Azael kept one eye on Talarion and the other on Tissaia as they entered what they claimed would be the last training room. Like all the rooms before it, this one was constructed of wood, wall to wall, with several large beams emerging from the floor to support the roof. There were metal training dummies lining the walls and a number of wardrobes which he assumed held weapons or robes of some sort.

    The chamber was dimly lit by candle wheels overhead. There were spots on the floor where wax had dripped and hardened, but he could see no sign of the trap door Lady Astara had mentioned. Azael pushed back a shudder as he recalled the sounds that had followed them from that room.

    Astara had not taken her chance to escape. She'd turned her knife on herself. A part of him twisted in pity for the female and all that she had been through, but the other part of him sang for the justice that had been claimed by her actions.

    He cleared the female from his thoughts as they moved deeper into the room. Talarion was already scanning the floor while Kahari raised her staff and light shone from the clustered crystals within it, brightening the chamber.

    "I don't recall there ever being a trap door in here," Tissaia remarked, coming to stand beside Azael.

    No one answered. Talarion crouched and began rapping his knuckles against the wood, his pointed ears twitching slightly as he listened. He rapped again further to the left and Azael tensed. "There," he pointed out. Talarion knocked once more and a hollow echo made its way back up to them.

    The male flipped the dagger in his grasp and wedged the blade between two floorboards. He rammed it in deeper with a blow from his palm and the boards leapt free, revealing a second layer of wood beneath them. This one, however, was complete with rusted hinges and an old hoop-shaped latch.

    Bits of rust had broken off and stained the wood red, proof that it had recently been opened. Azael pulled away from Tissaia and helped Talarion peel up the rest of the boards covering the trap door while Gaelen peered back out into the hallway with renewed alertness.

    Boards clattered together, not loud enough to cover the din of approaching footsteps. "Shit," Azael hissed, catching sight of the oncomers. Several Lochren warriors had broken away from the fray outside and were rushing towards them. The Cahirim were close behind, but not close enough to intercept them.

    "Go," Gaelen ordered as Talarion heaved the trap door open. The male lunged at the warriors and met them head on. Kahari gave Tissaia a quick nod before following suit, beams of magic pulsing from her hands and taking down targets before her staff clubbed them unconscious.

    Talarion had already vanished down the hatch and Azael held out a hand to Tissaia. She clambered down the rickety ladder and once she disappeared into the gloom, Azael followed. The ladder deposited them in a narrow antechamber which was barred by another hefty door.

    Talarion was already working with the lock. Azael strained his ears, but could make out nothing from the room within. A chill ran down his spine, and he cast a swift glance at Tissaia, reminding himself that she was within his reach should anything happen.

    The lock clicked before Talarion rose. "That should do it," he said. His gaze moved to Azael. "Once we're inside, you focus on getting the book. Leave him to us."

    He only nodded. Talarion turned back to his twin and silently pulled her into his arms. Tissaia squeezed him back, her eyes shut tightly as though she were fighting off tears. From the sorrow that suddenly gripped his chest, Azael guessed he wasn't too far from the truth.

    "I love you," he heard the male murmur. "Always, Sister."

    "Please don't do anything stupid," Tissaia choked out in response. Talarion's arms loosened, but she tightened her own. "I love you too, Brother." Azael barely heard the words that time.

    When they drew apart, Talarion was smiling, a sight he hadn't seen since before Kaius was kidnapped. It weighed on his heart like a brick of lead. "He's the stupid one," Talarion chuckled, jerking his chin towards him.

    Then he turned and pushed the door open, revealing a dark, wide chamber, with Roshan Lochren in the center of it and the book of the gods within his grasp.

•༻☽☾༺•

    Tissaia raised her dagger, her gaze already nailed to her father's stationary figure. He didn't acknowledge them even as they circled around him. He was thumbing through the ancient black book, his teeth bared in a frustrated grimace. "It's over, Roshan." Azael's voice rang through the chamber with the might of thunder. "Surrender yourself and the book. Now."

    Her father's cold onyx eyes flicked up. "Your presence changes nothing. Maybe I can't read the book, but Hadeon's Spawn will know how to break the magic the Phoenix cast over it."

    "Too bad it will never reach him," Azael growled.

    Roshan closed the book and straightened, a slight smirk upon his lips. "Do you think killing me will stop what is coming? It will only serve as a delay. There will be others who can be swayed by Astaroth's call. Someday, he will break free, and all of Asterria will know how it feels to be imprisoned as he is now."

    "We will never let that happen," Tissaia hissed. "You will die today, Father, and he will meet his end before long. But tell us where Astaroth is, and perhaps we will make your death that much quicker."

    Roshan threw his head back with a laugh. "What makes you think this time will end any differently than the last?" His gaze swiveled to Talarion's. "You couldn't save your weak excuse for a mate, and you will not avenge him now."

    Talarion was upon him before anyone else had a chance to move. Tissaia blanched at the feral rage twisting her brother's features as he rammed their father onto the floor and his blade slashed the side of Roshan's face. The book went sliding and Azael was already scrambling to grab it.

    Tissaia shook off her shock just as Roshan flipped Talarion over his head and rolled onto his feet. She lunged at her father while her brother recovered himself. Roshan caught the blade of her dagger with a magic ensconced hand and shoved her backwards.

    Tissaia staggered, then ducked with a gasp, narrowly dodging the sword her father had unsheathed. She dodged a second blow before bringing up her dagger to catch his next attack. She gritted her teeth and met his gaze defiantly, refusing to buckle. Roshan only sneered at her.

    Tissaia's eyes narrowed and she slammed her foot down on his inner ankle, sliding her leg further and forcing her father's out from under him. Roshan stumbled and she landed another solid kick against his gut, driving him to his knees. She aimed her next kick to knock him down, but cried out when he caught her ankle and jerked her off balance instead.

    Before he could climb on top of her, Talarion was there. Her brother grabbed Roshan by the shoulder and hauled him upright, then drove his knee into the male's gut over and over again. Tissaia flinched when something cracked and her father let out a hoarse retch.

    A leering grin curled Talarion's lips and this time, Roshan's face collided with his knee. His nose crunched, but Roshan didn't cry out. He locked his arms around Talarion's waist and hurled them both to the floor, hard enough to knock the breath from her brother's lungs.

    Talarion was gasping as Roshan drew a knife from his belt and angled it over his throat. Tissaia barreled into him just as he let the blade fall. Talarion clamped down a howl as the knife pierced his shoulder instead. Tissaia rolled away from Roshan, not quick enough to avoid his scalding fingertips. She yelped as her sleeve burned away beneath Roshan's grasp and her skin began to blister, sharp pain blinding her nerves.

    Fury spilled through her chest the next instant and Tissaia managed to clear her pain-fogged vision enough to spy Azael. He had already pulled her brother to his feet and was bearing down on Roshan. She couldn't see the book anywhere on his body and panic flooded her before she spied it in Talarion's uninjured arm. Tissaia steeled herself and braced for the impact just as Azael collided with her father.

    She wrenched herself free the same instant and couldn't swallow the shriek of pain that broke from her lips. Azael's arm locked around her waist and he half-dragged her out of her father's reach. Tissaia swallowed another cry and dredged up her healing magic. She clapped a hand over her wound, ignoring the fresh jolt of pain, and focused on knitting the flesh back together.

    Roshan took a step towards them and Azael's arm tightened, his mouth curved in a snarl. Her father cocked his head. "That's new," he murmured. Azael stiffened against her, and across from them, Talarion had gone rigid. "Have you finally done something right, Daughter?" Roshan cackled. "All it took was one more broken hand?"

    "Fucking bastard!" Azael seethed. "If your children didn't wish you dead, I'd keep you around long enough to break your hand as many times as you broke hers!"

    "Quite the bite your prince has," the male sneered to Tissaia. "He reminds me of another male who refused to go quietly."

    Azael and Talarion flung themselves at him simultaneously, magic and blades flashing in their grasp. Roshan didn't cower from the attacks and caught both of them. Tissaia stared in horror as the three males began exchanging blows, the book forgotten momentarily. She had seen Talarion discard it just before his attack, and now it lay open on the floor.

    Tissaia sprinted towards it, still working on healing her arm and ignoring the fight behind her. "Tissaia, duck!" Talarion screamed the next instant

    Silver magic wrapped around her and she threw herself at the ground just as a bolt of magic seared overhead. But there was no time for terror to set in. Tissaia gawked at the book before her, whose pages had been blank, but were now filled with scrawled writing. Talarion's magic faded to an invisible shield and the writing vanished once more.
   
    Her eyes rounded as understanding washed over her. Kaius had sealed the book with blood magic, and through their mating bond, Talarion carried some of his blood as well. Talarion could reveal what was hidden, and so could anyone who descended from Hadeon's bloodline. The next Phoenix would be able to read whatever Kaius had hidden away!

    Tears pricked at her vision in both gratitude and sorrow, but she blinked them back and snatched the book. "I've got it!" She exclaimed.

    Her only response was a pained cry and a brutal crunch. Tissaia whirled and a scream clawed up her throat at the sight of Azael's prone body, blood gushing from a wound on his temple and his arm curved in an unnatural snake. But even that horrible sight was nothing compared to watching her father's blade pierce her brother's chest.