Sebastian lowered his hand. The Shade hadn't even seen him coming.

Makaela and a battered man stood before him. They looked at him with petrified eyes and shaking frames. He pursed his lips at them. That wasn't how he expected them to greet their savior.

Remy sprang forward toward the bloody man and swept him in a bear hug.

"Remy?" The man hugged him back. "What're you doing here?"

"We came to save you, Dad."

Of course. That was Olivier Moreau, the current head of House Lumai. He hadn't seen the man in a decade. With all the blood and grime covering his face, he was barely recognizable. He scowled. The Shades hadn't gone easy on him during his time in captivity. It was a miracle he still had his sanity.

The Order of the Black Lotus prided themselves on their...techniques.

Sebastian walked toward Makaela with his heart thumping away in his chest. When he first realized she wasn't with the group, he immediately went back for her. Castle Braexus was a maze, though, and navigating the labyrinth while avoiding murderous magicians was no easy task. It took them nearly fifteen minutes to find where she had been taken to.

Makaela rushed toward him and threw her arms around his neck. He coiled his arms around her waist, nearly lifting her off the ground as he pulled her in close. Closing his eyes, he savored the moment. It wouldn't last long.

"I was so scared," he breathed into her soft hair.

"Me too."

"This is precious and all," said Imogen, "but we gotta get going."

"I'm with the ordinaire," Ajax quipped. "Shades'll be here any minute." He balanced his vayrir on his shoulders, his green eyes scanning the doorway behind them.

"Ordinaire?" Olivier arched an eyebrow at the group. "Would anyone like to fill me in on what happened over the past few days?"

Rubbing the back of his reddening neck, Remy smiled sheepishly. "It's a funny story­- "

"A story we don't have time for," Imogen interrupted. She gestured towards the hallway they were walking through. "We gotta go. Now."

Sebastian nodded. They had accomplished their mission. House Brynjir's artifact would have to wait-their main objective now was to escape the castle. The portal room was their best bet. It would be heavily guarded, but they weren't going anywhere without the use of the portal.

Unlike other portals, the Order's wasn't granted to them officially by the Eldenarian Council. A series of masquerading and deception charms allowed them to block off portal data back to the Eldenarian Palace and the Spire. All portals flowed through the Spire, except for the Order's. It was completely off the grid. Perfect for carrying out attacks and schemes in the shadows.

If Sebastian and his group had any chances of escaping, they would have to fight tooth and nail to get through it. Rolling his neck, he groaned. His body was still sore from his last fight. He hoped he had enough vitalae in his veins to last another duel or two. He was going to need every drop.

The group left the room and began their journey through shadows and torchlight in pursuit of the portal room. As they ducked and dodged Shades, Sebastian watched as Makaela led her uncle forward.

He tilted his head at her.

How had she found him so quickly? All prisoners were kept in the dungeons and were guarded by at least two casters at all times. There was no way she managed to break him out of his cell, sneak him past a pair of guards, and bring him out of the dungeons in less than fifteen minutes.

That's when he realized she hadn't done any of that.

She had been in that room with a Shade.

But why?

"Uncle Ollie, come on," said Makaela as she struggled to help her uncle walk. He kept shrugging her off, his face dripping with sweat and contorted with concentration.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," the man wheezed.

Makaela threw Sebastian a wary glance.

He stilled, brows furrowing. This is a problem.

"We might not get out of here if this guy keeps stopping for a break every couple of minutes," Imogen grumbled. "No offense."

"I told you...I'm fine." He squared his shoulders and drew a shattered breath. Remy watched over his father like a hawk.

"You sure?" Ajax's lips flattened into a thin line; unconvinced. "Because you don't look so good."

The Shades had certainly left their mark on the lightweaver.

Sebastian turned to Ajax. "Do you think you can carry him?"

"I can try."

As the battlemage went to scoop up Olivier from Makaela, the air around Sebastian's skin dropped. He felt the sweat on his clammy skin turn to ice water. If it got any colder, the droplets would freeze.

His stomach twisted.

About seven swirls of darkness appeared at the mouth of the hallway. Horror exploded onto the faces of those around him. Cursing loudly, Sebastian summoned his vayrir. Makaela and Ajax did the same. Imogen and Remy stepped behind them to help Olivier up to his feet.

A single Shade emerged from the shadows.

Unlike the others, she wasn't masked.

Sebastian tightened his hand around his dagger.

"The little prince returns," Amora teased. "And he's brought friends." The Shades behind her chuckled. A few more appeared.

He counted eleven masks now.

Eleven to six. Or, rather, five. Olivier was in no shape to fight. Imogen and Remy weren't the greatest combatants either.

Sebastian wasn't feeling great about their odds.

Sneering, Makaela stepped forward. "Let us through."

"Not a chance," said Amora. She balanced the tip of her dagger on her lip. "I can't wait to torture you every day after we throw you in the dungeons." Her grin stretched across her alabaster face. "First, I'll murder all your friends while I make you watch. We'll save Sebastian for last. I know he's your favorite."

His face burned as he glared at his sister. The sinister words dripping from his twin's lips should've surprised him, but they didn't. He believed every single one of them.

"Then I'll take my sweet time with you," Amora continued as she sauntered forward. She twirled her weapon in the air, giggling to herself. "You're going to look so beautiful with blood smeared all over your pretty face. I can't wait."

Makaela held her hand out. Her golden mark pulsed as she summoned multiple shards of light. "That's not happening."

"You don't think so?"

The Shades behind Amora bristled.

Sebastian stepped forward, his jaw taut. "Amora, stop this."

"Oh, I'll have fun hurting you too, big brother," Amora snapped. "I can't wait to see the look in your little monster's face while the life leaves your eyes."

Sebastian bit the inside of his cheek. Anger flared within him, but he kept quiet. He kept still. So did the others.

Then Makaela attacked.

Her glowing knives hurtled through the air. They shattered into purple shield charms, dissipating into golden glimmers.

The battle had begun.

Sebastian took on two Shades himself, alternating between using his dagger and shooting off magic from his palms. After the third spell, he felt his arms getting heavy. He couldn't keep this up for long. They needed an exit strategy.

Amora charged him, spouting off neon green magic from her fingertips. Sebastian cried out in pain as her hex stabbed through his shoulder. Pain wormed its way into his skin. Gritting his teeth, he retaliated with a hex of his own.

The yellow bolt flew from his hand after he completed the quick hand sequence. His movements were quick and deliberated. Decisive and intentional. He felt the energy leave his body with the hex.

A cut slashed through his sister's robes, exposing her bare midsection. Blood leaked through the laceration in the skin. Gasping, she pressed her hands to the wound. Her dark eyes flashed with hate.

"I swear to fucking Mauvorin I'll kill you," she spat. "I will flay you alive and feed you the skin."

He resisted the urge to shudder at the thought.

Another spell left his hand. This one threw his sister into a wall. She hit the ground. Hard. She wouldn't be getting up for a few moments.

Breathing heavily, Sebastian inched backward to where his companions had set up shop. The fighting in the hall had begun to reach a stalemate. Remy had conjured up a shield charm large enough to wrap around himself and the others, but it was weakening by the second. Ajax and Makaela fired off spells at any encroaching Shades, but they wouldn't be able to keep the dark magicians at bay forever.

They needed to get out of the hallway.

But both entryways were blocked off. There was no way out.

His eyes widened.

The darkness was never his friend, but it would be today.

"The only way we're getting out of here is if I shadowjump us out," Sebastian said once he was in the safety of Remy's shield.

"All of us?" Ajax frowned at him. "There's no way you can handle that many people in one jump. It'll kill you."

He blew air from his nose. "I'm all ears for alternate plans."

Ajax said nothing.

The battlemage had a point. He had never tried to jump with that many people at once. The most he had ever done was two, and even that took a decent chunk of his vitalae. Five other people...

That would kill him.

But it was the only way they were getting out of Castle Braexus.

"He doesn't have to do it alone," Makaela said. She launched a blasting spell from her palm. Shades went flying in all directions as the hall lit up orange.

Sebastian's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about?" Remy asked. "Shadoweaving is a dark art. Only Sebastian can do it."

Makaela glared at the floor. "I can do it if he teaches me." Before her cousin could ask, she silenced him. "I'll explain later."

Sebastian regarded her with caution. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. Shadowjumping couldn't be learned in five minutes. They didn't even have five minutes, it was more like five seconds. It was their only hope, though.

"First, we'll have to settle on a place to jump to. Somewhere they won't be able to follow us to. Shadowtrails can be picked up on."

Makaela paused.

"Can you follow mine then?"

Sebastian tensed.

"In theory, yes."

"Do that then."

Ahead of them, Ajax let off a barrage of battlemagic to keep any encroaching Shades away from their shield charm. More cracks riddled through the glowing barrier with every passing second. Remy continued to mend it, but his hands were starting to shake.

They needed to hurry.

"If we mess this up," Sebastian began, "we risk losing everyone."

"That's better than dying here," Imogen said.

"She's right," said Makaela. She took his hand and squeezed it. "Do you trust me?"

As he stared into her bright eyes, he pondered her question. Trust wasn't something he thought about often. Not many people in the world had his. But Makaela wasn't just anyone. They had a connection-their souls had been intertwined ever since they were children. Their roles in the Prophecy of Eight only confirmed that. As he stared into her bright eyes, he made his decision.

"I trust you."

She nodded.

He continued his crash course on shadowjumping.

She would have to envision herself in another location and tethering her energy to it; at least, that was how it work for shorter jumps. If she had somewhere longer in mind, her memory of the place had to be impeccable. If it wasn't, the possibility of getting stranded in the plane between their world and the next grew. Once she had a place in mind, she needed to call upon the shadows around her and will them to take her-and whoever she was taking with her-to her destination.

"You got it?" he asked her once he finished. She nodded. "So, where are we going?"

She didn't answer.

"Makaela-"

"Just...follow me, okay? Can you do that?"

He glanced over his shoulder. A few Shades were helping Amora to her feet.

They needed to go.

With a sigh, he turned back to her.

"I'll follow you to the best of my ability."

Smiling, she pressed both of her hands on his cheeks. "This is going to work." Without waiting for a reply, she pressed her lips to his. There was no time to enjoy the kiss, though. The Shades were coming.

Sebastian felt a pit forming in his stomach.

"Uncle Ollie and Remy hold on to me," Makaela ordered. They did as she said, each one of them grabbing her hands. Ajax and Imogen did the same with Sebastian. The large, ginger-haired man looked slightly uncomfortable as he held Sebastian's hand.

Shadows gathered around her feet. His eyes widened. She was actually doing it.

The girl was a natural.

As he watched her sink into the darkness, images of her destination filled his head.

A village shrouded under moonlight. Forests under a night sky. A graveyard littered with white and grey tombstones. Statues of angels with their wings stretching outward, reaching for souls lost.

That's where she was headed.

That's where they were going.

Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut and focused on the image.

"Any time now!" someone yelled.

A strange feeling bubbled within his chest. He felt the shadows wrapping around him in a cold embrace. Shouts filled the air behind him. He heard Remy's shield charm shattered into a tiny million pieces.

His sister screamed.

Then the shadows swallowed Sebastian, Imogen,and Ajax whole.