“There he is,”Shadowbane observed.“Not entirely lost yet.”
The enchantment snapped back. He came at me again, wild and rabid.
I spoke to Asrael. “Go, get Maris and Lidi out. I’ll bring him.”
“I’m not leaving you?—”
“You’re leaving me.” I spoke in the tone that ended arguments. “Go.”
Asrael put a hand out for Maris, the gesture courteous, and she gave the fire poker one last longing look—that was definitely Cara’s mother—and began to go. But Tay came at me again, and she paused in the doorway.
“Sorry,” I told Maris as much as him.
Another blow, and he went down, unconscious.
I lifted him over my shoulder.
Then we were moving back through the palace. Riven and Tesa went ahead, securing the hallways.
Thirty
Cara
Anayla was at my side when I came slowly back to wakefulness. The world seemed too bright, yet somehow still dark around the corners of my vision, and when I tried to speak, it came out as a rasp.
She had been starting into the distance, looking troubled, but she leapt at the sound I’d managed. “Cara!”
Ander came through the door then. There was blood and ichor in his hair and smeared across his tunic, and he looked weary. “I came as soon as I could.”
“It doesn’t matter how many healing potions she takes. The wound won’t heal.” Anayla sounded calm, controlled, but there was other emotion threaded beneath.
Ander glanced from me to Anayla, the two of them trading a look that suggested poor odds in my favor.
“Time to give this a try then.” Ander glanced beyond us, and Anayla, understanding him wordlessly, moved to the door.
She spoke briefly to the healer.
I hadn’t caught much of her words, but I had caught enough.
“Even if she screams?—”
Then she shut it. Sealing us in.
“Where’s Fear?” The world seemed dark at the edges still. I knew, dimly, that I had lost a dangerous amount of blood.
“He’ll be back soon.” Ander’s gaze flickered to Anayla’s, full of questions.
“He’s with your family,” Anayla promised. “Just hang on.”
Ander gripped the knife in one hand. “How does this work?”
“I don’t know,” Anayla admitted.
Ander’s jaw tightened. He didn’t say out loud that they were experimenting on me, but I knew it.
“I’ve done this before,” I whispered. “Almost.”
“Almost,” Ander repeated.
