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“Otherwise engaged,” Kato replied, stooping to slide an arm beneath her. “I’m on damsel duty today.”

Taly was drawn to her feet. Ren came around to her other side. He looked pale and worried. As she was hoisted up between them, her head lolled, and she saw the reason why.

A massive wooden shard stabbed clean through her abdomen.

“Tha’s no’ good,” Taly slurred, though she could barely feel it. Only the warmth of her blood as it soaked through her clothing.

She reached for it.

Kato caught her wrist, slinging her arm over his shoulder. They began moving forward. “We need to get her to the Swap,” he said, a silent Ana following behind with both girls. “It’s an official shelter, which means they’ll have medical supplies. And healers. Right now, she needs both.”

Taly’s feet dragged across the pavement, enough that they had to lift her higher. People were still screaming, wailing, and every step, every jostle had the shard of wood digging deeper, a little more feeling coming back.

A shriek pierced through the fog, high and ragged. It sliced through the ringing in her ears, drawing her eyes up.

That woman—the first one taken—was still so high in the air. The harpy gripped her like a toy, turning her over and inspecting her with long, bony fingers. Sniffing and licking and—

Then it dropped her. Just let go.

The woman screamed, tumbling end over end. Her hair streamed behind her, a golden banner, as the wind tore at her clothes.

And with a wet, crunchingthud, she died, impaled on a streetlamp. Blood and gore splattered across the people below.

It happened in a ripple.

One by one, the harpies began to drop their cargo.

Bodies slammed into the street, into the crowd, onto rooftops and stalls.

Then, one by one, they plunged back into the panicking crowd. When they rose, they carried more.

More women. More girls.

All of them with yellow hair and pale skin.

All of them looked like—

“Oh, Shards,” Taly whispered.

As she watched the chaos unfold, a terrible realization dawned on her—they weren’t hunting at random. The harpies were searching for something.

They were looking… forher.

Picking through the crowd like she was a scent to track—lifting women into the air, inspecting them, thendroppingthem when they failed.

Over and over, they rose into the air.

Over and over, they dropped.

Because of her.

This wasn’t just an attack. It was a punishment.

For not going with him. For stealing his keys. For defying his authority and standing against him time and time again.

The Swap was just ahead. They emerged from the narrow side street onto a wider avenue. People crowded the courtyard, streaming through the open doors while Gate Watchers stood on either side bellowing orders.Hurry! Get inside! Everybody cram together.

Wards shimmered over the whole of the building, with another temporary shield extending over the courtyard, held in place by a handful of mages stationed around the perimeter. They stretched their arms high, magic glowing brightly, casting a barrier against the harpies.