“Even if you have seen these stones, how could you possibly get close enough to steal them? What is it that you want so badly that you are willing to take such a risk?”
"I have my reasons. Now is neither the time nor place to discuss them," said Mona sharply.
"Damn your reasons," Cypher spat. “Get out of my realm, witch."
“Have you taken a mate, great King?” Mona asked quickly, before the King could get away.
Cypher turned, slowly freezing her with his narrow, eerie, glowing eyes. “What would know of warlocks and their mates?” His words were a growl and the threat in them was not lost on Mona.
“I know that the females of your race are dying out. I know that your own magic has waned ever since the Fae left this realm and took so much of the power with them. I know that you, like the wolves, are much more powerful when mated.” Mona began to walk in a slow circle, taking measured steps as she reeled the warlock King in with her promises. “What if I told you that I can get you a mate? You can begin to rebuild your race and, with the stones, you can ensure that you get your magic back.”
She could tell immediately that Cypher was intrigued. His lips tightened as he considered.
Finally he spoke. “I need to consider your offer and discuss it with my clan.”
“Surely you, as their King, do not need their permission.” Mona sneered.
Cyper growled and was in her face in the blink of an eye. “Watch yourself, witch. Appearances are not always what they seem. Speak to me with such disrespect again and you will discover firsthand whether or not we have lost as much magic as you assume.”
Mona raised her hands in surrender and took a slow step back. “I meant no disrespect, King. I will be close, so simply speak my name on the wind and I will hear you.” She backed away, careful to continue facing the King, and climbed onto Octavian.
“One more thing,” she said as she turned to go. “Consider this – are your people moving forward or backward? Can you survive the future in your current state? Where do you see your clan in a decade, or a century?” With that, she turned her steed and took off at a run.
Cypher watched as the witch took her leave. He realized that she knew she was pushing her limits with his patience. He had to admit that her offer was very tempting. But he was a realistic being; he knew it would not be as simple as she made out.
“Desdemona,” he thought to himself. He knew of her, knew of the evil that had taken root deep inside her. If she had come to the point of doing something as desperate as trying to steal the stones of the Fae, then there was no hope left for her, regardless of what she had planned.
He also knew of the darkness inside his own spirit. Over the centuries, Cypher’s clan had slowly been forced into extinction because of the Fae’s selfishness and disregard for the other supernaturals in this realm. He had willingly turned to dark magic in an attempt to save the females of his race. What he did not know was that once the evil was allowed through even the smallest opening, even with the best of intentions, it could not be controlled. It had a will of its own, creeping into the dark places of a being’s heart and feeding said being’s thoughts and desires.
One day he had woken up and realized that the help had only been an illusion, a lie so carefully crafted into such an appealing idea that he hadn’t even realized it had slowly ensnared him and his clan. He believed that he had reached the point of no return. He was convinced that his heart was so dark that any amount of light that attempted to pierce the darkness would be immediately extinguished. If this was the case, then aiding Desdemona wouldn’t be adding to the darkness inside him. But, if by some small miracle there was a chance for him, then helping the witch might seal his fate, and he would be controlled forever by the evil that he'd naively welcomed with open arms.
~
Peri sat with Adam and Elle in the library of the Serbian pack mansion. She had summoned them after leaving the council of the Fae and asked them to help her gather information through their underground connections in the supernatural realm to see if there was any word of Mona or her workings. Peri had talked to a warlock that confessed to speaking with Mona, but he would not discuss what they had talked about. Adam and Elle had been able to follow a faint trail of magic from the In Between Veil through the Carpathian Mountains. Based upon the direction Desdemona was heading, Peri believed that she was heading into the Bulgarian Mountains. That couldn’t be a good thing, considering that according to the last rumor Peri had heard, there was a warlock King and his clan residing there.
“Desdemona must be getting desperate if she's seeking help from someone who could destroy her,” Adam pointed out the same thought Peri had just had.
“She’s getting desperate if she would even consider unleashing demons from the Veil on this world.” Peri added.
“What are we going to do?” Elle asked. “If our own people won’t help what chance do we have?”
Peri took a deep breath. Adam and Elle had known Peri for a very long time and this was the first time they had ever seen her truly worried.
“I’m going to use the stones to petition the Great Luna.”
Elle gasped. “It’s that bad?”
Peri looked at her two friends, her comrades in arms. She wouldn’t lie to them. It wouldn’t be fair. After all, they were sacrificing to be here with her.
“The Werewolf Wars and the Great Purge were cakewalks compared to what it will be like if those demons are allowed on this side of the veil.” Peri stood. “You two need to lay low until the meeting tomorrow night. I’m going to have to get closer to the Veil so that I can draw on its power and add it to my own and that of the stones.”
“Perizada, you watch yourself.” Adam’s eyes narrowed. “You know there are many who would not hesitate to send you into the next life to get their hands on those stones.”
Peri’s lips curled up in a small smile. “Adam, even as old as you are you are still so very young. You do realize who you are speaking to, correct?”
Elle grinned and Adam tried to hide his own. “Yes, I know you are...what does the Serbian’s mate say? A bad ass?”
“You’d do well not to forget that, fairy boy.”