The semargl’s wings shot up, buffeting the air, her fangs snapped together. Her growl filled the room. Python stumbled back.
Knives out, Magda spun.
Endreas smiled. “What interesting company you keep, Magpie.”
“DON’T LISTEN TO HIM, Magdalena,” Python said from behind her. “He will say whatever he must to meet his ends.”
As Python spoke, Endreas’s gaze hunted over her shoulders—to the semargl and Python—and then down to Kaelan.
He drew one of his swords.
His eyes returned to her. “Step aside.”
“Is it true?” she asked, moving between him and Kaelan. “Is he your brother?”
A dark tremor passed over his eyes. “Step. Aside.”
Hero scrambled down her leg.
“He will attempt to seduce you,” Python hissed from behind her, “to fulfill the older prophecy, to bring the Crown under the yoke of the King. But that isallhe wants—”
She saw it happening, shadows sweeping around from the edges of Endreas’s body. He was about to move through the Shadow Realms.
She leapt, locking her arm around his neck, and was pulled into the Shadow Realms with him.
When they reemerged, she stumbled back from him. His face was all hard edges, his eyes quaking. They were still in the cave, but on the opposite end, near the opening and the vast darkness stretching beyond.
Python fell as she bumped into his back. The semargl snarled and flapped, skittering aside. Magda regained her balance in time to throw her forearm up against Endreas’s, stopping his sword, which had been arcing towards the semargl.
Her foot struck his chest, pushing him back. As he fell, he slammed his hand into her knee. She yelped, twisting and crashing face-first to the ground. Near Kaelan’s feet, Python was struggling to stand.
Though her knee burned, she pushed up and intercepted Endreas again. They traded blows. But she didn’t use her knives and he never drew his second sword.
His fist struck her kidney and her vision cut out momentarily. He flung her against the wall, knocking the air from her lungs.
She bit back against the pain, pushing off of the wall in a spin and kicked him in the face, breaking his nose.
Blood poured over his mouth. He wove back.
The semargl snapped at him, but Endreas was faster, even when injured. He swept around and sliced the semargl’s front leg. The creature yipped and whined.
“No!” Python howled, charging forward on his own hobbled legs, raising his cane as if to strike Endreas.
Magda, panting, sweat-slick, pain throbbing through her, rushed forward and knocked Python aside into the opposite wall next to the semargl.
The tip of Endreas’s sword, meant for Python, grazed the top of her thigh.
Endreas roared as if he’d been the one wounded and seized her arm, holding her upright as her leg buckled, blood seeping into her jeans.
“Stop protecting them,” he said through his blood-stained teeth.
“Magda?” Kaelan groaned.
She glanced back. Kaelan pushed upright, blinking rapidly.
Tearing away from Endreas, shoving him back for good measure, she unsheathed her knives and took up position between him and Kaelan.
“Leave, Endreas,” she commanded. “Now.”
