Page 171 of The Demon's Spell

He pulled a box from his pocket and opened it. I could hardly believe my eyes. Inside sat the teal ring I’d spotted months ago. Sparkling teal stones swirled with clear diamonds and hugged a shimmering diamond in the center.

“We should get you out of here before the vandals come back,” I said.

But he didn’t move. He just stood there, eyeing me curiously. “You’re Lucas Taylor, aren’t you? The Reaper’s Apprentice?”

My mouth went dry. He probably wanted to hang me, too. “I am. What’s your name?”

“Theodore Knox,” he introduced himself. Then he took the ring out of the box and held it up to me. “Paraiba tourmaline and diamonds. This ring will calm the mind, promote wisdom in the wearer, and help the wearer make good choices about their future.”

I took a step back. “That’s great and all, but we should really go.”

“I’ll find my own way out,” he said, before placing the ring back in the box. Then he took my hand and curled my fingers around it. “I believe in you and the priestess. I want you to have this.”

I shoved the box back at him. “You were just robbed. I can’t take this. You need to sell it, in order to survive.”

“What I need is for you and Priestess Nadine to save our people,” he insisted.

I thought of the sign he had out front. All Casts Welcome. This man had been willing to risk his business—risk his life—for our cause.

“You don’t have to give this to me,” I insisted.

“This ring is all I have left. Take it as a reminder that there are people in the coven who stand by you. Don’t let them break you, Lucas. We need you.”

My heart swelled as I looked down at the ring. I’d been thinking about this ring for months, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever own it. I thought about slipping it on Nadine’s finger, and nothing had ever felt so right. It was like no conflict existed at all, because all I could think was that I was going to ask Nadine to marry me. I didn’t know how, and I didn’t know when the wedding would happen, but even in the midst of all this, I wanted to be her husband, for however long we had left.

He placed the box in my hands again and pushed me. “Go, before they find you.”

“What about you—?”

“I’m not the one they want to hang. Leave, hurry!” He shoved me.

I hurried out of the shop and glanced around. I didn’t see the police, so I made a break for Verla’s car. I tucked everything I’d found into the glove compartment, then reached for the ignition.

Before I could turn the car on, someone yanked the door open. I didn’t see who it was before I was dragged to the ground. They must’ve been waiting for me.

I tried to create a shield, until I realized I was still affected by the Waning. Someone smashed my face against the asphalt, and I felt the cool metal of noxite cuffs being slapped onto my wrists.

“Lucas Taylor,” a deep voice barked. Sheriff Baker.

“I’m not stealing the car. I swear!” I cried.

“You are under arrest by order of the Imperium Council.”

I gritted my teeth. “Yesterday wasn’t enough for you people?”

“This is another matter entirely,” Baker said. I heard footsteps and knew he wasn’t alone. “You’re under arrest for conspiracy to overthrow the Imperium Council. You have the right to remain silent—”

“Overthrow? I never intended—”

“Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law,” Baker said. Something hard pressed into my back, and I stilled. “Come willingly, or you’ll be shot with noxite darts. They’ll knock you out, so I don’t suggest fighting back if you want a chance to plead your case.”

Baker yanked me to my feet and shoved me into the back of a squad car. I turned the best I could to look out the back window. As I rode away, I saw the other officers pulling things out of the car. An officer dug into the glove compartment and opened the jewelry box. Horror tangled in my gut when he saw it was of no interest and tossed the box into the street.

Of all the things the Miriamic Coven had done to us, that was one of the most heartbreaking. I’d only had the ring for five minutes, but I’d already decided I was going to use it to propose. It was a promise I’d already made to myself and to Nadine. No matter what happened, I was here to stay. Now it felt as if that choice was being stripped from me, too.

The officers were not kind when they dragged me into the station. Sheriff Baker followed behind, as if I was such a threat I needed a whole battalion to keep me in line. I kept my head down and didn’t say a word, until I heard the sound of Nadine’s voice. “Ow, that hurts!”

I must’ve been hearing things, because Nadine was back at Verla’s. How could they have found her?

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