An End of Night (A Shade of Vampire #16)(24)

When I was certain that he was nowhere in sight, I stepped inside the cave and looked around. It was empty, except for a long object at one end of the room. I approached it cautiously, and, nearing it, realized that it was some kind of casket. It was empty and lined with a thin sheet. I bent down closer, examining the ridges and then the interiors. I caught sight of something black and very thin within one of the folds of the sheet. I thought at first that it might be the leg of a spider, partially obscured by the fabric. But as I straightened the sheet, I realized that it was a black hair.

“I sense vampire in here.” A voice spoke behind me, causing me to almost jump out of my skin.

I breathed out in relief to see that it was just Micah.

“I figured that you might be able to make use of my sense of smell,” he said.

He approached and peered down over my shoulder. Clutching the hair in my hand, I walked toward the exit so that I could see better.

Micah, who had followed me, dipped his head down and sniffed the hair. We locked eyes, and he nodded. “That is the hair of a vampire.”

My heartbeat quickened as a theory came crashing down on me at once.

“Rhys hid Magnus in here,” I breathed.

I walked back over to the container and studied its edges more closely. I could tell in ways that an untrained eye couldn’t that this casket had once been sealed by a spell. I hurried back to the open wall, examining the edges of the entrance, and could see the same thing here—Rhys had secured this place.

“Why was Rhys looking for Magnus if he was supposed to be in here all along?”

“Magnus must have gotten out somehow.” I backed into a corner and slid down along the wall, thinking furiously.

If Rhys had imprisoned Magnus, it made total sense. He was valuable to Rhys—almost as valuable as Lilith herself. Because if something ever happened to Magnus, she would be at risk.

But then what happened to the vampire?

I knew how strong Rhys was—even if he had brought Magnus here many years ago when he wasn’t as developed in his powers, he had still been a powerful warlock. Powerful enough for a vampire to be unable to escape.

Micah tried to talk to me again, but I silenced him. Now more than ever, I needed to be lost in my own thoughts. It did not take me long to realize what must have happened.

Because there was only one way Magnus could have broken Rhys’ spell.

Someone more powerful than Rhys must have set Magnus free.

I shot to my feet.

I knew exactly where we had to go now.

The Sanctuary’s graveyard.

Where this journey started.

Where it must end.

Chapter 17: Isolde

What the hell is that man thinking?

If my nephew had told me that he would be gone this long, I never would have agreed to it.

Lilith had already woken up, and I was expecting her to ask to begin the ritual at any moment. I had been avoiding going inside her chambers, and I had told Julisse to do the same. We just made sure to make ourselves available if she called for us. Truth be told, I’d thought that she would have called us in long before now to say that she was ready.

She had needed some time to recover and adjust to her new body, but I was surprised that she didn’t feel prepared by now. As strange as it was, I didn’t pay it too much thought. I was just grateful that she was taking her time. We could only hope that Rhys would hurry up, and that nothing had happened to him.

I knew the value that Magnus’s presence could bring to the ritual—of course I did—but the fact was that we could still do it without the vampire. The chance of success would just be somewhat less.

I found myself unable to sit still and instead paced up and down the castle corridors, thinking over all the details of the ritual we were about to perform and ironing out everything in my mind until I felt confident that I hadn’t overlooked anything.

I had been so wrapped up in my own thoughts and worries, I had not noticed someone approaching behind me. I jolted as a voice spoke my name. My voice caught in my throat when I saw that it was Lilith. Standing in all her youthfulness, she wore a dark dress trimmed with lace that clung tight to her shapely body. I still had not gotten used to seeing her like this—I still saw the skeletal form I had been around for too many years to count.

I was surprised to see her out of her room. Until now, she had always requested that we go in to see her.

“What can I do for you?” I asked, even as I anticipated her answer. She is ready for the ritual. What else would she have come out for?

“I would like some more time alone before the ritual,” she said, her voice smooth and pleasing to the ear.

I barely believed my ears.

“Oh, of course,” I said, “you should take as much time as you need to prepare.”

She nodded slowly. “I… I shall be gone from this castle for a while—though I don’t anticipate being gone much more than a day.”

This was even more strange. I couldn’t imagine where she would want to go outside the castle. But I wasn’t about to ask. I was just relieved that she wasn’t ready to start the ritual yet. If she had said that she was, I would have no way to explain to her why Rhys wasn’t here. I wasn’t willing to tell her about Magnus—at least not yet. Nobody knew how she would react on learning that her order to stay away from Magnus had been disobeyed. We ought to wait until the very last minute before revealing him—once the ritual had already commenced and she was less likely to protest.