Finally, Alise blew out a frustrated breath. “My control is no good. I can’t get anything past them.”

“Gabriel and I will need to get past the sentry spirits in person, regardless,” Nic said with asperity, tugging her hand from Gabriel’s and nudging Salve back toward Alise. “I have a lot of magic. Take what you need. We’ll be counting on you to handle those sentries or there won’t be any fight at all.”

Alise frowned, clearly warring with herself. “But what point of that if—”

An eruption of lake water interrupted her, the horses rearing and whinnying their distress, except for Vale, who’d seen far worse than… whatever was rising from the water. Gabriel gathered his magic, preparing to defend them, but held off for a long, astonished moment, staring in disbelief at the candy-pink head, delicate spines traveling the arch of its horselike head then down its curving neck. A lavender eye with absurdly long lashes gazed at them with apparent curiosity, set in a narrow head with a tapering snout. It looked like—

“Is that a seahorse?” Han demanded, expertly wrangling his horse back under control.

“If seahorses are pink and grow big as a house,” Nic answered, bringing Salve around.

The giant pink seahorse was still rising from the water, something wet and bedraggled clinging to its neck. Gabriel marshalled his magic, reaching for the lake water, ready to drown both creatures in a deadly wave.

“Iliana!” Han shouted, flinging himself from his mount and racing to the water’s edge. Gabriel cursed, urging Vale after him, Nic and Alise following suit.

Iliana leapt from the creature’s neck and into the water, wading to Han until her lissome form disappeared in his embrace. The seahorse bobbed placidly, looking brightly interested.

“Where in the dark arts did that thing come from?” Gabriel demanded, as if anyone could answer.

“I think that’s our swamp monster,” Nic replied slowly. She pointed to the surface of the water, where an array of tentacles gently waved, treading water to keep the creature afloat.

“Her name is Nathi,” Iliana declared happily, wiping her hair, dark red with water, from her face. “She appreciates the fish you sent her,” she added to Nic, who looked as bemused as he felt. “We’re both very happy to see you well and back home where you belong.”

“And how did you get her out of the pit in the workshop?” Gabriel asked, feeling very slow but nearly unable to assimilate any of this.

“It turns out the pit is connected to the lake,” Iliana answered in a matter-of-fact tone. “The Sammael siblings and Lord Elal locked us all in the workshop—everyone is fine, by the way—and sealed the door with a new Iblis lock that only they can open, but then Nathi here showed me there was a way out. We just waited until she felt you arrive—she’s very fond of you, Lord Phel—to come out to you.”

Indeed, the seahorse batted the absurdly long lashes fringing her lavender eyes, looking quite flirtatious. “Fond… of me?” he echoed.