Page 34 of Ancient Magic

A blast of heat swirled through the vehicle as Lynx’s aura flared with streaks of silver.

“Don’t mistake my desire to remain polite for weakness, Skye Claremont,” he warned in soft tones.

Skye shivered. Clearly Lynx wasn’t in the mood for games either. “Why do you need me?”

“You’re the best friend of Valen’s mate. A welcome guest.”

Comprehension crashed into Skye. He wanted her to gain access to Valen. Or more likely to Peri.

Suddenly she remembered Micha’s suggestion that the demons had lured her to the pub last night to force Peri into using her wild magic. She’d dismissed the idea. Now, she wasn’t nearly so confident the vampire had been leaping to conclusions.

“What do you want with Peri?”

“I swear on my life I won’t lay a finger on her.”

Lynx leaned forward, shoving his arm over the seats that separated them from the goblin driver. There was an awkward pause before Lynx snapped his fingers and the goblin muttered something beneath his breath before he hurriedly yanked open the glove box to pull out something.

Turning, he dropped a velvet bag onto Lynx’s upraised palm before whirling back around to grab the steering wheel in a death grip. As if he expected to be punished for not being prepared. Lynx, however, merely leaned back and opened the bag to withdraw a golden chain with a small amulet attached. He slid it over his head, allowing it to nestle against the hollow at the base of his throat. The smell of cloves swirled through the air, revealing the amulet was infused with a powerful spell. A second later, Skye realized exactly what it was. There was a tingle in the air as the golden medallion touched his skin, then a shimmering cobweb floated around him, altering his features and darkening his hair to black.

A disguise amulet.

It didn’t fully change his appearance, but his features were thicker and his face rounded while his body looked fifty pounds heavier. Plus, it muted his aura until it was so dim he could pass as a human. Anyone searching for a demon wouldn’t recognize him.

He handed the bag to Yugan, and a second later Skye could feel the same magic coming from the male on the other side of her. Obviously money was no object, she silently acknowledged. A disguise amulet was illegal and cost thousands of dollars on the black market.

Once the spell had taken full effect, Lynx shrugged out of his jacket, revealing a blue denim shirt. Skye’s brows snapped together as she caught sight of the patch sewn on the pocket.

Witch’s Brew

“Take us past the front desk, and no one gets hurt, got it?” Lynx commanded.

Biting back her demand to know where he’d gotten his shirt, Skye focused on the reason she was sitting in the SUV in the first place.

“I’m not doing anything until you release Clarissa.”

His eyes flared with annoyance, but pulling out his phone, Lynx hit a number on the screen. It rang once before the sound of a male voice floated through the speaker.

“Yeah?”

“Wait ten minutes and return to the safehouse,” Lynx said.

“What about the woman?”

“Make sure she understands the cost of telling anyone about our visit and then leave her there.”

“You’re sure?” There was a short pause before the servant realized that it wasn’t smart to question the boss. “Right. Got it. I’ll see ya at the—”

Lynx cut short the babbling and shoved the phone back into his pocket. “Satisfied?”

“Not even a little,” Skye muttered.

With a shrug, Lynx shoved open the door of the vehicle and climbed out. He motioned Skye to follow. Skye ground her teeth, grudgingly obeying as she scooted across the seat and stepped onto the sidewalk. She didn’t have time to form an actual plan, which meant she was going to have to improvise.

Shifting through various ideas, each worse than the last, Skye barely noticed as Lynx grabbed her elbow and tugged her through the glass doors into the lobby. It wasn’t until his fingers tightened and sent jolts of pain up her arm that she realized a uniformed guard had moved to block their path.

“Oh, hi, Mercado,” she murmured, recognizing the tall, muscular demon who studied her with a dark gaze. “I’m here to see Peri.” She managed a weak smile as she waved her hand toward the males on either side of her. “They’re with me.”

His gaze flicked over the strangers, no doubt taking note of the Witch’s Brew badges sewn onto the shirts and the lack of an aura. As far as he was concerned they were mere humans who worked at the coffee shop.

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