King Cave (Forever Evermore, #2)(156)

Except for, at a closer inspection, the tiny jars on the shelves lining the walls. The glasses were golden and inside each of them were items I hastily averted my gaze from. I was pretty sure inside the first ones I had seen there were fingers, small animals, and a shitload of eyeballs. I didn’t look again.

She shut the door behind me. There was no lock. I didn’t expect it. She didn’t need it.

She crossed her arms. “How did you get here, Queen Ruckler?”

My lips thinned at hearing a creak upstairs, like someone was walking around. “I used a knocker.” She knew who I was. “Who else is in the house?”

“No one who will harm you right now,” she mumbled absently, holding out her hand. “Return.” I blinked and stared at her bony hand, and quickly patted my pocket. The knocker was gone from me. Now in her fisted palm.

Fuck, I’ll just have to worry about getting back later.

Absently, she shook the knocker then stopped, and started cackling. “Ah, now…now…” She waggled the knocker. “I had wondered who stole this so long ago.” She chuckled deeply. “He thinks he’s so pure, going along with the universe’s master plan.” She spat to the side, her spit sizzling on the hardwood floor at her feet. “A bona-fide thief, he is, sneaking in here without me knowing.”

Ignoring her rant, I cleared my throat. “I’ve come because—”

She waved the hand with the knocker, shushing me. “I know why you’ve come. The question is, how far will you go to make it happen?” She didn’t wait for my answer, turning and walking into the living room on the left.

I followed, watching her approach a large wooden hutch, which glowed golden. “What do I need to do to save his life?”

She swung open the doors to the hutch, placing the knocker inside. “There are three things that I want from you in return.” Her back was still to me as she spoke and rifled through the cluttered contents of the spelled cabinet. She pulled out a small vial of black and gold liquid and shut the doors, turning to me.

I stared at the, now, locked hutch. “What are those three things?”

“One. You will kill this Mys, if you live through this.” She waved her hand, and suddenly, a translucent image of a man appeared beside her.

I stiffened, knowing him. “Why do you wish for his death?”

She flicked a finger, the image gone. “It is none of your concern.”

I stared where the image had been, my stomach rolling in nausea. “And the second?”

She cackled, glancing over her shoulder to a window then back at me. “Two. When a Mys by the name of Tipkin arrives, you will not disregard him as others do, making the mission he desires happen, if you live through this.”

Well, that one wasn’t so bad. A roll of my shoulders. “The third?”

“Three. You will shoot to kill when needed, if you live through this. The individuals will be unknown to you until it’s time, but I tell you now, it is no one you love or hold dear.”

I started to sweat. That was a lot of murder. “And how do I save Ezra?”

She dangled the vial between us. “You drink this in combination with a spell I will give you. A life has been given willingly. The individual’s vitality is in this liquid. It will be enough to vanquish the silver in his blood.” I hadn’t asked how she knew in the first place, so I wasn’t going to ask how she knew the specifics. “But you have to pull back when you feel the gifted vitality gone from yourself into him. This has only been done three times, that I know of, and each time the individual casting the spell died because they didn’t pull back, pushing their own vitality into the dying.”

I didn’t care if I died. But I did care if I made this deal and I couldn’t get back to King Cave. My eyes went to her hutch. “How am I supposed to get to him from here?”

She waggled a finger at me. “Ah, no, Queen Ruckler. You won’t be receiving that knocker back. But I will give you my word that I will set you directly at where you left. The time passing there, the same as here.” She paused. “If you agree, you will be magically bound to complete these three things. You won’t be able to stop yourself. In the end you won’t have a choice. They will be done. But right now you do have the choice.”

She lifted the vial. “What is it going to be, Queen Ruckler?” She snapped her fingers at me. “I’ve got more company coming who wouldn’t mind you dead, so hurry up with your decision.”

My lips thinned, the woman crazy to believe anyone else was coming to this place. “Won’t you please tell me what that Mys did to you? It won’t weigh so heavily on my conscience.”

She sighed heavily, eyeing me. “You’re as righteous as the man who raised you.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “He deserves his ache.” She studied me, then muttered, “I want him dead enough that I will tell you.” She walked forward, standing directly before me, and my nostrils flared as she said, “He murdered a dear friend of mine in cold blood to better himself.” Truth.

I blinked. Never would I have thought him capable of murder. “I’m sorry for your loss.” She gave me a condescending look but nodded at my words anyway. I would have done the deeds either way because I was going to save my husband, but her words comforted me for the actions I would commit. “You have a deal.”