Page 41 of Temple of Magic and Bone

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Vanth fell into the hole, whispering a cantrip on the way down so he didn't shatter anything. It also gave him the ability to see in the dark, which came in handy more often than he thought possible.

"You do know there's a ladder," Elektra called from above him, amusement in her voice.

"I do now. Watch your step," Vanth said. He hovered underneath her as she descended in case the ladder broke. It was rusted. At least, he hoped it was rust.

"Gods, it stinks. Do you have a light?" she whispered.

"Don't need one. Let me show you," he said and placed his fingers on her temples. He whispered the cantrip again, and his magic slid over her. Elektra made the sweetest little gasp as it took effect. He could get addicted to all the little sounds she made.

Get this checked out, then take her home and make her scream, he scolded himself.

"They really know how to pick quality locations, don't they?" she said, looking around. The tunnel looked like a part of the underground sewer system. Thankfully, it was dry, and thelingering smell of bleach suggested someone had tried to clean it. They would've had to have blocked off the tunnels and redirected the water and sewage. It would have taken planning, time, and a lot of magic. They would have had to have been damn sneaky about it too, because otherwise, someone in the city would have noticed.

Vanth walked along the tunnels, taking the lead because his pesky protective instincts were rearing up again. Elektra didn't seem to mind. She had both of her sickles out and looked ready to hit something.

"If they had all of this space to hide bodies, as well as the blood and bone-making above, I still don't understand why they would be taking bodies to Andres," she said, keeping her voice low.

Something crunched under Vanth's boot. There were skeletons littering the tunnel floor, but they were too small to be human. They looked like rats, and fuck knew what else.

"I'm still thinking it's a quantity issue. There's too much for them to go through, or whatever magic they are doing with them needs to be burned; otherwise, it will fuck up the blood and bone mixture. Can't grow anything with a body tainted by death magic," Vanth replied and walked around another pile of bones.

Elektra sucked a breath through her teeth. "Makes sense in a disgusting sort of way."

Vanth held out an arm and pointed. There was a curve in the tunnel up ahead, and light was coming from it.

"Someone is home," he whispered in her ear.

Her smile turned vicious. "Good."

Clearly, he wasn't the only one angry about the bone wards that they had found. Vanth had known blood mages before. They weren't all into pain and sacrifice, but the ones they were hunting definitely were. He could feel the suffering around himlike a heavy aura. He was definitely going to need a shower or three when he got home.

The tunnels opened up to a circular room with two other entrances leading into it. There was a stone altar built in the middle of it, and candles were burning in sconces and clusters. There were sigils painted on the floor around the altar, making Vanth freeze. He didn't know what they did and wasn't dumb enough to step into a circle he hadn't made. That was going to be a problem because there was a body on the altar. It was of a young man with black hair. He had blood sigils all over him and didn't appear to be breathing.

"You two might as well come out," a smooth voice said. A tall man strode out of the tunnels with a book in his hand. He was stunning, with golden hair and eyes, and was striking in a way that would make a crowded room turn to look at him. Evil could wear beautiful faces just as easily as ugly ones.

"I'm not dumb enough to step into a magic circle," Vanth said.

The man stepped over to the closest sigil and scratched his dagger through it. Vanth's ears popped as the spell dissipated.

"There. No harm will come to either of you. I was hoping we could have a civilized conversation," the man said. "I'm Lazarus."

Vanth couldn't sense any other traps, so he stepped into the light. He didn't venture far in. He knew the tunnel he had come out of was an easy way out. He always liked to have an escape plan.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if you can do civilized, Laz," Vanth said, gesturing to the dead body on the altar.

"I didn't think a corpse would bother a necromancer, or a reaper for that matter." His golden eyes rested on Elektra. There was a hunger in them that instantly set Vanth's teeth on edge.

"Lazarus, nice place you have here," she said, her voice calm.

"Princess Elektra Nova of the Celestial Court, I was hoping our paths would cross. I missed you at the temple," Lazarus said, his smile stunning in its intensity.

Vanth could appreciate a good-looking man as well as anyone, but something about Lazarus smiling at Elektra made Vanth want to cut his pretty face clean off.

Keep your temper in check. Don't show him your magic until you absolutely need to.

Elektra's sickle blades flicked out. "Me too. You're going to pay for what you did to my brothers and sisters."

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