Page 158 of Blood Feast

He pricked his hand with one fang, then put a slice of the dried apple on his palm and held it out to Bear. The horse ate up the treat, swallowing Mak’s blood along with it.

Cassia watched with interest. “So that’s how you care for him as your familiar?”

Mak nodded. “You know that animals can’t receive the Gift? When they drink our blood, they don’t transform like humans do.”

“Yes, Lio explained that to me. He mentioned that our blood gives them healing and longevity.”

“Right. It maintains them in the peak of health and prevents aging. Helps them recover faster from injuries, too, although there are still times when they need a healer.”

“So Bear really is immortal.”

Mak stroked the stallion’s head. “He’s stuck with me forever, as long as I keep giving him my blood every now and then.”

“If you stopped…”

“He’d start aging again and have the normal lifespan of an Orthros Warmblood, which is still quite long.”

Cassia fed Freckles another piece of apple. “Can a Hesperine have more than one familiar?”

“Certainly. Uncle Apollon gives his blood to his horse, Patriarch, although the familiar he relies on most during spellcasting is his lion.”

The mention of her Grace-father made Cassia’s heart ache.

Mak winced. “Thorns, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to remind either of us of home.”

“It’s all right. If I ever stopped remembering, I’d be far more worried about myself. Tell me about casting spells with familiars.”

Lio groaned. “Don’t ask him that. We’ll be here for hours while he talks about how the Stand uses horses in warding drills.”

Mak put on an expression of affront. “You talk my ear off about your research treatises. The least you can do is not fall into Slumber when I’m talking about horse wards.”

“That’s fair,” Cassia said.

Lio put his hand to his heart. “My Grace, the betrayal! Are you taking his side?”

She levitated to place a quick kiss on Lio’s mouth. “I’m saying I find both your research treatises and his horse wards very interesting.”

His mouth curved in a smile. “Clever words, Ambassador.”

Mak laughed, and home felt a little less far away. They might be riding into more death traps, but by Hespera’s Cup, at least they could still find ways to laugh with each other.

Lyros, however, seemed in no mood to join in. He came around to each of them, checking to make sure they had packed everything, then grilled them on the tactics they had practiced for the past few nights. She thought he might keep them there a week longer, but at last he seemed satisfied enough with their preparations.

He drew his spear. “Wards and veils up.”

“Here we go again,” said Mak.

Lio lowered his staff, once more holding it like a knight’s lance. “Ready.”

“Ckundaat,”Cassia said to Knight.

The door of the keep forced them to ride single file. Cassia held her breath as Lyros went first out of Ebah’s spell. The rest of them charged after him and leapt down the steps.

They landed in the muddy snow. There was no sound except the call of the hawk hunting in the twilight.

“The thelemantic wards haven’t been disturbed,” Lyros said.

Mak turned Bear in a circle. “They know we’re here. Why haven’t they made their move?”

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