Page 99 of Savage Fate

Jess drummed her fingertips on her chin as she thought. “I suppose she could use a small dose too.”

I scowled at him. “Misery loves company, huh?”

The edges of his lips twitched. “Exactly.”

Zane grabbed a chair from the round table in the corner, positioned it near the fireplace, and folded into the leather seat. “Since you’re here, Tate, we should take the opportunity to discuss your visions.”

“Were you able to uncover who’s murdering shifters?” Saint leaned his elbows on his knees. “Is it the Nosterium?”

Zane smoothed his black button-down shirt, the material such a contrast to his gold hair. “We’re still not sure. We haven’t found any concrete evidence of their involvement.” His focus fell on me again. “Actually, we still don’t understand how you’re getting these visions. It’s not typically a shifter ability.”

My body stiffened, but I kept my expression blank. “Your guess is as good as mine. I figured it had something to do with my demon side.”

“They seem extraordinarily strong, though.” Jess sprinkled various herbs into a marble bowl and crushed them with a pestle. “Have you been in contact with any kind of ancient or powerful demon object that may have affected you?”

You could definitely say that.

I resisted the urge to peek at Fane, Logan, or Saint because they all knew damn good and well I had. “I’ve been held captive a few times by powerful demons and imprisoned in Heldrok in the Underworld, so it’s possible.”

Jess nodded and poured a lavender liquid into the bowl, using magic to stir the ingredients. “If that’s the case, and you’re connecting to them somehow, the culprits very well could be demons.”

“But not the Nosterium?” Fane’s thumb traced circles on my thigh, attempting to melt away the tension in my muscles.

When a knock on the door sounded, Zane waved his hand, and the door opened. A young male witch carried in a tray of drinks.

“Thanks, Daniel.” Zane helped the guy place the glasses on the coffee table. “Let the kitchen know to start their dinner.”

The lanky witch with a mop of shaggy hair nodded and then vanished out the door.

Maybe thiswaslike a fancy hotel with room service.

Zane grabbed his glass of wine and returned to his seat. “We’ve tried scrying for exceptional pulses of dark power that demon rituals would create, but we haven’t gotten any hits. Even our allies haven’t been able to find any intel that the Nosterium is currently active.”

“The last time it was active, Ruin Bacchus was the head of it.” Jess plucked petals from a dried flower and tossed them into the bowl. “But after he came to Savannah, the group dismantled.”

A small part of me still mourned my friend even though he never existed.

“So it’s not demons sacrificing shifters for more power?” Saint leaned forward and grabbed a glass of water.

Jess muttered under her breath, and the spell mixture bubbled in the bowl. “If it is, they have a very powerful leader who can mask the energy from their rituals.” She used her hand to guide the now neon-green liquid into two vials. “And the only person I can think of who’s connected to that groupandhas that much power is Ruin Bacchus.”

“It has to be someone else because he’s dead,” I reminded them.

“Are you sure? There was no body.” Logan arched his eyebrow. “Ruin is capable of a lot more than you realize.”

I tossed my hands in the air. “Why does everyone keep overlooking the fact that Isawhim completely vaporize? Of course there’s no body!”

Jess held the glass vials out for Fane and me. “Drink it all at once.”

At least mine was only half-full.

We each took one and gulped it down. A shiver rolled over my back, and I almost spit the foul concoction out.

“That’s disgusting,” I muttered, glaring at Fane. “I hope you’re happy I had to share your misery.”

He coughed and set the empty vial on the table. “Very much.”

“I believe you saw Ruin explode.” Saint rubbed the dark stubble coating his jaw, making him look ruggedly sexy. “But could it have been a trick or something to throw us off?”

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