. I release the Chariot, wildly out of breath, a stitch firmly pressing against my side. I look down at Magda, but she’s bleeding, Wynter holding on to her so she can’t run.
“Where did you send them?! Where?!” Scorpius slams the man’s head back into the stone and he’s whimpering, begging.
“The palace! I’m sorry! He paid me to meet him here at this time with her, that’s all I know!” the young man cries, and it seems clear to me that’s the truth of it. Scorpius flings his arm straight out, parallel above the stranger’s body, and that blade shoots out some hidden spot in his sleeve.
“No!” Malik wrestles him off. “We need someone to send us through too!”
“Like we’re going to trust him?!” Scorpius spits.
I turn to Magda, who watches the scene unfold with a coldness I’ve not witnessed. “Why were you helping him?” I can’t understand it but she just sneers.
“Torn from my life to serve the immortals for eternity? Gods only know why they chose me at my age. I have to spend the rest of my days scrubbing my tormentors’ floors? Doing their laundry?” Her lips peel back over her snarl. “That stupid boy said he’d let me go home, got me in contact with the Ascension. I thought …”
Ember has caught up to us, and my heart pounds as I spot Draven trailing behind her, staggering, still horribly pale. My prince couldn’t sit this one out. Typical.
“They get away?” he croaks.
“Yes.” I want him to rest but the determination boiling in his gaze is undeniable.
“We’re going, now. I need to warn the king. Get your mother out of there.” Draven rubs at his throat. He turns to the others, taking stock. “Zara, go tell Commander Soto what happened. We’re under attack. Take her and that Death Arcana with you.”
“Be a man. Kill me now,” Magda growls at him.
“I stopped being just a man a long time ago.” His expression holds an immortal’s cold fury. Draven announces, “Amaya can open the portal.”
“Uh … I can?” Amaya glances uncertainly my way.
“Can you do it?” I ask.
“I’ll try.” She sighs, determination setting her shoulders.
