Page 74 of Blood Feast

She rushed to the sealed chamber and flattened her palms against it, the rest of them following. This time, her fire cascaded over the entire surface of the door. The stone gave a promising crack.

Then the glow faded. Solia smacked her hands against the door with a growl of frustration.

“You need either more time or more power,” Tendo said, “and time isn’t something we have.”

She kept her back to him.

He snapped his wings. “Let me help.”

Finally she looked over her shoulder, her jaw clenching. “Fine. But only for Cassia’s sake, you understand?”

“Of course.” His voice was hard.

But there was something gentle about how he approached her. She stood very still, letting him draw near to stand behind her. When he flattened his hands over hers on the door, a little start went through her body. His wings flared.

All the air in the room seemed to rush to them in one gust. Her fire flared again. Fed by his wind spell, her magic came alive in a conflagration. Lio and Lyros shrank back. Monsoon stood with nothing but her between him and the flames.

The door glowed molten orange. Then the fire reversed, slamming back into her. She staggered back into Tendo’s arms. A chill wind swept through the room, cooling the door to gray. It fell in pieces at their feet.

Cassia stared at them through the rubble and dust, her aura spitting with anger. Her gaze shot past them. When her eyes locked with Lio’s, he felt the quiver that went through her and knew, as angry as she was, it took all her Will not to throw herself over that threshold and into his arms.

Lyros levitated into the chamber first. Mak opened his mouth, his face flushed and brows drawn down in anger.

“Enough!” Lyros said. “You got us into this mess. Hush and let me get us out of it, will you?”

Lyros grasped Mak’s face, preempting whatever protest he was about to make with a hard kiss.

When Lyros let him go, Mak put his arm around his Grace and exited the chamber with him in silence.

They left Lio and Cassia facing each other over the threshold. Her fists at her sides, she flashed her fangs at him.

Lio held out his hand to her.

She stood her ground.I can’t bear for you to lose our family. Our home. At least let me protect that for you.

You are my family and my home.

He took a step toward her, gravel crunching under his shoe. She stood rooted, as if unwilling to walk forward but unable to pull back.

He reached out to touch his braid in her hair.I will not let you take the fall alone. No matter what happens in our lives, we go through it as partners. What do you think our vows mean otherwise?

She slipped her hand into his. He pulled her close, and for a moment, nothing else mattered. His Grace was back in his arms. Relief sank deep into their shared blood.

A boom sounded from the central room, jolting Lio back to reality. He had veil spells to maintain. Cassia hurried out of the chamber with him. Her eyes widened at the sight of her sister and Tendo working on the other sealed door.

“Leave the weapons in there,” Mak said. “They’re not worth it.”

That image flashed in Lio’s mind again: Thorn, cutting through the night, cutting down the Gift Collector. “We’ll need them where we’re going.”

“I’m not letting you leave without your blades.” Solia gritted her teeth.

Tendo pumped his wings, and more wind magic swept into her grasp. She hurled a jet of flame at the door. This time, their spell cleaved right through the stone, and it fell in two slabs at their feet.

I’m glad they’re our family and not our enemies,Cassia marveled.

I can imagine how they carved their way across the Empire for eight years with the Ashes.

He simply needs to go carve his way across Tenebra with her, and then they’ll both feel better.

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