Page 3 of House of Mages and Raven

“What about underdog scorpion?” he teased. “Anyway, you shouldn’t leave.”

Killian’s inner circle now looked at me differently since I’d foolishly established myself as the other woman by sleeping with their boss. However, from the degree of respect they showed me, I’d almost managed to kid myself that Queen Lilith was the other woman who had poached my man. I had many vices, but I wasn’t delusional.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Since when am I a prisoner?”

“You’re not, and you know that,” he said. “But when His Highness returns, he might get upset if you aren’t here.”

“Prince Killian might get upset, you say?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Archer confirmed. “If you aren’t here when he comes back.”

“Too bad if he gets upset,” I said. “But I’m not his kept woman. Never will be. I come and go as I like. And you’d better remove your heavy self. You are taking up too much space in my path.”

“Or what?” He towered over me and smirked. “I’m not heavy. Feel free to check with other ladies and they’ll tell you how popular I am. I can’t just let you leave like that. His Highnessordered me to guard you, and I take my charge seriously. So stop being difficult, Barbie.”

“Difficult is my other middle name,” I said. “I don’t even need to lift a finger against you, and you’ll gladly step aside.”

He waggled his brows as if this was a fun game.

“Pucker!” I called.

My ghost familiar couldn’t get into Killian’s warded penthouse, but he had no issue getting into the hallway.

Pucker materialized beside Archer, giving him an appreciative once-over and grinning. “Miss me?”

Archer cursed and leapt back while summoning his chakram.

I shook my head at the pretty warrior. “You don’t want to throw it at Guardian Pucker. It will pass right through him, and then you’ll piss him off. He’ll then have more excuses to pay you nightly visits.”

Archer’s knuckles went white on the chakram, but he took my advice and refrained from tossing it at the ghost guardian of the house.

“Fuck!” Archer said, his face grim. “Rock mentioned it. This business of leeching energy from the living must stop!” Pucker and I just stared at him while he threw a fit. “It cannot continue. There’s already paranoia in the house because of it.”

“Let’s try not to be judgmental, shall we?” I offered.

I strolled past Archer, since he was putting plenty of space between Pucker and him. Everyone was afraid of ghosts. I rushed along the lengthy corridor. Pucker flickered back into his phantom form and hurried after me. With a string of new curses, Archer trailed after me as well.

I couldn’t afford to let the oracle see me. I needed to rush back to my room and then sneak out. Sy could jump from the window on the sixth floor and vanish from sight.

Sy perked up at my exit plan.Message my sugar Rowan to meet me.

The Queen’s Suite loomed ahead on the left of the corridor.

“The Queen’s Suite is reserved for Prince Killian’s true mate, which is Queen Lilith, of course,”Cami had said.

But the house magic had wanted me to dwell there.

My pulse spiked as I drew near the red door of the suite.

Barbie!Inhuman voices reached out to me from behind the sealed door.Come to us!

I froze.

Did you hear that, Pucker?I asked.Am I crazy hearing voices in my head?

Pucker flickered into solid form and stared at the red door. “You aren’t crazy, Barbie.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Archer asked. “I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

---