Trial by Fae (Dragon's Gift The Dark Fae #1) - Linsey Hall Page 0,10
them. It grew colder and damper as I descended. The wound on my finger was already healing, courtesy of an enchantment. It only worked on my finger, but it came in handy when you had to use blood magic so often.
About halfway down, metal spikes shot out of the wall. I stopped abruptly. The points pressed into my skin, not breaking the surface but threatening all the same. This place was so important that we’d installed safety measures to protect it.
Recently, we’d changed them to the metal spikes, and I still wasn’t used to them.
My heart thundered as I carefully shifted my hand and allowed one of the spikes to pierce my skin. The thirsty metal drank up my blood, testing me. Eventually, the metal spikes retracted back into the wall, allowing me to pass. Aeri would go through the same test, but I didn’t look back to check on her. She’d be fine.
I sprinted down to the next level. The steps lengthened here, forming a small platform. I stopped, standing perfectly still. Quickly, pale gray smoke began to fill the air. I breathed it in, trying to ignore the memory of the smoke that had entranced me into kissing the mysterious man.
I mean no harm. Let me pass. I recited the thought in my mind, letting the smoke fill my lungs. It froze my limbs solid, making it impossible for me to move. The enchanted fog would read my true intentions and make sure they were pure.
If they weren’t, I’d stand here frozen forever.
Over and over again, I repeated the mantra. Eventually, the smoke faded and the freezing grip on my muscles ceased.
I hurried down, finally reaching the cavern far below the main house. It’d been no coincidence that we’d chosen this place to live. Every demon slayer had a well of power near their home. It was our conduit for contacting the Council, and the magic in the pool could be used to enhance our own power.
Very rarely, we’d bring people down here to perform important magic—but only people we trusted. Even then, we didn’t tell them what the pool really was. Instead, we told them that we’d bought the place and the pool from a witch who retired to Florida to play Canasta.
They always bought it.
We were excellent liars.
The pool sparkled in the middle of the dark cavern. Aeri joined me, and we approached. I yanked off my boots and socks and stepped into the cool blue water. Aeri followed, and we gripped hands.
“Here we be, let us see,” we chanted, our voices growing louder.
Tension thrummed in my muscles as we waited.
Enchanted water lapped at my legs as I chanted, “Here we be, let us see.”
Magic swirled on the air, glittering blue and bright. It moved faster, a tornado of sparkles that was almost blinding. The air popped. The magic faded.
A figure rose from the middle of the pool. Her form was ephemeral, her features strange. She was more ghost than person, though not quite either. Often, she was crotchety and irritable, but I’d grown to care for her.
“Agatha.” I inclined my head out of respect.
She was our contact with the Council, an unusual type of supernatural who could travel through Wells of Power. She drifted toward us, her mouth set in a firm line.
“What is it?” Aeri asked. “What’s gone wrong?”
“Hold your horses.” She stopped in front of us. “We have need of you. There is a dark power rising in the Fae Kingdom of the Seelie Court.”
“The Seelie Court? In Scotland?”
Holy fates. Like the man I’d just met. I thought I’d never seen a Seelie Fae, but I’d been wrong. They were so reclusive and mysterious that they’d achieved almost mythical status amongst supernaturals. Considering that our numbers were made up of vampires, witches, mages, and shifters, that was saying something. Other Fae walked the earth and weren’t uncommon, but the Seelie Fae were never seen.
Except I’d just seen one.
And I might be his mate.
Which was something I needed to take care of, since I definitely didn’t want to be.
“The very same,” Agatha said. “There is demonic energy coming from their kingdom in greater quantities than we’ve ever seen. It has a signature of brimstone and putrid night lilies, but it is impossible to trace as it is completely unique.”
My heart stuttered.
Brimstone and putrid night lilies.
Holy fates. My mother.
According to Aunt, that was my mother’s signature. And like Agatha had said, it was completely unique. Could it possibly be her?