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Lyr looks down at Inez. She is bundled with Atticul and the pair of them are surrounded by guards. And she is staring at Damon. She knew he would come. Lyr knows that feeling. He is glad. Inez knows the Damon he knows. The Damon who will put his body between anyone he loves and any danger.

As he watches he sees that Damon is fighting to try and get to her, but also that she and Atticul are being carefully moved by the guards around her, toward a small doorway. Damon will never reach them in time.

He knows the plan. They are not here to kill Atticul. Before they can do that they need to save Lukas and Jemel and read the Books of Alios. But Damon had made it clear, Inez was part of the rescue mission. She is not needed to slay Ur-Durik, but Damon would hear no dissent on the matter. As soon as he was told Inez would be married to Atticul, she was to be taken from the Sarelik Temple too.

Lyr does not doubt Damon would die to do it. Perhaps he is about to get to see it.

If he doesn’t do something.

He turns to Kerik, “Please,” he says, “they’re taking Inez.”

Kerik looks at Lyr, but seems a little less powered by pure frustration when he looks into Lyr’s eyes. He takes Lyr’s wrist. “Very well,” he says. Still holding Lyr, he turns back to Perl. “In fact, I want to try something.” He fixes Perl with a gaze. “Kiss me, faerie,” he says.

Perl gasps. He is bound to obey. He surges towards Kerik and kisses him hard on the mouth. Kerik responds with a matching force. The kiss is not long but it is furious.

As it breaks, Perl slumps back, gasping out, “Good, yes, using the erotic power of the ancient magic bindi⁠—”

Kerik holds up a palm, “Praise me later, faerie.” He turns to Lyr. Lyr notices that his face is pale. He is visibly weaker than when this battle began.

He grunts and squeezes Lyr’s wrist. Lyr can feel the power ripping out of him. Kerik throws down another bolt of magic with his free hand. It’s lesser than the first but enough to throw back the guards fighting Damon and the rest.

Four guards are down, another two fall on Harok’s dazzling sword and Baby’s jaws. In the uproar Marko leaps from Inez’s arms to bite a bodyman on the arm.

Inez tries to use the opportunity to flee towards Damon, but Atticul grabs her around the waist wrenching her back by the wrist so hard that she cries out.

“We must get to Inez,” Lyr says, voice shaking.

“No,” Perl says. “I heard what Damon said, but we can’t risk anything for her. She is not important.”

“She is. She is important to Damon,” Lyr snaps back at him. “If Atticul takes her he will need to get her back. He will need to.”

As he speaks, Lyr wonders if that is the reason he wants so desperately to save her. To prevent Damon from being distracted. Or is it something else? Something he finally sees. Damon cares for Inez. For him, that means Inez is family.

“I will save her,” Kerik says, looking down. His magic has bought them a little more time, but the situation remains the same. Damon’s force is hopelessly outnumbered and he is no nearer Inez. “I will rescue this fine lady. It’s time I was in that fight.”

He already has a leg over the balustrade of the balcony. And before even Perl can say anything, he is dropping to the temple floor with Iceheart in his hand.

Perl sighs, “He’s so impulsive,” he says. His voice is concerned but Lyr can tell it is also laced with something Lyr knows is deep love.

Lyr looks down. Kerik is much nearer to Inez than Damon, but he is still some distance away and likely not to reach her before Atticul drags her from the hall. “He won’t make it,” Lyr says miserably.

Perl moves beside him and says, “There is one way. I could get him there. There is a little power left in you. I could use it to…” He tails off.

But it doesn’t matter what he plans to do with the last shreds of power Lyr has crackling inside him. Without Inez, Lyr is sure, Damon will not leave this place alive.

“Do it,” Lyr says, “please. Whatever it is. Do it.”

“Very well,” Perl says, “but then you must get Elric out of here.”

“No,” Elric snarls. “I’m not leaving him again.”

But Lyr knows what Perl is saying. There is no more magic. There are still too many guards. This fight is likely lost.

Lyr nods. “We will meet you outside. On the road leading to Gleamview Market.” The truth is he knows few roads in Attar, but that one, with the Punishment Square, he thinks he would be able to find blindfold.

He takes Elric’s hand again. “No,” he says again. His bottom lip is wobbling.

“We will meet Lukas outside. I swear it to you,” Lyr says. Sure that this must make a liar of him.