Page 31 of Blood Feast

Are you all right?Lio asked Cassia in the sudden silence.

A heartbeat.I don’t know.

He felt it in her blood. Death. He would never forget what it was like to experience that for the first time as a Hesperine.

Hold on, my Grace. We fall apart together, remember?

I refuse to fall apart while you’re still in danger. Let me help you remember the route through the passages.

With her ever-present in his mind, he navigated the ivy-covered corridors, his spell light illuminating the way for the mortals. Along the twists and turns, her tension only grew. A burning thirst eclipsed the chill of death in her aura.

Lio’s fangs dropped.You need me.

I can hold out. You must get everyone to safety.

Lio cursed the miles between them. He forged ahead, but with the villagers and their animals, they proceeded at a crawl. Cassia’s pulse seemed to fill the passageways, her Craving needling deeper into Lio’s own veins.

When he found the way out at last, it was through a portal into the great hall of Castra Patria. The exhausted villagers stumbled onto the dais behind the Hesperines and their queen.

The ceremonial chamber of the Lords of Tenebra was now crowded with bedrolls and worried mortals. Mages moved among Solia’s subjects with food and bandages, while warriors stood around a table cluttered with maps. At Solia’s appearance out of the wall, everyone leapt into action to assist her with the latest evacuees.

Gray-haired Lord Hadrian came to Solia’s side. “Your Majesty, you went yourself, without your guards?”

“I was away from my people for fifteen years,” she told him. “I won’t spend this war out of sight inside the defenses.”

“My Queen,” her most loyal general growled, “will you not spend this war where I can make sure you survive it?”

“I do my best not to make your duties more difficult. Within reason.”

“And I do my best not to hinder you, Your Majesty. Under protest.”

“Your dissent is noted, my lord.” Her eyes crinkled with affection. “I did have Hesperines with me.”

“We’ll always return her to you without a scratch, Lord Hadrian,” Mak said, levitating a startled but grateful elder down off the dais.

“Stewards.” The mortal warrior greeted them with a long-suffering sigh, but a chord of respect hummed between him and Lio’s Trial brothers. “Take some steel with you next time, along with your”—he waved his hand in the air—“shadows and moondrizzle.”

“Also noted,” Lyros said with friendly salute, directing more of the villagers to descend.

Lio tossed their belongings down to them. “Alas, they only had a diplomat for reinforcements, but I assure you I brought my best moondrizzle tonight.”

“Ambassador,” Lord Hadrian said. “Well, this is a surprise. To the enemy as well, I take it.”

“We have him to thank for our safe return,” said Solia.

“And for Princess Cassia’s life, I understand.” Lord Hadrian’s hard gaze rested on Lio.

He knew his Grace would always be Princess Cassia in Lord Hadrian’s heart. “My lord, Orthros has bestowed on her all thepower and honor she deserves. You have my vow that she will want for nothing—for as long as we both shall live.”

Lord Hadrian clasped Lio’s arm and pulled him near. “Well done,” he murmured gruffly, before turning away to issue more orders.

Lio let out a breath. “I did not expect that.”

“There is room in his definition of honor for resorting to Hesperine moondrizzle to keep Cassia and me safe.” Solia gave Lio’s arm a squeeze before joining her men at the table.

Lio looked around the chaotic great hall. How many souls in this room would they lose before the war was through? How many would they lose tonight?

He saw no sign of Rudhira and his group of villagers.

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