Chapter 42 Ren Monroe

Ren was shouting for Nevelyn to move out of the way.

One of Landwin's protective shields was on the verge of shattering—and she had just the right spell to finish it off. Before she could shout again, the girl slumped sideways. She rolled clear of her father and came to rest on her back. With great heaving breaths, she stared up at the ceiling.

The magic reverted. That's really Tessa Brood now. Time to finish this.

She unleashed her spell—a three-headed projectile that screamed from her wand with a high whistle. It struck Landwin Brood as he pushed up to a knee. His flickering shield spell shattered. That was the third one she'd burned through. Theo had told her that the shields were built into special trinkets he always wore on his person. She could see that the face of his watch had shattered. One of his golden rings had dulled to black. The items were destroyed when the shield finally broke. According to Theo, his father wore at least four layers of protection at all times.

One more to go.

Ren had not been outdueled so far. It was just hard to beat a person four times in a row. She'd taken several wounds herself. Her entire left side would be a pattern of bruises tomorrow, but only if she actually survived today. Landwin's last shield activated. A subtle flicker in the air. He was trying to get back to his feet. He lurched slightly, eyes searching the ground. Ren wasted no time. She hit him with one spell. And then another. Always a rotation. Bolts of fire. Pressurized blasts of air. Arrows of honed steel. Few people had an arsenal that was quite as expansive as hers. Theo had explained that the more the shields had to protect against, the faster they'd drain.

"Ren!"

At the top of the steps. Theo limped into view. Vega was on his shoulder. She watched as he began his own casting. Her next spell struck Landwin first, lighting up the shield. Theo's hit a few seconds later. There was a subtle whine in the air. Already, the last shield was starting to falter.

"The dragon's tooth!" Theo called as he struggled down the steps. "Don't let him get the tooth."

Three things happened at once: Tessa Brood finally stood. The girl wobbled on unsteady legs, looking drunk. She stumbled unintentionally into Ren's sight line. Behind her, Landwin dove for something in the shadows. And a second later Theo's next spell soared overhead, missing its mark by mere inches.

Tessa blinked at Ren. Took one look around the room. And then darted into a shadowed recess on their right. Ren hadn't even realized it was a door. The girl vanished—and was replaced a moment later by her father. Landwin had the tooth clutched in his hand. Ren raised her wand. Theo did the same. Both of them were closing in on where he stood.

"There's nowhere to go," Ren said. "Put down your vessel. Surrender to us."

Landwin smiled. "And then what? What do you think will happen? Do you really think that you get to run House Brood?" He was looking at Theo. The smile darkened into laughter. "Gods, Theo. Show some intelligence for once. If you kill me, they'll feast on our entire house. Everything you have. Every comfort you've enjoyed. The other houses will come and they'll take it all. You're not ready. You're not cunning enough to run a house. You never were."

"I'm cunning enough to know you're buying time," Theo said, lifting his wand. "Hoping someone else will join the fight and come to your aid. They aren't coming, Father. Tessa just left you. Thugar is dead. It's just us now. I'm also cunning enough to know that three of your four shields are already destroyed. You've used your best magic. This is over."

Landwin's eyes darted between them. He snorted with derision.

"Just us. Fine. I want you to remember that I gave you a chance. By this time tomorrow, I will be back in this hallway. All of the houses that serve our house will rally to my banner. And when we come back here to root out all of the rats, I'm sure you'll be gone. On the run. Maybe you'll flee to one of the freeports. But when I find you—and I promise, I will find you—what I do to you will make Nostra seem like the most pleasant of dreams."

Theo swallowed. They'd arrived at the final act of the play.

"You're bluffing, Father. There's no way to escape."

Another heartless laugh. "Gods, you know so very little. There are secrets that belong only to the head of our house. Passed down through generations. One day, those secrets might have been yours. Now you'll never know them."

He raised his dragon's tooth vessel. Ren put on a fine show, casting one more desperate bolt of magic. It crackled helplessly against the shield. Theo raised his own wand, but before he could cast anything, Landwin Brood ported from the room. The air whispered around them and went still.

It was silent. Ren and Theo exchanged glances. For a while, neither one of them said a word. And then Ren smiled in triumph. Theo smiled grimly back.

"I told you," Theo said. "I told you he'd do it."

This was one of their great secrets. Long guarded by all the great houses. Knowledge that belonged only to the head of the house. The safest way to travel had always been with a waxway candle. It was the proven, known method. But the very first travelers had apparently ported by using the fangs of dragons. The Shiverians had wisely hidden that knowledge. The great houses quietly collected every dragon's tooth in existence. The cache was well protected—and each head of house was gifted one when they ascended their unofficial throne. Theo had learned all of this one night when his father had far too much to drink. He'd shared the secret he wasn't supposed to tell anyone else.

A method for instant teleportation. It was far faster than any waxway candle, but it also came with its own limitations. Theo's father had told him that it could take the possessor to a single, fixed point. That place had to be designated well in advance. Theo had never brought the subject up after that, for fear of earning more of his father's displeasure. But he had quietly wondered where his father would choose to travel if his life was ever truly in danger.

He'd never learned the answer. But Ren had.

For a moment, it was just the two of them. Standing in the eye of the storm. Theo's smile faded first. There were signs of damage all around the room. Broken statues and shattered vases. One spell had completely obliterated the wooden railing running up the stairs. Ren knew this could not be easy, knew that he'd feel some measure of guilt for being the one who let the wolves inside his family's house. She was trying to think of the right words to comfort him, but he spoke first.

"It doesn't feel the way I thought it would."

Ren nodded. "I know. I'm so sorry, Theo…"

"No. That's not what I meant. It feels like I finally did something right."

He cast one final look around the room, then met Ren's eyes.

"We should secure the castle. I don't want any of the servants killed."

Ren could not help it. She swept across the room and hugged him. All this time she'd wondered who he might become. If he could really transform into someone other than a Brood. For the first time, she felt certain he could. She allowed herself to imagine their future together. One that did not involve plots or revenge or any of that. This future existed well beyond the shadows that the last decade had cast over their lives. Theo hugged her back before wincing with pain.

"Oh. Your ribs. Sorry," Ren whispered as she pulled away.

"Don't be. You saved me again. What are we at now? Five times?"

"Honestly, I don't bother keeping count anymore."

He offered her that lovely smirk. She would have kissed him if their faces weren't quite so covered in blood. Instead, the two of them quietly adjusted their cloaks. A quick straightening of collars and tucking in of shirts. Vega settled on his shoulder. Ren regripped her wand. Armed and ready, they started walking into the next hall, together.