“We need to keep moving. Please, Amelia. Byron will kill me if anything happens to you,” Sera said.

“Tell me what’s wrong first. And who are these people?” Amelia said firmly.

“We don’t have time. I’ll explain later.”

Amelia crossed her arms in defiance. She was sick of being treated like a child, and not being told what was going on. “No, explain now. You’re behaving just like Byron, not telling me the full story.”

Sera rolled her eyes. “Amelia…” Just as Sera spoke, five people dropped from the roof above and circled them. “Get behind me, Amelia.”

The five were all dressed in black, and looked extremely menacing. Amelia stepped behind Sera, and whispered, “Sera, why do these people want to hurt us?”

“Because they are jealous of what the Debreks have,” Sera said loudly.

The ringleader took a step forward to Sera, and she said to him, “You really want to do this? You know who I am.”

“I know only too well. Your heart will be a perfect present for my new Duca.”

Duca. There was one of those strange words again.

“If you know who I am, you know you cannot beat me,” Sera said firmly.

Amelia was astonished. Sera was actually going to fight these people?

The first assailant lunged at Sera. She dodged him easily and threw him across the alley, where he smashed into the wall. How could Sera possibly have strength like that? Amelia wondered.

Sera smiled at the rest of their attackers. “Who’s next?”

They all looked to each other, and then ran forward at once. Sera began to dispatch them one by one, in a way that astonished Amelia. Sera must have been some sort of martial arts expert, and so quick, their attackers couldn’t keep up with her movements.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Amelia from behind. Sera soon got him off her, but with her back turned, the others got the advantage.

As Amelia looked on, terrified, Sera was knocked from her feet. But just then, Bhal jumped from the roof above, and landed beside them with a large, ancient, scary looking sword—like ones she had seen in the British Museum, only this one had no erosion or rust, and had a flashing green emerald on the end of the hilt.

Amelia squealed in horror as Bhal swiped one assailant’s head from his shoulders, and the blood spattered everywhere.

“Sera, get Amelia out of here now. I’ll take care of this lot.”

“I’m handling it, Bhal. I don’t need you to fight my battles.”

Bhal thrust her sword though the chest of the woman Sera was fighting, and she fell to the ground.

“Byron will want Amelia home, Sera. Do as I ask for once,” Bhal urged.

Sera sighed and grabbed Amelia’s hand. “Let’s go.”

When they got to the end of the alley, one of the Debrek limos pulled up, and Byron, Alexis, and some of her guards jumped out.

Byron gave Sera a hard stare, and said coldly, “Amelia, get in the car.”