The last of the guests trickled out of the hall, many of the men accompanying the women out or to their beds.
Santino stood up and held out his hand. “Come, I will escort you back to your room. We have a long journey ahead.”
I took his hand and followed him out of the great hall and into the gardens. I took in the night air, drenched in the heady smell of orange blossoms and wild myrtle.
Santino stopped but didn’t let go of my hand. “Aurora.”
I turned toward him. “Yes, Santino.”
“I want to apologize for not being able to offer you refuge here for a few more days. But I want you to know I will make sure you reach your grandmother’s kingdom safely.”
“It’s already too much to ask, and you have been so good to me already.” I looked down. “I don’t know how I will repay your kindness.”
Santino touched my cheek with the back of his hand, a gentle caress, running it down to my chin and under it, tilting my head up to look at him. “I’m not doing this out of kindness,” he said, mesmerizing me with his dark gaze.
I didn’t know what to say. Santino was handsome, there was no doubt, but I loved Rafe and I still wasn’t over him, and I wasn’t sure I ever would be. In any case, it was too soon.
“Santino, I . . .” I began trying to form the words, but he cut me off.
“Your hair is darkening and your eyes are changing back,” he said abruptly.
“What!” I said, touching my hair and my face. “How? The mastermage said the transformation would last until I left.” I looked at my hands—my skin had started changing back too.
“This can only mean one thing.” Santino unsheathed his sword, turning on his heel. “The mastermage is in trouble.” He grabbed my hand and started running. “We have to get to the library.”
We dashed to the massive library, through the wide arched doors, and then down the main aisle.
The sight before me stopped me in my tracks.
The mastermage lay on the floor, blood seeping from the wound in his stomach, running like a river of red onto the white marble. His attacker was nowhere to be found.
Recovering quickly, I went to him and fell on my knees. He was still alive, clinging to his last breath.
“Can you save him?” Santino came up behind me, keeping his voice low.
I nodded solemnly, but I wasn’t so sure. I had no idea how much damage had been done to his internal organs. But I had to try. I placed my hands on his chest and tried to find a drop of magic to begin the healing, but my magic would not surface. I tried again. I could feel a hint of it within me, but I needed more. I needed to remove the amulet for this sort of healing. I closed my eyes and willed my magic to surface, but the mastermage suddenly grabbed my hand.
My eyes snapped open.
“You will not do this, Aurora.” His voice was low and raspy. “My time has come—even you cannot save me now. Have you forgotten what happened when you did this with your pegasus?”
An image of Lilith flashed before my eyes, and I lowered my hands. He was right, he was too far gone. If I tried to heal him I might open another portal, and something worse than Lilith could come through.
Santino kneeled beside me and gently took the other man’s hand in his. “Who did this to you, Diego?”
The mastermage coughed and blood splattered onto his chest. He could barely speak, but he clearly wanted to say something.
“They are here.” The mastermage’s voice cracked, and I had to strain to hear his words. “You need to . . . leave . . . now.”
“Who? Who’s here?” I asked.
His eyelids fluttered. “The Drakaar.”
“What!” I gasped. “How did they find me?”
“Dela . . .” He had another coughing fit and tried again. “It was Delacourt.”
I looked at Santino, who was pacing behind me. His knuckles were white as he gripped the hilt of his sword and scanned the empty library. “That traitor.”
“But why?” I asked, still not comprehending Brandon’s betrayal. “What does he have to gain?”
“The key,” rasped the mastermage, clutching my hand. “He took the key, Aurora.”
Santino’s head snapped back to look at me. “What key?”
“No!” I shook my head as my heartbeat sped up. One more key to the Book of Abraxas was gone.
The mastermage grasped my hand. “Go to Elfi . . . find the Dawnstar . . . It is the only way. . .” He closed his eyes and breathed his last.
“We must leave,” urged Santino, grasping my shoulder as I let go of the mastermage’s limp hand. “There is nothing you can do for him now.”
A low growl sounded, and my blood ran cold. It was coming from inside the library. I could feel a dark presence moving closer, and I knew what it was before I saw it.
Terror struck me. Drakaar assassins, the dark sorcerers who killed my father, had finally come for me.
This time there was no one to save me, and there was nowhere to hide.
The Drakaar
A dark figure emerged from the shadows, and my legs nearly gave way under me. A creature out of my worst nightmare, half man, half beast, towered above Santino. I would never forget those burning red eyes and razor-sharp fangs. Its leathery wings spread out behind it, ready to pounce on its prey.
I recognized it immediately. A gorgoth! The vile henchmen of the Drakaar.
Santino slashed at it with his sword, but the gorgoth growled and blocked the blow, flinging him out of the way. I gathered my magic and aimed a fire strike at the creature. Power blasted out of my hands and sizzled as it struck. My magic only made it hesitate. It kept coming
