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He started to shake his head, but I cut him off with a pointed look. “Don’t test me, Bastian.”

He looked as if he was considering doing precisely that—until his gaze fell upon my scars again. His hand moved absently to his own scars, fingers lightly tracing the dark marks splitting up his arms. Different from mine—as his had been caused by his own Shadow magic, by a desperate attempt at defense—yet Lorien had been indirectly responsible for those, too.

“We don’t have much time,” I said, a pleading edge to my voice, now.

He kept silent.

Reaching us, Thalia cleared her throat, jerking her head toward the room she’d left behind; several figures were nowgathering in the doorway. Creeping closer, trying to hear our conversation—and not bothering to be subtle about it.

Looking to Thalia, my brother said, “Take her somewhere safe. We’ll talk later.”

Before I could argue, he turned on his heel and marched back toward his office.

I darted after him, but Thalia grabbed my hand and dragged me in the opposite direction. Phantom barked in warning, but Thalia’s hold remained relentless, yanking me around the corner and out of sight.

“Let go of me,” I hissed.

“Be quiet,” she shot back, gripping even tighter.

Desperation and anger brought shadows to the surface of my skin. They felt strange, muted and…dazed,almost, after my encounter with Lorien—which only made me angrier. I knew it was dangerous, but I let them rage recklessly for a moment, anyway, until the entire hallway was shrouded in cold energy that extinguished the lights in the wall sconces, wrapping us in darkness and filling the air with the scent of smoke.

Thalia was unfazed by my furious display. She shoved me against the wall, bringing her face close to mine as she snapped, “I am not your enemy, you fool.”

Phantom snarled, the sound vicious enough to shock me back to my senses. I continued fuming but held up a hand, forbidding him from coming closer to us.

With effort, I called my shadows back.

Casting a wary glance at Phantom, Thalia pulled me away from the wall and led me onward without another word.

I fell into step beside her, deciding not to make another scene. For now. But I was plotting my next move as we walked, preparing for the moment when I could slip away. But where could I go? How could I get Aleks out of whatever prison they’d thrown him into?

I was so lost in my own thoughts and plans that it took me several minutes to ask, “Where are you taking me?”

“Where do youthink?”

I was quiet for a few more minutes, curiosity overtaking me. Down, down, and farther down we went, past flickering torches casting long shadows on damp stone walls. Deeper than I had ever been before. The air turned heavier, thick with the stench of mold and iron. The steps underneath us became less polished, more uneven, more treacherous.

We were heading toward the dungeons, I realized.

“…Are you planning to lock me up alongside of him?”

Thalia laughed, the sound hollow and without any real humor, as she relaxed her grip on my arm. “Wouldn’tthatbe the easier thing,” she muttered.

“Does this mean you’re going against my brother’s orders?” I pulled the rest of the way from her grip, still eying her suspiciously. “I assumed you would always take his side.”

“Iamtaking your brother’s side—and the two of you are also on the same side, make no mistake. He tries too hard to keep the peace, sometimes, and it can make him seem…short-sighted. And stubborn.”

(That’s putting it mildly,) Phantom interjected, a growl rumbling in his chest.

Thalia gave him another wary glance before continuing: “Surely you realize, though, that he can’t agree to release Aleksander when every other leader of Noctaris is calling for his head? And it wouldn’t be wise foryouto release him, either. But I can let you see him, at least.”

My heart felt as if it might pound out of my chest as we quickly but carefully continued our descent down the weathered stone steps.

“You’ll need to be fast,” Thalia said. “Tell him what you need to tell him, and then figure out what your next move is. Our timeis short. With Grimnor no longer at the center of our palace, I’m not sure the protections Calista laid upon our sanctuary are going to hold. There are already signs of it deteriorating.”

My breaths quickened at the thought. “That sword feels…far away. My connection to it is strained.”

“I feared that would be the case.” She looked troubled as she paused in the center of diverging hallways, taking a lantern from the wall and gathering her bearings for a moment before continuing straight onward. “Our search for the swords and the thief has led us only to dead ends; I fear he isn’t in this realm anymore.”