Page 24 of Ulune's Daughter

My mate nods. “Arch, we’re going to short it. Val, whole place feels heavily warded. We’re going to need you to work your anti-magic. Danny, I feel too many heartbeats. What’s with that?”

“Yup. Carter’s having a little party. Our boy and two friends. They’re in the bedroom right now.”

“A threesome, huh?” My mate grins at her companion. “I think all that partying will tire them out.”

He grins back at her. “They’re getting veeerrryyy sleeepppyyy.”

The ink-mage takes out a feathered quill, licks the tip, and begins sketching in the air. My mate purses her lips and blows on each stroke. The aether ripples. Misty glyphs coalesce and drift through the wall.

My eyelids grow heavy. The reek from the lilies overhead fades to a faint, floral whiff. The sounds that have been assaulting my ears: the asthmatic wheeze of the heating system, the grinding of gears from the nearby elevator shaft, the banging of doors on the floors around us, and humans’ heavy tread, quiets to a gentle hum.

Just as I begin to drift, the elevator dings. Arch and one of the other women on Kellan’s team emerge from the elevator’s metal confines and walk toward my mate.

Their approach snaps me awake. I grind my fangs. My mate’s magic is potent. Even royal Seelie magic rarely overcomes my natural Cait resistance. I’ll have to be more careful around her.

The woman, Val, I think my mate named her, stops near my mate and puts her hands on the corridor wall. After a moment, she swears softly.

“He was not screwing around with these wards,” Val says. “I don’t know?—”

“One at a time,” Kellan says encouragingly. “Just like dominoes. Tip one. Then the next.”

The woman hums. She begins rocking back and forth. After watching her for a minute, Kellan moves a step and places her hand on the woman’s left shoulder. The ink-mage places his hand on her right shoulder.

“We got you, Val,” the ink-mage says. “One at a time. There’s no rush.”

“There’s a little rush,” Arch says.

Kellan slides him a dark side-eye. “No, there’s not. We’re keeping watch. No one is going to disturb you. Just concentrate on each ward.”

The woman hums and rocks as much as their hands allow. The elevator dings again and another woman joins their team. A dark-haired woman as tall as my mate presses in behind Val, circling her waist with her arms, lending her silent support but also limiting her rocking. I wonder if the rocking is unhealthy, the sign of some illness. If I ever get to have a conversation with my mate, I’ll ask her. Although the Cait are not great healers like some of the Tylwyth Teg, perhaps my people can help the woman.

“That’s it. You’ve got it, Val,” my mate says encouragingly. “I can feel them going down.”

She can? Does the green web of magic somehow echo back to my mate like a bat’s radar? I’d give a great deal to be able to ask my mate questions right now. I know Luca’s Air-magic as well as I know my own. Kellan’s powers seem completely different despite them sharing an Element.

Val’s rocking grows more pronounced. Sweat slides down her cheeks and sheens her throat. Whatever she’s doing is clearly costing her a great deal.

“Come on, baby,” the dark-haired woman holding her murmurs. “You can do it. I know you can.”

Val throws her head back, shuddering. “I can’t. There’s a lockstone.”

“Don’t worry about that,” my mate says quickly. “Viv and I will take that down. Tip everything else over. One by one. Just a few more.”

Val sags in the dark-haired woman’s arms. Kellan and the ink-mage grab Val’s arms and the three of them lower Val gently to the floor. The dark-haired woman cradles Val and checks the pulse in her throat.

“Okay?” Kellan asks.

The dark-haired woman shakes her head. “Thready. She overextended herself.”

Kellan pats her on the shoulder. “Take her home. She did great. We’ll handle the rest.”

The dark-haired woman looks up at my mate. “Are you sure?”

Kellan nods. Arch clears his throat as though he objects, but neither woman looks at him.

The dark-haired woman draws a circle of fire around herself and Val with her finger. They disappear into the flame with a puff of smoke and a whiff of brimstone.

The dark-haired woman has demon-blood. And she’s a strong Fire-mage. No wonder she’s part of Kellan’s team.

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