the divan. Never had I pictured such vivid brutality in a dream—no, memory. It was a memory. Just as I’d seen Matt’s when we shared a link, I had to be seeing Vane’s memories. The scenes coated my tongue, leaving a sharp and bitter taste. Their impressions in my mind ran deep, but I sensed they only scratched the surface of a staggering horror. How did he survive it?
How did he retain his sanity?
Well, admittedly, he walked close to the line. Until the trident, though, he was in control. Now, I had no idea what he was.
Dammit. I shouldn’t have let him startle me into dropping the amulet. I wanted to know more… a lot more. Although, I wasn’t sure I could handle the knowledge.
The plane dipped and started descending. We had to be getting close to our destination. I pushed open the plastic shutter of a nearby window just a crack. Darkness with a hint of light colored the sky outside as dawn approached. It was a short flight. Under us, blue water stretched out and I wondered where we were.
Raj asked the question for me. He walked down the aisle, having descended from a visit to the cockpit, and stopped in front of Matt. “The pilot says it will be another twenty minutes. Will you tell me where we’re going? Or should I read the signs at the airport?”
Matt gave a small laugh. “Your friends tell me you know it well. We’ll land in Colombo and take a van to Ella.”
“Ella. Colombo,” Raj repeated. “We’re in Sri Lanka.”
Matt’s head bobbed.
Raj continued, “This week is the Vesak Poya festival. Buddha Day.”
“Rather opportune, wouldn’t you say? It’s the prefect time to visit the hidden caves.”
“That’s where you think the Healing Cup is?”
“It’s my best guess,” Matt replied.
“Good enough for me, Master Merlin,” Raj raised his hand, which glowed with red magic. “I will let you know how it turns out.”
“What?” Matt said.
I threw off the blanket and jumped up. “Matt!”
Raj’s attention shifted to me, eyes widening in surprise. “Sword-bearer. This is a surprise. I am not supposed to harm Merlin, but your death would be worth much.” He extended his hand, palm forward, and sent a stream of magic at me. “Mrayati!”
Matt threw himself in front of him. He absorbed the blast. It glanced off him. Matt tossed what looked like a glass vial at Raj. A puff of red dust exploded in Raj’s face. Raj screamed and clutched his throat before slumping to the floor.
I ran down the narrow aisle to Matt. Grabbing his shoulder, I pulled him down a bit and rose up on tiptoes to peer over him. “Is he dead? Are you all right?” I yanked Matt around to face me and started patting his chest. Raj’s blast had hit him dead-on. I demanded, “What was that?”
Matt caught my hands and held them still. A chain dangled from his neck. The topaz gemstone inside it was shattered. “Just because I have no magic, Ryan, doesn’t mean I’m no longer a wizard.”
I relaxed. “A charm.”
“Better than armor, but only good for one use.” Matt yanked off the chain with one hand and tossed it aside.
“You killed him,” said a mild voice from behind Matt.
He jerked sideways. The flight attendant, a slim man with closely cropped hair and a hooked nose, knelt down to Raj. Wearing a simple navy suit and white dress shirt, he held a handgun in a casual grip.
Matt’s fingers tightened on my arm. “Who are you?”
“SIS. Secret Intelligence Service,” Hooked-Nose said. “I was assigned to watch you.”
“Assigned by who? The Queen—” I started to say.
“Don’t tell him anything, Ryan.” Matt stopped me. I blinked when he held up another vial that seemed to come out of nowhere. He demanded, “What do you know of us, Regular?”
“I know that you have about half-a-million pounds worth of magical amulets and potions in that bag.” Hooked-Nose pointed to a black duffel bag tucked under Matt’s seat.
“Half-a-million,” I repeated. I knew that selling magic was lucrative. Grey’s family had gotten rich off that commodity for centuries. Having never bought the stuff, though, I never knew how much. I frowned. “Did you buy it here? How did Raj not know?”
“The local wizards don’t have enough. Magic may have originated here, but the wizard population is still very low. Every ounce is sold as soon they can make it. I didn’t want to take their supply. I took this from Sylvia in Greece as backup.”