The veydra snorts, peering into the room and wrinkling hisnose at the plants. “You’re only safe here because of who protects you, little witch. You’d be smart to remember that.”
“Thanks for telling me,” Hyacinth says sarcastically. “I’ll make sure to write it in my diary so I won’t forget. Anything else?”
Frozen in place and hidden by Ciprian’s magic, I marvel at her boldness. To face off against a man twice her size... the witch has balls, I’ll give her that.
The hulking veydra laughs without humor, then sneers at her. “If he’s not here, that means he’s left you behind. Enjoy your last few hours of peace, little witch; they won’t last.”
A new strain of blood hits my nose.Ciprian’s.My hands curl. He’s overextending himself. There are limits to every supernatural’s power, and we’re hovering on the edge of his. He could do permanent damage if he doesn’t stop.
Celine tenses at my side. Then the guard leaves, dragging the witch after him.
Ciprian’s nightmare drops. Instead of disappearing without notice like it usually does, it rakes down my mind, bristles from a broom. I shudder.
“We’ve got to get her,” Celine says. “We’ve got to get her now before he takes her somewhere harder to break into.”
Riven heads for the door, followed by Malach.
I shove them both out of the way and yank it open.
I don’t have Ciprian’s magic, Luca’s death stare, Malach’s battle training, or Celine’s strength, but I’m faster than all of them, and I won’t lose a wink of sleep about killing this guy.
My legs move so quickly that I barely feel them. The world thickens, sounds morph into a single note, and colors smear like fingers through wet paint as I slice through the door and onto the wraparound balcony.
The cold air slaps my exposed cheeks, but I don’t stop.
Ahead, the witch is fighting the guard with everything she’s got, but his grip on her wrist is tight. When he pulls his fist backto hit her, white-hot rage rolls through me, and I move even faster, feet blurring on the icy wooden planks.
He stops.
Turns to look over his shoulder.
But he’s too slow.
I snap his fucking neck, turning his face where it belongs: away from the kid.
His entire body glitches and warps before shrinking into a small, wrinkled old man, his skin waxy and spotted with age.His true form. Gods, what a lie.
Shifters return to their main form when they die, losing connection to their shift.
But hiding behind a mountain of stolen muscle and using it to threaten a teenage girl... I have no pity for him. Scoffing, I kick him off the balcony, cloak and all. Even though he falls thirty feet and lands on frozen ground, he barely makes a sound when he hits.
The witch squeaks. I smile at her, then remember my face is covered in blood and wince. “I won’t hurt you, but we’ve got to move fast.”
I hoist her over my shoulder before she can scream and run back into the cabin filled with herbs. The charms and twigs in her hair rattle as I place her carefully on her feet.
“What the hell, Ali?” Celine hisses. “We talked about going off book. It was your rule, for fuck’s sake!”
I roll my eyes. “She’s here and unhurt, isn’t she?”
“Where’s Barthol?” Riven asks.
“Is that the bag of bones I just threw off the balcony?”
Hyacinth nods.
“I killed him.” I shrug. “Snapped his neck and tossed him off the porch. Ciprian, are you okay?” I lift his chin and narrow my eyes at him. He’s wiped away the blood from his nosebleed, but the pink stain above his lips confirms I wasn’t imaginingthings.
“I’m fine.” He bats my hand away, black eyes flashing with annoyance.
