Page 32 of Blood Slumberm

She could read between his words. They had reached the same conclusion: they were far too outnumbered now and the only option was retreat.

She pressed a hand to her forehead. “I’m afraid so. Will you tender our excuses to our generous host?”

Kaion held up a hand. “Forgive me, Prince Magnus, but it is not possible for anyone to leave at this time. The entire estate has been secured with flame wards for the safety of all.”

Rixor rose to his feet. “Please, everyone remain calm as we comply with the Inquisitors and heed Honored Master Kaion. The witch who once deceived all of you from my throne has deserted her temple of Chera. A witness in the Order of Hypnos has seen her at large in the city and believes she will return hereto seek revenge on those of us who brought her to justice ten years ago.”

Oh, gods. This was all her fault. The necromancer had betrayed her so he could keep all of the bounty. She had embroiled herself in a plot with Gift Collectors, princes, and mages of Anthros, and she had gone too far even for a Pavo politician.

Kaion’s deceptively calm voice raked her nerves. “Rest assured you are surrounded by the protection of my Order. Once the Inquisitors have searched the manor for her, you may return to your festivities. They will now cast a seeking spell to detect whether she is among us.”

Troi spoke in her ear, his voice steady, his veil spells thick about her. “That seeking spell will expose you. We must make our move first. I’ll hold them off while you unspin the wards. Then I’ll transport us to safety. Understood?”

She searched his face. “They’re only here for me. You could let them take me, stay hidden, and carry out your revenge.”

His eyes blazed. “You think I would let them lay a hand on you? I will tear them limb from limb before I let them lock you away again. And if they do drag you back to your prison, I will tear down the walls to find you.”

Celandine looked into the eyes of the only person who had ever been willing to fight for her. She had been so wrong about everything.

“Ready?” Troi asked.

She took his hand. “Ready.”

“On the count of three. One…two…three.”

His arm clamped around her waist, and levitation swept them up toward the ceiling. She dropped her spindle, letting it dangle wildly from her hand. The manor was now a maze of flame wards, freshly cast from the hands of eight powerful mages. Sheraced through them in her mind’s eye, tracing out their escape route with a thread of her magic.

Guests scattered, and cries of panic erupted. Kaion and the seven Inquisitors held up their palms, and eight blasts of flame rolled toward Troi and Celandine.

“Keep spinning,” he gritted.

Just as her toes grew hot from the flames, she felt as if they slipped through a door and spilled out on the other side of the room. She lost her grip on her spell. “What was that?”

“A Hesperine step. Hold on tight.”

In a blink, he stepped them out of the path of another fireball.

She looked down at the guests fleeing out the doors and the guards arming their crossbows.

Troi took her face in his hand and pulled her gaze back to him. “I will protect you while you focus on your spell. I swear to you.”

She would have to trust him.

Celandine left the battle in his hands and sank into her magic. The heat, the screams, the clatter of swords, seemed far away. All she could feel was Troi’s arm around her. She drew at the flame wards as if they were flax and began to unspin them.

Holding Celandine close against him, Troi dropped and let a fireball sail over their heads. He landed on his feet, hooking one hand around a section of the banquet table. As he flipped it over, platters clanged to the floor and glass shattered.

A stiletto landed in the wood, aimed at Celandine. Troi bared his fangs at Rixor, who stood with his hand still extended from the throw.

Troi levitated every fallen dinner knife he could grasp in his focus and sent the blades out in nine different directions.

Three inquisitors went down, clutching at their impaled throats. The other four raised battle wards in time to repel his attack. The knives aimed at Rixor and Kaion melted to liquid metal in Kaion’s next fire spell.

Troi dragged the table into a corner as a barricade and ducked behind it, one hand on top of Celandine’s head to keep her down out of harm’s way. Fire spells slammed into the table, and the wood began to burn. He shoved it with all his strength, and it barreled into the three Inquisitors advancing on them. The men toppled, screaming as their own fire spells sent their robes up in flames.

The last Inquisitor kept coming, sending rapid darts of fire toward Troi. He levitated again. Not fast enough. As one tongue of flame flared toward Celandine, he turned and took the hit with his body.

Agony unlike any other crackled through his skin and burned into his veins. He clenched his jaw so hard he thought his fangs might break. He channeled all his anger into a spell and pulled raw healing power out of himself. His magical ability fed his innate Hesperine regeneration, and the poison of the fire began to fade from his body.

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