Page 143 of The Crown of Nyx

The charm mage glanced up at me with tired, dull green eyes and sighed. “Something you want to say?”

It was interesting how none of them referred to me as anything other than the demon king. I doubted they knew I had picked up on it. Not even the name Rhadamanthus passed their lips. Only Ivy called me by the name Damon, and when she did, she did it so easily.

I wondered if she had ever noticed that, though I doubted she did.

A smile tugged at my lips as I looked away from the mage. “No,” I replied quietly, “though out of respect forher, I do worry about how much power you are expelling at this time.”

The mage released a breath. “That’s not something you need to worry about.”

“Correct.” My eyes strayed to the sleeping woman who consumed all of my thoughts. “But I cannot help but worry abouther.”

I knew he tensed, that his thoughts strayed to my potential death for even thinking about his mate that way. I did not blame him.

“I cannot explain to you what I currently feel towards her. Admiration, protective. Those should mean something to you.” I glanced down at him, only to see his eyes had strayed to her sleeping form, too. “And though I do not have a bond with her, I do have our deal markings. And I can tell she worries about you. But it is more than that. You are dangerously low with your magic. Whatever it is you are building, you need to slow down.”

The charm mage shook his head. “We don’t have the time for me to slow down.”

“What are you creating, then?” I asked, raising a brow. “Surely, it is not so important that it puts all of us at risk.”

He winced, shoulders slumping. “I am trying to create a charm that mimics the runes he might use on her,” he murmured, motioning to Ivy. “A way to strip magic. Only, the one I create will be permanent.”

“You do know those are not created for a reason?” I could not fault him for wanting a permanent solution to stop his brother, though. “You could simply kill him and let his soul rot in the darkest parts of hell.”

The mage shook his head. “That wouldn’t be enough for what he’s done. He murdered her mother. She had to lie there, in a coma, for days because a Fae poison was slowly killing her. Ivy has three little sisters, and they had to watch that.” His eyes strayed to mine, and my heart clenched at the revelation. It was more than what she’d revealed to me during the fight, somehow more devastating. “I want him alive. And I want him as powerless as a human for where he is going.”

“Ah.” A cruel smile twisted my lips. The Underworld was a grand place for many reasons, but one of the best things we kept secret was our prison. There were three primary facilities for holding criminals, as well as smaller hubs used by the Phoenix Compound around the mortal world.

The worst of the prisons was run by House Wrath, deep in the treacherous oceans in the Phantom Isle. Those who went in, never came out.

It was torture, and there were currently only one hundred souls residing within its fortified walls. Most crimes never went beyond needing to be taken to the hidden prison in the Aither Court in Faery. The skyprison, run by the winged Fae the half-demon preferred calling his home, was fair in their treatment of those in their captivity. It was for those who committed terrible acts that could one day be reformed.

Then there was the reform academy, usually for younger creatures, and that was run by House Pride. Strict, direct, and usually for those who were hiding from something, or needing a helping hand the other academies couldn’t offer.

But just the mere thought of sending that arrogant male to the most despicable prison in my realm made my smile widen.

“I want him as human as possible when we send him there. I want him to feeleverything. And I want there to be no chance of him ever getting his powers back.” The charm mage ran a hand through his mussed, blond hair with another sigh. “I also want to do it for any of his primary supporters. The ones who have been at his side since the beginning.”

My gaze strayed to the Luna Fae male who walked ahead of everyone. The boy marked by death. His father had been working with the false bastard king this entire time.

How many other high-ranking officials had been? I hoped none of the Houses of Sin betrayed our Queen, otherwise, they would answer to me.

But I’d left only my most trusted in charge of ensuring none caused dissent. There were perks of having House Wrath as good friends.

“They will all pay,” I replied, the promise becoming a deal as one of my own tattoos slithered down my hand. The scorpion came to rest on the top of my hand before burning into place. “Either with their magic, or their lives.”

58

Ivy

Iwasn’t in a dream.

I didn’t recognise the darkness I was plunged into. It was different from anything else I’d witnessed before. Thick, like sludge, hard to wade through. It pressed down on me, stealing each breath I tried to take.

No, it wasn’t the darkness doing that. It was something else.

“Again,”a voice said, and my breath caught in my throat, trapped in my lungs. I struggled to suck in air, but someone else kept it from me, stealing it away.

And then it came back in awhoosh, and my lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. I slumped into cold concrete, sticky with blood. My blood.

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