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Focus,Viskae snapped.There’s something about these two. Power.

Isak knew exactly what she meant when he met the rich brown eyes of the warrior and a ripple went through him, raising all the hairs on the back of his neck. Oh yeah, she had magic and all his instincts were warning him he was in danger. He reached deeper into his own dark power and wondered if Viskae would finally grant him some of her saint shit instead of rationing it.

It’s not the right time,she said, as she always did.

Sure, being confronted by a hundred enemies wasn’t the right time.

Isak raised his voice to carry across the ten feet between him and the two women of the militia. “Who might you ladies and your fabulous army be?”

If nothing else, he knew how to charm a woman.

“None of your damn business,” the warrior snapped, squaring her shoulders. Isak had the sense she was picturing squashing his eyeballs out of his skull or maybe driving her sword through his gut. He thought of Tynenn, left cold on the floor of the crypt, and winced. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Isak Sintali, official spokesman of this ragtag group and—oh shit,” he breathed because the tall woman with the braid had launched into a sprint and there were only seven feet between them, then four, then two.

Reacting quickly had never been Isak’s strong suit. He was still reaching for the dark roil of poison in his blood when she slammed into him so hard he staggered back, only his stick keeping him upright. Like a dumbass, he didn’t even think to draw the sword, and now she’d murdered him and—

Wait. She washugginghim.

“Holy shit,” she breathed, squeezing his middle so hard his ribs protested. Maybe this was a new torture invented where they’d come from. Isak began the process of detangling himself, a nervous laugh in the back of his throat, but a massive weight slammed into his right, knocking his stick from his hand. The impact was enough to bruise his ribs and he let out anoofas the collision winded him.

“Fucking hell, kid, you’re alive.”

Alright, that was enough of that. “I’m not a kid, and I’d thank you to stop crushing my lungs.”

The brawny warrior snorted and squeezed him tighter, making him grunt, before she released him. She didn’t step back though, just stared at Isak so intently that he grew uncomfortable. And then she ruffled his hair, ignoring the baffled look he gave her. “You’re my best friend’s little brother, you’ll always be a kid.”

“I’m your—” Isak blinked, processed, and then laughed. “You’re fucking joking.”

“I’m fucking not.” The warrior grinned, no longer resting her hand on her sword’s hilt or looking inclined to peel his skin from his bones. He liked this development. Isak was a big fan of keeping his skin on his bones.

“You know Jaromir?” he asked, unsure how to detach the clinging weight on his left. Ah, shit, she was crying. Isak patted her shoulder.

You’re shit at comforting people,Viskae said.

I learned it from you,he replied sweetly.

“We’re here looking for him,” the bronze-skinned barnacle with the braided hair said, releasing Isak to scrub her face. The warrior noticed her tear-bitten cheeks and hooked her into a tight hug. Clearly this duo were big huggers. “He left Vassalaer with a small group on a rescue mission.”

Isak winced. “Yeah. It didn’t go well.”

“You’ve seen them?” the younger woman demanded, reaching for his arm and gripping tight. “When? Where are they now?”

“Uh, who exactly are you two?” Isak asked. He believed their reactions were genuine, but he didn’t know who the hell they were, and he’d survived thus far by being wary.

“Zamanya Caliax. I know your brother well, kid. He’s one of the most important people in my life.”

“I’m Evrille Plunaron,” the woman with the braid said, still holding onto him, her blue eyes the colour of dark sapphires andfull of hope. “If you found Jaro, you must have met Azrail, my brother.”

“Ah, shit,” Isak whispered, raking a hand over his face.

“What happened?” Zamanya asked warily, effectively guessing it wasn’t good.

“I don’t have time to explain, but I do know how to save them,” Isak said, rushing into a description of the golden box and how they’d tracked it to these ruins.

“Save them fromwhat?”Evrille asked, scrubbing her face dry and giving him a serious look.

“There’s no guarantee it’s still here, but this is the furthest we’ve tracked it,” Isak was saying, breathless with urgency.