Page 8 of Magic Unmasked

“Lilith Silverwing,” he began, his tone a mockery of civility. “I trust you have good news for me?”

Her jaw tightened. “I’m working on it.”

Oberon’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Working on it? That’s not much of a progress report. We didn’t expect you to have dealt with all of them, but I can’t see that you’ve accomplished anything. The Council expected results, not excuses.”

“I had Savannah in my grasp,” Lilith said, her voice sharp with frustration. “But Julien Crowe intervened. It’s more complicated than we thought.”

The High Councilor tilted his head, feigning interest. “Ah, yes. Complicated.” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Tell me, Lilith, how did you manage to let a vampire crime lord take our target right from under your nose? Perhaps you’re getting… distracted.”

Her heart clenched at the implication, but she refused to rise to his bait. She knew Oberon too well. He thrived on manipulating weaknesses, and showing any sign of vulnerability would only make things worse.

Lilith snorted, mostly because she knew Oberon didn’t like it. “He didn’t take her. I was fighting my way to her, when her sister showed up and teleported her out, and then Julien disintegrated and was gone. As he wasn’t my target, I didn’t try to follow him. I won’t fail again.”

“I certainly hope not,” Oberon replied smoothly, his smile turning colder. “Because if you do, the Council will have no choice but to reconsider your position. I’m sure you understand what that means.”

Lilith’s blood ran cold. Stripped of her magic. Exiled. It was a threat Oberon had made before, but this time it felt closer, more real. She could hear it in the tone of his voice—the Council’s patience was wearing thin.

“I’ll get the Duvalls,” Lilith promised, her voice steady despite the knot tightening in her chest. “I won’t let Julien Crowe stand in my way.”

Oberon’s smile deepened, his expression one of smug satisfaction. “Good. I expect a swift resolution to this matter.” His eyes glittered with dangerous intent. “Failure is not an option.”

The crystal dimmed as Oberon’s image faded, leaving the room eerily quiet. The Council’s expectations were clear—she had no margin for error.

Her fingers curled into fists as she turned back toward the window, her gaze falling on the bustling city streets below. The sweet smell of beignets lingered in the air, a mocking reminder of the world that lay beyond the scope of her duties. A world to which she could never truly belong.

But it was Ronan who lingered in her thoughts, his fierce golden eyes burning in her memory like fire on the horizon. Whatever had sparked between them last night wasn’t something she could ignore. And that terrified her more than anything.

Lilith closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus. There was no room for personal feelings. She needed to capture the Duvall sisters, stop whatever chaos they were planning, and bring them back to the fae realm.

But as her mind drifted back to Ronan, his raw power, and the heat that had flared between them, Lilith couldn’t help but wonder if fate was playing a far crueler game than even she could anticipate.

Lilith spent the rest of the day in the dim confines of her hotel room, her body still humming with the lingering energy from the previous night’s chaos and sensuality, dining on the beignets she’d had delivered to her room and trying to get a better handle on what was going on… and more importantly why the Duvall sisters had become so much more of an issue for the Council. They had ignored them for years, but now seemed intent on either apprehending or eliminating them.

The beignets were truly decadent. Despite the restless pull of her emotions—her confusing and unwelcome attraction to Ronan—she forced herself to refocus on the task at hand. She couldn’t afford to let anything, especially a certain sabretooth-shifter, distract her from her assignment.

The small desk was cluttered with books and scrolls she had summoned from the archives of the fae realm, each one filled with information about the sisters and their tangled web of alliances, enemies, and dangerous lovers. The Duvalls were a storm brewing on the horizon. And they had stirred up enough trouble that now the council wanted them taken down—by any means necessary.

Lilith’s fingers traced the ancient parchment of one scroll, her mind absorbing the details. Phoenix, the eldest, with fiery elemental magic that burned anything and anyone who dared cross her path. Savannah, the youngest, with her ties to the fae, shifter, and demonic realms. And the others, each more dangerous and unpredictable than the last. They were trouble, pure and simple.

No wonder the council had finally sent her. She was one of the few fae warriors skilled enough to take them down.

Yet, despite the research spread out before her, something gnawed at the edges of her thoughts. Her instincts told her there was more to the Duvalls than the Council had let on, more than even the records she was poring over could reveal. And Ronan…Her thoughts drifted back to the warehouse, to the way Ronan had looked at her and to the visceral dream from the night before. The animal heat between them was impossible to ignore.

She shook her head.Focus, Lilith.Whatever feelings Ronan sparked in her were a complication, nothing more. She had a job to do.

But as the sun sank below the horizon, casting long shadows across the streets of New Orleans, Lilith felt the familiar itch of unease settle into her bones. She had read enough. It was time to move.

She slipped on her jacket, pulling her hood up over her pale blonde hair, and stepped into the night. The city was alive with its usual chaos—laughter, music, the chatter of tourists—but beneath it all, Lilith could feel the pulse of magic, a dark thread winding through the vibrant energy of New Orleans. The air was thick with humidity, and as she walked, her steps quick and silent, she felt the burden of her responsibility pressing down on her shoulders.

Lilith didn’t know why, but something told her that tonight, the Duvalls would do something to rattle their world.

Her instincts, honed by centuries of battle, led her deeper into the city, away from the bustling French Quarter and into a part of New Orleans most humans never saw. The shadows grew thicker here, the air charged with hidden magic. She moved with purpose, following the faint threads of power that seemed to call to her, guiding her to something she didn’t yet understand.

After what felt like hours, she found herself standing at the entrance to a narrow alleyway, its walls lined with ivy and old brick. At first glance, it looked unremarkable, just another forgotten part of the city. But Lilith knew better. She could feel the magic humming in the air, the faint shimmer of glamour hiding what lay beyond. A fae enclave, hidden from human eyes.

Lilith stepped forward, her heart beating faster as she passed through the invisible barrier. The alley opened up into a small, secret courtyard, bathed in soft moonlight. The energy here was different—older, rawer. It felt like stepping back into the fae realm, even though she was still in the mortal world.

As she moved through the courtyard, her sharp ears picked up the sound of voices—faint, hushed, but unmistakable. She crept closer, staying in the shadows, until the voices became clear.

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