Lavinia leapt onto the bed and started checking pulses on the humans still chained to Sweyn’s bed. She was chanting in a language I didn’t know but sounded like a church hymn. Daughter of an angel. Lavinia’s eyes were blazing with Heavenly power, I’d seen enough of Tenn and Bettina at play to recognize the aura of angels.

““They’re still alive. Barely.” Lavinia moved from human to human. “Alden, please⁠—”

“I’m here, Lavinia.” A towering man with strawberry blond hair leapt over to the bed and started ripping the chains off the bars. The VIII Mark of the Strength Card was bold on his pale freckled forearm. “Get them out of here.”

Sweyn thrashed against Cyrus’s magic, hissing as it zapped her. “How dare you enter my Kingdom–”

“Careful, monster,” Elizabeth snapped. That sharp coldness in her eyes was all Tegan. “The Coven gave you this kingdom. We can take it from you any time we discover you’re not worthy.”

Cyrus cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes on the bed drenched in human blood. “Perhaps we should finish the job The Coven was too lenient to do five centuries ago.”

My heart was pounding.

“Cyrus, bring her upstairs. Let us see what the Irit girls found while we were in here.” Elizabeth stepped to the side and gestured to the broken doors. “Then we shall decide what to do with her.”

Cyrus cracked his knuckles then reached down and grabbed his own blue magic coiled around Sweyn’s body like it was a rope. It was only as he lifted her that I saw he’d bound her mouth as well. Alden, the Strength Card, stepped over and took Sweyn from Cyrus then the two of them marched out of the room.

The room was empty now, save for me and Everest . . . and Elizabeth.

She waited until Sweyn was out of sight before she turned and looked directly at me. “Hurry, Tower. Your window is closing.”

I gasped.

She bolted up the stairs.

Everest let out a ragged breath as if he’d been holding It. He held my magic bag open and shoved his hand inside. “This will not rest well. They are only here to help you⁠—”

“How do you know⁠—”

“It’s a long story. Let us not waste this gracious favor that will have repercussions.” He pulled two identical looking metal slabs out of my bag and sat them on the stone floor in front of us. “The Tower makes the last impression.”