My hands shook as I pulled the lockbox key out of a pocket in my jacket, and I could barely manage to turn the darn thing.

Finally. I was finally going to get the signet ring that proved I was the Adept of House Medeis. No matter how much the other Houses backed Mason, if I had the ring, they couldn’t take House Medeis from me.

I held my breath as the lock clicked and the small door swung open. The lockbox was stuffed. There were a bunch of documents—old letters and communications between wizards whose names I didn’t recognize—a pouch of gold coins that was so heavy I almost dropped it, and, pushed in the far back, a small velvet covered jewelry box. I pulled the box to the front and anchored my hands on the rim of the lockbox as I flicked the jewelry box open.

Inside, nestled in a velvet pillow, was a silver banded ring topped with a blue sapphire. The House Medeis coat of arms was etched into the rock, the symbolic unicorn and leopard curling protectively around it. This was it, the signet ring. My dad wore it a lot when I was a kid—he was the last Medeis, before me anyway. My mom had a matching silver band, but Dad always flashed the signet ring around for official occasions.

I rested a fingertip on the ring’s gem and felt the quiet throb of magic.

Killian loomed behind me. “That’s it?”

I sucked in a deep breath. “Yeah.”

“Then take it and lock up.” He turned, his arm brushing my back. “We’ll be making a fast exit.”

I snapped the jewelry box shut and put it in a zippered pouch secured to my belt. “I’m actually kind of surprised. I thought it would be way more intense to break in.” I closed the lockbox and pulled the key out.

Something rumbled deep in the ground, rattling the blocks and rows of lockboxes and making dust bunnies fall off the ceiling support beams. I cautiously looked around, and a few of the Drake vampires pulled out weapons—both blades and handguns.

“Tutu takes precautions to keep out potential thieves,” Killian said. “But the real crux of her security is the secondary layer of magic, enchantments, and wards…which drops the moment an unauthorized withdrawal is made.”

“Is that your hint that we better run?”

“Yes.”

I sprinted across the bay, skidding to a stop at the lip that dropped off into nothingness. It took me an extra moment to lower myself to the smaller pipe, and it was around then that I realized I didn’t need my magic light anymore. A hot, orange light sliced through the darkness of Tutu’s cavernous insides. The light brought with it the scent of ash and brimstone.

“Speed it up, Wizard.” Killian was already standing on the main pipeline, a slight frown marring his face as he stared into the ever-brightening light.

I hurriedly picked my way across the smaller pipe, but the light made my head spin. Not because of any magical properties—if only! But because it lit up the vampires, me, the pipes we crawled across, and the gorge the pipes traversed, letting me see the simmering pits of tarry magic at the bottom. Scorpions—giant scorpions that even I could see from this distance—scuttled across the top of the tar, their exoskeletons veined with threads of orange magic.

The drop was deep enough that it wasn’t likely I’d survive it if I did fall, but even if I did, there was no way I’d make it through those pits and the scorpions.

I tried to hurry, but the pipes had misted over with the heat the light brought, and my foot slipped twice.

Killian tilted his head as he studied me. “Gavino.”

“Your Eminence?”

“Assist the wizard in picking up the pace.”

“Sorry, Miss.” Gavino grabbed me from behind and tossed me over his shoulder so my belly hit his unfortunately tough shoulder muscles.

I first felt to make sure my pouch was still attached to my belt, then grabbed the back of his suitcoat and held on so I didn’t flop so badly as he leaped to the big pipe, then joined the others in sprinting down it.

Killian ran just behind Gavino and watched me with glittering eyes. “What, you’re not going to complain?”

“I’m smart enough to know I can’t keep up at this pace.” I spoke through gritted teeth so I didn’t bite my tongue. Gavino ran smoothly, but when you’re thrown over someone’s shoulder, you feel every stride. “And,” I added, “his hand isn’t anywhere near my butt.”

“I thought you would appreciate being carried like a princess instead of a bag of cat food.”

“Is this really a conversation to hold now?” I squinted into the light—which had started dim like a sunrise, but was now about as bright as the late morning sun.

Killian smirked. “You were the one to bring your butt into it.”

I was going to reply, but Gavino abruptly jumped, jabbing his shoulder into my stomach, so I wheezed instead.

The vampires covered the ground a lot more quickly, so only a short time passed before we reached the viewing station, where all the guards were still knocked out cold.

The orange light was now accompanied by a faint roar—which was fast growing louder—and a general rattle that made everything sway. “Does anyone know what magic that is?” I asked as Gavino jumped into the viewing area.

“We don’t have to.” Celestina yanked on the door, slamming it shut and temporarily blocking the light. “We can tell it will bring death.”

Gavino hustled across the viewing area—jumping over one of the snoring werewolf guards.

Uneasily, I smelled the floral scent of fae magic. “Gavino, wait.”

Gavino jumped out of the viewing station onto the much wider track. “I can’t put you down. You won’t run fast enough.”

“That’s not what I was going to ask—but we have to stop for a second.” I tried to brace myself so I could sit up, but he was going too fast for me to get the necessary momentum.

“Can’t.”

The rest of the vampires clumped behind us, increasing my worry.

“Wait—you don’t get it—stop!”

Something clicked, and I felt the fae magic burst to life.

I reached behind me and grabbed Gavino by the neck, half-choking him as I yanked myself upright and simultaneously opened myself to magic, which flooded my blood. Black-colored electricity shot across the track in sizzling volts that would fry anyone—wizard or vampire.

I threw my shaking shield up just in time to block the attack. The blue light of my magic shield absorbed the attack, and the black lightning disappeared as abruptly as it had come.

My shoulders heaved, and I let go of Gavino’s neck. “All I was going to say was you better give me a piggy-back ride so I can use my magic while you run,” I snapped.

A vampire behind us coughed in the awkward silence, but Gavino knelt down for me, making it a lot easier to slip off his shoulder and hop on his back instead.

I had to dig my heels into his side so I was tall enough to peer over his shoulder so I could see what was coming. “Sorry,” I said when I thought I kicked his rib.

“If you can keep us safe, this is nothing,” Gavino said.

I let more magic float through my blood as the rattling and rumbling increased, shaking the solid track we stood on.

“Move out!” Killian snapped.

Gavino and the vampires ran so fast I could barely see. I had to operate mostly on feeling. Whenever the taste of rosewater teased my tongue or my nose itched with the scent of soot, I shrieked for them to stop and tossed out one of my shields.

I think the vampires would have gone even faster, but the second time I had to warn them to stop, Julianne almost didn’t freeze in time, and nearly pitched over the side in her effort to avoid a molten ball of magma. Fortunately, Celestina managed to grab her by the wrist and throw her back on the track.

Killian had to use his mints a few more times—which worried me, but not as much as the orange light which had burst through the viewing area and crawled down the track after us, rapidly gaining speed.

I was hot and sweaty—for once not just from my magic or adrenaline, but because the fierce light was close enough to slather us in its brutal heat. My grip on Gavino slipped, and I would have fallen off him if he hadn’t been holding on to my legs. I grabbed the back of his shirt and threw a shield above us when I felt fae magic.

It blocked a hazy, green rain that dropped from the ceiling and hissed and sizzled when it hit my shield.

“Hurry!” Celestina jumped into the loading area and started tugging on the door.

Gavino and the others hustled through, rushing across the garage-like floor without stopping. Gavino nearly skidded out when we hit the lobby area, and for a moment the room spun as he tried to regain his footing.

“Out the doors,” Killian snapped. The bright light had reached the loading area, its pulse of magic as bright as the sun as it mercilessly descended on us.

“We’ll set off the security systems I couldn’t shut down,” Josh piped in.

“It’s a little late for an alarm system,” I sourly said, squeaking when Gavino rammed the metal gate that divided the lobby at full speed.

Two other vampires sliced straight through the gate bolts with glowing swords, making the massive structure fall. Julianne grabbed a chair and flung it at the front window—it bounced off without so much as chipping the surface.

Julianne said a very naughty word from modern slang I was pretty surprised she had learned.

Behind us, the magic light reached the far end of the lobby, cutting us off from the stairway we’d taken down from the second floor.

“Stand back!” I leaned over Gavino’s shoulder and rammed the window with magic, cracking it. The second blow punched a head sized hole through, and my third try blew the window out with a bang that made my ears ring.

The light was close enough that the rumble made Gavino stagger a few steps, and the heat was almost unbearable.

“Out!” Killian snarled.

The vampires whisked outside. Celestina was last, jumping through the window with the light so close behind her it brushed the lock of her hair that was the last to pass through the window, making it bright gold before it disintegrated into ash.