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The creature fell backward, dissolving into a plume of dust.

What is that fucking sword?

She’d never heard of a weapon that could turn anything it touched to dust. Was it the blade itself that held this power, or was it something Hadeon’s magic granted to the blade?

Breckett moved to the front of the group.

Wordlessly, Arabella and the enchantresses followed Breckett and Hadeon, racing down the hallways to the sound of drumming footsteps and splintering windows. As they rounded the corner of the second hallway, more gargoyles crashed through nearby windows. Glass sprayed in every direction.

Spinning, Arabella lashed out with her shadows.

The semi-translucent vines sunk into one of the eyes of the nearest gargoyle, which slumped onto the floor, dead instantly. But even as she moved, another gargoyle struck out. It was so fast, there was no time for her to react. Its taloned hand wrapped around her arm, wrenching her forward. Its hand felt both cold and warm, like the melding of the earth’s beating core and stones after a rainfall.

Gargoyles were a type of demon, spawned either by design or chance, that had their own will—and their own need for flesh. So far as she knew, gargoyles needed to eat the flesh of mortals to sustain their life, or risk turning fully into stone.

Stony wings stretched out as the creature prepared to take flight—and take Arabella with it. But then Jessamine was there, moving an instant before the creature did. As though she knew what it was going to do.

Jessamine wrapped her blade in golden weaves and swung. With both the power of her magic-imbued weapon and the weaves, she sliced the creature’s hand off at the wrist.

The gargoyle roared, and Arabella and Jessamine rolled backward in tandem, out of the reach of its other outstretched arm as it clawed for them.

“Give in, little humans,” it hissed through a mouth of pointed teeth, sounding like crackling in the canyons of the deep. Blood and some strange dust seeped from its severed wrist. “There’s no point in fighting our master. Not with what he plans to do next.”

There was movement to Arabella’s right, and Hadeon came to stand beside her, eyeing the gargoyle with a mere flick of his eyes, wearing a bored expression.

The gargoyle’s eyes widened. “Prince of the Twilight Court. Why are you in this place?”

Down the hallway, shadows moved, and Arabella thought she spotted two ogres rounding the corner.

“Coming to greet former guests of my court,” Hadeon said, eyeing his nails in utter disinterest. As though a powerful gargoyle didn’t stand before him. “Imagine my surprise when they were rudely attacked.”

Arabella frowned.

If Hadeon couldn’t be seen in open conflict against Magnus’ army or risk retaliation, why reveal himself to one of Magnus’ soldiers? Unless Hadeon never intended to let the gargoyle live. Was the prince trying to get information out of the demon before killing it?

“We’re under orders of Sorcerer Magnus,” the gargoyle rumbled. “He’s instructed us to collect the enchantress called Arabella.”

“Is that so?” Hadeon said, pulling a nonexistent piece of lint from the sleeve of his shirt. “What does he want with her?”

A slow, wicked smile crept across the gargoyle’s features, its face nearly cracking in two. “Power, of course.”

Something like fear twisted in Arabella’s gut. She knew with sudden certainty that something terrible was about to happen.

“What do you mean?” she blurted before she could think to stop herself.

Narrowed red eyes settled on her. “Why do you think we’re here, little human?”

She frowned.

Did they know of her suspected shadow fae heritage? But why would that matter? And how would Magnus have found out? She’d only just learned it, herself. And she wasn’t entirely sure she believed it.

“It’s stalling,” Jessamine shouted, yanking Arabella from her thoughts. “Move!” She wrapped a hand around Arabella’s wrist, hauling her backward as more gargoyles flew through the windows.

Arabella took one step forward and then another. Then they were running.

At the head of the group, Breckett pointed to a nearby door. “This way!” He pushed through it, and they all quickly followed, pouring into a twisting stone staircase.

Hadeon barred the oak door with some fae magic that Arabella was too distracted to fully comprehend. She followed Breckett up the winding stone stairs with Jessamine, Cora, and Brynne at her heels until they reached an unmarked door. Beyond it, there was a chorus of inhuman shrieks.