Page 36 of Of Flames and Crows

“They have common elements. But they are different entities.”

Julius stirred. “Nikolai already has Moon Magic and white magic, which is rare enough in itself.” The sorcerer frowned. “How on earth did he acquire Hellfire Magic?”

Nikolai’s gaze found the chameleon lying motionless on her back on the floor in front of Brimstone. “She had something to do with it. She was—hidden inside the nexus beneath this mansion. I tapped into her magic when I accessed a ley line during our training.”

Everyone stared at the chameleon. She twitched slightly.

Brimstone lowered his head and huffed out smoke trails over her still form. “We know you’re awake, lizard.”

The chameleon flipped herself onto her front, her casque quivering.

“You’re scaring her,” Mae admonished.

“I can’t help it.” Brimstone sniffed. “She reminds me of an annoying dragon I used to know.”

The lizard tasted the air carefully with her tongue. She rolled an eye at Mae and crossed the room toward her. Mae startled when the creature climbed her leg and settled on her lap.

“Get away from my witch, lizard!” Brimstone growled.

Hellreaver vibrated against her chest, similarly annoyed.

Mae ignored them and petted the familiar. “There, there. I won’t let those big meanies hurt you.”

The chameleon huddled in on herself before nudging Mae’s palm gently with her head. She made a happy sound.

“Can you talk to her?” Mae asked Brimstone.

“Do I have to?” the fox asked sullenly.

Mae narrowed her eyes.

“Alright, alright,” Brimstone grumbled. “Hey, lizard, what’s your name?”

The creature twisted around to face the fox. Soft clicks left her throat.

“She says her name is Filomena.” Brimstone cocked his head to the side, his pupils constricting. “She and her sorcerer were…attacked, a couple of days ago.” The fox’s ears flicked forward and backward in surprise. “She says he saved her by teleporting her to the nexus.”

The hairs on Mae’s nape rose at the ramifications of that statement.

The meaning behind Brimstone’s words wasn’t lost on Nikolai either. The sorcerer had gone deathly still.

“Wait!” Violet gasped. “That would make her sorcerer a ley-line user too!”

Marlena’s eyes rounded. Julius cursed.

“She says she and her sorcerer are—”Brimstone paused, his pupils dilating. He cast a somber glance at Mae.“She says they’re Fire Magic users and that they were targeted because of their powers.” His face darkened. “She says she’s afraid the men who took her master will kill him soon.”

“Fire Magic users?” Mae repeated, stunned.

She stared at the chameleon.

Filomena had turned to look at her. She whimpered.

Mae clenched her jaw.

“What is it?” Nikolai said stiffly. His gaze swung from Mae to Violet and Miles’s troubled expressions. “Do you know something about what happened to them?”

Mae dipped her head. “Not them per se. But I think the Dark Council is targeting Fire Magic users for one of their schemes.”

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