is inside

reached Raina. His hand

ad

arms and hauled her backward. Her nails scraped the flo

of the way,"

ther. "Don't leave him! You

en at the blood spreading beneat

se," he said. "

s instep. He grunted; his grip loosened. She wrenched free, lurched toward

her around

tried to pull herself outside, but someone grabbed the back of her shirt. Th

bit

ight burst behind her eyes. The floor rushed up,

," Luci

nstant, Raina thought he meant to relea

here the l

know," sh

ather t

know what

face, measuring. "Then you'll

holding her arms behind her. She tried to

uck her. "Keep her quiet. I want the

aving?" Ra

d at the

her, and now you

the ledger is here." His voice remained lev

men followed, leaving two behi

ce it open with her eyes. Then she drove her

down the hall. Her shoulder struck the wall; she bounced off and kep

it and grabb

dn't

calp burned. She clawed at the fingers, gasping,

till," some

a knife from the drying rack, and slashed backward. The blade nicked a sleeve. A

ved her against the wall. Her shoulder hit

id. "All that fight,

ed. "Lucian should'

spat a

ng her to look at him. "You think he wants you? You

ace away. "Get y

ssed painfully into her

d, twisted, screamed for help, but the house answered with silence. They forced her down and held her there. She kept

and clung to the thought of Elias's voice: inside the saint. She repeated the words

ver, the men

ound herself. Her cheek throbbed. She couldn't make he

one of t

boards. They slid. She tried

face close to hers. "You

d. She turned her head a

ing," he

with his boot. "Let's go. Bo

o throw the knife, to crawl to her father. Instead, she stared a

br

ano

, dragging herself a few inches across the tiles. Her hand fou

acked throug

oor. One drew his weapon. The other

its frame. Somewhere b

n the knife. The guards tu