Ancient Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress #1)(35)

“There might not be a link. Just because they’re the same species doesn’t mean they all know about us. That other demon might have known because he was ancient and could sense it.”

“Yeah, maybe,” I said. “But we haven’t stayed alive this long by assuming things are coincidences.”

“True.”

“There was also a man there. A Magica. But he didn’t give a crap about me. Grabbed the scroll and left.”

“Well that’s good.”

“Yeah. But we have our concealment charms, so maybe that’s why.”

“At least they’re still working.”

“They’d better be,” I said. “They cost a freaking fortune. But we need to call Del. Warn her to keep her guard up. Just in case.”

“I’ll do it. You need to rest.”

“Yeah. I think I might go talk to Dr. Garriso. He could know more about that kind of demon.” There were hundreds of kinds. I didn’t know them all—or even most of them. Half the time I made up names for them based on what they looked like. I called these ones shadow demons because they were gray. Not very clever.

“I can do it. You really do look like you’re about to pass out.”

“No, I want to. I can describe them best. I’ll do it after I take a nap.”

“Fine. And tomorrow you’ll find the scroll and destroy it. We’ll deal with your nightmare man when the time comes. We’ve always known we were on the run. Eventually, we’ll get caught.”

“Then we fight.”

“If we have to, yes.”

“But how do we do that without magic?”

“I don’t know.” Distress was thick in Nix’s voice. “We’ve repressed most of what we have to stay safe. But if there’s a bigger threat out there than the Prison for Magical Miscreants, we’re screwed.”

“Then you think we should practice our magic?” Practicing would mean I wouldn’t feel like hell after using it, but that wouldn’t do me any good if I got caught.

“I don’t know. Is this scroll—and whoever is looking for us—a bigger threat than being thrown in prison?”

“We’re digging into our past with this scroll. Maybe this whole thing will lead us to our parents.” Hope flared in my chest, though I knew it was stupid. They were probably dead. Or they were the ones we were running from.

I hated not knowing.

“I don’t want to hope for that,” Nix said. “We’ve made a good life for ourselves here. I want to look to the future.”

I nodded. Though I’d love to find my parents, I agreed. Our first five years on the run had been horrible. We’d laid low out of fear, sticking to back alleys and abandoned farms, stealing only what wouldn’t be noticed. If we’d been any less afraid, we might have used our magic more and been caught.

As it was, we’d gotten ourselves tangled up in some ugly messes. But we’d made it out. We’d survived and learned about the world. Found our way to Magic’s Bend and built our shop.

I had to find this scroll and destroy it. We couldn’t lose the life we’d worked so hard for.

Nix rubbed my shoulder and got to her feet. “Get some rest. I’m going to call Del.”

“Thanks,” I said as she left.

When the door shut behind her, I flopped back onto the couch and stared at the ceiling. Sweat and dust covered my skin. It itched.

I should get up and shower.

Instead, I slowly careened over onto the couch.

Sometime later—hours or minutes, I had no idea—the sound of rain on the windows woke me. I scrubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand and squinted into the dark night. The clock by the door indicated that it was past nine.

My mouth tasted like a rodent had died in it, and I was still as gross as ever.

Excellent.

But when I stood, I felt better. Like I’d just recovered from a bad case of the flu, but at least I could walk to the shower.

Careful not to rub any of the dried blood off my daggers, I took them into the bedroom. Normally I stored them on my bedside table, but the blood on Righty was the only link to the Magica who’d stolen the scroll.

That made it the most valuable thing I owned. And valuable things belonged in the trove, hidden away from all but me.

I laid my hand on the hidden door in my bedroom. The enchantment unlocked at my touch, and I pushed the door open.

I flicked on the light, a sense of calm flowing over me as the golden light reflected off the leather and metal stacked neatly on shelves and hung from racks. It was like a library, shelves and aisles of the things I valued most. Though part of me coveted gold whenever I saw it, I thought that was more of a knee-jerk reaction, because whenever I had money to spend, the first things I looked for were leather goods and weaponry.

I walked toward the back, making my way slowly so that I could absorb as much calm as possible from my favorite place.

At the very back corner, I dropped to my knees. My least valuable boots and jackets were stored back here, but it was a facade. I pushed aside a pair of older boots and pressed my hand to the tiny, invisible door.

My touch ignited the spell and it popped open. The battered golden locket that I’d been wearing when I’d woken in that field ten years ago glinted. Once, I’d hoped it’d lead me to my parents, but I’d been wrong.