Kalden reclined on his bed, reading a copy of the local newspaper. Akari had teased him for this all day—claiming that he looked like an old man—but Kalden didn’t care. They were in a strange new world, and they still had years of events to catch up on.

  Meanwhile, Relia paced back and forth by the window. “He should’ve been here by now. He said ‘late afternoon’, right?”

  “Yep.” Akari lay on the other bed, shooting Missiles at the ceiling and pulling them back into her outstretched hand.

  Kalden lowered his newspaper. “I’m sure he’s fine. Who knows how long it takes to send a message.”

  “Two minutes,” Akari muttered. She tried to sound nonchalant, but her tone came out forced.

  “Or it’s more complicated,” Kalden said.

  Relia rubbed her arms as she continued pacing. “But why wouldn’t he call? Marco has a phone downstairs.”

  “Phones can be tapped.” Akari launched another Missile from her hand, and this one actually grazed the ceiling before it came back down.

  Relia opened her mouth again, but then something outside caught her eye. “Wait—that’s Arturo’s truck!” She yanked open the sliding glass door and stepped onto the balcony. Kalden and Akari each leapt off their beds to join her.

  The old red truck pulled into the town square on the other side of the fountain. The driver-side door opened a second later, and Arturo stepped out. Kalden and the others waited for several long heartbeats, but there was no sign of Elend.

  Relia led the charge down the staircase and they met Arturo in the first-floor corridor. He looked relieved when he saw them, but Relia spoke first. “Where is he?”

  Arturo shook his head, unable to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry . . . they took him.”

  “What? Who?”

  “The Dragonlord’s brother and sister.”

  A cold sweat broke over Kalden’s skin. Going to San Talek had been a risk, but no one had expected the dragons to move this quickly. Elend had barely been in Creta for twenty-four hours. How the hell did they find out about him?

  “Was there a fight?” Relia asked.

  Kalden already knew the answer to that question. He'd read about Dario and Valeria in the paper that night. People called them the Dragonlord’s Wings, and they enforced his will all throughout the nation. They were also Masters, and Elend wouldn’t stand a chance with those cuffs.

  “The car pulled up next to us,” Arturo said. “Elend got in, then they drove off. That’s all I saw.”

  “But you got away?” Kalden asked. He tried to keep his voice calm rather than suspicious.

  “He told me to keep walking, so I did. The street was crowded. I don’t think they saw me.”

  Kalden furrowed his brow. Basic surveillance should have confirmed that Arturo and Elend arrived in San Talek together.

  “We need to leave,” Arturo said. “They might know you’re here.”

  “Leave where?” Akari asked.

  “I can get us to a safe house,” he said. “But we need to go right now.”

  Relia nodded along, but Akari looked as skeptical as Kalden felt.

  “Give us five minutes to pack,” he told Arturo. “We’ll meet you down here when we’re ready.”

  ~~~

  “Packing won’t take ten minutes,” Relia said once they were alone in their hotel room. She grabbed the blade she’d stolen from the Artisan last night, fastening the holster around her waist. “I’m ready now.”

  Akari closed the sliding glass door and curtains without comment.

  “I know.” Kalden shouldered his own pack. “We need to talk first.”

  “Talk about what?” she scrunched up her face in genuine confusion. “The dragons have Elend. They know who he is, and—”

  “They’ll want hostages,” he finished for her.

  “Exactly! We should have left hours ago.”

  “Think about it,” Kalden said. “If they know we’re here, then why haven’t they sent someone for us?”

  “I don’t know!” She threw up her hands. “We killed the last Artisan.”

  “Or they’re trying to catch us with honey,” Akari said.

  Kalden nodded in agreement.. “Arturo led your master to some secret hideout. Elend got captured, and Arturo conveniently escaped. Now he wants to lead us to another hideout?”

  “Seriously?” Relia said. “You think Arturo betrayed him?”

  “I think it’s worth discussing.”

  “Arturo’s an Unmarked,” she said. “And he’s from Espiria. He just graduated from Koreldon University.”

  Kalden gestured to the newspaper on his bed. “Plenty of Espirians are sympathetic to the dragons.” Technically, he might have read a bunch of propaganda today, but Elend had implied this conflict went beyond Creta’s borders.

  “He fought with us yesterday,” Relia said. “And Elend trusted him.”

  “Elend specifically told you to keep your distance.”

  “He’s good with people,” she pressed on. “It’s part of his aspect. He can read emotions like words on a page.”

  Kalden rubbed at his temple. “Look, no offense to Elend, but he’s been captured twice. Let’s not pretend he’s perfect.” In hindsight, it wasn’t fair to compare this situation to the Martials. Elend had known the Martials were hostile from the start; he’d just assumed that Golds and Silvers couldn’t capture a Grandmaster. Still, Kalden didn’t concede his point. Elend was a human who made mistakes.

  “The spy could be anyone,” Relia said. “Dozens of people saw the fight yesterday.”

  Akari rolled her eyes. “You guys are going in circles now.”

  “I want to help Elend,” Relia said. “Maybe the Unmarked can—”

  “Not this again,” Kalden interrupted. Fighting the Martials had been one thing—they were only Golds. But Relia couldn’t stand against anyone in the Dragonlord’s inner circle. Both his Wings were Masters, and most of his Fangs were Artisans.

  Relia narrowed her eyes. “Let me guess, you’d rather save yourself and leave him behind?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying. And I think Elend would agree if he were here.”

  “Wow.” She drew out the word and crossed her arms. “You really think you know everything, don’t you?”

  “Elend told you not to rescue him back on Arkala. He said your plan was too reckless.”

  Her expression darkened further. “You’d still be trapped there without my plan.”

  “My point stands. Most of our team didn’t make it out.”

  Relia winced as if he’d slapped her, and Kalden immediately regretted his words. She already blamed herself for their deaths, and this wasn’t helping things.

  “Fine,” she said. “I’m leaving with Arturo. You guys can do whatever you want.” Relia turned toward the door, then her legs buckled beneath her. She fell toward Kalden, slamming face-first into his chest.

  “Woah.” He caught her, but her body felt like dead weight in his arms. He adjusted his grip on her waist and lowered her on the nearest bed. “You okay?”

  Relia lay there for several heartbeats, and her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. Then she cycled her life mana and forced herself back to her feet. Her channels glowed with bursts of green and gold, and she tested her weight on both legs. She moved her arms next, clenching each hand into a shaking fist.

  Akari stepped closer. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just tripped.” Relia reached inside her leather pouch and clutched something in her fist. “But I’m okay.” Her face told a different story. What did she have in that bag? Relia didn’t seem like the type to abuse drugs or enhancement pills, and Elend didn’t seem like he’d allow it.

  Regardless, now wasn’t the time to pry. They had bigger problems.

  “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “What happened on the island wasn’t your fault.” Kalden normally kept his cool during debates, but another part of him became obsessed with winning. Even with his friends, when victory wasn’t the main goal.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “You’re both acting stupid,” Akari said. “We’re friends. Friends stick together—even when they’re pissed off.” She fixed them each with a glare as if daring them to disagree.

  “Right,” he said. “I assumed that went without saying.” Whether they went with Arturo or not, he couldn’t imagine them splitting up. Not after everything they’d been through.

  “Yeah.” Relia scrubbed a hand across her eyes. “I’m sorry, too.”

  “And there’s no way Arturo set a trap,” Akari replied. “Elend’s annoying, but he’s not dumb.”

  Kalden gave a slow nod. Relia was also a good judge of character, now that he thought about it. Despite having no connections on Arkala, she’d put together a solid team for the prison break. The Martials had outmaneuvered her, but no one had actually betrayed her.

  He’d spent years studying strategy and battle tactics, hoping they’d result in solutions to impossible problems. But you couldn’t think your way out of everything. Sometimes, you had to put your trust in other people.

  Of course, Kalden still had no intention of trying to rescue Elend from the Dragonlord. That would be a suicide mission, and they’d be far better off contacting Elend’s wife.

  One step at a time, though.

  “Alright,” he said. “Lets—”

  Someone burst through the door before Kalden could finish his sentence. Relia reacted first, putting herself between them and the intruder. Glowing blue Missiles sprang to life in her outstretched palms.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Arturo panted. “But we’ve got trouble.”

  Relia lowered her hands. “Grevandi?”

  “Worse,” he said. “Three Fangs just showed up outside.”

  Damnit. He’d been so focused on Arturo these past few minutes, he’d ignored an even worse possibility.

  The dragons had followed him here.

  ~~~

  Relia bit her tongue and resisted the urge to say I told you so. Kalden thought he was so smart—always thinking things through before he acted. But he forgot that indecision was always the worst decision.

  What were they supposed to do now? Fangs served as elite fighters in the Dragonlord’s army. More importantly, they were Artisans. She’d tried fighting an Artisan yesterday, and it hadn’t gone well.

  “You mentioned a getaway car?” Kalden asked Arturo.

  “Yeah.” Arturo stepped over to the window, peeking out the curtain. “But they’re blocking our path.”

  Relia joined him by the window. Sure enough, two black SUVs had parked around the fountain in the town square. Her knees shook, and she clutched the box inside her pouch. She’d taken her last pill four nights ago before they’d attacked the prison; her mana shouldn’t be seizing up so soon. What if it happened again mid-battle? That could be deadly.

  But the dragons had Elend. If she took her last pill now, then she might be stuck in Creta for weeks without a replacement. Then she’d definitely die.

  “There’s a back door.” Arturo crossed the room in three quick strides and stuck his head into the corridor.

  “They’ll be watching both exits,” Kalden said.

  He was right. The Grevandi were a gang of thugs who charged in with mana blazing, but the Fangs had real military training.

  “So what do we do?” Relia asked. “Sneak out a window?”

  Kalden shook his head. “We’ll take the catacombs.” He joined Arturo in the hall and took a left turn, away from the staircase. They followed him to a utility closet at the end of the hall, barely big enough to hold the four of them. Kalden shut the door once they’d all crammed inside, then he activated his portable sound Construct.

  “We need a hole,” Kalden pointed to the center of the floor. “Right here.”

  “Got it.” Relia drew her stolen Grevandi blade from its sheath. Those chores had been a hassle, but they also helped them learn the layout of this building. And Kalden was right: this closet sat directly above the laundry room. “Everybody stand back.”

  They moved back as far as the cramped space would allow, and Relia cycled pure mana into her weapon’s hilt. The blade sported several Artisan-level sigils, and they drained her own soul by several hundred points.

  The blade glowed with metal mana, and it practically shook in her hands, demanding to be used. Relia adjusted her grip, and the weapon sliced through the wood like warm butter. Two more sweeps, then the floor dropped out beneath her boots.

  She landed in the laundry room ten feet below. Floorboards struck concrete and shattered from the impact, and she Cloaked her body to keep her balance. The room was dark, but the hole let in plenty of light from the closet above.

  “Sorry, Marco. Hope you have good insurance.” If not . . . well, the Darklights could pay him back later.

  Akari and Kalden climbed through the hole next, and they moved a few shelves in front of the door. That wouldn’t keep out an angry Artisan, but it might slow him down for a few more seconds.

  Relia turned to the steel door in the corner, raised her blade, and sliced through the locks one by one. Then she grabbed the handle and yanked it open, feeling a burst of dry air brush past her cheeks.

  She’d expected to see a dusty stone staircase covered in cobwebs. Instead, she found a straight drop into a dark abyss. How had people gotten down there before? Probably a rope ladder or something.

  Footsteps echoed from somewhere else in the building, and Relia sent a pure Missile into the hole—chasing away the darkness with pale blue light. The drop was less than twenty feet—no problem for an Apprentice.

  “I’ll go first,” she said as she leapt off the edge.

  Relia’s boots hit the stone floor an instant later. A few lizards scurried at the sight of her, but they looked no bigger than rats. “Hold on.” She gathered more mana in her palms, forming a wide platform below the opening shaft. “Okay,” she hollered to the others. “Jump on!”

  Akari and Kalden leapt through the opening together. The Construct sagged beneath their weight, but Relia Cloaked her muscles and dug her boots into the ground. The platform hit the floor like a collapsing elevator, shattering into blue mist at the last moment.

  Arturo jumped down after them, breaking his own fall with a quick burst from his jetpack. He pulled out a flashlight a second later, and this revealed arching stone ceilings with tombs on either side. The tunnel itself was over twelve feet wide with intricate carvings on the stone pillars.

  “Guess we’re leaving through the chapel?” Arturo asked.

  Kalden nodded. “Unless there’s another exit?”

  The other boy shook his head and took point down the tunnel, then he raised his red scarf above his nose. “You guys should cover your faces. They might not know what you look like.”

  Akari unzipped her backpack and pulled out the shadow artist’s mask she’d stolen from the prison. Meanwhile, Kalden threw an extra T-shirt over his own head, tying it into a mask and leaving a narrow slit for his eyes.

  Relia didn’t have any extra clothes, so Kalden passed her another T-shirt, and she copied his mask style. They all looked like a group of bandits by the time they’d finished.

  Their path led them up a crumbling stone staircase into the chapel itself. Moonlight poured in through the stained glass windows, casting blue and orange patterns on the floor.

  “We’ve got a straight shot to my truck,” Arturo said, “but we can’t outrun those SUVs.”

  “Why not slash their tires?” Akari gestured to the blade on her belt.

  He considered that as he glanced back out the window. “There’s a Claw standing guard.”

  “A Claw?”

  “Lower-ranking soldier,” he explained. “Probably an Apprentice. And they’ll have Artisan-level wards on their tires.”

  “I’ll handle the guard.” Relia recharged her blade and passed it to Akari. “You and Kalden slash the tires. Arturo can get the truck running.”

  They left through the chapel’s side door, keeping their heads down as they crept into the courtyard. Darkness shrouded the town, and the only lights came from the Cantina across the street.

  She held up a hand, gesturing for Kalden and Akari to take cover behind the nearest vehicle. The Claw paced back and forth on the other side. Relia waited for several heartbeats, listening to the rhythm of his footsteps against the cobblestones.

  Finally, she sprang forward, putting a hand over his mouth. It was far wider than a human’s mouth, and the dragon Cloaked his muscles as he struggled to break free.

  Relia sent a life Missile down his throat, making it contract. This wouldn’t kill him, but it would definitely keep him quiet.

  She sent a second Missile into his spine, and his muscles went limp. Guilt twisted her stomach at this—she knew exactly how terrifying it was to lose control of your own body. Still, this was better than killing him.

  Relia lowered her victim to the ground, keeping a hand pressed to his face until he stopped struggling. And this was why she’d had Akari and Kalden slash the tires; she couldn’t show Arturo this technique. Cadrians were a superstitious bunch, especially with their history of Aeon cultists.

  Meanwhile, Akari and Kalden had never judged her. They were the closest thing she’d ever had to friends, and she’d almost walked out on them tonight.

  Of all the stupid choices she’d made this year, that might actually be the worst.

  “Hey,” a reptilian voice said.

  Relia froze, glancing toward the Cantina. The Artisans still guarded the front door, oblivious as ever.

  She turned to see a second Apprentice approaching them. Darn it. How had they missed him before?

  Akari saw him, too, and she ducked around the front of the vehicle.

  Too late. The dragon must have seen a flicker of movement because he stepped closer.

  Relia shot another glance at the Cantina’s front door. It was only a matter of time until this guy alerted his friends.

  She took a deep breath, then charged the Apprentice. His yellow eyes widened as she approached, and fire gathered in his palm. Relia closed the distance in half a heartbeat and pressed a hand to his windpipe.

  This time, she couldn’t afford to be gentle. Her mana found the top of his spinal cord, and she twisted until it snapped. Relia tried to hold him up after that, but his body collapsed like a tree, slamming into the cobblestones.

  She glanced back at the Cantina’s front door, praying to all the Angels that the others hadn’t heard.

  No such luck. The Artisans spun around, gathering fire mana in their hands.

  “Run!” Relia shouted to Akari.

  Flaming orange Missiles flew across the courtyard, faster than she could blink. One struck the nearest SUV, flipping it on its side. Relia threw up a shield of pure mana, saving herself from a face full of glass and shrapnel. But where was Akari?

  The Artisan leapt down from the Cantina’s porch, firing more Missiles as he fell. One hit Relia’s shield from above, and her mana broke under the impact. The next one grazed her left thigh, and she lost her balance.

  More Missiles closed in around her—impossibly fast and bright. Her vision blurred, and she reacted on pure instinct, knocking the techniques away with her own mana. One Missile landed a few inches from her head, leaving a deep crater in the cobblestones. Another hit the chapel behind her, shattering a stained glass window.

  Relia crawled away, cycling life mana to her wounded leg. Arturo fired his pistols to her left, but the Artisan simply raised a hand, blasting the bullets in midair. Another fireball flew toward Arturo’s face, and he fell back against the cobbles.

  Finally, the dragon loomed above Relia, gathering orange mana in his opposite hand. She launched several pure Missiles in a desperate fury, but they broke harmlessly against her opponent’s skin. She braced herself for his next attack, cycling life mana to every cell in her body.

  Then a silver blade sprouted from the dragon’s windpipe, coated in crimson. He opened his mouth in a silent scream, and his attacker pulled the blade back through the wound. His body collapsed to reveal Akari standing behind him.

  Angels above. Did she just kill an Artisan?

  The other Fang roared from the Cantina’s front porch and charged into the courtyard.

  “Time to go!” Relia grabbed Akari’s wrist and raced toward the truck. Arturo lay back in the cargo bed, which meant Kalden must be driving.

  Fire filled the courtyard as their enemy attacked. Relia gathered her mana as she ran, cycling it to her hands for one last technique. She and Akari joined Arturo in the back, and she formed the strongest shield she could manage. Arturo joined her with a Construct of his own.

  Missiles slammed against their joint effort. She felt the heat against her face, and she screwed her eyes shut against the blinding light. All the while, she cycled more mana into the shield, filling it with every drop of power she had. Her body shook, straining until she couldn’t feel her own limbs.

  “Step on it!” Arturo shouted.

  Kalden hit the gas pedal, and she fell backward as they took off down the street.

  When Relia opened her eyes again, she saw a canopy of shifting palm trees against the night sky. Her body sagged with relief, and everything faded to blackness.