Page 72 of A Touch of Brimstone

His request for Madeline’s magic garnered more of a reaction than the news about the coup. Nothing about these people made sense. They all seemed to share the shock of his request, unable to understand why he wasn’t taking the easy way out. End me, break the spells.

Madeline’s look of abhorrence overshadowed them all. As if she were a queen requested to do menial labor.

Canting her head, she blinked hard once. “I’m sorry?” Clearly, she must have heard him wrong. He could not possibly have asked her to share her wondrous magic with a mere human. She blinked again, waiting for him to repeat his request.

“We have the spells; we just need magic. Your magic to invoke them. My magic can’t be loaned to her.”

Madeline reacted to that as though it invoked a terrible memory. Had she known someone who attempted to take his magic?

For someone who wanted the prisoners returned and the coup against the Conventicle handled, she was taking a long time to respond. I wasn’t the only person who thought this because the impatience in the room was palpable.

A waifish Hispanic woman with loosely curled midnight hair and deep golden skin with cool undertones curled her lips back, revealing sharp canines. Vampire. I assumed Kane’s replacement. “A decision needs to be made, Madeline,” she drawled.

“Fine. One hour and I must be present the entire time. The moment the prisoners are returned, my magic is returned as well. I don’t want your human to get any ideas.”

His human. Nothing about my snarl was human, and it sounded so close to a growl that Lance, the shameless shifter, found it humorous.

“Just once, an exception will be made, and you can travel to the Underworld,” Dominic conceded. “Shall we?” He turned, heading for the door without looking back, expecting Madeline and me to follow.

“No,” I said. He stopped and turned to look at me. For just a moment, he wore his shock on his face before erasing it, leaving him expressionless. A blank canvas. The tension remained in his posture. He crossed his arms over his chest, giving me the full weight of his stare. Hard and penetrating.

“I have some requests,” I told him.

Everyone looked surprised except for the tattooed seer from the first meeting. With a smirk on his face, he rested back in his chair, clasping his hands behind his head as if preparing for a show.

“You all need to stay hidden,” I demanded.

“We are,” the vampire provided, becoming less invested in the conversation with each passing moment.

“But you’re not. You all aren’t known to us, but you’re very much present in our lives.” My eyes flicked to Dominic. “You compel us, manipulate us and our memories.” I looked at the vampire. “Feed from us.” I looked at each of them, giving them my full attention. “Use magic to corral us and influence our lives. Whether or not you are seen, you affect our existence. That needs to stop now.” Emboldened by images of Emoni’s fear-stricken face, I knew I had to do something.

I looked at each one of them, giving them the full weight of my condemnation. And they responded with offense—definitely a result of being reprimanded by a human.

“You have rules to keep and you have a concerted effort to ensure that, but when you are discovered by humans, we suffer the consequences. That stops now.”

“And if it doesn’t?” one of the shifters asked in a dagger-sharp warning, leaning over the table, predatory eyes homed in on me. Drawing up taller, I met his ire. Whether it was magic I wasn’t aware of or the sheer intensity of a shifter’s glare, it was difficult to hold. Sheer defiance was the only thing that kept me doing it.

“Nothing. I’ll go home, learn to live with the markings on my finger, and you all live with three powerful beings who have a thirst for revenge. Beings who will eventually get word that they’re at no risk of being imprisoned again. They won’t have any qualms about being discovered. That will nullify Dominic’s involvement, leaving you all to deal with the coup. They’ve demonstrated the ability to be quite efficient with their violence. I suspect you’ll spend most of your time trying to stay alive. And the Awakeners? You probably won’t have to worry about them. They’ll be cleaned up in the sweep as the others eliminate you all. Their ‘comply or die’ policy will ensure that.”

“Are you threatening us, human?”

“Is it a threat if I plan to do it?” I challenged. “I’m negotiating on behalf of the humans. If they are safe, I’ll do what I can for you all as well. If not. . .”

Dominic still had the cool, implacable look that made it difficult to read him. If he hated me for this, he wasn’t letting it show.

“You aren’t doing a good enough job. Perhaps there should be a change. You’re biased—and the dissenters don’t fear you enough to follow your rules. Make a situation that will force compliance.”

Oh, so that’s what it feels like to have the searing glare of powerful supernaturals on you.

“She’s not wrong,” Dominic offered, but I couldn’t gauge how he felt. Was this a concession he made so I would help return the prisoners, or did he approve of the changes I proposed?

“You put her up to this!” Madeline snapped.

He held his hands up. “I assure you I didn’t, but she sees what I’ve been telling you all along. Your leniency has led to this coup attempt. They see you as feckless. To be frank, you have been. I’m not. The threat of my reprisal and them being taken to the Underworld is a far better deterrent. I have an army. Return to the old ways, lift my restriction. I guarantee you won’t have as many situations to clean up. Nor such casual slipups.”

I didn’t say that. The old ways seemed really violent with harsh penalties. There had to be a middle ground. But perhaps harshness was needed right now.

I shrugged. “I don’t care how it’s done—I just want it done.” Sounding more callous than intended, I said, “I don’t want us to be victims of your whims. We shouldn’t have to suffer for your failures. If Dominic’s involvement promotes better compliance and protects us, then do what you must.”

---