Page 107 of Ancient Magic

“Impossible,” Micha snapped.

It wasn’t that he cared if other species possessed the ability to rise from the dead. But his vast research had never hinted at any other species utilizing that particular form of immortality.

“Or he passed his magic through his bloodline,” Azra continued in hard tones. Obviously he didn’t appreciate Micha’s interruption.

Skye made a sound of surprise. “A child?”

“Yes.”

Micha tucked away the knowledge that the strange creatures seemed capable of producing offspring. When all this was over he intended to spend some serious time gathering every scrap of information that had been written about the Dragon Treaty and who had been involved in the creation of the document.

Well, first he intended to devote several centuries to making Skye Claremont the happiest woman on the planet. After that he could spend some time learning about the secretive demons that were walking among them. And if they might be a threat.

“The dragons have been hibernating for at least thirteen thousand years. What took her so long to sense it?”

“Zanna claimed that the power doesn’t always manifest. In fact, it’s very rare.”

Ah. Micha nodded. That explained how they managed to remain so secretive. If there were less than a handful of the creatures in the world, then it would be easy to remain hidden.

“But a hundred years ago it woke her from her slumber,” Azra continued.

“A century is a blink of the eye for most immortals, but if Zanna was so eager to leave her prison, why wait to break free?” Micha demanded.

“She was waiting for the best candidate to bend to her will,” Azra said smoothly, glancing toward Lynx. “When she found him, she reached out to me.”

“Okay. That explains what the fairy is doing here. But why you?” Micha was genuinely curious. It was vital to know if the dragon had reached out to any other demons or vampires. “Why did the dragon queen trust you as her...”

“Colleague,” Azra asserted as Micha struggled against the urge to call him a servant. Or more likely a slave. Any vampire who trusted a dragon was a fool. “Because of my very unique skills, of course. Zanna was able to touch my mind, but more importantly, I could join with hers. I could see exactly what she needed and how to waken her from her hibernation. We melded together to forge a partnership that promised to be beneficial for both of us.” Folding his hands in front of his waist, Azra deliberately resumed his appearance of the calm, unflappable servant that they’d known for so long. It was a façade that Micha now realized had always been a lie. This male had obviously been a seething mass of resentment for centuries. “Plus, no one would ever suspect me of plotting with the enemy.” His lips twisted into a sneer. “I’m just Ambassador Azra, right? A male with no thoughts or ambitions of my own. Invisible.”

Micha battled back his surge of disgust at how easily the male had fooled the Cabal. Not to mention Sinjon, who was going to be furious when he discovered how Azra had abused his position of power.

“How did you locate the fairy?”

Azra shrugged. “Zanna could offer me the general location, although it took a few months to make certain that it was the fairy who she was sensing. And even then I continued to monitor him.” The male cast a disdainful glance toward Lynx. “I couldn’t believe such a pathetic creature could be related to a male who had the power to command dragons.”

Micha flicked a glance over the fairy, who was visibly struggling to open his sealed lips. “Why create this elaborate hoax? Couldn’t you just tell him the truth?”

“No one was allowed to know the truth, no one but me,” Azra snapped. He paused, regaining control of his temper. “Besides, after studying the fairy, I determined he would be easy enough to manipulate. Like most demons he was desperate for glory. And there was the added benefit of his hatred for vampires. I could use both to my advantage.”

“By pretending you knew the location of the Tempest?”

“I sent Igor to befriend him first. Then, when I was certain he’d earned his trust, I had Igor offer him the diary.”

“Ah yes, the diary. Where did you find it?”

Azra sent him a smug smile. “I didn’t.”

“It’s a fake?” Micha demanded before he could halt the startled words. Then he clicked his tongue, silently conceding the male had been very clever. “Of course it is. How better to get the fairy to believe he was some mystical hero?”

“Exactly. It was a work of art. Truly. I even added a sketch that looked like the fairy to add to the illusion.”

“Impressive,” Micha conceded.

Azra tried and failed not to ooze conceited satisfaction. “The demons had already created a dozen myths about a legendary sword that could destroy vampires. And conveniently they believed it was the one that was hidden in your territory, despite the fact it had killed hundreds of them. I simply changed a few of the details so the fairy would believe that the myths were true but that the actual sword had been hidden in this temple, and he needed the crystal to find it.”

“Is there an actual Tempest?” Micha asked.

Azra blinked, as if he’d never considered the question. “I have no idea.”

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