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I tightened my grip on her, ignoring every bit of discomfort and pain pushing through me, but I wasn’t going to be able to hold on much longer. She was becoming too strong, too violent. The seraphim port was in sight. We were close. So fucking close. I just had to get her onto a carriage.

Come on. You can do this. You HAVE to do this! You’re strong!

I ran faster, weaving my way in and out of the partygoers, careful to stay where it was most crowded, where we could blend in, where I could hide Meera from our escorts. I couldn’t even look to see if they were following or check on Bellamy. If I looked, I’d slow down. If I slowed down, I’d lose her.

Meera thrashed, and I tightened my grip as I entered the port. I could barely hold onto her as I raced forward, my boots slamming into the ground until my feet tangled in the folds of my dress, and I lost my footing. I was going to fall. I was going to drop Meera. My grip was failing, my wrists hurting from carrying her. I couldn’t make it, I couldn’t get there, I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t save myself, I couldn’t save her.

We were falling.

And then we weren’t. A tall soturion appeared before me, grabbing Meera, the strength of his body unmistakable as Meera’s weight was lifted from my arms. I hit the solid muscle of Rhyan instead of the ground. I grabbed his leg, pushing myself up to see Rhyan holding Meera, who was thrashing against him, scratching at his face as she shrieked in terror.

“What’s wrong?” Rhyan asked, shifting his weight and Meera in his arms. “What happened to her?”

“She’s drunk!” I said frantically. “High—I don’t know. I just need to get her home.”

Meera clawed at Rhyan’s armor, shaking and screaming. Her strength was increasing so much with the vorakh that even Rhyan stumbled holding her.

His eyes narrowed, as he caught her fist in his hand before she could punch him. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“She smoked something, I don’t know, it’s stupid! Just help me into a carriage. Now!”

Rhyan turned and ran as I bounded behind him, sprinting for the nearest open door. The seraphim’s wings spread in anticipation of us.

He stepped back as I climbed inside and held out my hands to receive Meera, but then Rhyan climbed aboard, too, still clutching her in his arms.

“Give her to me,” I snapped.

“It’s all right. I’ve got her.” He closed the door behind him, still managing to hold a thrashing Meera in his arms.

“What—no!” I screamed. “We have to go!”

“I know. Lyr, I’ll come with you. I’ll help. Where to?” he asked. “Cresthaven?”

“I’m going alone! I’ve got it.”

Outside the carriage, Markan shouted my name, asking if I was all right and demanding to board. Meera’s three escorts were calling out from behind him, demanding we open the door at once. They’d finally caught up.Shit! Shit! Shit!

I pushed past Rhyan and locked the door, telling the seraphim to go. The floor shifted beneath my feet as the bird began to stand, and I raced around the carriage, shutting the windows and closing the curtains in a blind panic.

Markan snarled from outside. “Meet you at Cresthaven. Foolish girl!”

I wanted to scream. Meera cried out in pain, blood spurting from her nose as she thrashed and kicked in Rhyan’s arms. I couldn’t do it anymore.

We four keep this secret. We four die by this secret.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my stomach sinking as I knew I was about to do the one thing I’d sworn I wouldn’t. My wrist was on fire. I wanted to scream. But it was down to this—her life, or mine.

I made my choice. My wrist was enflamed, engulfed in heat and pain.

The carriage floor shook, and we were airborne.

I needed a place to go. A place where Meera would have privacy. Not home…not…. I stared at Rhyan’s armor in terror, at the sigil of the gryphon and seraphim. The gryphon.

“GRYPHON ISLAND!” I shouted, and immediately the bird began to turn, wind slapping against the carriage windows. I looked out through the curtain to see another seraphim taking off, heading in the opposite direction—toward Cresthaven. I clutched at my chest.

“Set her on her feet,” I said, ripping off my mask from where it’d fallen around my neck. Meera’s had vanished in the struggle to get her inside. “But don’t let go of her.”

Rhyan did as I asked, keeping a firm grip on her waist. Meera slammed her head against a wall, blood spilling from her nose.