Page 32 of Shield of Fire

“And the harpe? What is it exactly?”

“Traditionally, it’s a sword with a sickle protrusion along one edge near the tip of the blade. From the little I managed to uncover, Ninkil’s Harpe gives the user control over life and death.”

“Not something we’d want out there in the general population, then.”

“No, though the text did say only Ninkil’s fiercest warriors can wield it.”

Something I could check when I next visited the Codex’s library. “Did Nialle’s note mention why he wanted to talk to Kaitlyn about either?”

“No. And according to Kaitlyn, he did not ask her anything about them.”

“She would say that. Aside from the fact she has no reason to trust you, she’s as shady as fuck.”

He smiled. “You forget I’m a man of hidden talents.”

And one of those talents was the capacity to “read” people. It wasn’t telepathy as such; he couldn’t hear or see direct thoughts or memories, and the accuracy of any reading very much depended on who was being read and whether it was done casually during a conversation or via direct touch. It was simply a general insight—a glimpse into someone’s past, their dreams, character, and their motivations.

His reading of me had certainly proven rather accurate.

I raised my eyebrows, a smile twitching my lips. “And did said talent reveal anything worthwhile?”

“That Kaitlyn hungers for what she will never achieve—to be an accepted part of elf society.”

“She’s half elf. She has to be aware that will never happen.”

“Being aware and accepting it are two very different things.” He shrugged and draped his arm around my shoulder, his fingers pressing lightly against the side of my right breast. My nipples instantly hardened, and desire surged, his and mine. It was a heady heat that warmed me deep inside. “But that is not all I saw.”

“She knows where the harpe is?”

It came out slightly husky. His clever fingers were causing all sorts of inner havoc, even though he wasn’t doing all that much.

A knowing smile teased his lips. “No.”

I took a hasty gulp of my whiskey, but it did nothing to ease the increasing ferocity of the inner fires. “When I was talking to her, she denied knowing the shield’s location—does that mean she lied?”

I’d had no sense of it, but my inability to use my pixie wiles against her meant she could take me in as easy as anyone else.

“In that, she spoke the truth. However, she did sell an ancient text that mentioned it to one Loudon Fitzgerald.” He paused. “I’ve arranged a meeting with him tomorrow evening and would like you to accompany me.”

My heart began beating a whole lot faster. “Are you aware the council have made finding the shield their latest priority?”

“No, nor would I really expect to know. I work for the museum, not the council.”

“Sadly, I do work for them.”

His clever fingers briefly stilled. “Since when?”

“Since about a week ago. It’s a long, rather involved story, but basically, I deep-magicked a cousin and my punishment is becoming the council’s beck-and-call girl when it comes to anything relic related.”

“This has to do with the missing hoard, I take it?”

“Lugh told you?”

“To explain Rogan’s disappearance.”

“Well, they want me to help them find it.”

“With Lugh’s assistance? Because that would certainly explain his absences of late.”

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