Page 208 of Blood Feast

His mind went blank, and terror blinded him. She had stepped away without him. His Grace was alone in enemy territory.

Cassia!he called to her over the distance.

Trust me,she said through their bond.

Lio moved in front of Mak, facing Lyros. “How can you do this to your Grace? To mine?”

“Don’t you dare lecture me on what’s best for Mak.”

“What happened to the promise you and I made the night we watched them get arrested? We swore we would do anything to keep them free. Now you want to turn them in?”

Lyros’s voice rose. “I also swore to keep them safe!”

“You told me you had my back,” Lio shouted. “I thought we were in this together. You can’t decide this is over for the rest of us.”

The weight of Mak’s hand settled on Lio’s shoulder. “Let him go.”

Lio turned to his cousin. “This isn’t fair to you. To any of us.”

“You should go with him. If you and Lyros turn Cassia and me in, you’ll get a lighter sentence.”

“Never,” Lio said. “I will not abandon my Grace or our quest.”

“Our quest is already over.” Lyros stepped, and his words hung in the empty air.

Mak’s gaze traveled over Night’s Aim in the grass, past the Star of Orthros in his hand, then to Final Word in Lio’s grip. “I never should have made them. All I can do now is unmake them.”

Lio closed both hands around his staff. “What are you talking about?”

“I have to make it to the forge before Rudhira finds me. Hand over your staff.”

“No! We need the weapons now more than ever.”

Mak held out his hand. “Don’t make me fight you for it.”

Lio planted the staff. “I will fight you over this.”

His cousin barreled into him. With three moves Lio didn’t know, Mak left him on the ground, disarmed and rubbing his head where Miranda had battered him. But the loss of his staff was more painful still. His connection to the artifact throbbed as if he’d lost a limb.

With their three remaining weapons in hand, Mak disappeared, too. Their Trial brothers were gone. Their errant circle was broken.

THE CONTINGENCY PLAN

His Trial brothers hadabandoned him and his Grace. Lio had never felt so betrayed.

He was Cassia’s only protector now. He pulled himself to his feet, and the world spun around him. But she was his sense of direction. He had to get to his Grace.

He stepped to her across the length of the kingdom and plunged into a cloud of smoke. More of it billowed from the open door of the tower. Flames were licking out of the high windows.

Cassia!

I’m coming. Stay outside.

Once again, she expected him to stand here and watch her throw herself into danger. And she called it protecting him. Had she learned nothing the night he had helped break her out of that cell?

Lio plunged through the doorway, slamming his senses open in search of living auras. Magic writhed all around him. The tower’s spells were dying.

Following the cord of their Grace Union, he levitated across the hazy ground floor. His eyes burned as he flew up the stairs. The dining hall roiled with orange light and dark smoke. Hot, dry air scoured his skin.

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