Page 67 of Blood Feast

“Where are we?” she asked.

Mak let out a humorless laugh. “The disenchantment chambers in Stewards’ Ward. When rowdy youngbloods set off stupid spells, this is where we throw them so they don’t blow themselves up. Do you know how many times I’ve been the one to toss someone in here for their magic to cool off?”

She winced. “That just adds insult to injury, doesn’t it?”

“Well, this is better than Phaedros’s prison under the midnight sun, I can tell you that. More darkness. Fewer polar bears.”

Cassia gave a weak laugh. Trust Mak to find a jest, even now.

Lio hovered in their Union.Are you all right?

She had gotten them into this mess. The least she could do was be strong for her Grace. She mustered her composure.We’re perfectly fine. Aunt Lyta is being gentle with us.

Nice try, my Grace. I know you’re devastated. Where are you?

Panic stirred inside her.Can’t you tell?

He hesitated.No. Ah. That must mean you’re in the disenchantment chambers. They’re warded against stepping and all kinds of magic.

She tried to reason with herself. At least the wards would prevent him from doing anything rash that would get him arrested next.

But her unruly heart began to race. He had been able to find her in the Maaqul Desert. Being taken from him right in their home city prodded all her instinctual fears of separation. And she had no hope of hiding it from him.

Nothing blocks Grace Union,he reminded her. His mind magic blanketed her thoughts.

Her heart began to slow, and she breathed.

Don’t be afraid,he said.Lyros and I have a plan.

Lio, no—

He ignored her protests, although he didn’t pull very far from their Grace Union. She couldn’t help being grateful for his nearness.

She turned and paced past Mak again. “Are prisoners allowed veil spells?”

“Yes.” Mak’s magic wrapped around them. “The Stand isn’t supposed to use magic to make us incriminate ourselves. That includes stripping our veils.”

“I know how hard all of this is for you,” she said in the hush of his spell.

“I accepted the possibility, when I asked Nike to teach me, but… Hespera’s Mercy. This is all wrong. No one should be locked in here but me.”

Cassia sank down onto the bench and put her arms around him. “I would have gotten myself arrested alone if there had been any way to convince Aunt Lyta I really had found all the weapons.”

“There’s too much evidence in the forge that they were crafted there.” Mak hugged her close. “You had to implicate me to take suspicion off Nike. I’m glad you did.”

“We saved her. That’s what matters.”

“But all you should be doing right now is celebrating. I never should have dragged you and Lio into this.”

“We accepted the possibility, too. Admittedly, I didn’t expect us to get caught five minutes afterward.”

“I never dreamed Nike’s wards and veils wouldn’t hide your spells!”

“I should have known. Lustra magic is opposed to blood magic. Nike probably didn’t account for anti-haimatic magic like mine.”

“But your Lustra magic is in Union with your blood magic. No wonder you didn’t suspect anything would go wrong.”

“Regardless, it was my spell that got us caught.”

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