“Thankfully, even mages can’t do that,” Noria muttered. I glanced down at her, surprised to see the bitterness in her dark eyes as she watched Elnos literally melt the door. Was she seriously projecting her hatred onto Elnos, after all he’d gone through to rescue her? She should be kissing his feet right now, especially since he was rescuing her sister. I wanted to shake some sense into her and scold her for being so unfair, but this wasn’t the time, so I bit my tongue and waited for Elnos to finish. Paint was melting off the walls as the steel door liquefied. Before the red-hot metal could spread across the floor, Elnos spoke another Word and began shaping it into a pile out in the hall. The heat in his hands turned to bitter cold as he worked, cooling the metal down so that it would maintain its shape.

“Holy shit, did winter come early?” Annia asked as she stepped out into the hall. She wore white cotton pants and a creased shirt, and her left arm was in a cast and sling. Her dark eyes were rimmed with shadows, but they warmed with relief and gratitude as they took us all in.

“Annia!” Noria flung her arms around her sister, careful not to jostle her injured arm. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“And I’m glad you’re safe,” Annia said, squeezing her as tight as she could manage with her single arm. Her eyes met mine over Noria’s mop of red curls. “Thank you for coming after me. I thought I was done for.”

“I couldn’t very well leave my best friend behind,” I said with a grin, fighting tears. I wanted to hug the breath out of Annia, but Noria was still clinging to her, and I was loath to break them apart.

“So this is the famous Annia, eh?” Rylan asked, looking her up and down. There was masculine appreciation in his eyes, and I raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Annia’s eyes narrowed on Rylan, and her upper lip curled in a sneer as she took in his guard uniform and moustache. “Though I don’t know who the hell you are.”

“It’s my cousin Rylan.” Rolling my eyes, I undid the illusion that still cloaked him. Annia’s eyes widened as Rylan’s true form was revealed. “Iannis had him flown in from Prison Isle. I guess he decided a family reunion was in order.”

“Sunaya?” Iannis’s voice sounded in my head, tense with concern. “Where are you? Did you make it inside the bunker?”

“Yes,” I said, turning to look at the other doors lining the hall as apprehension settled in my gut. “We found Annia, and the location of the captured shifter children. We need you down here if we’re going to get everybody out.”

19