"They can't get inside the Institute," said Ty.
"No," Magnus said. "The wards keep them out."
"Nonetheless, we should get away as soon as we can," said Kieran. "I do not trust the Riders. They will think of some way in."
"We need to contact Alicante," said Livvy. "Get them to open their side of a Portal so we can get out of here."
"We can't do that without revealing that the Riders are here, and why," said Julian. "But-we could still Portal away from here, even if we didn't go straight to Idris." He glanced sideways at Magnus.
"The thing is, I can't make my side of a Portal right now," said Magnus. He spoke with some effort. "We need to hold out a few hours. I've exhausted my energy-I wasn't expecting to need to heal Kit, or to need to send Alec and the children away."
There was an awful silence. It had never occurred to any of them that there were things Magnus couldn't do. That he had weaknesses, like anyone else.
"There's a Portal in the crypt," said Ty. "But it only goes to the Cornwall Institute."
No one asked him how he knew that. "That Institute is abandoned, though," said Julian. "The protections are probably stronger here."
"We'd just be trading Institute for Institute," said Magnus. "We'd still be trapped inside, and with weaker protections. And believe me, they'd be able to follow us. There have never been greater hunters than the Riders of Mannan."
"What about Catarina Loss?" said Livvy. "She got us out of the Los Angeles Institute."
Magnus took a shaky breath. "The same wards keeping the Riders out also prevent anyone from trying to make a Portal from outside."
"What about the Seelie Queen?" Emma said. "Might she be willing to help us fight the Riders?"
"The Queen isn't on our side," said Julian. "She's only on her own side."
There was a long silence. Magnus broke it. "I have to hand it to you," he said. "I never thought Jace and Clary would be topped by anyone else in terms of insane, self-destructive decisions, but you all are giving them a run for their money."
"I really had nothing to do with this," Kieran pointed out stiffly.
"I think you will find many poor decisions led you here, my friend," Magnus said. "All right, there are a few things I can do to try to bring my energy up. You-all of you-wait here. And don't do anything stupid."
He strode out of the room on long, black-clad legs, swearing under his breath.
"He's getting more and more like Gandalf," said Emma, watching him go. "I mean, a hot, younger-looking Gandalf, but I keep expecting him to start stroking his long white beard and muttering darkly."
"At least he's willing to help us," said Julian. His gaze sharpened. A Rider was coming through the gates. The sixth rider, this one with a slighter build, a spill of long bronze hair. Ethna, Emma thought. The sister.
Then her thoughts dissolved into a buzz of shock. A small figure was propped on the bronze horse's back in front of her. A little human girl, with short black hair. She dangled limply in the faerie woman's one-handed grip, but she was blinking, her face twisted in terror. She couldn't have been more than four years old-she wore leggings with a cheerful print of bees, and bright pink sneakers.
In her other hand, Ethna held a dagger, the point of it against the back of the girl's neck.
Julian had gone rigid as marble, his face white. Voices rose around Emma in the room, but they were only noise. She couldn't distinguish the words. She was staring at the little girl, and in her mind she saw Dru, Tavvy, even Livvy and Ty; they had all been that tiny once, that helpless.
And Ethna was strong. All she had to do was drive that dagger forward, and she'd sever the child's head from her neck.
"Get back from the window," said Julian. "Everyone, get back from the window. If they don't think we're watching them, they're less likely to hurt the girl."
His hand was on Emma's arm. She staggered back with the others. She could hear Mark protesting. They should go down, he was saying. Fight off the Riders.
"We can't," said Julian in anguish. "We'll be slaughtered."
"I killed one of them before," said Emma. "I-"
"They were caught off guard, though." Julian's voice reached her partially distorted through shock. "They didn't expect it-didn't think it was possible-this time they'll be prepared-"
"He is right," said Kieran. "Sometimes the most ruthless heart speaks the most truth."