“You can’t drain her now,” Ulrick said to me. “The Curare in her will block your magic.”

Devlen straightened and tugged his shirt down. Snap. I understood. The null shields had been woven into their clothing to protect them from Zitora’s magic just in case I refused to cooperate. If I ripped their shirts open, I wondered if the shield would break.

Len scrambled to his feet.

“Len and Boar, carry Zitora downstairs. Tricky—”

“Kill Devlen.” Tricky stepped forward as the other two bent over Zitora.

She gained her feet and yelled, “Now!” She tossed me a switchblade, then targeted Boar and Len.

I caught the weapon in midair, triggering the blade. Ulrick brandished his sword and Devlen dodged Tricky’s attack.

Ulrick advanced on me. A switchblade was no match against a sword.

“Put the knife down,” Ulrick ordered. “We’ll wait for the others to finish.”

“No.” I bolted for the line of pontil irons and blowpipes, grabbing an iron as I ducked his swing. I countered his next stroke with the iron. The harsh clang vibrated through my hands.

I managed to protect myself from his blade, but I knew my arms would soon tire from wielding the heavy rod. I glanced around. Zitora knocked Boar to the ground. Impressive. I didn’t know she could fight. An unmistakable thump meant Len joined his friend. Devlen and Tricky wrestled for the sword.

Countering a lunge, I spun to the side. Zitora rushed to help me.

“No. Help Devlen,” I said.

She shot me a confused look.

“Help Ulrick, then.” I backed away from another strike.

But the real Ulrick stopped trying to disarm me and pulled off his shirt. “Time for magic.”

Tricky shoved Devlen, letting him take the sword. He ripped his shirt off. Len and Boar stayed on the ground, but they yanked at their clothes. Tattoos covered all the men’s torsos. Magic saturated the air. Zitora’s magic cooled and disappeared as a null shield surrounded her.

The orb almost leaped from my hands, yet my blood in the men’s skin protected them. I couldn’t siphon their power.

Four magicians against one were terrible odds—even for a Master Magician.

25

THE CONFIDENCE FADED FROM ZITORA’S EXPRESSION AS HER LIPS parted in surprise. Another trick, I hoped.

Devlen pulled at his shirt. “A null shield has been woven into the fabric,” he explained.

“Clever. Did you know null shields could be manipulated like that, Opal?” she asked.

I squirmed a bit. “Yes. They attached one to a net to capture Kade.”

She turned to me and I wanted to melt into the floor.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” she asked. Her icy voice shot through me.

“Well…um…we didn’t want it to become…you know.” I made a vague gesture, but she stayed silent. “Become like null shields and Curare. Where everyone knows about it and can use it.” Weak excuse. I stifled a groan.

She waited. At least she didn’t point out the obvious. If I had told her, we wouldn’t be here.

“If you believed me about Devlen…” I clung to a slippery surface. Finally I let go. “All right, I admit it. I made another terrible mistake. At least I’m good at something!”

“You should be proud,” she said.

“No more fake fights,” Ulrick said. “Are you going to surrender or do we need to force you?”

“Such choices. I’ll go with the forced option. I have my pride.” She slid her feet into a fighting stance.

Tricky shook his head. “She’s too dangerous. Kill her now and be done with it.”

The four men shared a look.

“Now’s a good time to spring your surprise,” I said to Zitora.

“What surprise?” she asked.

Not good. “Your backup plan.”

“Sorry, Opal.”

Why didn’t she pretend to have backup? Her pointed gaze said it all. I would have to be her backup.

The men advanced on her. She looked tiny and fragile in comparison to the muscular men. Devlen moved to help her, but froze, ensnared by Tricky’s magic.

Tricky smiled. “You’re next, traitor.”

I kept still to avoid being trapped like Devlen. Zitora defended herself, but, without magic, four proved to be too many for her. She didn’t last long. Three held her. Tricky gestured at me and the switchblade flew from my hand and into his.

Genuine panic flashed in her eyes. I kept expecting a miracle or an army to break through the door, but Tricky drew his arm back to strike.

“Wait!” I screamed, gaining everyone’s attention. “Don’t kill her. I’ll siphon her powers. I promise.”

“I’d rather die,” she said. The truth.

“I’ll do it and I’ll even promise to drain the rest of the Master Magicians and Yelena.”

“No.” She bucked and thrashed, but they held tight.

Ulrick laughed. “Almost, Opal. You almost had us. We would have to remove the null shield for your plan to work, giving Zitora access to her power.”

“It would only be for a spilt second,” I said.

“But then you wouldn’t go through with it,” Ulrick reasoned. “Tricky.”

He stabbed her in the stomach with the switchblade.

He buried it up to the hilt.

He twisted the knife.

Blood spurted out.

The world faded. Sound disappeared. Color drained. Blackness crept into the edges of my vision.