Varis holds up his hand, about to use magic, but I pull him back. "Don't. You're not allowed to harm anyone here, remember? Or Sly will turn you into goo."
"Let me handle this, my dears," says Sly. He walks slowly toward the monster bat, clucking in a calm voice. "Good girl, Lopsi. You remember your daddy, yes?"
Lopsi replies by spitting something from her fanged mouth—a viscous yellow substance. Sly dashes out of the way and the liquid hits a chair instead.
The chair hisses, fizzes, then melts to the ground.
Crap. "I'm guessing that's doubly dangerous on human skin?"
Sly speaks with his back turned to us. "Only if you enjoy having skin."
I flinch. "I'm pretty attached," I tell him.
"Just stay very still," Sly says. "Everything will be fine."
"And if it’s not?"
"No one lays a hand on Lopsi. Or they will lose said hand."
Fair enough. The giant venomous bat can do what she wants to us, but we have to play nice. I stay as still as I possibly can, but as Sly approaches his pet, she hisses and stretches her wings, then makes a screeching sound that nearly deafens me.
Then she lunges.
And we all run.
"Blasted princes," says Sly. "You show up and everything goes to hell."
Fen says nothing. Dean grins. Stupid man. He actually seems to be enjoying this.
I most definitely am not. The princes are fast, and Es, Pete and I barely keep up. The beast starts to close the distance between us.
"How about some of that magic, Sly?" I say between panting breaths.
"How dare you," he yells. "I’m not turning Lopsi inside out. What kind of cruel demon do you think I am? You’ll be fine, and if not, well, it was nice meeting you. I will make sure none of your flesh goes to waste." Sly veers off to the side, whether to escape without us or to lead Lopsi away, I'm not sure. If he's trying to help, his plan utterly fails. Lopsi follows us.
"Seven Hells," yells Dean, punching a wall. "Dead end."
We turn around, facing the giant beast. I look for passages, but see none.
Baron growls, preparing for a fight. Fen positions himself in front of me. I push Es and Pete to the back of our group in hopes of keeping them as safe as possible.
Dean grabs my hand. "I know a way out," he screams over the beast’s war cry.
He runs forward…
Toward the beast.
I curse, then follow.
Then I see it. Next to Lopsi, half hidden by her wing, a door.
Dean rams himself in the entryway, bashing the way open. The rest of us follow just as Lopsi turns, swinging a giant claw behind us. She misses, hitting the wall and shattering stone. We’re almost safe—
Something flies by me.
And then pain tears into my arm.
Lopsi’s venom singed my dress, burning it above my elbow. My skin is scorching and red, but I’ve had worse.
Dean and Fen slam the door closed behind us, then keep it shut with their strength as Lopsi tries to push it open.
I look around. "Where are we?"
"It's the Way Room," Fen yells, spit flying from his mouth as he strains to keep the beast away.
Mirrors of different sizes and shapes fill the room, shimmering in a splendor of colors. Scenes flash in them: a swaying tree, a raging storm. "This is how Sly travels to different worlds," Dean says.
He points to a silver mirror on the left. "We can get back to Inferna with that one."
Fen shakes his head. "We'd be walking into a death sentence."
I have to agree with him.
Until the bat spits venom at the door and it rots away. Fen jumps to me, holding up his bare hands like claws, ready to fight.
"I don't think we have a choice!" I scream.
Dean runs for the mirror. "Everyone grab a hand, we go now!"
My hand lands on Baron as Fen reaches for my arm. I make sure Es and Pete grab onto me, and we rush through the mirror.
And step out in a familiar realm. Out of instinct, I glance back at the mirror, fearing Lopsi will follow, but see nothing but my reflection. I turn away, scanning the city ahead of us. It smells of wine and expensive oils, and though it is late and the moons are high in the sky, there is music and dancing and scantily clad men and women serving food on golden trays.
Dean smiles. "Welcome to my Pleasure Palace, Princess."
Chapter 6
YOU KNOW SO LITTLE
Kayla Windhelm
"You are a dog, And you will know your place at your master's heel."
—King Lucian
It takes a moment to steady my breathing. Adrenaline pumps through me, making my limbs shake. My sword is still clutched in my hand, ready to kill or maim, but there is nothing left to fight. The bear is dead. And the tiger… the tiger is somehow Tavian Gray.
This shouldn't be possible. This kind of magic doesn't exist.
Tavian is silent. Still. His caramel skin is striking against the white of the snow, even in the dark. Blood leaks out of his wounds, staining everything red around him. This is my chance to escape, to find out what happened to Fen and Ari—but if I leave he will die.
That's not my problem. He intends to sell me to Metsi as a prisoner.
But he also saved my life. Twice.