Page 185 of Magic of the Damned

“What do you have on you, Luna?” Ophelia demanded. As she slowly approached me, the magic that moved over her fingers became more frenetic, bringing back painful memories of my other run-in with her magic. A dark smile flitted over her lips at the grimace the recollection forced.

“Why me?” She was probably the only one who could answer that question. Of all the people in the world, I was the one chosen to carry the magic and to be brought into this chaotic, nefarious world.

“Luck,” she said.

“Is it? How so?”

Her lips parted to answer when the bars shook again.

“Ah, you have no interest in the answer. Just more time. For what? What little scheme do they have planned?”

I shook my head. There wasn’t an Oscar in my future. “I don’t know. Answer my question. Why me?”

Whatever she saw on my face, she sighed. “I’m not sure. Opportunity and desperation to preserve the magic.” I got the impression she wished it was someone else, too. Perhaps someone she could have coerced into it. Someone who shared her thirst for domination and to rule the supernatural world without any care for the number of casualties it would take to do so.

Ophelia repeated her question about the contents of my bag. The Diax was too large to put on me or even hold in my hand without looking suspicious. We knew the risk of her thinking something was in the bag rather than it being as simple as part of my outfit. Although it was possible she did believe that and was just being overly diligent.

“Phone, wallet, lip gloss, lotion, an e-reader, and other junk.” The Diax was flat enough that it could be hidden among the other items. “Are you really interested in that?” In response to her inching closer to me, I revealed the lip gloss and phone. If that was true, hopefully she’d believe the rest.

Looking at me with skepticism, she made a show of winding her hand back. Shuffling back, I yanked off the purse and tossed it to her feet. Peter snatched it up and took out all the contents, palming the Diax and examining it for several moments. Ophelia split her attention between me and the object.

“What is it for?”

“I don’t know. I just had to keep it with me.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” she snapped.

A sentiment that Helena shared. Shaking her head, she sank deeper into the chair and looked at the ceiling, probably aware that any efforts to save her probably just went out the window.

Ophelia quickly closed the distance between us. Glaring at me, she demanded through clenched teeth, “What is it for?”

“I don’t know.” The magic felt worse than it looked when it came in contact with me, sending throbbing pain and an ache through me. I crumpled to the floor. Tears blurred my vision.

She lowered herself closer. The rings of gold that circled me made my heart race. “What is it for?” she repeated.

I attempted to blink back the tears, but they streamed down my face. “To take your magic. It will be destroyed afterward.”

“How is that possible? Anything of that sort requires a sacrifice of magic. Strong magic.”

I nodded. “Dominic was making the sacrifice.”

“What spell is it?”

At my shrug, she moved the golden magic closer to me. I flinched at the threat. “I don’t know. He has it in his office and plans to destroy it afterward.”

“You’ve aligned yourself with the weak. Are you satisfied?” After a long assessing gaze, she frowned. “You’ve weakened him. People spoke of him with great fear, and he makes this choice?” She scoffed. “You’ve dulled his edge and compromised him to the point that he will not be feared enough to be of any use.”

That was the first time I felt really concerned that she’d kill me. I was no longer viewed as an asset but a liability.

I’d seen the look that passed over her face when she looked at Areleus. Unrestrained yearning. Still palming the Diax, the magic fizzled from her hand. She took hold of my wrist, then nodded in Peter’s direction. He closed his eyes, and so did I, in preparation for what I knew would happen.

When I opened my eyes, we were outside the Perils. The only place Peter had been and therefore the only place he could use the magic to travel to. Outside the cells were me, Ophelia, and Peter. They’d left Helena. There wasn’t any way Helena would have stayed behind of her own volition.

It was up to me.

CHAPTER 16

Ophelia gave the Underworld a once-over, a rueful smile tugging at her lips as she went from cell to cell until she came to the only one occupied. Celeste.

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