There was a misery in her voice that both Sydney and I picked up on. “Do you want out?” Sydney asked urgently. “Do you want to be free of them?”

“Not yet,” said Zoe. Seeing Sydney’s skeptical look, she continued: “No, I’m serious. That’s not fear talking. I still believe in the cause . . . but I’m not always happy about some of the methods. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up. I want to keep learning and working with them . . . and then, who knows?” Her face fell a little. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Mom again, though.”

“Zoe!” thundered Jared. He’d just noticed her talking to us. “Get over here and—”

“I’m getting a report in,” exclaimed the Alchemist on communication. She was sitting beside a guardian who was sharing the monitoring duty. They were both in headphones, with laptops in front of them, and he gave a nod of agreement. “Both teams are in—but there are apparently mines on the property.”

Sydney clenched my hand, and a terrible silence descended on all of us as we waited for more. Alicia’s face came to mind, taunting that we’d never get through to Jill.

“Mines have been bypassed,” the guardian said several minutes later. We all exhaled in relief, only to tense up once more. “They’re engaging the enemy combatants now.”

Even with the headphones’ dampening, I could hear the crackle of urgent dispatches from those raiding the compound, as well as what sounded like gunshots. Sydney leaned against me again, one of her hands resting on the little wooden cross necklace I’d painted for her long ago. Minutes felt like hours, and through it all, I just kept thinking, I should be there, I should be there.

Why? sneered Aunt Tatiana. What good would you be without spirit? Your wife wouldn’t let you use it there, remember?

A grin suddenly broke over the guardian’s face as he listened to the latest message. “They’re in. The upper levels of the compound have been seized. All combatants detained.” He paused as more information came in. “No casualties on our side.” In a surprising moment of solidarity, he and the Alchemist high-fived, but I couldn’t share their joy, not yet.

“Do they have Jill?” I demanded. “Do they have the princess yet?”

The guardian shook his head. “They’re going for her now. She’s being held in the basement, but they did some heat sensing, and there’s only one person there. All evidence points to a Moroi of her size.”

I drew Sydney to me in a crushing embrace, burying my face against her hair. “It’s over. It’s finally over.” I wasn’t one for tears, but I felt them coming to my eyes at the thought I’d soon be reunited with Jill.

“I— Yes. What’s that?”