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“How do ya think things are goin’ up there?” Henry asked. Even though he was right beside my ear, his voice was quiet, nearly reverent.

My head tilted up, gaze going toward the ceiling. My action made no sense, considering I couldn’t see through rock and dirt. “I don’t know,” I reluctantly admitted.

“I don’t like the quiet.” Henry sounded angry over the fact. “When the room was shakin’, I thought I wanted it to stop. Now I’m not so sure. I think the quiet might be worse.”

“Lazarus will do all he can to keep Verona from the eggs,” Keir said, sounding very confident.

“I don’t doubt that,” I answered. “I’m just worried his best won’t be good enough. It’s two on one up there.” I pointed toward the ceiling then cocked my head to the side. “Although I think maybe Gray managed to lead one of them away. I’m not certain, but⁠—”

“Axios is gone,” Tabitha said, her voice distant and barely recognizable. The strain filtering through was even more disturbing. “Grayson was successful. However, much damage had already been done. Lazarus is faltering.” Tabitha gritted her teeth. “It is as if Verona is possessed. She’s been deeply injured, and yet she fights as if she feels none of it.”

Lazarus had said it himself. Verona’s single-minded determination, her mental imbalance, could aid or hinder her defeat. I imagined Verona fought as if she had nothing to lose and those could be the most dangerous foes.

“That don’t sound good,” Henry said, his small feet shifting across my shoulder.

“No, it doesn’t.” I turned to Keir. “We should consider moving the eggs.”

Keir’s skin appeared ashen as he stared down at the eggs in his arms. I could practically see the wheels in his head working. Despite his faith in Lazarus, I knew my friend well enough to know that he’d likely already formed a backup plan.

Keir had yet to disappoint me, and it looked like today would be no different. Standing, Keir wrapped the eggs inside as many layers of blankets as he could manage. “Your rooms. It’s the best way out of⁠—”

Tabitha gasped and fell to the floor. Jima popped out of his hiding place, scurrying over to her and transforming back to his humanoid form. “Tabitha!” Jima’s hands grasped her shoulders, hauling her up and leaning her against a nearby chair. Tabitha’s skin was pasty white. Her chest rose and fell at an alarming rate as she pulled in quick, ragged breaths.

Joining Jima, I went down on one knee, cradling Tabitha’s cheek within my hand. “Talk to me, Tabby. What happened?”

Tabitha’s shaky fingers wrapped around my wrist. Her blanched lips parted twice before she managed a wispy, “Too late. Laz…Lazarus has f-fallen. I…I’ve done all I c-can.” Tabitha’s eyes slipped closed as consciousness left her.

“Tabitha? Come on, wake up.” Jima shook her, but it was no use.

Placing my fingers to her neck, relief filled me when I felt a thready pulse. “She’s still alive,” I said while turning to Keir. “If Lazarus has fallen, then⁠—”

“Can you carry Tabitha?” Keir asked.

I nodded. “I can. It’ll be easier if I partially transform.” Branches sprouted from my fingers, twining around Tabitha’s unconscious body and lifting her into the air. Jima transformed back into his ferret form and hopped onto Tabitha’s abdomen, scurrying up her chest and nestling in the crook of her neck.

Henry’s hold on my hair tightened and I felt a harsh tug. “Let’s get while we still can,” Henry said. I didn’t need told twice.

“My rooms?” I asked Keir as I stood and headed for the door.

“It has good access to the outside. I can shift and fly the eggs out,” he answered as we hurried down the hall. A Gaia-awful screech sounded from somewhere above and not nearly as far away as I would have liked.

“I think we’ve been breached,” Henry yelled as Keir and I ran.

I agreed. “She’ll have to transform back into her humanoid form to get through the halls.” Another horrid sound echoed through the hall, rattling the walls and sending rocky dust raining down from above.

Henry scoffed. “Not if she digs her way down first.”

“But she could harm the eggs,” Keir protested as we continued running. “She could bring the whole compound down on us and the eggs.”

“Don’t think she cares much,” Henry answered as another crash sounded.

I found it impossible to disagree. “Verona’s not thinking clearly.” Chances were, she wasn’t thinking at all. She was working on pure, unadulterated instinct, and that was a damn dangerous thing.

We turned a final corner and the door to my rooms came into view. Reaching out a fresh branch, I threw the door open and immediately ran to my courtyard. I eased Tabitha onto the ground. Henry remained seated on my shoulder. Keir stared up into the sky. It looked clear, but we couldn’t be certain.

“I’ll need some sort of camouflage or distraction,” Keir said while eyeing the darkened sky above.

Henry huffed. “Good luck with that. Where the fuck are those other wyvern? The ones with Thalia. Shouldn’t they be here by now?”