Page 55 of Ancient Magic

Skye blinked, struggling to see through the blinding brightness. Eventually she managed to make out the shapes of several demons clustered around a sleek private jet parked at the beginning of a long runway. In the distance she could see the outline of a metal hangar that gleamed in the industrial-grade spotlights.

Wow.

Too stunned to speak, Skye watched in silence as a uniformed goblin approached them and performed a deep bow.

“Master, we’re ready to take off when you give the signal.”

“Master?” Micha drawled, his voice thick with disdain.

“Better than Your Excellency,” Lynx countered.

“If you say so.”

With a deliberate motion, Lynx stepped next to Skye and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tightly to his side.

“This tempting creature, however, can call me whatever her little heart desires.”

Skye started to struggle, only to freeze when the smell of death spiked the air. Not the death of a rotting corpse. This was a cold, steel-edged promise of a swift end to existence. Lynx dropped his arm and stepped back, but a pleased smile touched his lips. He’d gotten the response he wanted. He glanced at the waiting servant.

“We’ll board now.”

The servant nodded and turned to scurry toward the plane to pull down the stairs. Lynx followed behind at a slower pace with Skye behind him and Micha bringing up the rear. Yugan had disappeared, but she assumed he was like a bad penny, showing up when he was least wanted.

In silence they walked to the runway, climbing the narrow steps and entering the cabin. Predictably, the interior was sleek and modern with a table in the center of the small space with a U-shaped couch surrounding it.

The door closed and the engines revved as they moved to take their seats on the couch. Skye swallowed a sigh as she was sandwiched between the two males. Lynx on one side, who was manspreading as if trying to consume more than his fair share of space, and Micha as cold and rigid as a marble statue on the other side.

Great. She didn’t know where they were headed, but it promised to be an uncomfortable flight.

There was a small jerk before the jet was rolling down the runway, picking up speed before they hurtled upward with enough force to press Skye into the soft cushions. She hastily grabbed her seat belt and wrapped it around her waist.

Once strapped in, she turned her head to study Lynx’s profile. He was staring out the porthole across the cabin, his expression brooding. Not as brooding as Micha’s on the other side. But close.

“How long have you been following me around?” she asked, needing to shatter the tense silence.

Lynx shrugged. “A few days.”

She gave a dramatic shudder. “Creepy.”

“Practical,” he corrected. “Your father was confident you would do whatever was necessary to protect him, but I’m a demon who always has a backup plan. Usually more than one.”

His boast reminded her of a far more important question. “How did you get the key to the lower floor of Valen’s lair?”

His jaw tightened, but he answered with a well-rehearsed ease. “Not all his staff are as loyal as he assumes.”

Skye snorted. “Valen isn’t careless. Even Peri says that he’s a pain in the ass when it comes to protecting his lair. He would never hand out keys to his staff willy-nilly.”

Lynx arched a taunting brow. “Willy-nilly?”

She ignored him. “The only ones who would have access to keys would be his guests. So who gave it to you?”

“Valen is arrogant. Like all leeches, he doesn’t believe anyone could outsmart his security. It makes it much easier to do whatever the hell I want without getting caught.”

He was being deliberately provoking. A sure sign he didn’t want to answer her questions. All the more reason to keep pressure on him.

“Did the traitor also tell you which room Micha was using?” she demanded. “You went directly to his door despite the fact it was at the back of the building.”

“You’re a seer. You of all people should understand the past is meaningless. Only the future matters.” He abruptly shoved himself to his feet, his expression hard with warning. “Behave yourselves.”

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