Magic Undying (Dragon's Gift: The Seeker #1)(19)

Instead, my treasure was piled up in towers all around me, a haphazard arrangement that was artful and lovely to my eyes. I knew where everything was, so why did I need shelves?

I hurried toward a pile of books about ten feet away, weaving around the other piles. The space was nearly four thousand square feet, so it was big. Fortunately, the book I needed was close to the door.

When I reached the pile of old tomes and treatises, I dropped to my knees and began sifting through the books. It took only a few seconds to find the one I sought.

“Bingo.” I grabbed the massive leather-bound tome and returned to the exit, grabbing a golden feather necklace on the way. I’d gotten this talisman from a fae in New Mexico. It was both gold and lucky, so it was extra perfect. Just holding the thing made me feel better.

I listened at the wall, straining my ears to hear if Roarke had entered my bedroom. All was silent. I’d been gone less than a minute. It’d been a risky move, but necessary.

I knocked on my head for good luck, then stepped through the wall and shed my Phantom form. The room was empty, as I’d expected. Thank goodness.

Once I was human, I put the golden feather necklace over my head and left the bedroom. I stopped by the bathroom quickly to get my borrowed sword and the potions that Connor had given me. I strapped the scabbard over my back and put the tiny potion vials in my pocket. The weapons potions went in the left pocket; the ones that kept me human went in the right. Carefully, I zipped the pockets closed. I could not lose those potions.

Finished, I grabbed the heavy book and went out into the living room.

“What have you got there?” Roarke asked.

“My handy book of demon dealings. Information helps my seeker sense. And this”—I held up the book—“has information. You can tell me what you know about the Ubilaz demon, and the rest…I’ll look it up in my book.”

“Okay.”

I sat on the couch with the book and looked at him expectantly. He was the Warden, after all. “You start.”

“Ubilaz demons are considered Cat 5s because they attract other demons to them by their very nature, creating a demon army. Growing like a massive demon cloud.”

Oh crap. “So they’re demon catnip.”

“Exactly. Lower level demons that have been illegally taken out of hells by mages on Earth to work as mercenaries often leave their posts and flock to the Ubilaz, compelled to join the strongest of their kind.”

“Oh, that’s bad. Humans will notice that.”

“Not to mention the damage they could cause. Those mercenary demons need to be reined in by their masters. If they aren’t, they do what demons do best. Kill.”

Great. I’d released a mini apocalypse.

But something he said caught me. “Do what demons do best? You’re a demon.”

“And I work hard to be different.” His gaze was deadly serious.

Hmmm. How hard did he have to work at it?

“See what your book has to say.”

I nodded and flipped open the heavy cover, the scent of old paper and ink wafting toward me. I sucked in deeply and grinned, then started to sift through the pages.

My grin faded once I found the Ubilaz demon. He looked just like I remembered. Scary as hell.

I skimmed the text.

Bingo.

“They’re ancient demons,” I read. “Prone to congregating at the oldest sites in the Underworld because they like the old magic that hovers at those places. The Underworld version of archaeological sites, essentially.”

“So he’ll go to an Earth archaeological site? Or someplace ancient.”

“Probably. If anything, the information will help my seeker sense get a lead on him.”

I skimmed the text, reading a bit more about their grooming—negligible—and their powers—super strength, speed, and poison. I could confirm that.

Now that I was armed with more info, I might have an easier time finding the demon.

The image of the Ubilaz demon didn’t fade as I closed my eyes. I used that, and the memory of the portal it’d escaped from, to try to get a feel for where it was. My dragon sense reached out, seeking.

I got ahold of it almost immediately this time. “It’s in England. Cornwall. Probably the north coast, near Devon.”

“Cornwall?”

“There’s a lot of history there. And the demon had a transport charm, so getting there was no problem.”

“We can take an Underpath. Once in Cornwall, we’ll get a car and track down the demon.”

“What the hell is an Underpath?” I asked.

“A series of portals and pathways that travel through the hells, connecting different places on Earth.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“Because only I can access them.”

“Okay.” That was crazy. “I have a friend who could pick us up when we arrive and take us wherever we need. Melly. She’s a mercenary with a British firm. She’ll know the lay of the land.”

Roarke opened his mouth like he was going to refuse, but then closed it and nodded. “We’ll exit the Underpath in Plymouth. It’s fairly close to Cornwall. If she can meet us at the Hanged Man Pub, that’d be ideal.”

“Right, then. Shall we get started?” I asked. “We’ve got a demon to find.”