Page 8 of Immortal Sins
“Yes, but he’s basically the only elementalist in office. That can’t be fun.”
I sidestep the issue entirely. Our past relationship does allow me some insight into his family, and I need to dig into that Darkwood-Davenport connection. “You told me before you didn’t care much about politics. Your father has never been interested in high office before. What does he want?”
“Power. This election was carefully planned. He found a loophole in the previously airtight law that prevented him from running and blackmailed enough puppets to back him up.”
I lean close to his ear and lower my voice. “How far is he willing to go to keep it?”
Trent chuckles bitterly. “If he had to sacrifice his own children, he wouldn’t hesitate.”
A shiver passes through me. Trent is not kidding, and while Oz is my number one enemy, Theodore Darkwood might be the head of the snake.
Our lips are a hair apart, and I can read in the pinch of his pout and the intensity of his stare how badly he wants to kiss me. I open my mouth to speak, but he just pulls away with a defeated sigh.
Before we became enemies, I used to love his fresh, cool kisses. I wish I could explain what really happened to Beth and recruit Trent to our side, but the vampire would never believe me. I’m afraid his prejudice against Faerie—against Cole—is too ingrained in his identity for him to switch sides.
4
DEMONS
Powdery leaves sprout in the Summer Hall gardens, but no amount of green could hide the hideous crime that took place here. The poison apple trees that were once so plentiful show dead twigs and a few blackened roots.
Next to the corded-off Magisterium section, branches and vines weave and crest in a beautiful arch. Rows and rows of thick, luscious white roses sag under the moonlight. The decadent bloom highlights the exact place where Beth died, and silvery rays dance across the silky petals.
Magus and High Council representatives came and tried to relocate the body, but mother nature buried the unicorn on her terms and built her an immovable shrine.
I hug my knees on the grass, my clothes protected from the evening dew by a dry spell. Uneven thumps wreck my heart. If only I’d tried harder to get through to Allie… If only I hadn’t been so distracted…
Regrets coagulate in a hard mass inside my belly, and I fight off hot, useless tears. Zipping up my black hoodie, I sprawl out to a more comfortable position and study my notes until a familiar tingle raises all my hair up to attention.
My nostrils flare, and I stare into the night to spot the intruder. A dark mass moves through the electric-blue cedar edge, graceful and feral. The quality of the movement, the decisiveness in each step, does not belong to this world.
Onyx prances closer.
Shadows and light twinkle over black fur as the panther slumps over my outstretched legs.
I blink a few times, wondering if she’s real. I haven’t seen her since that fateful night Cole disappeared into the sea, almost believed she went with him.
The demon cat rests her head on the ground between her two front paws and closes her eyes. A soft, crackly mewl leaves no room for interpretation.
I raise a tentative hand to pet her head. “I get it. I miss him, too.” If she was human, I couldn’t have admitted it, but I trust her more than the beasts that rule this damn school.
Onyx’s whiskers bristle before she sniffs my punctured finger. The Fae seedling fed voraciously yesterday. I bet the wound smells of Faerie, like her master. She rubs the crest of her skull against my hand and purrs. The geometrical, shimmering fur feels fresh and crunchy.
Two demons under the stars, pining for a Fae prince. I can’t help but think it would make for a hauntingly depressing mermaid song. A pink tongue darts out of Onyx’s mouth, and she licks her big paws, claws retracted. I reach for my notes.
Beth’s personal collection contained a treasure chest of information on Fae plants, some of the chapters written by the unicorn herself. I couldn’t leave the library with most of them, but I transcribed the sections on the upside-down tree. According to Beth’s notes, a few ingredients from Cole’s grimoire are too volatile for this realm and should be substituted for others. The spell will guide me to an object of my choosing with the help of an arcane focus. Beth’s input, even from beyond the grave, is invaluable. Once the seedling is strong enough to bloom again, I’ll find her horn and figure out what Oz plans to do with it.
If somehow, it could be used to save her…
My pulse quickens. I’ve read all I could find in the library about unicorns, but Brie’s legend that one could be brought back to life remains unsubstantiated. I did learn more about their kind, their culture. The only known horde in existence relocated to an undisclosed location after being chased out of their lands. It’s been so long since the last sighting that most people believe they are extinct. Of course, these people didn’t know Beth was one.
I think back to what she told me about the Dryad war, about Dark Falls’ unexplainable power source, and how she’d been asked to stay and keep watch on the grounds after her kind left. If only I’d discovered her true nature when she was still alive, maybe I could have understood the lesson she meant to teach me quicker.
I don’t sleep much these days, haunted by what might have been.
Onyx’s presence re-energizes me, my mind crisp, and my stiff muscles painless.
I dust off my pants and follow Onyx past the line of trees, using them as cover to practice. Beth’s training shouldn’t go to waste.
