“No!” I scream, but Mazus rips the air from my lungs. I clutch at my throat, trying to breathe before I pass out and leave Genevieve vulnerable and alone. He releases his hold on me, and I take in a deep gasping breath, then launch myself towards Silas and Genevieve. Mazus steps into my path, dagger pressed against my stomach.

“Now, now, General,” he coos with mock sympathy. “You’re in Velmara, and we do things differently here. You wouldn’t want to start another war over a disgraced librarian.” I stiffen, then slowly back my body away, using the movement to cover the growing plant inching toward Mazus from the corner of the room. “Good,” he soothes. “Now, return the books I loaned to you, and I will personally aerstep you back to Thayaria. We can forget this whole thing ever happened.”

“Never,” I snarl, willing the trailing plant to curl up Mazus’s legs and pin him in place. He looks down at them, then breaks into a deep laugh.

“You stupid girl,” he sneers. “You really think this can hold me?” In a flash, the plants wither, as if they’re rotting from the inside out. “I tried to be nice, offered to send you back to Thayaria safe and sound. But now,” he shrugs, as if he’s not responsible for his actions. My lungs freeze again, and a dagger flies through the air toward me.

Genevieve screams through her gag. I try to duck out of the way of the blade, but my muscles have completely frozen. The dagger scrapes my shoulder, cutting deep but not delivering a fatal wound. It’ll heal in a few hours, but I don’t care, my focus is singular. Get to Genevieve. My vision swims with black spots from the lack of air, and I fall to my knees. Genevieve’s wails reach a fevered pitch.

I try to claw my way to her but only fall forward on my face. The familiar pressure of being aerstepped tingles across my back. My eyes lock on Genevieve’s, and she nods her head, answering my question. I try to yell at her, to tell her not to do this, but I’m still mute from Mazus’s magic.

“Silas, stop her,” Mazus hisses. In his fury, he must lose focus on the magic pinning me in place. I can breathe, and the air comes rushing back into my lungs. I grab my pack, intending to cling to her so she can’t do this, so we can both get away. But before I can reach Genevieve, or even say anything to her, I’m disappearing from the room.