Imerys’s nails dig into my forearms, but she’s looking at me now.
“Eris went to see what was happening. And I can’t find her. She wouldn’t disappear like this. And now the library’s on fire.” It’s not just the flames we need to worry about.
Imerys’s eyes sharpen. “You think whoever did this happened upon her?”
I’ve seen Eris with a sword in hand. If they did, then they’re regretting it right now. “Where’s the nearest water tower? Where are your magic-wielders? Surely someone can wield water?”
Imerys suddenly gasps. “Gossamer!”
And before I can grab her, she bolts into the burning tower.
“Imerys!” There’s no answer. “Imerys!”
Gone to rescue her demi-fey.
I look around desperately, but despite our yells, no one has come.
And I can’t just let her burn.
Fire is the gift of my fae heritage after all.
It has to be enough.
Yanking my cloak over my face I leap through the doorway, warding the flames away from me. They part like the sea, but there’s so much of it. Too much smoke. Too much heat.
A gust of hot air sweeps around me, and I wield it away. “Imerys!”
“Gossamer!” I hear someone scream.
There. To the right. She’s trying to battle through a wall of flames. Focusing on them, I clench my hand and they die down. Imerys shoots me a grateful look and then leaps toward the desk where the little demi-fey guard flutters helplessly.
“This way!” I yell, sweat dripping down my temples as I try to contain the fire. A chained grimoire makes a leap off its shelf, the chain yanking it back. It slaps against the bookcase, and a spurt of flame catches in the black-edged pages. With a hiss, the flames turn green, and then an amorphous shape howls free, screaming as if it was somehow trapped within the book.
Sparks of white catapult past my nose, and another book screams loudly enough to shatter glass.
Maia’s blessing. There are so many spells contained within these pages that I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire tower explodes.
“Imerys!”
She tucks the little demi-fey under her coat and sprints toward me, ducking a belch of flame. I wave it out of her way, and then she’s slamming into me, shoving me back toward the door.
“Watch out!” she yells.
A burning strut crashes down, knocking the shelves into Imerys. They jam her between them, and I fall free at the last second. It’s easier to breath down here, but I cough out smoke, my eyes stinging.
“Vi? Vi!”
A voice.
“Over here!” Tremors run through my arms as magic backlash starts to fry my nerves. This is the most I’ve ever used my magic, and I can feel it starting to drive a knife right through my brain. Too long disused.
I just have to hold the flames away long enough for our rescuers to reach us.
An enormous shape appears in the smoke and for a second my heart lifts, thinking it’s Thiago, but then the smoke clears enough to see more of him, and I recognize Finn.
“Finn!”
By the look of it, he’s come straight from bed, and my eyes nearly bug out of my head when I realize he’s dragged on a pair of leather trousers and little else. “Hardly the place to be languishing, Princess.”
“What? Burning to death in a library isn’t your favorite way to make the shift into the Bright Lands?” I push to my feet, a gush of flame wafting closer. “The princess is trapped.”
He follows my glance and curses under his breath. “Get out. I’ll bring the girl.”
“You just want to play the hero.” I shake my head. “I have to stay. Someone has to ward the flames away from you.”
The markings on Finn’s arms start to glow. “Are you certain you’re up to it?”
It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
But I grit my teeth. “The longer we wait, the less likely I can contain it.”
He gives me a clipped nod and then vanishes.
I feel like I’m trying to pry stone from a wall with my bare fingers or part a river with only my mind. Flame curls away from Finn as he wades toward Imerys, and only my desperation manages to keep them from swallowing him whole.
Sweat drips down my temples. I grind my teeth together and silently scream.
Finn squats and hauls the burning bookcase off Imerys and then throws her unconscious form over his shoulder. The little demi-fey guard scrambles up his body and clings to his shoulder as Finn starts back toward us.
“Hurry!” I yell.
I can’t hold it much longer.
He shoves past me and I back away, trying to ward off the flames as we escape. And then we’re through the door, collapsing on the cool cobbles with a gasp.
“Vi?”
I think I’m going to throw up. Every inch of me trembles, and I lost the ward just before we escaped, which leaves me coughing out the sudden lungful of smoke I just swallowed.
A dark form materializes next to me, fingers finding my own. I catch a glimpse of black tattoos, swirling more hungrily than usual, and the light of a fae lantern catches on the fierce glint of Thiago’s eyes.
Relief burns there. Along with a dozen I’m-going-to-kick-your-ass later questions.
I’m fine. I wave Thiago away with a hand. “If the pair of you don’t put some clothes on, you’re going to start a riot. Imerys?”
“Alive,” he says curtly. “Do I need to ask why you were in there?”
I roll onto my back and stare at the night sky, feeling like a house just collapsed on me. “Someone has to rescue… foolish princesses who run into burning libraries.”
“Does that count princesses who run into burning libraries to save them?”
“I’ll owe Finn a debt of gratitude.” But later. Much later.
“We’ll discuss it when we’re in private,” he growls, then turns to the library. “I’ll see if I can do something about this, now you’re all out.”
“Vi!” A cloud of perfume envelopes me and then Thalia drags me into a hug. “Maia’s blessing, what were you
