Jean Luc’s brow furrowed as he considered strategy. “There are six of us. Enemy numbers unknown. We’ve claimed the higher ground, but we’d need to form a choke point—”

I pounded my fist against the door. “We have one. They can’t break the enchantment—”

“You’re both idiots.” Lou turned imploring eyes on Coco. “Was there anything in the treasury we could use?”

“Can’t you just show them the Goddess has revoked Morgane’s blessing?” Beau waved his hands wildly. “You are their queen now, correct?”

“Again, why didn’t I think of that? I’ll tell you what, Your Highness, why don’t you command your people to stop burning witches, so all of our problems go away?” She turned back to Coco before he could answer. “There was magic fire.”

Clenching her own eyes shut, Coco rubbed her temples. “And plated glass. I also saw chains and swords and—” Her gaze snapped to Lou’s once more, and realization passed between them like a bolt of lightning.

“The window,” they said together.

Lou nodded frenetically. “We’ll need to climb.”

Coco was already dragging Beau and Célie back up the steps. “It’ll be risky—”

“No riskier than a choke point—”

The implication of their words finally settled in. My stomach churned. “No.”

“You’ll be fine.” Patting my arm in a distracted way, Lou raced toward the stairs. “I won’t let you fall.” When I made no move to follow—when the shouts behind grew louder—she lost patience, doubling back and yanking at my hand. I yielded one step. Not another. She spoke with frantic cajolement, still tugging. “Please, Reid. We have to climb, or we’re never getting out of here. They won’t just kill me. They’ll kill you too. Horribly. Slowly. You want a choke point? You don’t have a Balisarda, so you’ll feel every single moment.”

I bared my teeth in a grin. “I’ll risk it.”

Frustration flared in her eyes, and she lifted her hand once more. “If you don’t move, I’ll make you move.”

“Please”—triumphant, I swept my coat aside, revealing the Balisarda and pivoting between her and the stairs—“do.”

When her mouth fell open, astonished, I relished it. Relished her surprise, her fear, her—

The hilt of another knife smashed into my crown, and I staggered forward, into her. She tried to catch me. We both nearly broke our necks. Behind, Beau stood panting, knife still raised. “I don’t need magic to knock your ass out. I’ll drag you onto the roof if necessary. You aren’t dying like this.”

Jean Luc appeared beside him. They stood shoulder to shoulder, towering over me. As if they could intimidate. As if they could threaten—