We paused as we reached the fire. Sweat rolled down my hairline and I brushed it away. “Can you lift me over?”

“Can’t you put it out with magic?”

Something in my gut told me that was a really bad idea. This time, I wasn’t going to ignore that instinct.

I glanced around the room again, and then at the fire. “I think that’s the booby trap part. Any magic done in this space could make the vampires wake.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I have a feeling.”

He grunted, and then grasped my waist. “I’m going to have to throw you, okay? I don’t want you to get burned.”

That seemed like the best plan. “Okay.”

“On three.” He counted down, and then I was air born for a split second.

I came down on the ground hard.

“You okay?”

My ribs ached and my feet throbbed, but nothing was broken. I stood up and brushed myself off. “Fine.”

The mage on the altar looked to be asleep. The purity of his soul had saved his body, perfectly preserving it. His eyes were closed, with both arms crossed over his chest. Long white hair cascaded over his shoulders, braided in thin sections. The only thing that told me he was dead was the dried out, leathery look of his skin and the fact that he wasn’t breathing.

I reached out to him with shaking hands. I didn’t want to touch him. Disturbing him felt wrong. Only the thought of saving Raphael kept me moving forward.

What was I supposed to take?

I wondered if I could get away with taking a little hair. Hair was used in a lot of spells. It could be enough for Raphael.

But what if it wasn’t enough?

I didn’t travel all this way to come up short.

“Hurry up. All these vampires staring at me…”

“They’re frozen. They’re not staring at you, Lucas.”

“No, princess. Their eyes have been following us the whole time.”

I spun around. “Shut the fuck up.” I slapped a hand over my mouth. I’d never said that word out loud before. Fear was getting the better of me.

His lips were pressed in a thin line. “I’m not joking. Watch their eyes.”

He took two steps to the side. Then two more. I watched the vampire behind Lucas. It was slight, but its eyes tracked the motion.

A shiver rolled down my spine. “This is bad.”

“I know. Get what you need and get back over here.”