Billu’s lips quivered as he stared up at Zeran. The two of them stood across from each other for a full minute before Billu broke into sobs and hugged him. “I thought I would never see you again.”

Zeran ruffled his brother’s hair with his knuckles. “We have a lot to catch up on, but for now, we need to free the other recruits.”

“They’re here,” Billu said as he jogged over to one of the bookshelves. He pulled a lever forward, and the shelf clicked as a hidden door unlatched. “Down in the basement. Black Mamba put them there. She said they were her insurance policy in case one of us double-crossed her.”

“Go ahead. I’ll keep watch,” I said. “We need to get out of here before the other adze figure out what’s happened to Black Mamba.”

While Zeran and Billu headed down the stairs behind the bookshelf, I locked the heavy double doors to the room—not that I thought it would really stop an adze, but it seemed like the sensible thing to do.

No sooner had I locked the door than a loud, slow clap rang out. The caretaker was perched on a windowsill in a corner when he hadn’t been there only a moment ago. Scratch that: in his firefly form, he could have slipped into the room at any time during our fight with Black Mamba. “Congratulations,” he said, his voice full of delight. “I have been waiting a very long time for this day.”

“Huh?” I shifted into a defensive stance in case he decided to attack. “You wanted me to defeat Black Mamba?”

The caretaker gave one of his hoarse laughs, and a chill shot down my spine. “I’m Black Mamba now.” He straightened his collar. “The name suits me, don’t you think?”

I frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Black Mamba is a title held by the leader of our enclave,” the caretaker explained. “When the previous Black Mamba is otherwise incapacitated, another must take their place.”

“And you’re that one . . .”

The caretaker . . . um, the new Black Mamba smiled, revealing very sharp teeth. “My predecessor was going to keep you all for herself, but I plan to share with my siblings.”

Zeran, Billu, and the recruits bounded up the stairs and spilled into the room at that exact moment. There were a dozen or so darkbringers, who all shielded their eyes against the light in the room.

“Not you again!” Billu glared at the new Black Mamba. “He was the one who came up with the plan to lure you here.”

The new Black Mamba shrugged and tilted his hat like he’d received a compliment. “Guilty as charged.” He stood up and stretched, arching his back like a cat.

“Time to go,” Zeran whispered next to me, but I was already opening a gateway.