Page 92 of House of Mages and Raven

I swallowed. “They’re hunting me.”

Pucker pulled his ghost lips back in a snarl. “They’ll have to get to you over my dead body.”

It wasn’t polite to tell him that he was already dead, so I just stared at him for half a second longer before I stared at the prison bars.

“I’ll go steal the key to open the door for you,” he suggested.

“No need,” I said.

No magical locks or wards could stop me. I couldn’t break the bars earlier because of the mating heat, which needed to be sated first, and somehow, it knew that Killian was coming for me.

When Cade put me in here, Sy had questioned why I would allow anyone to cage us, as powerful as we were. I’d been playing their games since day one, not wanting to stand out to alert Ruin and his agents about my whereabouts, even though the evidence had indicated that they were already here. The kidnap, the druid, and the demon queen were all connected in a web.

Playing dumb to let them underestimate me might buy us more time.

The time for lying low has passed,Sy hissed.Own our birthright!

I didn’t need her fury; I had enough of mine. I stretched a hand, summoning the evil blade, and Deathsong fell into my palm. My finger curled around its icy hilt.

Pucker phased through the bar and turned to eye the blade warily.

“My, my,” my familiar said nosily. “Isn’tthatthe creepiest dagger I’ve ever laid my eyes on? Do you know that it whispers bloodthirsty thoughts, Barbie?”

“Yeah, Deathsong often does it gleefully,” I said. “That’s why I don’t carry it with me, but summon it when I need it.”

Deathsong chirped happily,Let’s go kill some abominations. You can test me on that ghost first.

Pucker leapt back.

“Save your strength. He’s not our target,” I said, pausing to study Pucker for a second. He seemed to have gained some weight, even as a ghost. “Let’s go kill something bigger and badder today.”

“I’m offended,” Pucker said.

Yes! Let’s go!the blade cheered.He’s too small a fish.

I brought up the evil blade and slashed at the bars, cutting through the iron like it were made of liquid. I cut the bars until I’d made a nice, large square enough for me to slide through.

“Prince Cade will complain when he comes back and sees that you ruined his five-star prison cell,” Pucker said.

“He’s rich,” I said. “But he’s frugal. I’m doing him a favor by getting him to spend and live more. I don’t think he’ll ever put me back here, though.”

“His loss.” Pucker nodded. “But no one’s perfect.”

Dismissing Deathsong for now, I rushed along the hallway, my familiar in tow. I shot up the stairs, kicked the door open, and ran through. In no time, I reached the top of the staircase and jogged into the common hall, where mages hung out.

I zoomed toward a clique group and snatched a glass of white wine from Fred’s hand before he could drink it. I poured the liquid down my throat and tossed the empty glass at Matt. He caught it. Good reflexes.

I scanned the crowd. Now everyone grabbed their glasses tightly. When it came to booze, mages favored wine. Shifters liked rum and Coke. Vampires mostly mixed their whiskey or wine with blood. Demons liked Hell’s local brew. Fae preferred sweet flower wine, and the chaos members went for beers.

“I’m still thirsty,” I said.

Fred widened his eyes. “What the hell, Barbie? How did you get out? I said we’d come tomorrow.”

Pucker in his phantom form tapped my shoulder.No time for more drinks.

I nodded. “I gotta go. I’ll have another drink later.”

I zoomed toward the main door, which flung open for me, courtesy of the house magic.

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