Page 19 of Magic of the Damned

His face remained impassive, his head canted slightly as he continued to listen.

“I’ve been pulled into something that I definitely don’t want to be in, dealing with people I hope to never encounter again. I want it to be over. I want to have nothing to do with this situation or you dreadful people.” I lifted my hand, presenting the markings. “If working with you is the only way, then I’m in. If we are working together, no more threats. I don’t care how thinly veiled they are. You will not bully me. Are we clear?”

His expression changed but it was still indecipherable. Understanding? I didn’t think that was it. Amusement? Definitely. Portentous? It better not be.

His lips curled slightly into a small, tight, mirthless smile. He looked over his shoulder at Anand, who flashed a grin. “I’ve been commanded to behave,” Dominic said to him. The laughter in his voice made its way to his eyes.

“Little Luna.”

“It’s just Luna,” I shot back.

“Luna. You are correct. I want to find the person behind this, especially if it is a Dark Caster. I know their history and the chaos and destruction they enjoy. It needs to be stopped. And to do so, we will have to work together.”

I’d been abducted and attacked by a vampire, sniffed by a lion, interrogated by a witch, and nearly devoured—or whatever his intentions were—by a wolf. I had every right to be overly cautious and I didn’t like the subtle undertones in his response. A limited alliance.

“I want to help.” Biggest lie ever. I had to help in order to get out of this mess. My face must have betrayed that because he looked smug now.

“You are the little fish. I want the whale. You are the means to the whale. As long as I need you for that, the others will never touch you.” Everything he said possessed an implicit “but” and I didn’t like it.

Our interests aligned. As long as he wanted me alive, the others wouldn’t touch me. For now, it was my best hope.

A slow smile moved over his lips. He handed me back the ring and I slipped it on my finger. “It seems like we are in this together, Lit—” He bit the word off. “Luna.”

Several moments of tense silence passed, then he extended his hand to me. “Would you like to see what you’ve done?”

Not really. Did I really need to see an empty cell? Definitely didn’t want to see one in the Underworld.

There were many reasons to say no—one being Mr. Personality in front of me—but I needed to know exactly what I was dealing with.

I was unsure whether, when I analyzed this in the future—if there was a future—this decision would make the list of the things that made this situation infinitely worse.

Despite the high likelihood, I nodded.

CHAPTER 7

“You won’t be able to enter the Underworld without me,” Dominic explained after several minutes of my contemplative staring at his hand. My internal debate continued long after his explanation. It took a lot of pep talk and coaxing for me to fully give in to my decision and take his hand.

I was going to the Underworld.

His lips quirked into a half-smile. His warm fingers entwined with mine.

“What?” I asked.

“I’m glad you agreed. This way is far more preferable. I don’t believe you would have liked the alternative.”

“What was the alternative?”

I took the flicker of menace that shadowed his features and the trace scents of amber, gold, and burnt orange that arose as indications that the alternative was probably more barbaric. Something along the lines of me getting tossed over his shoulder and carried away. I frowned.

I tugged slightly to loosen his grip on my hand. It was hard to relax around him. He’d saved my life but had caged me in flames. I shuddered at the memory. What would have been my fate if I were a Dark Caster?

His mouth barely moved as a diaphanous shimmering wall appeared. There was a moment of hesitation before I allowed him to lead me into it and then we were plunged into complete darkness. Heat poured over me and needlelike prickles flitted over my body. It wasn’t painful but a discomfort I would be happy never to feel again.

When the darkness lifted, it was no longer midday; the moon offered a muted melon glow over the stone castle-like mansion. The palatial building couldn’t be fully taken in. Neatly manicured bushes surrounded the home and lush forestry lay on the outskirts. Instead of verdant green, the leaves were variations of dark grays and deep currant. The air was inundated with notes of pepper and sage. The light from the moon hit a large lake off to the right.

Intricately carved decorated columns surrounded the home, supporting the balcony above. Thick curtains covered the windows. This wasn’t at all what I expected from a supernatural prison.

At Dominic’s arrival, the doors swung open and six guards greeted him on each side. They were dressed in black button-downs and slacks, a small emblem on the chest. Daggers sheathed at their waists and swords sheathed at their backs, each stood at attention, relaxing to ease once Dominic had passed. Their furtive looks of discomfort and intrigue stayed on me, and I felt them continue as we headed along the marble floor through an entrance the size of my apartment.

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