Page 184 of Blood Feast

At last she let her roses tear through the keep, shoving aside every rock and timber in their path. When her spell was complete, she looked down the tunnel she had made. Moonlight shone at the end of it, and Knight stood silhouetted there, guarding their escape.

She motioned to Genie. “It’s safe for us to lead the children out now.”

When Genie didn’t reply, Cassia braced herself and finally risked a glance at the young woman.

Genies was staring. Cassia had been so prepared for a horrified stare like Ben’s that it took her a moment to realize Genie was wearing a different expression.

She looked…awed. She opened her mouth, as if at a loss for words.

Cassia smiled. “Ready to go?”

Genie gave her head a shake, her dirty curls bouncing. “Right. We need to get out of here.”

Genie stationed herself at the cellar entrance and guided the children out, organizing them in a line as they went. “Everyone take the hand of the person in front and behind you. Just like that. Now, would you like to be the leader and take Cassia’s hand? Very good. Your mama and papa will be proud.”

Cassia’s throat tightened. She took the hand of the little girl in the lead. She had seen this child in Lio’s thoughts the night he had helped evacuate Mederi.

Now the girls’ round face turned up toward Cassia, pinched with exhaustion and anxiety. “Have you seen my goat?”

Cassia willed her tears not to fall and stroked the child’s hair. “We’ll have time to look for everyone else later. Right now we need to get you and the other children to safety. Thank you for being the leader. You’re very brave.”

Cassia led her through the tunnel, moving patiently so the whole line of children could follow. When she and the goat girlmade it out of the keep, Lyros was waiting. Cassia gave his arm a squeeze.

There was no sign of the bodies. He and Mak guarded a wide, clear space around the half-demolished castle well. Her Trial brothers’ wards held back tall piles of debris, and Lio’s veils lay heavy over the devastation beyond.

But where was her Grace?

Coming,he said without further explanation.

Lyros knelt in front of the little girl and smiled. He had veiled his fangs to look like a human’s canines. “Hello there. I’m Lyros, and this is Mak.”

The child clenched her fist, holding something tightly in her hand. “I need to find my family.”

“We’re taking care of you for them tonight,” Lyros said. “If you come over here, we can give you some water and make sure you aren’t hurt.”

Mak, clearing stones from around the well, waved at her.

She nodded mutely, but before she went with Lyros, she turned to Cassia again. The child opened her hand and offered up what she held.

The sight of the black feather on the girl’s palm sent a chill down Cassia’s spine. “Where did you get this?”

“Lady Miranda gave it to me. She said to keep it safe, and if we need her, we can use it to find her. But I don’t understand how, and I don’t know where my parents are. Please, will you tell her to come help?”

Cassia took the feather and kissed the child’s brow. “I will find her.”

She and Lyros shared a look of regret over the girl’s head. He held out his hand, and the child let him lead her to the well.

Cassia hugged Knight to her. “Barda. Ckada.”

His protective instincts awoken, Knight wove among the children emerging from the keep and herded strays back towardthe group. But he also let the frightened little ones pet his fur for comfort. That was something he had learned not from liegehound training but from Zoe and the sucklings. Cassia wanted nothing more than to cuddle her Grace-sister on her lap right now to reassure Zoe and herself that everything would be all right.

Lio stepped into sight by her side and wrapped his arms around her.

She hid her face against his chest and held him tightly. Oh, Goddess, how she needed to hold her Grace.Where were you?

I’ll show you as soon as we see to the children.For a long moment, he didn’t let go of her.

Then they sprang into action again and guided the rest of the children out of the tunnel. When all of them were finally out in the open, the area was packed with scraped, thirsty little humans. Cassia lost track of how many villages they represented.

---