When Darkness Ends (Guardians of Eternity #12)(63)

Anthony gave another tug on the thread, forcing the demon to pluck the crystal from the box. More sweat dribbled down his face as the demon instinctively tried to resist Anthony’s compulsion.

It’d been a battle they’d fought several times, although the Mosnoff had no memory of Anthony’s “tests.”

Usually Anthony could compel the demon to this point, and then the Mosnoff would refuse to go any further.

This time, however, he grimly forced the demon to cross the room to the fireplace that warmed the chilled cavern. Then, with one last burst of power, he coerced the Mosnoff to toss the irreplaceable family heirloom directly into the flames.

The crystal landed in the fire, the soul that had been stored inside the quartz swiftly becoming unstable. Within seconds it had reached a critical point and combusted into a hundred tiny shards.

Through the thread, Anthony could feel the horror as the demon watched one of his beloved ancestors being lost to the flames.

Still, Anthony managed to maintain control long enough to urge the Mosnoff back to his bed and back to sleep.

Only when the demon was snoring did Anthony release his hold and lift a shaky hand to wipe the sweat from his face.

He’d done it.

Granted, he’d only be in control of one Oracle, but it was one of the strongest of the Commission. And he’d made the demon destroy one of his relatives.

An act that could only be forced by having complete command of the creature.

Stepping away from the flame, Anthony sucked in a deep breath.

He had to believe that the experiment proved he had gained the necessary control to compel the Oracles to complete the spell.

It didn’t matter whether or not Keeley had revealed his plans. Or if the Chatri were here to try and stop him.

He could feel time swiftly slipping away from him.

If he was going to strike it had to be soon.

Grimacing at the fine tremors that shook his body, Anthony turned to head back to his house. Before he did anything, he had to rest.

He was still in the circle when a silvery chime echoed through the cavern, making Anthony stiffen in outrage.

“Intruders.” Turning on his heel, he headed back to the altar. “Damn.”

Tonya stepped out of the portal with a shiver.

The air was certainly warmer despite the fact it was night, but there was a weird sensation that brushed over her skin.

As if she’d just stepped through an invisible web.

Tonya hated spiders.

“Where are we?” she demanded, unconsciously brushing her hands over her bare arms. Dammit, why had she decided to wear a barely there spandex dress?

Okay, that was a stupid question.

She’d put on the outfit because she wanted to make Magnus drool.

Now she wished she’d chosen a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

Moving to stand beside her, Magnus glanced around the untamed fields that were divided by waist-high fences built of gray stone. In the distance were rolling hills and a thatch-roofed cottage that was tucked into a small valley.

“Ireland,” he at last said.

“How odd.”

Magnus narrowed his gaze. “More than odd.”

She sent him a confused frown. “What are you talking about?”

“Cyn is the clan chief of Ireland,” he said, the words clipped.

“That’s not a newsflash,” she muttered, wondering what bug had crawled up the prince’s ass this time.

“Now we track the killer to his homeland.”

Ah. Now she got it.

“Are you implying Cyn was the killer?” she demanded.

His features tightened at her blatant incredulity.

“He did send Fallon to lure Styx away from his lair, no doubt knowing that I would follow.”

“Why would Cyn sneak around?” She shook her head. “If he wanted the imp dead, then he could have demanded that Styx hand over his prisoner. It’s not like Styx would have cared what happened to a fey who’d already betrayed him once.”

He waved aside her logic in his usual princely fashion. Jackass.

“Perhaps he feared the imp had information he didn’t want the King of Vampires to know.”

“Information?”

Magnus shrugged, his gaze scanning the dark countryside, almost as if he sensed some sort of approaching danger.

“He’s holding a Chatri princess in his lair,” he said, his tone absent. “We can’t truly know that he isn’t using her for his own nefarious purpose.”

A sharp, unexpected jealousy sliced through her heart.

It was . . . insane.

She was never jealous. She had no interest in holding on to a lover who’d turned his attention to another female. After all, there were plenty of males anxious to earn a place in her bed.

But there was no mistaking the ugly anger that was twisting her stomach at the mere mention of Fallon’s name.

“So you’re suddenly worried about your fiancée?” she ground out.

He sent her a wry smile. “Did you not want me to display more compassion?”

“Whatever,” she muttered, giving a toss of her head as she headed toward a narrow lane.

The voice of reason had told her not to come with Magnus on his search for the magic-user. It’d warned her that spending more time in this man’s company was a mistake.