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The word hit me like a punch to the chest. I gave an unsteady laugh. “You, too,” I managed to say. My throat tightened. My eyes burned. Nyxaris’s mouth twitched slightly. Then he grabbed me and pulled me against him in a brief embrace.

When he let go, Rodriguez was ready with a finger raised. “Who the hell are you? How are you here? How did you get here so fast? Where’s the fail-safe?” He paused to draw a breath.

“So fast?” Nyxaris glanced at me.

“The dwarven woman who was our guide told us it was impossible for anyone to come from the northern route,” I explained. “She said it was impassable.”

“But she also said that if anyone did manage to get through, they’d have the advantage of a fail-safe that could be tripped from the other side,” Visha said sourly. “Not off-putting in the slightest.”

Nyxaris raised a dark silver brow. “I see. Well, I think your guide needs to do more research. The northern way was not only passable, but it was also absurdly easy. We managed to walk through in the span of a few hours. We arrived moments ago, just in time to see Marcus destroy that egg.” His jaw tightened, reminding me that the eggs must mean a great deal to him. “If he’d touched the clutch again before you’d gotten here, I was going to dispose of him.”

“How the hell did he think he’d outmatch us all?” Sankara demanded.

Nyxaris shrugged. “Probably by telling you lies. I assume he would have mentioned Florence, threatened to have her killed if you didn’t do as he said. Or maybe he was just that cocky.”

I sighed. Knowing my brother, the latter was indeed possible. Marcus was a good fighter. I wasn’t sure he’d have been able to take on myself, Visha, and Sankara. Plus a weakened Pendragon. I glance at Rodriguez. And a pretty much defenseless professor of alchemy—but not completely useless when it came down to it.

“Viktor is dead,” Florence announced. That got everyone’s attention fast.

“Are you sure he’s dead?” Visha demanded. “You actually saw his body?”

Trust Vaidya to be slightly skeptical. I grinned weakly at her.

“I watched Regan kill him,” Florence assured her. “He’s very much dead.”

“Holy shit,” Pendragon murmured. She hadn’t let go of Florence, I noticed. Nyxaris and I were probably in for a few weeks of sleeping alone. Maybe the girls would let us sleep on the floor. I could probably handle that.

“Well, it took Fluffin Squad what felt like an eternity to get here,” Rodriguez said with a sigh. “I’ll never look at a mushroom the same way again. Now, about that fail-safe?”

Nyxaris waved a hand. “A switch. Marcus turned it on as he entered. Florence and I turned it back off. You’re in no danger.” He arched his brow. “Fluffin Squad?”

Rodriguez colored. “Team name. For morale.”

“Of course,” Nyxaris murmured.

“Regan killed Viktor?” Visha was shaking her head. “Didn’t think she had it in her. We’ll have to throw her a party.”

“Kage and Lysander were with her. They’re a triad now, you know,” Florence said brightly.

Visha’s jaw dropped. “They’re a what now?”

“Yes,” Florence said eagerly. “And Regan found her brother. We sent Persis and the children back to Bloodwing together. Regan and her triad went to find Catherine, and—”

Nyxaris touched her shoulder gently, coming to stand on her free side. “My love, there is much to tell. But not all of it must be told this second.”

Florence blushed and nodded. She looked at us. “If you’ve really been down here that long, you probably wouldn’t mind seeing the sun again.”

“The sun.” Visha gave a dramatic moan. “Yes, please.”

“We’ll secure the clutch,” Nyxaris started to say. He glanced at the nest.

Neville and Nell had curled up inside. They were facing one another, both tails wrapped around the eggs and around one another.

“Could they be siblings?” Visha suggested.

“Or future mates,” Sankara rumbled dryly.

“It’s good there are two of them,” Nyxaris said quietly. “Fluffins were brutally hunted by highbloods.”