“She’ll die just the same!” Kaden said.

Rafe pulled me from Griz’s grip, and then the world seemed to explode. The portal doors burst open, the iron bar flying loose, and Rahtan flooded in, governors following on their heels. The first blows came from Malich, who focused all his energy on Kaden, brutal and hungry. Kaden deflected his first strikes and advanced, the fierce clang of metal on metal juddering in the air. Theron and Jorik came at Griz, their assault relentless and violent, but Griz was a giant wielding two swords, and he met them blow for blow, driving them back.

Rafe felled one guard after another, fighting shoulder to shoulder with Kaden against the onslaught.

Governor Obraun advanced toward me, and I lifted my sword to strike when he suddenly turned and dealt a death blow to Darius. The governor was fighting on our side? His own mute guard fought beside him, but now he was yelling with a voice that was loud and clear, warning Jeb of someone charging from the side. Governor Faiwell battled beside Jeb, as did two of my assigned guards. None of it made sense. Who fought against whom? The melee of screams and clattering swords was deafening. In one swing, Rafe brought down Gurtan and Stavik and moved on to more. He was frightening in his power, a force I didn’t even recognize.

The grunts of battle and the sickening crunch of bone filled the air. They had hemmed me in behind their backs. I was clearly the target of those advancing. My own sword was useless. I tried to break through to help, but Griz pushed me back.

Malich’s expression was wild as he attacked Kaden, driven by more than just duty. A scream pierced the air when Griz finally thrust his sword between Theron’s ribs, but Jorik swung, and his sword sliced Griz’s side. Griz fell to one knee grasping his ribs and Jorik raised his sword to finish the job. Before he could plunge it into Griz, I threw the knife still in my hand. It hit Jorik dead center in the throat, and he stumbled backward. He was dead before his body ever hit the ground. Griz managed to get back to his feet, still wielding one sword while he held his injured side. Blood was everywhere, and the snow was a slushy red. A bloodbath.

The onslaught slowed, and at last the numbers seemed in our favor.

“Get her out of here!” Kaden yelled. “Before more come!”

Rafe yelled to the not-so-mute guard to clear the stairs and ordered me to follow, then laid a deathblow on Chievdar Dietrik, who had charged toward him, determined not to let me go.

“This way, girl!” Governor Obraun grabbed my arm and pushed me toward the stairs. Another man ran with us. I heard Jeb call him Tavish, and the mute guard, Orrin. Rafe followed behind, guarding our backs. I looked back and saw Kaden, Griz, Faiwell, and the two guards holding off those remaining on the terrace. Gods help them when more came. Surely all of the soldiers’ barracks had been alerted by now.

We hurried down the stairs to the second level and turned into the portal, the plan gone horribly off course. As soon as we passed through the heavy door, it slammed shut, and I looked back to see Calantha bolting it.

“Calantha,” I said, stunned.

“Hurry!” she yelled.

“You can’t stay now. Come with us.”

“I’ll be all right,” she answered. “No one knows I’m here. Go.”

“But—”

“This is my home,” she said firmly.

There wasn’t time to argue with her, but I saw a resolve in her face that hadn’t been there before. We exchanged a last knowing nod, and I ran.

Rafe now led the way with me just behind him. It was a long dark corridor, and our footsteps echoed through it like thunder, but then the sound doubled and we knew we had guards charging toward us from the opposite direction.

“Down here!” I shouted, turning toward a path I had traveled with Aster. “It will take us to the catacombs.” I led them on the twisting path and then down a long flight of steps. When we reached the bottom, I heard loud shuffling. I put my finger to my lips and mouthed, Someone’s coming. Jeb pushed past me. I tried to stop him, but Rafe nodded to let him go.

He stepped out from the landing into the light, and I saw him transform back into the patty clapper. He smiled and a guard came into view, asking him if he had seen anyone run past. When Jeb pointed in one direction, the guard turned, and in a lightning-quick motion, Jeb snapped his neck.

“It’s clear,” he called to us. “He was the only one.”

We ran through the narrow catacombs and down trails that led us through the caverns. We were so deep in the earth I knew the scholars had no way of knowing that a war had been unleashed above them. The few who saw us running past were stunned into silence, confused over what was going on. They only conjured wars; they didn’t fight them. I turned at the pathway of skulls. “This will take us to the river,” I said. When we heard the roar of the falls, the one called Tavish pushed in front to lead us to the raft. About a hundred yards down, we stepped out of the tunnel into the mist from the river. The ground was slick and icy.

“This way!” Tavish called over the din, but then four soldiers emerged from another tunnel that emptied onto the river and a new battle ignited. Rafe, Jeb, Obraun, and Tavish ran forward to intercept the assault. Orrin and I took on more guards who ran toward us from the tunnel we’d just left. I stepped to the side, hidden from view, and when the first came through, I swung, catching him in the neck. Orrin took the next one, and we both downed the third. I caught him in the ribs, and when he stumbled forward, Orrin gored his back.