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I throw my magic at the creature, pulling power from the ground just like the priestess instructed. It feels like taking a large breath, then forcing out a powerful exhale. The soft orange plume of my magic leaves me, barreling across the room. It slams into the being, knocking it off its feet and into the stone wall behind it.

Its body makes a dull cracking sound, and the creature collapses in a heap.

Empress, what is going on?

“You fucking fool,” the priestess says to me. To the creature, she calls out, “Creature, repair yourself.”

The being begins to move, but it’s no natural movement. Things are jerking and shifting beneath its robe.

My hold on the girl tightens, and I back us up.

The shifter moans, drawing my attention away from the room for a moment.

“Are you okay?” I whisper to her.

“Don’t…feel…so good…” she mumbles, leaning her head against me.

The girl is sweating and trembling and very obviously intoxicated with a drug or a spell or both.

I can barely think over the pounding in my heart. “Can you run?” I whisper. “Or shift?” I’ll take an intoxicated wolf over this room of witchesanyday.

“Ungh,” she says, her head seeming to roll on her shoulders.

I think that’s a no.

I head toward one of the lit passages branching from the room.

“Oh no, you don’t,” the priestess calls. “Leave if you want, but the wolf ismine.”

Her magic fills the air, and when I turn to her, her mask is gone. Blood still drips down her chest, and I can still smell the remnants of the dark magic tinging the air. Dark magic I participated in.

“Release the girl,” she orders. Beyond her, the creature’s body is still shifting and making unsettling scraping noises.

I back up, dragging the poor shifter along with me. Unfortunately, the lit passage is close to the priestess’s…whatever that thing is.

The priestess takes a step toward me. “Witch, you have one last warning: release the shifter.”

Something is obviously really wrong here. Something more than just shady.

Something evil.

I messed up by being here in the first place, and I messed up again by not stepping in sooner. But over my dead body is this creep of a woman touching the girl.

My expression hardens as I look at her. “No.”

The priestess draws in a long breath. Then, spreading her hands like she’s encompassing the room, she says, “Sisters, Creature,get me the wolf.”

The entire room of masked figures charges me.

My fear spikes—

Empress, what is going on?I could swear Memnon’s voice sounds alarmed, but maybe those are my own emotions talking.

I swing around with the girl and rush us toward the tunnel I was eyeing.

The girl is tripping over her feet, and I’m dragging her more than anything, and if something doesn’t change fast, those witches and that…that…monstrosity are going to catch us.

With that panicked thought, I funnel my magic into my hand.