"This way," Kinai said, grabbing his sister's wrist and running from the room. Maevus was hot on their heels, struggling to feed enough magic to Veena to allow the dragon entry to her world.

She was scraping at the bottom of her reserves after the days spent keeping Koret tethered to their world, followed by the magic she had used with Lox and Medella. One night of solid sleep and a single decent meal hadn't been enough to totally replenish her well. She didn't know if she had enough magic left to keep Veena in this world at any size, much less the size they would need to be carried safely away.

Lox was scrabbling at a narrow door at the end of the hall. Before they could reach him, there was a splintering crack. The door exploded as Lox broke through it. He turned and bounded back down the hall. Kinai and Korie flattened themselves against the wall as he returned to Maevus. The dragon used his tail to push Maevus toward the stairs before he turned and let out a challenging roar.

The sound of boots on the stairs slowed a little.

Maevus used Lox's distraction to her advantage, hauling back on his string. The dragon gave a strangled yelp, spewing a startled burst of flame before he winked out of this world. The sudden slack on her magic nearly made Maevus stumble. Breathing hard, she lifted her hands then lowered them, extinguishing the flames trying to eat at the carpet and a few paintings.

"Come on, Maevus," Korie yelled. 

The first city guards were spilling into the hallway. One spotted Maevus, her eyes widening before she lifted a pistol, pointing it at Maevus. "Halt!" she ordered, her voice breaking.

Maevus spun on her heel and sprinted down the hall. She grabbed what remained of the door frame, splinters jamming into her palm as she skidded around the corner, pounding up the stairs. Daylight spilled down toward her, the cool morning air filling her lungs.

Sweat streamed into her eyes as she tapped back into her well of magic. Lox's string tightened painfully as he clamored to return. Maevus hissed, pushing against him at the same time she pulled at Veena.

The dragon clawed her way through the veil between their worlds. She appeared in a puff of violet smoke, the size of a kitten as she sank her claws into Maevus' shoulder. Maevus burst onto the roof, looking around wildly. They were on a balcony set into the steeply pitched roof. Kinai and Korie were leaning over the scrolled-iron banister, peering down at the three-story drop.

They whirled as she slammed the door shut behind her. There was no way to lock it. Maevus swore under her breath before darting to where the others stood.

"Are we supposed to jump?" Kinai asked. A tomahawk was held ready in his left hand, its twin sitting in a sheath at his thigh.

"Sorta," Maevus said through gritted teeth, trying to pump magic toward Veena. It moved sluggishly—magic was harder to manipulate when there was less of it, like water moving through a system without any pressure gradient. "Try to keep the door shut, but be careful. At least one of them has a firearm."

"Beautiful," Kinai grunted, bracing his shoulder against the door.

Maevus reached up and plucked Veena from her perch, setting the hissing dragon on the iron railing. She hovered her hands over Veena, focused on pushing her magic through her fingers. Her breath became more ragged, but Veena began to grow. Her snake-like body lengthened, coiling around the railing. She flapped her wings to keep her balance as she continued to grow.

A dull thud behind her announced the arrival of the guards on the other side of the door.

"Korie," Kinai said, his voice remarkably calm. "A little help?"

Maevus was only vaguely aware of the other woman leaving her side to join her brother in bracing the door. "Almost there," Maevus panted, though she wasn't sure who she was addressing.

Veena was roughly the size of a horse now, balancing perfectly on the railing. Maevus knew if she drew on her battle-dragon's gift, she would be able to balance just as easily on the narrow banister. However, it didn't seem like a good idea to test that when her magic reserve was already stretching thin.

"Maevus!" Korie yelled. The thumping had grown louder. "Any day now!"

Maevus pushed harder, Veena swelling a little more. 

Then there was an ear-shattering bang. Maevus' control snapped and the magic stopped flowing, Veena getting a little smaller before her eyes. She threw up a wall to stop the back-flow, but knew her battle-dragon wasn't getting any bigger.

"Come on," she yelled, jumping up onto the railing just as Veena leapt into the sky. Maevus wobbled but the additional balance and agility Veena gave her kicked in, keeping her from tumbling to her death. 

Korie was first. She ran over and allowed Maevus to haul her up onto the railing. "When I say jump, do it," Maevus ordered, tracking Veena as the dragon circled the inn. She thought she might have heard screams echoing from the streets below. Veena swooped by and Maevus pushed Korie. "Jump."

A small scream erupted from the Tracker before she landed on Veena's back. Another gunshot shattered the morning and Maevus turned to see Kinai was crouched on the ground, still bracing the door. Their eyes met and she held up three fingers, silently counting down.

When her last finger fell, Kinai leapt up and away from the door. It burst open, spilling the guards onto the balcony. The Hunter sprinted across the small space, taking Maevus' hand as he jumped up onto the railing

"Stop right there!" a furious voice screamed.

Maevus jumped, pulling Kinai with her. The world whipped wildly under her. All she saw was bursts of color—blue sky, red tiles, brown cobbles far below. Then amethyst scales. Veena snarled as Maevus and Kinai slammed into her side. 

Struggling to bend Veena's strength to her will, Maevus screamed as she hauled Kinai up higher onto the dragon's back. Something in her shoulder strained and she slipped. A sickening lurch was followed by a sudden jerk as a hand knotted in her cloak.

Korie had twisted around, one hand clenching Veena's indigo mane, the other holding onto Maevus. Trembling, Maevus used Korie's arm to pull herself firmly onto Veena's back, sandwiching herself between the siblings. "Fly, Veena," she whispered, slumping back against Kinai, her eyes drifting closed.

"Stay awake, Maevus," he said, his arm looping around her waist. "You have to stay awake. You have to get us out of here."

Her breath shallow and strained, Maevus nodded, holding onto the magic binding her to Veena with all her strength. Veena's wings beat hard, the dragon streaming through the sky as fast as she could. Maevus gritted her teeth, a sharp pain lancing through her entire body.

"Oh no," she managed, frantically directing Veena closer to the ground.

"Wrong way, Maevus," Korie said, turning to look at her. Her face went pale. "Revana help us."

Veena screeched as the tether snapped. The last dregs of Maevus' magic recoiled into her, a protective mechanism that would stop her body from shutting down. Her eyes flew open just as they plummeted to the ground. There was a short, weightless moment, then pain exploded through her as she hit the ground, hard.

She lay on the street, stunned, only vaguely aware of the shouts echoing around her. Then she was being jerked upright, her arm slung over broad shoulders.

"Run, Maevus," Kinai said in her ear, pulling her along with him. There was an odd hitch in his gait and Maevus looked down curiously to find the Hunter limping.

"I'm sorry," she said, her words slurring.

"Just move your feet." Kinai lengthened his stride, practically carrying Maevus through the streets. Korie darted along ahead of them, scattering people in her wake. 

The next few minutes were a blur of streets and faces, angry shouts and jostling elbows as they made their way to the gates. Then Kinai muttered under his breath. He spoke in his own tongue, but Maevus understood the tone easily enough. She looked up to find the gates closing, green uniforms swarming around it.

"Carry me," she said, yanking as hard as she could on Koret's thread. Pain erupted through her chest, deadening her limbs. Her body was warning her that she didn't have much left to give. She might not be able to hold the wind-dragon long, but he might be able to get them just far enough away that they'd be able to escape.

Kinai managed to catch her just before she hit the ground again. A small whirlwind whipped Maevus' hair and then a cold nose was snuffling against her face. Koret growled and Maevus was pulled into his mind, too weak to resist the two-way bond.

Koret saw the world of air and spirit, not the world of flesh. The scent of the female he recognized, but he didn't know the male holding his master, though his scent was similar to the female's. Koret didn't care about them beyond the fact that they held his master. Her spirit flickered, her reserve of magic dangerously low.

He bared his teeth, but turned, offering his back. Perhaps he would taste the male's blood later. Now, he knew his master needed to be gone from this place. The male placed his master on Koret's back. The dragon was tempted to take off, but a weak tug on the connection thread around his heart stopped him.

These were his master's comrades. She would not leave them.

Koret snarled, nodding his head at the two humans. They hesitated and his feathers ruffled in annoyance.

The male said something, the female responding before approaching Koret. He couldn't understand the human language, merely sense their intentions. The female was frightened, but seemed to feel Koret wouldn't harm her. This puzzled him. Generally, when his master called him, the surrounding humans were sure he would eat them.

Ridiculous humans. Why would he want to eat them?

When the humans were settled on his back, he felt a hand stroke tentatively down his feather crest. Sounds from the female flowed past his ears. He had no idea what she was saying, but felt a worrying pulse of weakness from his master. 

A clamor was coming from the south, the wind carrying the taste of hostility. The female spoke to him again and Koret wondered if she was asking him to fly.

Koret nudged along his connection to his master, but she was barely managing to hang on to his thread. All of her will and concentration was bent on tethering him to her world. He didn't have much time. His master was endangering herself for the other humans.

Koret launched himself into the air, bending the wind which was an extension of himself. The female let out a small groan, clutching at the back of his neck as the wind hurled them forward. The rotten smell of the city was soon lost. Koret beat his wings furiously, using the wind to get them as far away as he could, hoping that was what his master wanted.

But his connection to the world was already flagging. He could sense the pain lashing through his master's body. He dove quickly, his ears ringing as the female screamed at the sudden drop in altitude. 

He'd barely touched the ground before the magic released and his world pulled him back through the veil.

Maevus slipped back into her own mind seconds before she hurtled into unconsciousness.