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“So that’s one of the keys?” Visha asked.

Zaira nodded slowly. “The blood of the First Stone Keeper or a lord of the high council may open the wards.”

Blake sat back down beside me. His eyes were narrowed. “What aren’t you telling us?’

“We did not expect your revolting highblood necromancer house to take Lord Sharma,” Zaira snapped. “Yes, they are ahead of us. Yes, they have his blood. And—”

“And that’s bad, I take it,” Rodriguez said dryly.

Zaira took a deep breath. “Yes. They will not have Lord Sharma’s consent. They will attempt to use his blood. They have this … blood magician with them.”

“Vane,” Blake supplied. “Professor Alastor Vane. Traitor to his house.”

“Vane, yes. The wards may unlock, but they may challenge those trying to enter.”

I recalled the gates at Viktor’s abandoned storage hold, how Theo had to reason with the wards. I looked at Zaira. “Challenge the Mortis squad? Or challenge us?”

“Fluffin Squad,” Kazmyn reminded me. I ignored him.

“I am not sure,” Zaira admitted. “We will find out soon enough.”

“And then there’s the Bonewood route from the north,” I pointed out. “Marcus or Catherine or both will be coming.”

Zaira shrugged. “I am not concerned about that. The northern route is said to be shorter, yes. But it will be impassable. No one can make it through.” She squared her shoulders. “Especially if they are not dwarven.”

Blake glanced at me, and I shrugged. We had to hope she was right.

“Time and distance aren’t quite the same now that we’re past the gate,” Kazmyn volunteered.

“Nor are day or night,” Hawl rumbled.

“What aren’t you telling us about the northern route?” Blake said suddenly. “There’s more to it than you’re saying.”

Zaira glowered.

“Tell us,” I demanded.

“There is a … fail-safe,” Zaira revealed begrudgingly.

“What the hell does that mean?” asked Visha.

“The vault may be sealed from the other side. If your brother and this necromancer woman do make it through the north gate and if they figure out how to use the fail-safe, it would lock us out from entering the south gate. It’s highly unlikely to happen, though,” Zaira stressed.

I snorted. “We didn’t think there would be another squad, and look how well that’s turned out.”

Zaira looked annoyed.

“Well? If?” Visha prodded.

“If they use the fail-safe, then everyone coming through the southern route will die,” Zaira confessed.

Silence from our whole group. Then Hawl stood up. “I’m going to bed.”

“The keys, Zaira,” Blake reminded everyone.

Hawl sat back down.

“Yes, yes,” Zaira huffed. “The keys are obvious. Dragon’s blood. My blood.” She looked at Neville. “And when we arrive, the fluffin must access the eggs.”