Page 100 of House of Mages and Raven

It felt like déjà vu.

He’d once conjured up a pumpkin carriage here to take Barbie to his villa on their “first date.” He’d have freaked out if he’d known that I was hitching a ride.

A blink, and we landed inside a glass elevator.

“How is it possible, sugar Rowan?” I asked. Unlike the jaded Barbie, I was curious about everything.

A smile tugged up Rowan’s sensual lips. He loved to see me excited and full of wild sprit, and my breath hitched at his sexiness. I curled my fingers around his. I’d never dared dream that I could have this—to be on a date and see this wondrous world with my own eyes, to live as Sy.

Barbie’s downfall was my rise. Maybe she should stay down?

I suppressed the treacherous thought. I’d vowed not to usurp her again. It was our pact that she remained primary and I lurked in the shadows. It wasn’t my fault that she’d turned off the light. I just needed to step up and live for both of us.

I let the guilt slide to the edge of my conscience. When Barbie was ready to live again, I’d concede the reins to her, though it’d be a struggle. She’d always have my allegiance, and not even the desperate need for my own identity and longing for a life with my prince would get in the way.

“This leyline to the mortal realm is powered by all five of our heirs,” Rowan said. “It’s glamoured, so no humans can see us come and go in this glass lift. Only the heirs and our invited guests can teleport here.”

“The five of you joined appear to be a force of nature,” I said as the elevator started to glide up.

“We don’t always get along. There’s fracture between Killian, Silas, and Louis.” He sighed. “Silas initiated a lot of trouble. His mother keeps pushing him to the edge, so he’s always in competition with Killian and Louis. Killian is the leading power among us heirs, but Silas can’t accept it. The vampire house and shifter house reached the temporary truce a century ago, but it’s always been fragile. The hostility between vampires and shifters is in their DNA. Silas also has to establish his dominance again and again, since his popular sister is aiming for his heir’s status. It’s a matter of time before she challenges him. He doesn’t want to kill her, so he’s taking every step to show his strength to make her back off.”

I squeezed his hand, appreciating his talking to me like I was his equal.

“When all five of us unite, no one can beat us. There hasn’t been a lack of trying, but none succeeded in dividing us until—” He paused, looking troubled. “We’ll see. Cade and I will try our best to glue us together and prevent any force from driving a wedge between us.”

Ever since Queen Lilith had come and established the sixth house in Shades Academy, everyone could see a rift start to widen between the heirs.

The glass elevator kept rising, and I peeked at the beautiful skyline. High-rise buildings were lit up around a vast lake, casting their colorful reflections off the water. The world was alive, but if Ruin came, everything would fall, including this bustling city. It didn’t matter that magic in the mortal realm was scarce and pale beneath the earth, tainted by human pollution and suppressed by their technology. When the eater of the world came, he’d destroy everything in his path. He’d compelled Barbie to drain cities like this until we escaped.

I shook off the horror of our past and focused on the here and now. This night was mine, and I wouldn’t allow a future threat to spoil it.

“What is this place, sugar?” I asked, sparks in my eyes.

Rowan chuckled in delight at my wonder. “Las Vegas,” he said. “X Palace is owned by Killian, one of the haunts for all of us to escape to outside the realm. The basement hosts a boxing ring. The first two floors are casinos. High-end restaurants, bars, and nightclubs are on the third and fourth floors. The rest of the floors are luxury hotel rooms and suites. The top floor and rooftop are off-limits to humans, and only this lift has access to the rooftop.”

I’d learned that the fae house was the only one that didn’t deal with humans. They mostly sold expensive artifacts to other houses. The fae kingdom was old money, older than any other house. Over millennia, they’d accrued countless pieces of gold and jewelry in their treasure vault.

Silas owned a chain of upscale cafés, sports stores, and a few fighting rings in both realms. Louis owned dozens of nightclubs in Europe and CrimsonTide. And Cade pretty much partnered with Killian on every venture.

“Do you have business in the mortal realm at all?” I asked. I liked to be thorough, since Barbie might’ve missed something. I needed to know my lover’s financial situation so I wouldn’t fly blindly.

“I’m a shareholder in most of Killian’s businesses,” he admitted. “My father thinks it’s distasteful to do business with mortals, but my business is my own and has nothing to do with him or his court.”

He was a bastard son, though his king father still didn’t know it. Should one day this secret come out, Rowan would have a golden egg, even though being exiled to the mortal world would devastate him. However, that’d be the best option for him if hisfake dad ever found out the truth. Mostly, the fae king would try to kill Rowan. That was why I’d had my pillow talks with him and strongly advised him to strike first. The only safe path for my mate was to take the throne for himself, with me by his side part-time. A coup was needed.

A ping sounded. The elevator reached the top and its doors slid open. Rowan escorted me out like a gentleman. I grinned at him. “Las Vegas, here I come!”

I wanted Barbie to see this, to share my excitement with my other half, but I was also careful not to wake her. She could be crazy, and while I was having this night with my lover, the last thing I wanted was for her to mess it up. I might not have a night like this for myself again. While I loved the pure air in Mist of Cinder, I could also appreciate the city’s dirtier air, dry heat, and urban sophistication.

A DJ mix blasted in my face. The rooftop was packed with elite students and the princes’ guests. The academy wasn’t like any other school; it was a powerhouse on its own.

The crowd was here to celebrate the victory over the Shriekers as if they’d won the battle. They hadn’t the slightest idea that the war with the God of Ruin and his army had just started. If they knew what kind of horror lay ahead, they might not want to party. But who was I to judge when I was all for seizing the day, especially now that I was in charge of this body and embracing the night?

One second, the supernaturals were mingling or staying with their cliques. The next, they all looked our way, sensing the biggest predators entering the scene. Rowan was a powerful heir. I might not have Barbie’s magic, but my presence was stronger.

I stepped into the limelight unabashedly. Barbie hated to be the center of attention, but I thrived in it. Without a doubt, I knew I was utterly stunning tonight.

Before Rowan had come to pick me up, I’d managed to create a new outfit for myself. My usual two pieces—a cuirass breastplate and a leather skirt—weren’t cut out for a party like this.

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