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“So there is someone inside? Good to know.” Theo moved fast. His hands left his pockets and jabbed out once, twice.

The man pitched forward. Theo caught him before he hit the ground, then quickly fumbled for something on the guard’s body. A second later and he was unlocking the door with the guard’s key ring and dragging the body inside. Pendragon and I ran out of the alley. Inside the house, the door slammed behind us.

“Well,” Theo said, breathing hard, “that part was easy.”

“Nice move,” I said. “Sankara teach you that one?”

“No, it was from theater club,” he said sheepishly. “Only, then I was using stage props.”

Pendragon was already peering around. The house was dark and quiet, no guards waiting in the foyer or as far as we could see down the hall.

“Be quiet,” she hissed. She gestured. “We’ll go through the house floor by floor.”

Theo raised his hand. “Are we splitting up? Because I’ve read enough books—”

“No, we’re not fucking splitting up, Theo,” she snapped. “I’ve read enough books, too.”

We moved through the house together. The ground floor yielded nothing but dust. Same thing with the next two floors. The rooms were empty. We found a barren wardrobe, but other than that, not even a bed.

“Well, what a surprise,” Theo drawled. “Basement?”

I nodded. “Basement.”

At the back of the house, tucked behind what seemed like a pantry door, we found a wide stone staircase that stretched down into darkness. At the bottom of the stairs was a heavy iron door. Theo touched it, and runes lit up, glowing with a faintly reddish sheen.

“Well, that explains why he doesn’t need more guards,” Theo said. “Blood magic. It’s warded. No one can get past without offering blood.”

Pendragon wrinkled her nose. “Any blood? It can’t be that easy.”

“No,” he agreed. “Probably only Viktor’s.”

“Do you think Florence could be down there?” she asked quietly.

I stared at the iron door, feeling the pulse of blood magic. “I share Viktor’s blood. What happens if we try to break the wards?”

“Probably something bad.” Theo straightened up. “And I share more of it. I’m also better with blood magic than you are.” He started rolling up his sleeve.

“Theo,” I started to say. Then I thought better of it. He was right. “Fine.”

He was already drawing a blade across his palm. I watched as Theo pressed his hand to the iron door. Nothing happened. He closed his eyes, shoulders hunched. A few moments passed.

“What’s happening?” Pendragon whispered.

I didn’t take my eyes off Theo. “Blood magic is … weird,” I said quietly. “It’s not just about using blood, part of it is mental. It’s about intent and recognition.” I hesitated, trying to think of the right words. “He’s basically trying to talk to the wards.”

She frowned. “Talk?”

“Sort of ?”

She nodded.

The iron door groaned and started to swing open.

Theo’s eyes snapped open. “Go!”

We didn’t argue. Pendragon and I slipped through the widening gap, but then the door stopped. Theo was still on the other side.

“Fuck. Shit.” A pause. “I can’t move my hand from the bars.” Then a groan. “Shit, shit, shit.”