Page 85 of Librarian

Leo swallows. “I have a place. It’s…small.”

I look at Lambert, desperately hoping he’ll object, and then down to Kyrith, asleep in his arms.

Time is of the essence.

Trusting Leo is my last resort, and I let that knowledge burn in the furious gaze I level at them both. “Take her. Don’t let her out of your sight. I’m going to find Jasper.”

“And the others,” Leo insists. “If Mathias gets his hands on any of us, it’s a link to her.”

He would know. My lips curl down, but Leo is already flicking to a transport spell in his grimoire, running a hand through his black curls, ignoring me.

“We’ll all be there, but if you even?—”

“Save it. I’ll keep her safe.” His lips purse. “You know Rathlin Island?”

That old place?I nod once, already at the door. “I’ll grab the others and meet you there.”

“Wait,” Lambert says, his voice getting fainter as I break into a run. “Where’s Rathlin?—”

His question cuts off, and the bond to Kyrith in my chest wanes.

Good. The farther away she is, the better.

The stone walls around me vibrate and groan in protest.

Shit.

Twenty-Five

Pierce

The fortress is swarming with enforcement. The second we step into the entrance hall and they catch sight of me, it all goes to shit.

“Necromancer!”

“I need backup over here!”

“Pierce is not a—” my grandfather begins, but I grab his sleeve and yank him aside.

A glowing magical net crackles against the stones exactly where we were just standing. Gold sparks fly everywhere as the spell woven into it activates.

“Enforcement has no grounds to be here!” Benny yells. “And no warrant!”

Another net almost takes him out, but North blasts it out of the way with a fireball.

“They’re not here to talk!” I growl, dragging my grandfather down the hall.

Benny lets out a shaky breath, clutching his chest. “That may be, but we are not here to fight them, either. Defensive spells only. Promise me. Both of you.”

“What?” North stares at him like he’s finally lost his marbles, and for once, I agree.

My teeth grind together. “They’reattackingus.”

“And you’ll confirm all of their suspicions the second you fight back.” His calm is restored as he wordlessly casts a pearlescent shield across the hall behind us, preventing them from following. “They cannot get their hands on you, and you cannot hurt them.”

Because if they see my grimoire, they’ll execute me. And if I’ve attacked an enforcement officer, they’ll never stop chasing us.

Tension strums through me as I nod. “Fine. But we need to find the traitor.”