When Darkness Ends (Guardians of Eternity #12)(30)

Cyn’s finger halted at a hieroglyph that was made up of interconnecting circles. “This is a portal and these are the veils that divide the dimensions.” He moved to a half-moon shape with a line through it. “I don’t recognize this.”

Fallon’s breath tangled in her throat. “It’s Chatri.”

“What does it say?”

“Destruction.”

There was a long, uneasy silence as they exchanged wary glances.

Finally Cyn asked the question that was obviously troubling him.

“Of the veils?”

Levet clicked his tongue, his wings drooping. “Not again.”

“No.” Fallon leaned forward, reading the part written in Chatri symbols. “It says ‘the destruction of pathways.’” She pointed toward the end of the page. “And here. ‘The entrances shall be forever closed.’” She paused, rereading the passages several times before she finally lifted her head to meet Cyn’s searching gaze. “I think this is a spell to close portals. All portals.”

Cyn frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It would mean the end of travel between dimensions,” Levet said, his brow furrowed.

Cyn frowned. “That’s it? That’s all this spell does?”

“All?” Fallon pressed a hand to her heart. “It’s . . .” She shook her head, too horrified to even come up with the words. The mere idea of closing travel between dimensions was insanity. Instead she turned her attention to the tiny gargoyle. “Is that possible?”

“That is the question, is it not?” Levet muttered, rubbing one of his stunted horns.

Fallon’s shock shifted to fury. “If there is a spell that can prevent portals from being formed—even portals that open from place to place within this world—how would the fey travel?”

Cyn folded his arms over his chest, clearly baffled by Fallon’s outrage.

“They would be forced to use human technology,” he said with a shrug. “Or use their feet like demons were meant to do.”

She sent the vampire a frustrated frown, her earlier pleasure in being treated as an equal forgotten at his complete lack of empathy for the fey.

Was he always so annoying or did he make a special effort just for her?

“Don’t you understand?” she snapped. “My people would be completely cut off from this dimension.”

He gave another shrug. “You’ve been cut off for centuries.”

“By choice,” she said through gritted teeth. Then she grimaced, realizing she wasn’t being entirely honest. “Or at least the choice of my father,” she clarified.

Levet deliberately cleared his throat. “And fairies wouldn’t be the only demons either forced to return to their homelands or be separated from their families for the rest of eternity.”

The thick-skulled vampire abruptly stiffened. “Santiago.”

“Precisely. Not that I particularly care about your ill-mannered friend.” Levet gave a small sniff. “But lovely Nefri and her clan would be forever cut off from this world,” he continued, referring to the vampires that had chosen to live beyond the Veil. “And there is no way to predict exactly what the closures will do to the demons who remain here.”

“What does that mean?” Cyn pressed.

Fallon made a sound of disgust. “Typical. You didn’t care what happened to the fey, but now that it affects vampires—”

“Magic comes into this world in many forms.” Levet hastily interrupted. “Some is the natural residue from demons, but there is a great deal that seeps through the veils that separate our dimensions.”

Fallon sucked in a deep breath, regaining her composure. Damn the oversized, arrogant . . . aggravatingly gorgeous vampire. She’d never realized she even possessed a temper until he’d come crashing into her world.

“This spell would stop the magic?” she asked, determined to concentrate on the looming disaster.

Levet nodded. “Oui.”

Naturally Cyn had to intrude. “What happens to the demons who depend on it?”

“All demons depend on magic to survive.” Levet deliberately held Cyn’s gaze. “Even vampires.”

His jaw clenched. “You didn’t answer the question.”

“It’s impossible to know for certain,” the gargoyle confessed. “But there’s a very real possibility that our powers will begin to fade until we—”

“Die,” Cyn completed the sentence.

The harsh word hung in the air before Levet gave a slow nod of his head.

“That is my fear.”

Fallon pressed a hand to her throat. As a Chatri princess she could return to her homeland, but what of all the lesser fey who would die? Not to mention all the other demons who would be trapped and condemned to a slow, painful death.

“Why would anyone even consider closing the portals?” she choked out.

“I intend to find out. But first . . .” Cyn glared in Levet’s direction. “Can you get in touch with Siljar? She needs to know what we’ve discovered.”

The gargoyle wrinkled his snout. “I can try.”

Taking several steps backward, the gargoyle gave a dramatic lift of his hands, his eyes closed as he sent some sort of mental message to the Oracle.