The wind whips the sides of the cabin, bringing with it sounds of pain and violence. Something huge is going down, and it’s coming from the arena.
“I agree with you, but the only thing getting battered is you.” Alistair slides in next to Ciprian to block me too. “These doors are magically secured. I would know. I couldn’t get through them, and neither will you.”
I gnash my teeth and look to Malach for help.
He massages his temples, his green eyes cloudy. After Riven took Celine away, he completely checked out, but my head is too messy to help him. My girl is in trouble, and we’re stuck in here. “We can’t just?—”
There’s a popping sound, and the door clicks.
“What the fuck was that?”
“It sounded like a power failure.” Alistair pushes Ciprian to the side and grabs the doorknob. He twists, but it doesn’t move. I hiss.
“Luca, you’ve got to chill out,” Ciprian snaps. “If the power went out and we heard a click, that probably means the magical security layer is gone. Wait—yes!” He punches the air. “I feel your fear; gods, you’re charging me up fast.”
Ciprian sways on his feet, and Alistair catches him before he can fall over. “Malach can break it,” Ciprian mutters. “If it’s only a door, we can get through it.”
“The cold, though.” Alistair frowns. “The sun is down. You and I will be hypothermic in minutes. Dead weight.”
Ciprian shakes his head and eyes my dislocated shoulder. “We can’t waste this opportunity. The door is practically open.”
My basilisk lifts its head, waking up slowly now that the magic dampener is offline.
I glance at the fire. It’s crackling cheerfully in the hearth, as if there isn’t a massacre happening outside. Without the magical barrier... I grab the table, tear one of the legs off, and shove it into the fire. The flames lick along the edge of the wood eagerly.
I pull the torch out and hand it to Alistair. “We’ll have to take that chance. Ciprian’s right. There may never be a better opportunity, and Celine needs us.”
Alistair takes the makeshift torch and nods.
“Malach and I won’t leave either of you behind,” I say, looking between them. “I swear it on my life. Either we all make it out or no one does.”
Ciprian snorts. “That’s ominous as fuck. A simple ‘I’ve got your back’ would have been better.”
I shake my head and snap the rest of the table legs off, setting them on fire one by one. “Grab the blanket. You two need to stay under it.”
“For fuck’s sake, we’ll look pathetic,” Ciprian complains.
“We need your nightmares,” I say. “If you pass out...”
Ciprian holds up his hands. “I get it. Cuddle with the vampire or get everyone killed.” He comes to my side and snaps my shoulder back into place without warning.
I snarl.
“Sorry, but it needed to be done.”
I nod, breathing through the pain as Alistair yanks the blanket off the bed and wraps it around Ciprian’s shoulders.
Ciprian bats his hands away and yanks him under the fabric too, knotting it around their necks and creating a two-person cloak. “You’re going to have to get closer, or this will be pointless.”
Alistair scoots into his side until they’re half curled around each other.
“We’re ready for the door, Malach.” I grip my torch and his in one hand and wait. He doesn’t move. Is he having a mental breakdown? We don’t have time for that.
I shout his name and nudge his foot with my boot. “We have to go get Celine. Break down the door.” He glances up at me then, green eyes foggy and confused. I’m not sure he’s even hearing me.
“You can freak out later,” I tell him. “But Celine needs you. We need you. Please.” I rack my brain for a way to get through to him, then reach for his hand, keeping my thumb separated from the rest of my fingers.“Nai khirith, mash n’tel.”
I’m sure I butchered the pronunciation, but hearing thethatshadialect seems to work. Malach blinks several times, locks his thumb with mine, and lets me yank him to his feet. “You okay?” I ask, patting his shoulder with my free hand.
