“Get them off of me!” one shrieks, firing balls of magic in the air. I duck as one flies toward me.
Amaris moves toward the witches and extends two hands, splendid bursts of shimmering magic striking and freezing them in place. “Hurry,” she says. “It won’t last long.”
“Why didn’t we just—” Asmo starts, but Basil points to a singledoor. Asmo strikes, shadow sword cutting a jagged line down the middle. I don’t wait for Basil’s command. I pull the wreckage away. This time, the figure rushes out as soon as the door is cracked open. Judging by his bright-green eyes, this prisoner is a Panthera hybrid.
Basil emerges from the shadows and gestures forward, urging the male toward us. He sprints toward us, almost slipping on a patch of ice. His dingy gray blanket falls from his shoulders, revealing an almost-naked male. Dirty, but otherwise healthy.
Basil pulls him into the shadows with us. The male starts as he sees us, but we take off down the hall, and my heart hammers in my chest.
The screaming starts again, but nobody follows us. Basil all but shoves the male through the open portal, and it closes behind us with a pop.
“Where am I?” the male asks. He rubs his biceps, at the goosebumps that still linger.
I shrug my coat off and hold it out to him. It’s entirely too small on him, but it’s better than nothing.
“You’re in a safe place,” Etta says, her tone calm and reassuring.
He eyes her dubiously, then looks around the dirt hallway, carefully assessing each of us. “Where am I?” he repeats.
“Squall’s End,” Asmo answers. Etta shoots him a glare as sharp as a knife.
The male’s brow furrows. “What is that?”
Etta answers before Asmo gets the chance. “We’ll explain everything. First, I’d like to have you checked out by a healer, if that’s okay. Once that’s done, I’m happy to answer your questions.”
He blinks rapidly, as if trying to make sense of everything. “Sure. Yeah. Okay.”
Etta smiles softly, gesturing down the hallway. “This way.” We wait several moments before we follow. The male was already skittish and clearly confused. Having a pack of hybrids trailing you in an unknown location would be enough to send anyone over the edge and straight into panic.
Asmo’s hand brushes against mine as we walk, each touch a spark. I glance at him, but he stares ahead. His hair is neatly styled today, blacklocks combed and tame, but that one errant lock of hair is loose and bouncing with every step.
Etta makes sure the rescued prisoner is with a healer, then leads us to a private room. The walls are rough, made of hewn rock and dirt. A black fabric couch sits in the middle of the room. Several armchairs are scattered on the opposite side, their armrests faded by use over time. Two large, repurposed barrels sit in between the couch and chairs. Along the back wall, light wood cabinets form a small kitchenette. Dark wooden shelves line the walls, an assortment of dishes, mugs, and cookware neatly organized on their surfaces.
“This is one of our common areas,” Etta says, walking to one of the armchairs and sinking into it. Everyone squeezes into a seat, save for Holly, who heads to the nearest wall and leans against it. Her favorite spot.
“Etta,” Ivan starts, staring at her with a pained expression. “You’re alive.”
She smiles. “Yes, I am.” She looks to me and says, “We didn’t get the chance to discuss the details around my disappearance from the court, but it was not by choice.” She takes a shaky breath, then turns to Asmo with a cold expression. “Your brother tried to kill me, Prince. And he nearly succeeded.”
Asmo’s expression remains unchanged, her words appearing to bounce off him like pebbles thrown at a statue. He stares back at her, long legs crossed and hand dangling from one of the armrests.
“But…We buried you,” Luca says. “I—I saw your body. You were dead.”
Etta places her hands in her lap, dropping her gaze to her hands as she wrings them together. “Yes, you did.” She sits in silence for a few moments, her posture rigid as she gathers her words. I can’t imagine the courage it’s taking her to relive this.
“I found her.” Basil breaks the silence. “In the forest. She was barely alive. Anybody would have missed it. But I can see peoples’ auras. Every living being has one. When you die, so does your aura.” Etta still doesn’t look up. “I was on a scouting mission,” Basil continues. “Something we do often. We walk through the different courts and look for any signs of Lower House members. Several of us were patrolling theHigh Court’s grounds, and I saw an aura…barely there, on the edge of flickering out. Thank the Mother that we don’t bury the dead like the Fae. Otherwise, the dirt would have suffocated her. I was so lucky that we had a healer with us who was able to stabilize her. We took her back to Squall’s End and nursed her back to health.”
The blood drains from my face. I was right there the whole time. I laid flowers on her body, cried for her, and she was alive the whole time. We abandoned her in the forest. We left her to rot. I feel sick.
Ivan’s hands are clenched into fists in his lap.
Then, they’re pummeling Basil’s face.
Chapter 27
MAE
Ivan rears backand strikes Basil in the face again. Basil throws his hands out, and a burst of magic sends Ivan flying. He lands on the barrel with a thud. He scrambles and launches himself at Basil again. Luca jumps out of the way, just narrowly avoiding Ivan’s fist. Basil throws a hand up and deflects the blow.
