The whites of his eyes disappeared entirely as he rounded on Kost. “He’s a traitor. I don’t care if Noc gave him the option to leave. No one should abandon Cruor like that. Quintus too. Annoying prick.” His muscles quivered. Stone scales began to ripple across his flesh.
I pushed Leena behind me and planted one hand against his chest, shoving him back. “Take a breath.”
An animalistic growl split my eardrums as black talons shot out from his fingernail beds. Chest heaving, he backed into the nearest bookshelf and knocked it to the floor.
Emelia stared in horror. “What’s happening?”
The sound of the beast realm opening cut through Calem’s muffled howls, and rosewood light bloomed from Leena’s symbol. She stepped around me and thrust her hand forward. “Kels. Iky.”
The tiny rainbow bird from before appeared first, heading straight for Calem’s jugular. With one swift dive, she buried her beak in his neck. Clear, sappy liquid dribbled across a pinprick hole, and Calem smacked his hand over the opening. Scales raced across his arms, forming and disappearing as Kels’s draft once again dragged him under. Wild, confused eyes met mine for a moment before his lids slipped closed, and he crashed to the floor.
“Iky, carry him.” Leena extended her finger, and Kels perched there while Iky moved forward. Translucent limbs wrapped Calem in a makeshift cradle, and Iky pressed him flush to his chest.
“We need to get him to Hireath. Now.” Gaige’s steely gaze flickered between Calem and the door. “A Naughtbird’s draft is strong, but so is Calem’s beast. He could already be building a tolerance to it—I simply don’t know.”
Leena commanded Kels back to the beast realm. “Then let’s go.”
Threats in Hireath, threats at our front door… Even though I’d suggested Leena go, every fiber of my being screamed for her to stay. Still, I kept myself calm. Controlled. “Be careful.”
Turning to look at me, she cupped my face and placed a quick kiss on my lips. “I will, so long as you do too.” Her hand dropped to my chest where my heart thudded madly against her fingers.
“Don’t stay long.”
“I won’t.”
A glimmering yellow halo of light poured from Gaige’s hand, and a beast manifested by his feet. It was the same creature Wynn had used to take Leena. Its lizard-like head rounded on its master. Unhinging its jaw, it summoned a swirling white portal that crackled with electrical currents.
Leena hummed. “I really need to get me one of these. A Telesávra would make traveling between Hireath and Cruor a cinch.”
“Next time, I’ll join you,” I said.
She smiled. “Next time.” Offering the beast a careful pat on the head, she touched her chin to her shoulder and gave me one last parting glance. “See you soon.”
And then she stepped through the portal and winked out of my life for the second time.
With her absence—with her escape, that horrifying voice whispered inside of me—control was suddenly much harder to come by. Red tendrils dripped across my vision and threatened to pull me under, but I focused on the sable shadows and called them to me instead. Begged them to cling to my senses and dull the hammering, intoxicating bloody mess festering in my mind. They obeyed, and the foreign anger subsided to a dull roar at the same time Iky, Calem, and Gaige slipped through the portal.
The beast disappeared.
“Holy fuck,” Emelia let out in a rush. My attention snapped back to her. Fingers steeped in shadows, she remained perched on the edge of summoning a weapon. “What the hell just happened?”
Gritting my teeth, I brushed aside her inquiry. “Where’s Darrien?”
“I’m right here.” Stepping through the doorway with Iov, Astrid, and Quintus at his side, Darrien clasped his hands in front of him. Iov’s glittering ax was flush against his chest, and Astrid had a small blade just barely holding form pressed against Quintus’s jugular. She also fisted Darrien’s bow at her side, keeping his corporeal weapon out of reach. Not like he’d need it. He could summon a blade faster than Astrid could blink.
I jerked my chin toward the intruders, and Emelia rushed to her brother’s side, adding her own halberd to the back of Darrien’s neck. Poised for the guillotine.
He didn’t seem fazed. Shadows flirted with the curls of his hair and slithered over his clothing. Amber eyes full of malice glinted beneath heavy brows. Darrien let out a pitying sigh, tossing a curious glance at Astrid.
“Back to raising, I see.”
“You would know,” I said, voice icy. My gaze slanted to Quintus, who withered beneath my stare.
“He was a friend beforehand. Can’t blame him for seeing my side of things.”
“Tell me why I shouldn’t execute you right here. After I explicitly told you never to come near Cruor again.” Kost and Ozias flanked my sides. Shadows spired in their auras, forming endless rows of blades just waiting for my signal. Waiting to do our bidding.
Kill.
