Page 26 of The Fated and the Damned
“Yes. The fact she hasn’t made a move yet tells me she hasn’t been able to retrieve it, which means it must be somewhere heavily guarded. Or perhaps …” I trailed off, eyes widening. “Oh fuck.”
“What is it?”
I looked him dead in the eye. “I know where to find the crown. There’s only one place Sylvie could hide it where no mortal could enter. Only one place she could access through her dark magic and have power enough to conceal it from immortal eyes.”
Dante’s eyes widened in understanding. “You think Sylvie was plotting with Fate even before her execution?”
“It makes sense. After Sylvie failed to overthrow Death the first time, she must have persuaded Fate to her cause. The crown would have assured both got what they wanted. Fate would have dominion over the Under World and, in return, Sylvie would have the mortal realm to wreak her havoc. Together, they would have been unstoppable.”
Dante shook his head. “But before Sylvie could use the crown, the witches saw her burned at the stake.”
I nodded, excitement filling me. “Sylvie was clever enough to cover her bases, which means wherever the crown is, it’s undetectable by Fate and Death. And I know just the place it is hiding.
Dante blew out a breath. “The crown is in the Under World.”
I smiled grimly. “Looks like I’m going to hell.”
TWELVE
Dante
Iheardthescuffingof András’s boots just in time to cover Kitarni’s gloriously naked body, which was a true shame. She was a drug I’d never have enough of and, even after spending much of the night continuing our antics, the less logical part of me was standing to attention.
The golden rays of dawn filtered through the high window in the chamber, but I’d been awake long after Kitarni and I had ceased our lovemaking, plagued by thoughts of the crown and the Under World.
She wanted to travel to hell, right into the belly of the beast. Before Kitarni’s theory about Sylvie’s hiding the crown there, I hadn’t thought it possible for mortals to visit the realm. Even if the crown was in the Under World, venturing there would be a fool’s mission.
What manner of monsters roamed that ethereal plane? Worse still, what if Death sensed her presence the moment she arrived? These questions and more had raced through my mind all night, chasing the sweet mercy of sleep from my reach.
“What’s happening?” Kitarni mumbled, rousing and blinking sleepily like an owl.
Before I could answer, a clang sounded and András opened the door, a bundle of clothing in his arms and a shit-eating grin on his face. To his credit, he didn’t even blink at my state of undress. “Well, aren’t you two a sight for sore eyes?”
Kitarni squeaked in protest, holding the rug tighter to her chest and I scowled at him as I grabbed my pants and slipped them on. “Finally letting the prisoners out, are we?”
He ignored me, looking around the state of the room, his eyes roving over the scratches and bruises covering my body. That smile grew impossibly wider. “I figured you’d need some time to figure things out. How right I was. Glad to see you’re both mostly in one piece.”
“Stop gloating and hand me the damn clothes, András,” Kitarni said irritably, though her usual bite was half-hearted at best.
The pair continued arguing like an old married couple and I glanced between them with a small smile. Their exchange was made even more amusing by the tattered rug wrapped around her frame and the bird’s nest that passed for her curls, compared to the glowing blond hair and pristine clothes András wore.
As frustrating as it was, his interference had certainly helped mend the rift between Kitarni and me. She still needed time to heal, to trust in me again, but talking alone had done wonders. And the anger she’d held for me, well … I was feeling it today. In all the right ways.
Her training was paying off. She had been toned before, but the lingering softness to her belly and the roundness of her thighs had hardened to muscle, and she wasstrong. Now to continue testing her swordsmanship against a real opponent. I had promised, after all, to teach her in the ring.
“Enough crowing,” I said at last, at my wit’s end with the duo. Honestly, one András was bad enough, but the two of them together just spelled trouble.
András huffed, tossing the bundle at her before turning around. “Just remember who brought you little lovebirds back together.”
I dragged a hand over my face, keen to change the subject. With so much to do, coupled with the gnawing dread about Kitarni’s safety, I felt restless with the need to act, to keep busy. “What news do you bring?”
András’s back stiffened, his preening and gloating forgotten. “That’s why I’m here so early. We’ve received word from the scouts. Cultists have been spotted drawing closer to the village.”
“How many?” Kitarni asked as she pulled a tunic over her head. “You can turn around now.”
His eyes were steely as he did. “Around twenty-odd. One of the witches accompanying us said they appeared to be lingering around the border’s edge.”
“Near the wards?” Kitarni gasped. “Gods. Sylvie means to expose us to the humans.”
