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“What matters is that we go to Persis and Lunaya now. I can’t protect Bloodwing if I can’t protect my own brother. If you saw us going through this arch, then there must be a way to use it, right? It will take us to … where?”

“I think Viktor used it to take Florence somewhere near the Bonewood,” Lysander said heavily.

My eyes widened. “We can get Florence back, too.” Then I thought of Viktor. “Viktor is there? And Marcus, and Catherine?”

“I think so.”

“Viktor wants those dragon eggs, though. Who knows where he’s gone, or who he’s sent to get them,” Kage pointed out.

I nodded, feeling a little relieved. “True.”

“Either Marcus or Catherine has to be with Lunaya at all times,” Lysander said. “Their bond is partly based on proximity to her and the dragon. She can’t leave them, and they can’t leave her.”

“Then, maybe Viktor went after the dragon eggs himself,” I said. “Maybe he won’t even be there.” I moved deeper into the storage room, my mind made up.

“Regan! Wait,” Kage called after me, already following.

I stopped, staring at the arch. I glanced back at Lysander who stood in the doorframe. “What do we do? How do we use it?”

“We’re not using it.” Kage’s voice was desperate. “The school is under attack. Our job is to keep you safe.”

I whirled to face him. “My job is to protect my brother, then Bloodwing—in that order.” My face softened. “We are a triad. But you don’t have to do this with me.”

“Of course we do. I stand by your side,” he said firmly. He might have been frustrated with Lysander, but Kage knew we had to accept our fate. “Now, tell us how to use the arch.”

“I don’t know how it works, exactly. Something to do with blood magic, I assume, since Viktor could use it,” Lysander hedged.

“Maybe it won’t work. Then, the dream would be wrong.” Kage sounded hopeful. I wasn’t going to keep reminding him about Persis. But he must have seen my face. His own fell. “Sorry.”

“It’s all right.” I turned to study the arch. I’d passed all my blood-magic classes, but that didn’t mean I was proficient like Theo. The easiest answer was staring me in the face. I pulled a knife from the sheath in my boot and sliced my hand.

“Regan, wait,” Kage said, his voice panicked. “What if it works and you go through without us?”

“Hold my hand,” I said distractedly. I was already shoving furniture aside so I could get to the arch. “Damn Rodriguez and all his fucking clutter,” I muttered. Finally I stood before it. I’d clenched my hand into a fist, then opened it. Some drops of my blood fell to the floor. “Here goes nothing,” I said and slapped my bleeding hand against one side of the stone.

Nothing happened. The stone kept glowing steadily. But nothing changed.

Disappointment washed over me. “Fuck!” I turned to look at Lysander. “Are you sure you don’t know how it works?”

He hesitated.

“It might be keyed to Viktor’s blood,” Kage suggested. “Maybe only he can use it.” His face lit up. “Or a Drakharrow? Maybe Theo could use it? We’ll have to wait until we clear out the school. Maybe tomorrow—”

“No,” I could hear the desperation in my voice. Persis was so close. My little brother could be on the other side of the arch. I looked over at Lysander. “Lunaya is the Pure Maiden. What if she needs us to help her? You know we’re supposed to do this. We’re supposed to be able to pass through. So what’s the answer?”

Lysander hesitated, then said, “Try blood from all of us.”

I frowned. “Mixed together?”

He nodded. “Our triad is powerful. More powerful than you realize.”

“I’ve never heard of blood magic that mixes the blood of three such different houses.” I shrugged. “But what the hell.”

I held out my knife to them. Lysander took it and cut his palm. He squeezed the cut over my own bleeding palm, mixing his blood with mine. We looked at Kage. For a moment, Kage looked mutinous. Then he grabbed the knife.

“You’re both fucking insane,” he muttered.

Lysander grinned at me. I grinned back. We were doing something insane, yes. But knowing it had been foretold—that it was destiny? Well, that made me feel more hopeful. It was my destiny to save Persis. I was supposed to be doing this.