Page 454 of Evil Hearts

“Rumor has it they contacted Mom for help,” I mutter as I read aloud. “Of course she says she didn’t turn them away. Helping them must not be a big deal since she won’t be up for reelection anyway.”

Lyone’s eyes turn fully silver and his forked tongue hisses. “The Isfolk, did they not trap a demon once in ice, stopping its transformation fully?”

Pardus nods. “During the last war. When we were born.”

He stands and reads over my shoulder now. The scent of woods and sulfur invades my nose. “Corel, contact them.”

“How?” Corel asks.

“You’re the elf, figure out how to send a message in snow or some shit,” Lyone snaps. “We will help with whatever they have going on … if they lend us some of their magic. If we can harness it, use it in a spell, perhaps we can trap ourselves purposefully in our demonic forms.”

“So you want to … what? Blackmail them? Help them only if they give up their magic to you?” I ask, aghast. I don’t know why I’m surprised. They kidnapped me and tortured me. A little blackmail doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.

Lyone grabs me by my short, blue hair and hisses. His skin darkens a little, going from sun-kissed gold to dark grey as his demon peeks out. “You are not here for your opinion, Evynn Maelstrom. You are here to do whatever I ask.”

“I’m not stealing magic from another subset of magic-users,” I insist.

Why am I fighting them? I thought I had more sense than this, because I know what comes after rebellion.

“It’s not stealing,” Corel scoffs. “It’s an exchange.”

“We don’t even know if we can help them!” I remind him. Especially since only Lyone and I are proper magic users. Elven magic is different, and Pardus can, what? Slash them open with his claws? Not usually helpful.

“Then we just take what we want,” Lyone replies, letting go of my hair. “You should know we have no problems doing that.”

I open my mouth to argue again, but before I can, Corel shouts in glee.

“They said they will take any magic and non-magic users to help! The response emphasized ‘non-magic’.” He types something, leaps off his chair and adds, “Well? What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

I sigh as Lyone yanks on my arm to get me to move.

Something isn’t right here, but if I try to tell them, they won’t listen. No witch, no coven, will accept non-magic help. There’s something they haven’t told us, nor did they tell my mother.

Well … I guess we are going to find out if my feeling is right firsthand.

As we exit the small stone manor, I stop the demons.

“Wait. You’re not planning on flying all the way to the Northern End, are you?”

“And if we are?” Pardus asks, smirking.

“I’ll freeze!”

Lyone curls his fingers in my direction. “Värmanu.”

A chill goes over me, followed by a blanket of warmth.

“Perhaps we were hasty in taking you,” Lyone drawls. “What sort of witch forgets that a Blanket Charm exists?”

One who has been kidnapped and held against her will, and now stuck here with demons because the alternative is to go home and take punishment from the Council,I think. “Excuse me if this is all a little hasty—”

The last syllable is drawn out in a shout as Lyone lifts me into his arms and takes off like a shot into the air, Pardus and Corel behind him. Wind buffets my face and I find myself burying my head into his chest to avoid the whiplash sensation across my skin.

I can’t tell how long we flew, but enough to have the forest thin out and snow to be seen, as well as icy rivers and lakes. Small houses dotted here and there, but it was truly a winter wonderland … without the wonder.

Something feels off,I realize. Though I’m not sure what. I don’t think this is a trap, per se, but I feel like we missed something vital.

The demons land, and Lyone sets me on my feet. The way down seems strangely longer than it did when he swept me up, and when I look at him, I realize why.

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