Page 151 of Magic of the Damned

But did you?

Only having had a fleeting moment of magic, I felt like an island whose sole purpose now was to be the voice of humanity, because these people had proven that in situations like this, they were too far removed from it to care about those they deemed the lowest of them all. Humans.

Somehow, I’d failed and had to reluctantly accept that things would devolve into cruelty and unbridled violence. It was now about harm reduction. Now, I felt compelled to be the voice of reason and arbiter for minimal violence.

“Roman’s claws still affect us,” Dominic pointed out. “How will that make things better when I have to deal with his retaliation? I’m the one he hates the most.”

Helena smiled. “It’s handled. He isn’t the threat to us that he once was. I couldn’t undo that tricky witch’s spell, but I performed an unbinding spell that I believe will disrupt the spell enough for it not to have the same effect.” She gave an appreciative nod in her mother’s direction, who I assumed had given her the means to do so. Ileana giving Helena more magical arsenals to cause trouble wasn’t in the ‘decidedly better category.’

“Did you test it?” Dominic challenged with a sneer. Roman’s poisonous claws rendered the royals magicless until it wore off.

Helena lifted her chin in defiance. “I’m confident in my skill. But I suggest staying away from them as a matter of practice.”

Her advice just revived images of her stabbing her brother with her own claws. Based on the piercing look he gave her, it did the same for him as well.

Ileana waved a hand. “With the prisoners at large, I believe you will have the willing support of all three sects. As a unit, you will be dealing with exceptional power and skills, which will be a deadly challenge. If you three can’t manage to squash any mutinous intentions and subdue them, do you deserve to live?”

Harsh.

“The shades?” Helena looked at her mother expectantly as if she was now at the helm of this situation.

“They should never have been allowed to exist. If I’m not mistaken, they were drawn to our little harbinger of that particular magic.” As expected, all eyes turned to me. “And that very magic allowed them to escape. Whatever plans one might have for harnessing the shades for use needs to be abandoned. They are a liability. Destroy them,” Ileana proposed. “Considering all that has occurred, I don’t think it’s just about the humans’ supernaturals but us as well. Our magic is strongly linked to this world. If it is destroyed, it will affect our magic and our standing. The Dark Casters should have all been destroyed. They are the only ones who truly challenge us in a concerning way. Our concern shouldn’t have been with the humans' supernaturals. Let the humans handle their messes. They will never have any bearing on us. The Casters are our problem. I’m sure the acquisition of Peter’s and Luna’s magic is in preparation to destroy us and our residency.”

Letting the words settle in, Ileana shook her head in disbelief at the possibility. She looked at Dominic. “I stand by my initial plan. Let the Dark Casters make their ruin for thirty days, maybe sixty, when they will have sated their need for destruction and limited their pool of potential allies. They can’t help themselves. But apparently, that is too inhumane.” I earned another look from her. My feelings toward her were complex. I admired her directness and unwavering decisiveness but was appalled by her apathy about others. It was a strong fifty/fifty split. Part of me believed her suggestion earlier was for shock value, to prod Dominic into extreme action to preserve the integrity of the world we knew—they knew.

“You’re not going to help?” Areleus asked.

She shook her head.

“If the Dark Caster manages to get here, do you have any plan for self-preservation?” Areleus asked.

She considered his question. “I won’t leave mine. If I’m confronted, it is a sign that you three have failed. It is likely that I won’t stand a chance. But my demise won’t be as a result of me protecting people I don’t particularly care about.”

That fifty/fifty split was now at a firm thirty/seventy. I definitely felt more appalled than admiring.

She headed for the exit but stopped, looking over her shoulder at Dominic. “Remove the ward you placed at the entrance.” He’d placed a second layer of protection that served as a warning to deter the uninvited from entering, or at least to rethink their decision, knowing that if they entered they might not leave.

Defiance blazed and then withered in his expression before he nodded. He had more pressing fights ahead of him.

With that, she departed, not allowing for further debate or questions. I didn’t know if she’d ‘set things in motion,’ but she had done something. Whether it was good remained to be seen.

CHAPTER 4

Ileana’s exit appeared to be an invitation for the suppressed hostility to explode.

Areleus cocked an expectant brow at Dominic and extended his hand to him again.

Dominic locked eyes with him as he stood. “We will work together because it is advantageous. Your handshakes are as valueless as your words.” He removed the smidge of space that remained between them. “If you ever touch Luna again you will no longer have any value to me, no matter the situation. I will kill you.” Dominic was quickly at my side, taking my hand in his. I hopped to my feet, sidling in next to him as he breezed past his father and made a stop in front of his sister. “The same goes for you.”

Her mouth opened and closed several times, puffing out huffs of breath in a poor attempt to control her anger and astonishment. Before we could get out of her presence, she’d stepped in our path. Astonished, turbulent wide eyes fixed on me and then jerked to Dominic. She might have been rendered speechless for a moment, but she gathered her words and they fell freely.

“You’ve chosen her over me?” she hissed out in disbelief.

“Who stabbed me? Who joined Peter? You’re here now because that didn’t work to your advantage, not because of regret. My statement stands. Touch her and I will kill you.”

“I stood with the person who will bring about change. Who’d allow me to be more than a babysitter.”

Dominic smirked, shook his head, and navigated around his sister. Seeing that his brisk steps had me nearly jogging to keep up, he slowed them to match mine. Used to the difference in our stride length, I’d adjusted by walking faster. His thumb made delicate strokes over my skin.

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