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I glanced at my mates. Which dragon?

Aryel’s hand touched mine again. “Tell Theo … tell him I loved him.”

My eyes burned. “I will. I promise.”

“Tell him he deserved … a better mother.” Her eyes were fluttering. “And a better father.”

I didn’t understand what she meant, but I knew it didn’t matter. “I’ll tell him,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’ll tell him you loved him. I’ll tell him how you saved us.”

Her fingers relaxed. The room was still. One moment, Aryel’s eyes were on mine. The next, there was nothing in them. She was gone. For a second, I just sat there, holding her body.

Kage touched my shoulder, his hand heavy but gentle. “Let us help you.” He and Lysander lifted Aryel carefully and laid her respectfully to the side. Lysander found a coarse blanket in one of the broken crates and placed it over her. I stared at the blanket.

Lysander crouched in front of me. “Regan, are you hurt?”

I stared at him. “What?”

“You’re covered in blood,” Kage pointed out. “Did that man—?”

I shook my head. “It’s all Aryel’s.” I tried to stand. Lysander gently grasped my wrists, lifting me. Kage circled us, checking me over despite what I’d said, searching for cuts. I wiped my bloodied hands on my skirt. “We don’t have time for this.” I looked at the key ring. “Persis is here. Other children, too. We have to help them.”

The manor house seemed to answer with a shudder and groan.

“This house could come down around us,” Lysander said quietly.

Kage nodded, his expression suddenly soldierlike. “All right. We move together.”

Lysander handed me the ring of keys. The iron felt cold against my palm. I took one last look at Aryel. One moment she’d been alive. The next she’d been gone. “I’ll tell your son,” I whispered. Then I squeezed the ring of keys, and our triad walked out into the shaking house.

We turned a corner, and they were there. Coming toward us in an impossible, strange little procession. My little brother walked in front, his eyes wide and wild, and he was holding something to his chest. My heart sped up as I realized it was a fluffin. Behind him walked Lunaya. She had her arm around Florence Shen, supporting the girl. And at the rear walked a tall handsome highblood man I’d never seen before. His face was grim. Blood darkened his shirt. Behind them, the body of a highblood woman lay crumpled in the hall.

“Persis,” I heard myself say. My voice broke on his name.

His eyes found mine and grew even huger. “Regan!” He ran to me.

He was still cradling the fluffin, so I dropped to my knees, wrapping my arms around him as hard as I could without squishing the little creature he carried. I closed my eyes. He was here. He was alive. I heard a tiny chirp and opened my eyes just in time to see the fluffin wriggling in Persis’s arms.

He gave me an apologetic look. “She doesn’t like to be held too much.”

I smiled. “Is she yours?”

“She’s … no one’s,” he said. “She’s her own.” He looked up at me. “Regan, is it really you?”

I gave a choking laugh. “It’s me. I’ve been so worried about you.”

“I thought Father would come,” Persis said, his voice low. “But then … he didn’t. No one did.”

A lump formed in my throat. “He probably didn’t know where to look. I’m sure he’s worried about you, too.” My father and I would be having strong words soon, I decided. I glanced at the others. Lysander was standing near his sister, a hand pressed gently to her arm. They were speaking in low voices.

Lunaya looked very much changed. Black veins spread across her throat and up one side of her face. Her lips were pale and bloodless. She looked as if she were standing through sheer stubbornness alone. I glanced at Lysander. But his face was calm. He must have been expecting this.

“Regan,” Lunaya said, noticing me watching her. “Do you have the keys?” Her expression was as serene as her brother’s, but her voice was strained, and her breathing was shallow.

I stared at her, Persis still in my arms, the fluffin nudging at my leg. “Keys?” Her eyes dropped to my hand. Then I remembered—the keys Aryel had given me were still clutched in my fist. I held them out to her, and she nodded.

“Good. We’ll open the cells. We need to move quickly.”

As if echoing her sentiments, the house groaned and shifted. The sound of screams and shouts came from above. Kage was speaking to the highblood man. I looked over at them curiously.