"Until sunrise," Shuyin said. "Maybe longer. The creatures will weaken without magic to feed on. Eventually they'll desiccate."
"And if they don't?"
"Then the mansion becomes their tomb," Shuyin said flatly. "I'll reinforce the seal remotely, make it permanent. We can build a new home somewhere else."
Lu Yuze's hand found hers. "Together?"
"Together," she confirmed.
The convoy began to move, pulling away from the sealed mansion. Through the rear window, Shuyin watched it recede into the distance. Behind them, creatures writhed against the barrier, trapped and furious, their bioluminescent bodies pulsing against the silver seal in futile rage.
She'd won this battle. Barely.
Even though every inch of their bodies ached.
But the war wasn't over. The Lin family still waited, oblivious to what was coming. Her stepmother, her stepsister, her father, all of them secure in their stolen empire, thinking themselves safe.
