I stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs, naked and holding Seraphina in my arms. Her skin burned against mine, her body trembling with the effects of the drugged heat. The sounds of fighting outside grew louder—more rogues arriving, but something else too.
My mind raced. I needed to get out of here, now.
"Julian," Seraphina whispered, her voice barely audible. Her eyes were unfocused, pupils dilated. "It hurts."
I looked down at her flushed face, feeling the mate bond tugging at me despite my best efforts to ignore it. Her scent, amplified by the artificial heat, called to something primal in me.
But then my eyes caught movement in the corner. Camille Valois lay unconscious on the dirty floor, her breathing shallow.
Shit.
I glanced between the two women, calculating my options. I could only carry one of them to safety. The basement had just one exit, and the window I'd crashed through was too small for me to escape while carrying someone.