Page 91 of Ancient Magic

With a visible effort, Lynx smoothed away his annoyance and forced a stiff smile.

“Seer. You just can’t take a hint, can you?”

Too late to wait for Micha. Skye stepped forward even as she kept the tunnel blocked. Unless there was a hidden doorway, that was the only exit.

“Are you implying you’re not happy to see me?” she demanded.

“I’m always delighted to have a beautiful woman following me around, but you’re bordering on stalking.” He flicked a knowing glance down her body. “Isn’t the leech satisfying your itches, my dear?”

“Itches?” Skye sent him a chiding frown. “Really?”

Lynx shook his head, as if regretting his lame response. Then, seemingly convinced she posed no immediate threat, he turned his back to her to investigate the wall.

“I’m preoccupied,” he muttered. “My banter might not be at its sparkly best.”

She watched as he ran his hands over the rocks. Did he think the sword was stuck in the stone? Or was there a hidden key?

She didn’t bother to ask. He wasn’t going to willingly give her information, even if he didn’t think she was a threat.

Instead, she concentrated on keeping him distracted. Micha would soon get rid of the demons. The longer she could keep Lynx from locating the sword, the better.

“Did you enjoy your nap?”

Lynx hissed in anger, but he never turned around as he continued his search. “That wasn’t a very nice thing to do.”

“You threatened to slit the throat of my friend and then kidnapped a member of the Cabal. I don’t think you get to be the nice police.”

“Fine. But in my defense I didn’t realize you had a crush on the vampire when I kidnapped him.”

“Neither did I,” Skye admitted in wry tones. “No one’s more shocked than I am.”

Lynx made a gagging noise and Skye inched closer, her brows lifting as she caught the glint of ruby red between the male’s clenched fingers. He was using the crystal to locate the sword. She didn’t know if it would work or not, but it was probably best to try to convince Lynx to give up his hunt before they found out.

“Do you know what that crystal is?” she demanded.

“I told you.” He skimmed his hand from side to side, the tension in his body visible as his futile search continued. “A compass.”

“No.”

“You need the proof?” Lynx abruptly whirled around and held out his arm. Then, with a grim smile, he jerked up his sleeve to reveal the bright red lines that marked his skin. “As soon as I touched the crystal, this map appeared.”

From a distance it was impossible to see the intricate details, but it certainly explained how Lynx had managed to find the cave.

“Nice trick.” She shrugged, hoping she looked unimpressed. “So where’s the sword?”

It was a genuine question. If the crystal was the same as the one they’d seen in the memory spell, then it was the combination of vampire and dragon blood that sealed the treaty, not a mystical map to a demon sword.

“It will be in my hand soon enough,” Lynx assured her, returning to his search without fear she might be a threat. Jerk.

She took another step forward. If Micha didn’t show up soon she was going to have to take matters into her own hands. A prospect that didn’t bother her at all. She knew Peri well enough to suspect at least one of the curses on her charm bracelet was pus-filled abscesses that would cover a demon’s body for weeks. That would tarnish Lynx’s smug arrogance.

“And what if you do get the sword?” she asked, running her fingers over the powerful charms.

“What else? World domination.”

“Of course it’s world domination. So predictable.” Skye rolled her eyes. “What if I tell you I had a vision?”

“About me?”

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