NORI’S POV

We file back into the cauldronhold, singed and without Areej. She’d been one half of a team that went in without the new weapons. We found out that the alien canons are able to vaporize vampires. We took down the one that killed her. Those of us that were armed took all of them down.

Milo comes barreling down the hall, his eyes round. He sees me and deflates a little, as though some of that tension was for me. I’m fine. I’m okay. I try to tell him so silently. ...