Her first throw went wide, missing the group entirely, but she hurried forward, and her next throw made contact, causing another soldier to peel off, clawing at his own back where an ember had struck him between the shoulder blades. Again and again Nova threw her embers, picking off men on the outside until she’d left the other witch with only two foes.

Novaya was out of embers, so she rushed to a nearby wall where the winds had pushed a drift of the smoking stones. Grabbing as much as she could hold with two hands, she stood and suddenly heard the world go quiet.

The strike of sword against sword disappeared.

No one spoke or groaned or grunted during the ensuing fight; in fact, she could hear no signs of fighting at all.

Over the hammering of her heart, she realized that she heard no signs of the storms outside either—no howling winds or rumbling thunder.

Slowly, she turned, and she saw the warrior witch with her arms raised, and a wall of soldiers that blocked out the rest of the room. Nova let the embers drop, and they scattered around her feet like scorching little skipping stones.

From among the wall of soldiers emerged a tall form—light brown skin, dark hair, eyes nearly as black as his heart.

Cassius Locke.

It appeared reinforcements had arrived.

They simply were not hers.

Kiran had always prided himself on thinking quickly on his feet, but the moment Roar—no, Aurora—landed with a soft thud from the balcony overhead, his thoughts scattered, and all the plans he had been making fled with the wind.

He was so relieved to see her whole and safe, but the weary, shamed expression she wore as she met his eyes made his skin feel too tight against his bones. Or that could be the burns, which were aching something fierce under the pressure of the weight he held. It was a person, that much was clear, but Sly had not told him more than that when she lowered the cargo to him over the balcony’s edge. Whoever it was, they appeared to be alive at least, based on the warmth he felt and the occasional subtle breath.

Sly made a quiet landing a few moments later, and Kiran managed to tear his eyes away from Aurora for a moment to look at her as she approached. His old friend wore a dark and serious expression. “We need to go. The grounds will be crawling with blues soon.”

“Where’s Jinx?” he asked, then hesitated, lowering his head to look at the covered form he held. Jinx, he was certain, was far shorter.

“Not here. We got separated.”

“Separated?” Ransom cut in, his voice gruff.