I frowned at the odd note in Kiandra’s voice. Ilianna didn’t immediately reply, but her expression had clouded over. She looked… wary. Scared.

“Ilianna,” I immediately said, “you don’t have to do this. We can find another way.”

I might not know what was wrong, but I didn’t want – in any way – to put her in a position that would give the Brindle some sort of hold over her. Because I suspected that was what was involved. That her staying there, creating magic, would be a step onto a road and life that Ilianna had fled when she was a teenager. A path that Zaira had said, not so long ago, would find her daughter again.

“Are these stones really necessary?” she asked eventually. Her voice was even, but her expression was still troubled.

“The Raziq snatched me again tonight.” I hesitated, but she had the right to know exactly what we were all facing. “They threatened to not only kill everyone I care about, but make them ghosts. If these stones don’t work —”

“Heaven help us,” she finished, then nodded. “Fine. Once we unravel the energy imprisoning Mirri, I’ll help the Brindle make the aural wards.”

I couldn’t help but give a silent sigh of relief. Ilianna might well be stepping onto that path, but better that than her being dead. Or worse, a ghost. “Thanks, Ilianna.”

She nodded. “Anything else?”

I hesitated. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter now given you can’t really leave Mirri —”

“Just tell me what you need,” she cut in, voice flat. “If I can help, I will.”

“We need someone to create some sort of doorway into a warding circle.”

She frowned. “I do not think I could spare —”

“You do not need to,” Kiandra cut in. “I’ll send one of the fifth-year trainees. They will be more than capable of handling such a task.”

Being a trainee at the Brindle didn’t mean you were new to magic. It was quite the opposite, in fact. Witches came here to hone their skills and to become both a master and a teacher. I knew it took at least ten years to reach the master rank, so she was sending someone pretty damn proficient.

“Thank you, Kiandra.”

She nodded without looking at us. “Ilianna, I believe Rozelle is available. But look after her, reaper, or I will be displeased.”

Azriel bowed, the movement regal. “You have my word no harm will befall her.”

Ilianna caught my arm and guided me back out the door. “Has there been any word from Tao yet?”

“No.”

She grimaced. “I fear for him, Risa. I can’t see anything but fire in his future.”

“He’ll pull through this. He’s stronger than you think.”

“I hope you’re right.” But her expression said that I wasn’t.

And maybe she was right. Maybe there wasn’t any future for him. But that didn’t mean I could give up. I wouldn’t, not until every single option had been explored and abandoned.

We went back up to the next level and into a section that I knew from past visits held the sleeping quarters for the witches stationed here. Rozelle was tall, pretty, and looked all of twenty. Which meant she had either become magic proficient at a very early age, or she was much older than she looked. Most witches didn’t usually begin the master’s training until they were at least thirty.

Ilianna explained who we were and what we wanted, and Rozelle bounced up from her seat, gathering magical bits and pieces and carefully placing them into a carryall.

“Right,” she said, “Let’s go.”

Her warm tones held an edge of excitement that made me smile. Obviously, things had been a little slow here at the Brindle lately. I gave Ilianna a hug, then said, “Keep strong. We’ll all get through this, I promise.”

She smiled, but didn’t say anything. Because she knew, like I knew, my promise was empty. No one knew how all this was going to pan out.

Not even, I was beginning to suspect, fate.

Azriel transported us, one at a time, back to the warehouse.

“Wow,” Rozelle said, blinking rapidly and wavering a little as she reappeared. “That’s certainly a novel way to get about. Not something I’d like to do too often, though.”

“Yeah, sorry,” I said. “But we’re on a tight deadline and it’s the quickest way to travel.”

“Then let’s get on with —” she stopped, and her gaze widened a little. “That man’s not dead, is he?”

I glanced down at the shifter. “No. He’s merely in an enforced sleep.”

“Oh, good.” She cleared her throat, then added, “Let’s get to these stones. Although I’m hoping they’re not the ones creating the barrier around this building, because that is way beyond my capabilities.”

My eyebrows rose. “You can sense that?”

She nodded. “Although it has an energy that feels rather weird.”

“That’s because it was created by a dark sorcerer, and designed to keep me out,” Azriel commented. “It will not, however, prevent you from entering, nor will it harm you.”

“Oh, good,” she repeated, then paused, her eyes narrowing a little. “In case you’re interested, the source of the energy seems to be coming from under the building, which is rather odd. Shielding stones usually have to be placed at each corner for them to work efficiently.”

I glanced at Azriel. If the source is underground, maybe that’s what the smaller circle is protecting.

Possibly. What we need to discover, however, is what this building might be protecting beyond the shielding stones and the transport gate you found. There has to be something else here. He paused, then added out loud, “Be careful.”

“You keep saying that,” I said, amused. “Anyone would think you don’t trust me to look after myself.”

“Well, you do have the unfortunate habit of stepping into trouble.” His voice was dry. “And remember, I cannot help you if you find it here.”

“I have Amaya. We’ll cope.” I dropped a kiss on his lips, resisted the urge to do a whole lot more, then said to Rozelle, “Follow me.”

I led the way into the building, retracing my steps to prevent creating too many obviously new footprints in the muck coating the floor.

“Well,” Rozelle said, her gaze narrowing as she stopped several feet away from the inky wall that masked the stone circle. “That’s particularly nasty, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” I lifted my hand and showed her the red marks where the blisters had been. “I wouldn’t get too close, either.”

“I wasn’t intending to.” She handed me her carryall, then walked the length of the wall, examining it warily. She stopped close to the back wall and said, “Okay, here’s the sorcerer’s point of entry.”

“How can you tell?”

She glanced at me, her expression amused. “Because I’m a witch and that’s what I’m trained to do.” She walked back around until she was standing on the opposite side of the circle to the doorway. “We shall make our entrance here. Our sorcerer is less likely to sense it. My bag, if you would be so kind.”

I handed over the bag. “Won’t he sense the break in his magic?”

“Perhaps, if he is looking for it.” Her gaze met mine. “There is no other way to enter this circle, though.”

“Then do it.”

She drew out her athame and made a protection circle, then sat cross-legged on the ground and began the incantation to create the doorway.

After several minutes, the shadows began to retreat, until a gap that was about two feet square had formed. It revealed not only several black stones but the concrete and metal steps beyond them.

Rozelle sighed and opened her eyes. “That is the best I can do. The spell around these stones is more intricate than I first thought, so if I create anything larger, it may be visible to our sorcerer.”

I frowned. “Surely he’d notice the fact that there’s now no shadows around one section of his circle?”

“No, because it was designed to be visible to only you and me. But as I said, if he’s looking for intrusion, he will notice the threads I have woven into his magic.”

“A chance we’ll have to take. Thanks for your help, Rozelle.”

She nodded, but didn’t move. “I’ll wait here, just on the off chance you need me down there.”

I frowned. “I’m not sure that’s wise. Azriel can’t get into the building if something goes wrong, and we promised Kiandra —”

“No one and nothing is getting into my circle,” she replied, amusement in her tones. “I made sure of that. Go. I’ll be safe, I promise.”

I hesitated, but really, short of dragging her free of her circle – not something I was convinced I could do given the strength of the barrier she’d raised – I had no other option but to proceed.

I dropped to my hands and knees, took a deep breath that didn’t do a whole lot to bolster my courage, and went in.

Nothing jumped out at me.

I rose and drew Amaya. Light flared down her sides, shifting the shadows and gleaming off the metal stair rails. I walked over and peered down. All I could see was deeper shadows.

Something, Amaya said.

I frowned. Meaning what? That there’s something or someone waiting down there for us?

Magic, she said. Some kind.

Great. Not.

I briefly thought about retreating, but that really wasn’t an option. Not if I wanted to find the keys and save Mirri. Ilianna might yet be able to unravel the cord, but I wasn’t about to bet Mirri’s life on it. I gripped Amaya a little tighter and cautiously headed down. My footsteps echoed on the metal, and the sound reverberated across the thick silence. I bit my lip, my nerves crawling, as each step took me farther into the bowels of the earth and whatever it was Amaya had sensed.