Page 49 of A Lost Light

River in jaguar form dragged the unconscious cult leader up to the front steps of the councilor's home, the back of her shirt collar clenched in his massive teeth. I almost smiled at the way it reminded me of a mother cat hauling a kitten around. But I suppressed my amusement. This kitten was a bit bigger and more dangerous than most.

Behind him came Ambrose, Dyre, and Elijah. I arched a brow at them and gave them all a look that said I had absolutely seen them all making out over there in the corner a few minutes ago. Honestly, my people had no chill. But then again, I had also felt the rage and surge of dark power along my bond to Dyre, so maybe I should wait to hear the full story before I judged them for being horny morons. Not that I was usually much better….

Bella's little group of rebels had mostly made it out of the confrontation unscathed. A couple were pretty battered or magically drained. But they'd live.

And a little off to the side, stood a tall, slender woman with blue-silver hair and limpid misty blue eyes. The tiny eddies of wind swirling around her were the only thing that gave away her anxiety. Aahil stood next to her with his arms crossed over his chest, his flames banked, but clearly in no mood for any more fucking around. “Your master isn't giving orders right now,” he purred to the other jinn. “Grow a backbone.”

It was almost comical the way the female jinn towered over our tiny flamethrower, but still deferred to him, looking lost. A quick glance at their auras said Aahil was far older and stronger. Which was probably why the cult had been able to trap and control the air jinn so easily.

“Will someone please explain to me what just happened,” Councilor Darkbrier said tiredly, glancing around the circle of people gathered in his lawn. Then his gaze landed on me.

I arched a brow and crossed my arms over my chest, but didn't speak. No way was I going to let him makemethe spokesperson for this shit. I had no idea why the idiot singled me out among all the other powerful people here—especially when Bella and her people were all dressed up like assassins in their matching slinky black clothes.

Bella shot me a wry look, but stepped forward and claimed the title of shit-stirrer. “Sir, we've been working to stop the witch supremacists. We got word they planned to kidnap your wife and use you to influence things at the government level. We came here to stop them.”

He huffed. “That is what the Supernatural Alliance is for. Not some band of self-proclaimed militia.”

She arched a brow, giving him a look that said he was full of bullshit and they both knew it. “With all due respect—which isnone—the Supernatural Alliance is as much of a problem as the supremacists. They've been corrupt for years now. And they are using this war with the cult to take advantage of their citizens and spread that corruption. We are fairly certain that there are also quite a few supremacists workingforthe SA, slowly guiding them toward the same goals.”

He just sighed. “And what,” he asked tiredly, “do you propose I do about it? I am one man.”

Bella arched a brow at him. “I suggest you use yourconsiderableinfluence to open people's eyes and put a stop to this nonsense. It's what you were elected to do.”

He gave her a skeptical look, his gaze darting toward the two jinn and back. “And you plan to coerce me the same way your supposed enemies did?”

“Oh, don't be fucking stupid,” I snapped, my patience at an end. “Does itlooklike any one is possessing you or taking hostages right now, old man?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “I pushed through the orders for your family's execution, back during the last witch uprising, little girl. I know who you are. I doubt your intentions toward me and my family are good.”

I huffed a humorless laugh. “You did the whole world a favor and everyone knows it. A lot of people thought you and the council were being too harsh. Too bloodthirsty. But I know the truth. If you hadn't handled things the way you did, my family would have found a way to get revenge. Theonlyway to stop people who are that determined to be awful is to end them permanently.”

He just stared at me for several beats, clearly surprised. “No love lost between you and your relatives, I see.”

I shrugged. “Most of them were awful people. They fucked up my life nearly as much as they fucked up everyone else's. And I'm pretty sure if they had lived, my parents would have turnedme into some kind of magical cash cow. So no, love doesn't factor into it. I've seen enough of the fallout of their evil to understand that the world is better off without them.”

“All we ask is that you keep in mind who saved your ass tonight,” Bella said evenly. “And that while we are out here risking our necks to do the actual fighting, you could be helping in other ways.”

He nodded. “The new laws they are trying to pass. I understand.”

I didn't. I hardly had any idea what was going on outside my little pocket world in general, let alone specifically in the political sphere. Bella anticipated my cluelessness and explained tersely. “The SA has been pushing through more and more laws and regulations, most of them targeted at non-witches. Registration requirements. Oaths of allegiance. Anything to make sure that the people the cult wants to enslave or extinguish belong to the SA—sotheycan use them instead.”

I rubbed my temples. Headache-inducing. “So, are we done here? Do you need us to stick around while you wake that witch up and play twenty questions?”

Elijah stepped forward and crouched by the unconscious witch. “Before you do that.” He rolled her over and grasped the chain of the necklace she wore around her neck. “I'll take this.”

A flash of light flared when he unfastened the necklace clasp, his angelic magic breaking whatever ward the cult leader had placed on the necklace. I sucked in a breath as Elijah stood. With it removed from the witch, I could suddenly sense the strong, sick-making magic that pulsed from the amulet.

“An artifact,” I muttered. The thing felt old, steeped in power. But it also induced this gross, gut wrenching feeling that made me want to vomit. “Whatisit?”

Chapter 30

Andy

“That is how she slipped past our barrier,” Dyre said flatly, his deep voice full of repressed anger. “And how she repelled the rebels' attack and controlled the jinn.”

“Souls,” Elijah whispered, his expression somber as he gazed at the softly pulsing glow of the amulet. “So many trapped souls. Ripped from their hosts in whole or in parts. Harnessed to create a massive source of power.”

The air jinn lurched forward with a little sob, but Aahil grabbed her arm, preventing her from going anywhere. “Please,” she sobbed, going to her knees. “Please.”

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