And Lindsay had nothing else with which to fight.

As Noah’s fire turned, Lindsay sent his magic out in a wave that took in every one of Lourdes’s soldiers.

“Stop her,” he whispered into their minds. Lourdes may have been strong enough to resist his magic, but her soldiers had no such protection. When they turned on Lourdes, what they saw was the enemy.

Lindsay saw something else entirely. Lourdes looked shocked and sad, almost apologetic. Lindsay wasn’t moved.

He turned away from the firefight as the first shots rang out. The sight of Noah erased the rest of the scene. The flames were dying, but Noah was dying too. His breathing was harsh and ragged past his cracked lips, and most of his hands were simply...gone.

Kneeling, Lindsay used his own jacket to tamp out the last of the flames. He had to stop it. He had to help. Somehow. He couldn’t let Noah die like this.

“Lindsay! Get up!” Awareness returned with a rattle of gunfire from soldiers below. Dane was calling up to him from one level down and the soldiers there were shooting at him.

Lindsay sent out a second illusion to hide them all from the soldiers, dropping the veil of their absence over everything. Later, he could try to set up a false trail. With Lourdes and Jonas out of the way, they were safe, for now. Except Noah.

“Noah’s hurt,” he called down to Dane. “I need help getting him out of here.”

Dane was at the top of the stairs almost before Lindsay was done talking.

“Shit.” He came loping over and, very carefully, guided Lindsay away from Noah. “Go downstairs.

Ylli and Zoey are waiting. We don’t have time to waste.” His expression was as pained as if he’d been hurt himself.

“Be careful with him?” Lindsay knew his mind was simply glossing over the awareness of how badly Noah was hurt, but he didn’t try to push past it. They had to get out of here, get Noah to a healer, and then he could start dealing with the blackened flesh and worse.

“Lindsay.” Dane bent down and carefully slid one arm under Noah’s shoulders. “I’m not leaving his body here, but I won’t let him suffer, either. Go downstairs.”

Lindsay started toward the stairs, but as his foot hit the first step, Dane’s words sank in— his body, I won’t let him suffer— and he knew what Dane meant to do.

“No.” He couldn’t let Dane kill Noah, not even if it was the right thing, not without trying to save him.

“I can...I can fix this.” Lindsay turned back, ready to stop Dane. “I can keep it from hurting. I can keep him alive. Let me try.”

“He’s dying, Lindsay,” Dane said gently. “If you’re wrong, he’s going to die in a lot of pain. Either way, he’s going to die, and soon. He’s yours, though. Your call.”

Lindsay met Dane’s eyes and saw the sorrow there. “I understand.”

He turned his attention to Noah, slipping an illusion over him like a blanket. No burns, no wounds, no pain. Noah was healthy, but he had to keep still, very still.

Even when he pulled back to reality, sealing the illusion over Noah, Lindsay could feel the heat radiating from Noah’s body, a searing heat that Lindsay knew was still burning him alive. But, Noah began breathing more evenly.

“I think it’s safe to move him.”

“Is something...? Oh shit.” Ylli was at the top of the stairs. “Oh God. We have to go, can we go?”

There was a girl with him and he shielded her from the sight of Noah with his wings.

“We’re going.” Dane gathered Noah up carefully. “You know the way. Lindsay, go on.”

“Thank you.” Lindsay didn’t wait for an answer. He turned and ran down the stairs, past the soldiers—who couldn’t see him anyway—and heading toward the doors. The corridor beyond was the same one they’d started in. They’d been so close to making it out before Lourdes found them. But now the double doors at the end of the corridor seemed miles away.

Lindsay led the way, glancing back now and then to see Noah in Dane’s arms, and Ylli and Zoey following behind them.

Dane kept checking over his shoulder. The closer they got to the doors, the more perturbed he looked.

“Ylli.” Dane’s voice was flat. Dead. “Take Noah.”

“I, um...” Ylli waffled and Lindsay could hear him gulp. “Okay.” Ylli nudged Zoey toward Lindsay.

“Stay with Lindsay,” he said. “Try not to look. And keep going.” He turned and held out his arms, going gray in the face as Dane gave Noah over to him.

“The Hounds are coming,” Dane said, as he tucked Lindsay’s jacket around Noah. “You three go to the van. Lindsay, let them see me. I’ll lead them away and come home when I lose them.”

With Noah in Ylli’s arms, Dane herded them toward the doors. Zoey looked terrified, but stuck close to Lindsay as Ylli had said.

Once they were through the doors, Lindsay released the part of the illusion that had been shielding Dane from the Hounds. He hated the idea of leaving Dane behind, but Dane could take care of himself.

Lindsay had learned to run when he had to.

Lindsay turned to Dane, hesitating as long as he dared, with the soldiers coming after them. “Be safe.”

There was no time for more. He heard the howling of the Hounds behind them, but all he could do was keep running. The driveway felt twice as long now. Kristan would be at the gate waiting for them.

They would be away soon. A little farther. That was all that mattered.

Lindsay saw the gate now, and the van parked inside the circle of lights beyond it. He reached back and grabbed Zoey’s wrist to make sure she stayed close. Somehow, Ylli kept up, wings half-spread for balance, driven by his feral strength. It was easy to forget he was one of Dane’s kind.

Then the distance was gone and the van was looming in front of them, side door gaping. Lindsay slid into the back first. He didn’t think he’d ever been so happy to see Kristan.

“The healer,” he said as Ylli leaned inside to ease Noah into his arms. “Noah’s hurt. We have to go see the healer.”

Kristan turned and caught a glimpse of Noah. “Holy Mother of God. Yes. C’mon, girl, get in.” Zoey scrambled around Ylli and Kristan hauled her over the console and into the front seat. “Buckle up.”

“We’re not waiting for Dane.” Ylli slammed the sliding door closed. “Just drive.” Pulling his wings forward, he crouched down with his back to Kristan’s seat and braced himself as she put the van in drive.

Lindsay turned his attention to Noah, who was still breathing slowly and evenly in his arms. The pain Noah should have been in ate at the back of Lindsay’s mind, but he had to ignore it and keep Noah safe.

He’d promised to keep Noah safe.

When Kristan took a curve too tightly and the tires squealed, Noah’s eyes fluttered open, panic pushing him into consciousness. “I was dreaming again,” he managed to say.

Oh God. “Yes. But you’re going to be all right.” Lindsay didn’t know what else to say. He pressed his cold hands to Noah’s hot face and willed the pain further away from Noah’s consciousness.

“I can’t wake up.” Lindsay could barely make out the words. “I need to wake up now.”

“It’s all right,” Lindsay soothed. “I’ve got you.”

“I’m sorry,” Noah murmured. He tried to keep his eyes open, but he couldn’t manage to stay awake.

“Should we do anything?” Ylli had shifted to his knees and now he shuffled closer. He was whispering as though Noah were asleep. “I mean, water or anything? Kristan called Negasi, but...” He couldn’t bring himself to look at Noah directly, but he kept glancing over.

Water. Maybe. Lindsay didn’t know if that would make things better or worse. “I don’t know. Noah, do you want a drink of water?”

“It’s hot. I’m thirsty.” Noah slipped in and out of sleep as fast as Lindsay usually did. “What happened?” He focused on Lindsay’s face, briefly. “What’s wrong, Lin?”