Page 71 of Invidia

“And us,” Andrus said, ushering over a few more members of the Guard. Ones who’d usually do anything to avoid getting so close to me.

“There’s not enough darkness for all of us right now—”

“Get me in there,” Meera demanded, grabbing my forearm. “I’ll take out the light. Then more can follow.”

“Where did you even come from?” I looked around somewhat desperately, hoping Astrid would materialize in front of me, but she was nowhere to be found.

“I thought I could help! I can help. Come on, Evrin.” Meera tugged on my arm, eyes wide with worry.

“Fuck! Okay. Fine. Please don’t get killed,” I muttered, dragging Meera along with me. I didn’t have complete confidence in this decision—Meera was no warrior, as far as I knew—but time wasn’t on our side.

There was no subtlety to our entrance—Meera basically fell through the darkness into a stack of boxes, sending them tumbling, and only just catching herself before she landed on her face at the last minute.

“Meera!” Tallulah whisper shouted. “Oh my god, what are you doing here? Where’s Astrid?”

“I also have a solid form and opposable thumbs,” Meera snapped, kicking through the boxes of assorted junk and crossing the room, hitting little white things on the wall that made the room increasingly dark. She flicked off the one by the only door before turning it back on again, staying in place with her hand, ready to do it again.

I couldn’t communicate with her, but we seemed to have landed on the same plan, regardless.

Andrus and Galen slipped in behind me the moment there was enough darkness for them to materialize in, floating through the cell bars with ease, though they had to stick close to the wall to stay out of the circle of light still cast by the one over the door.

Take Tallulah and Austin back to the shadow realm, I ordered.

“Wait!” Tallulah cried. “Evrin, what are you doing? Why aren’t you leaving?”

“We’re not leaving without Lochan,” Meera said calmly.

“No!” Tallulah shouted as Austin dragged her back, Andrus and Galen guiding them into the darkness. “Just leave him! Come back with me!”

I will come back to you, I projected, hoping the message got through before they disappeared, and that either Austin or the others would pass it on.

We couldn’t continue on the way we’d been going, constantly taking the high road, and merely reacting to the Hunters’ attacks. And maybe I was no one, and it wasn’t my decision to make.

But they’d taken my love, so I was going to be doing something about it anyway—consequences be damned.

There was the crashing of footsteps on the steps, and Meera exchanged a determined nod with me, her hand resting on the wall, ready to plunge us into darkness again.

That she was unarmed wasn’t lost on me. The moment the door flew open, Meera doused the lights, all but tackling Lochan to the ground and wrestling him for control of the blade in his hand. She cried out as the dagger sliced into her forearm, but managed to wrap her uninjured arm around Lochan’s neck, climbing onto his back to pin him to the ground, and yanking his head roughly upward until he was gasping for air.

“Drop the knife,” she ordered, her voice as soft as it always was, though with a deadly edge to it that I’d never heard before.

The blade clattered noisily to the ground.

“Happy now?” Lochan snarled, trying and failing to buck free of her hold.

I had definitely underestimated Meera.

“There are more of us—”

“You’ll be back in the shadow realm before they arrive to help,” Meera said mildly.

“The fuck I will.”

Soren and Astrid stepped through the darkness, materializing next to me. Astrid was so silent and light on her feet that Meera and Lochan didn’t even notice her arrival.

“You’re not really in a position to negotiate,” Astrid said flatly, picking her way through the debris as she pulled two silver blades from the holsters at her thighs. “I did say we should have killed you on sight. I’ll be sure to point out to Ophelia that I was right.”

“Don’t hurt my sister,” Lochan said suddenly, the acrid scent of his fear filling the room. “She wasn’t in on it. She didn’t know. Cal Thibaut insisted that I bring her with me when she expressed an interest in going. He thought she would be a good… distraction.”

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