Page 180 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“It was a sensitive arrangement,” Katya murmured, still not looking up from her own reading. “The Firsts were not supposed to create children together. The Fates decreed it would upset the balance too much.”

“And it did,” Luka said. “Who’s to say Arius and Serafina only have two children?”

“I’m not concerned about that so much as I am about what convinced Serafina that she should choose Arius instead of Achaz,” Theon said, trying to sound nonchalant about it, but clearly failing as Luka sat back in his chair.

“Her visions, Theon,” he said. “That’s what we need to be focusing on.”

“I’m aware.”

“Are you?”

“Yes,” Theon snapped. “But they are part of her lineage. There might be something there.”

“If you’re going to look into the gods and goddesses, look at Zinta,” Luka retorted, going back to his own book. “And figure out who or what the sorceress is.”

“What did you just say?” Eliza asked, her head snapping up and eyes going wide.

Razik had also looked up, and in a rare show of emotion, a look of alarm crossed his features.

Clearly confused, Luka said, “I told him to look into Zinta.”

“No, you said something about a sorceress,” Eliza said.

“That’s what Lilura said to Tessa,” Luka said. “There is a sorceress altering your visions.”

“Asorceress orthesorceress?” Eliza said, sounding slightly hysterical.

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, it does!”

“Calm down,mai dragocen,” Razik murmured, his hand soothing down her hair. “We do not wish to draw attention.”

“If it is?—”

“We don’t know,” Razik interrupted. He turned to Luka. “What were her exact words?”

“Exactly that. ‘There is a sorceress altering your visions,’” Luka replied.

“Could there be more than one?” Eliza asked, looking up at her twin flame, and Theon looked around to make sure no one was here to witness any of these interactions.

Razik rubbed his jaw in thought. “I don’t see why there couldn’t be.”

“For once I wish Cyrus was here,” Eliza grumbled.

Razik chuckled at that. “I’m telling him you said that when we return.”

Eliza shot him an unimpressed glare.

“Can one of you fill us in?” Theon asked, more than annoyed. “We have limited time the way it is.”

“There is a being imprisoned in our realm,” Eliza said. “She has been imprisoned there for centuries. She is extremely dangerous and is known for making deals with others by twisting and wording the terms to her advantage. If she gets access to one’s blood, she can use it not only for blood magic but to get into their mind. She’s used it to alter memories to the point that one doesn’t know what was real and what wasn’t.”

Luka sat up straighter. “She can alter memories?”

“Which is not the same as altering visions,” Razik said.

“Thanks for pointing out the obvious,” Luka retorted dryly.

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