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I have eleven minutes until I’m expected to show up at the front lobby and twenty-one minutes until the auction—and likely Sybil’s murder—is to begin.

My heart thunders as I slip the phone back into my gown. I peer into the shadowy garage entrance, noticing that at the base of the decline into it, another ward shimmers. The semitransparent spell stretches from floor to ceiling like a makeshift wall. The color on this one is more obvious than most high-level wards, and in this case, it’s dual toned—a burnt orange in some places and a blue green in others. Clearly, two separate supernaturals made this ward together, and their magic didn’t mesh well.

Memnon and I step up to it, and I look for any streaks of black that might indicate someone attached a curse to it, but I don’t see anything. Intuition is telling me this is just a basic ward, the kind that lets some people in and keeps others out.

Tentatively, I lift my hand and release the barest plume of power. I watch the pale orange hue of it cross the ward unimpeded.

I think if it allows my magic to pass, it will also letmepass.

I think it’s safe,I say. Or safe enough at least.

Once we go through,Memnon cautions,it truly begins.

The plan to retrieve Sybil is this: get to the lowest floor of the building, the one closest to the earth. That’s where the dark magic will have the strongest pull, so it’s the likeliest place Sybil will be if they intend to kill her. Fight the bad guys, save my friend. That’s what it really boils down to.

I touch the hilts of my new daggers through the soft silk of my dress and stare at the looming garage beyond.I’m ready.

Memnon’s rising excitement trickles through our bond.Then lead on, my queen.

With that, I step through the ward. The magic skims along my skin, but there’s no resistance.

Thump.

I turn at the dull sound of a body hitting a wall. Memnon still stands on the other side of the ward, his hand splayed across it and his power fanning out over the magical wall’s surface.

Well, fuck. One of us can enter but the other cannot. We hadn’t anticipated this.

I try to step back to him, but this time, the ward bars me from returning. Witches’ tits, the ward has trapped me inside.

Memnon studies the magical wall separating us.

I can shatter this one, but once I do, the Fortunas will be aware of it, and the fighting will likely begin.

He doesn’t sound upset about that prospect.

I run my teeth along my lower lip. I don’t think we have time for a fight, not if I want to find Sybil before midnight.

Can you give me a three-minute head start?I say.

The sorcerer hesitates.You were never meant to go in there alone,he says.We don’t know what’s waiting for us.

I sense his conflicted emotions down our bond. He believes in my strength more than anyone else, but he’s also fanatic about my safety.

I feel the sands of the hourglass counting down.

I’ll be okay for three minutes,I tell him.

Death can come in an instant,Memnon says.I’ve watched you nearly die before,est amage, after I brought you into battle.A muscle in his jaw jumps.You are powerful and more than capable, but…that memory is always there, at the back of my mind. And it’s there right now.

I place my hand against his splayed one.You trained me how to fight a long time ago. The lessons are still there. I will be okay.

The words are supposed to be reassuring, but if anything, Memnon only looks like he has more to lose now.

He clenches his jaw, then nods.Two minutes,he amends.That’s all I’m giving you before I break this ward down and come after you.

Two minutes.

I nod and swivel around, scanning the space for the elevators.