Page 46 of Ancient Magic

The name wasn’t familiar to Micha, which meant it was doubtful his horde was larger than a few dozen demons.

“Why am I here?” he demanded in cold tones.

The pale green eyes flared with anticipation, as if he’d been eagerly awaiting the question. “You, my friend, are going to give the demons what we’ve always wanted.”

“And what’s that?”

“Our freedom.”

“Freedom?” Micha abruptly realized where this conversation was heading. Not that he was going to make it easy. He deliberately glanced toward the silver bars that separated them. “You’re standing next to my cell complaining about freedom? A little ironic, don’t you think?”

Lynx narrowed his eyes at Micha’s deliberate taunt. “You are temporarily being held against your will. It’s nothing like being forced to bend the knee to an oppressor just for the privilege of living in the Gyre.”

“Oh, is that it?” Micha lifted his hand as if he was stifling a yawn. “I should have guessed.”

“Guessed what?” Skye demanded, moving to stand next to him.

Micha kept his gaze trained on the fairy. “Demon rebellions roll around like clockwork. Every five hundred years or so, a particularly ambitious demon decides that they’re the one destined to overthrow the evil Vampire Cabal. Some uprisings are more costly than others, but they all end in the same way. With hundreds, sometimes thousands of demons dead, and the Cabal still firmly in charge.”

The scent of copper swirled through the air even as Lynx forced a mocking smile to his lips.

“At least you’re honest. Vampires are evil.”

“And you’re not?”

“I care about my people.”

Micha wasn’t impressed. He’d lived through rebellions before. They’d never been started by leaders who gave a shit about their people. It was all about power.

“You care so much that you’ll sacrifice them in a rebellion just to feed your ego?”

“Of course a vampire would want us to meekly accept our place as your slaves,” Lynx sneered. “If you lost control of the Gyres, the Cabal would collapse.”

“Without the Cabal, the demons would descend into constant warfare. Anyone who has read history knows that centuries after the dragons retreated and the demons were left to fend for themselves, they created utter chaos. The hordes nearly destroyed one another before the vampires took control.”

“All they need is a strong leader to unite them.”

Micha studied the male’s arrogant expression. Lynx was using the arguments expected from a power-hungry demon who was intent on leading a rebellion. It sounded too perfect. It felt like he was reading a script, not offering a passionate debate for his cause.

Micha folded his arms over his chest. “And naturally you’re the leader who can do what no one else could do?”

“Naturally.”

“And how do you intend to accomplish such a miraculous feat?”

“The Tempest.”

Micha’s suspicions were forgotten as he shook his head in resignation. “That’s why you kidnapped me? The Tempest?” he drawled. “Couldn’t you have chosen something a little more interesting? Now you’re just a cliché.”

“What’s a tempest?” Skye demanded as Lynx fisted his hands.

Had Micha’s words hit a nerve, or was he pretending to react? It was annoyingly difficult to determine.

Turning his head, he met Skye’s baffled frown. “The Tempest is the demon equivalent of Excalibur.”

Her confusion deepened. “A sword?”

“Not just a sword,” Lynx intruded into the conversation. “A vessel that holds ancient demon magic. The sort of magic that even vampires fear.”

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