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It was his stick he raised instead, a paltry defence when Rush drew the broadsword strapped down his back and swung it at Isak.

“I will not let you find that sword,” he growled, his eyes full of resolve and threat.

Isak staggered back, aware that movement exploded around them, people reaching for weapons or shields against the guard’s sword, voices like a drone in his ears. But the sudden blast of pain through his middle made everything blurry—sight, sound, even the sensation of the ground under his feet.

He looked down in surprise, fury the first thing to hit his system as he watched two snapped pieces of his stick drop to the floor. And then he saw the gaping hole in his stomach and felt sick.

Rush raised his sword again as Isak fell back into the desk. The wild look in his eyes told Isak he’d kill everyone here if he had to. He wouldn’t let any of them get near the sword.

He was working for the dark saints.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

“Rushkar, what the fuck?”

Isak slumped onto the table, half aware he was bleeding out all over the ancient book he’d tried so hard not to damage. Well, that had gone to shit.

“I won’t let you find Sintrylla,” Rush growled, the guard swinging his sword at all of them. Isak would have loved to do something grand and heroic to protect Anzhelika at the very least, but the pain was so severe it kept him slumped over the desk. He tried to move and grunted, pain dropping him back to the desk.

There’s magic everywhere down here,Viskae said in that commanding, nagging voice of hers.Use it. Heal yourself.

We’re surrounded by people unless you’ve forgotten,he snapped, slamming his hand over the gaping hole in his stomach. Motherfucker, it hurt. He squeezed his eyes shut when tears burned them, but Viskae’s shouted warning had them opening again.

“Don’t worry, pretty damsel,” Anzhelika remarked, holding up her dagger as if that small blade stood any hope against Rushkar’s broadsword, “I’ll protect you.”

Isak grunted a laugh. “Stop trying to make me your third. Not gonna happen.”

“I told you before,” she replied with a sharp smile, angling herself in front of him, “you’re lacking tits and a pussy for me. And Sunny would eat you whole.”

Isak snorted. Sunny was sweet and kind; the picture Anzhelika painted made no sense. But then, neither did the massive wound in his stomach.

Pull magic from the air,Viskae snapped.You don’t even need to drain the earth; it’s all around you. Do it. Now!

Isak groaned and closed his eyes. It wasn’t hard to sense the dark shiver of power in the air; he was practically choking on it. He’d never pulled from the air before, but judging by the way the dark thing inside him arched its back and leaned eagerly towards the magic, it was possible. He flexed his free hand, keeping the other pressed to his wound, and reachedintothe air, sinking the claws of his beast into the traces of magic.

Power rushed him like a surge of blood. Isak inhaled sharply.

“Come on, Rush, let’s talk about this,” the youngest guard was saying, trying to reason with Rushkar. “There’s no need to attack anyone.”

Isak tried to ignore the distraction of their fight, focusing on the flow of strength through him. The persistent throb eased from his leg, the sharpest edge of pain left the hole in his stomach, and he swore every cell in his body lit up for the briefest moment, as if endless power surged into him. He swore he heard Maia screaming someone’s name, her voice ragged and terrified.

When he slammed back into himself, curling his hand into a fist, the pain had faded entirely and his wound had healed. Only Anzhelika had noticed the miracle of his healing; he caught her eye as he stood, feeling stronger, better.

“If we get out of this, I’ll tell you exactly how I just did that,” he whispered and meant it. She deserved answers.

“You better,” she muttered, giving him a strange look. “We could use healers like you.”

“We?” he asked, getting to his feet and reaching for his stick—fuck.It was snapped in half on the floor. Well, that was justgreat.

Anzhelika leaned close and whispered, “Sunny and Imightnot be the most upstanding of citizens. We smuggle beastkind refugees into the city and give them fake identities so they can flee Vassal and V’haiv.”

Isak’s eyes blew wide, a rush of powerful emotion erupting through his chest. “You…”

“Yep.” She lifted her dagger with a grin.

“I knew I liked you two,” he laughed before the gravity of the situation returned with the sharp screech of metal colliding.

“Rush!” Harth bellowed, his sword meeting Rushkar’s, both of them steely-faced and furious. “Enough!”