Page 67 of House of Vampires and Flame

“I’m talking about your magic! What do you have?”

Just then, I spotted Bea standing amid the other mages on the sideline, face paling, eyes wide. The other mages gaped at me, their hands raised, palms facing me, ready to throw spells at me at their prince’s nod. I flicked my fingers toward Bea, gesturing for her to return to her dorm, as I didn’t want to drag her into another mess.

“I didn’t have a lot growing up, sir,” I said humbly, utter sincerity in my eyes. “I was a drifter before I came here. I had a job in the House of Vampires, but it didn’t work out. I’m a squire to Prince Silas now.”

“You turned down my offer, then you jumped ship to kiss Silas’s ass? Think the mage house isn’t good enough for you?”

“What? No! I kissed no one’s ass, sir! Never!” I said. “Your humble servant is more of a victim of the houses’ politics.”

He knew that I was hunted, and it wouldn’t benefit him to bring me into his fold currently. The princes and all their games.

“Everyone loves to use a victim card,” he snorted.

Bea sidled up to my side and bowed deeply to her prince. “Your Highness, Little Bob is an Echo, a natural who can neutralize magic. That’s how he entered the House of Mages. I don’t think he understands his rare magic either. As he said, he wasn’t schooled. He just has a raw talent.”

Professor Longweed had pronounced me an Echo, so it wasn’t exactly a secret. It was probably the best explanation for my magic in their book.

Cade glanced at Bea, not noticing her pale face turning red, before fixing his piercing gaze on me again. “Echoes are a myth. Aren’t you full of surprises, Little Bob?”

Even though he berated me, he was easy to talk to. An idea sparked in my mind.

Originally, I’d wanted Bea’s help to strengthen the Veil to prevent any more Shriekers from getting into the realm. Now that Cade was here, he’d be a much better option since he was the most powerful mage here.

He was also less violent and more open minded than the other princes. I hadn’t met the fae prince, but I had a bad feeling about him, considering Sy had fucked a powerful fae and left a hot mess for me to deal with.

Sy fumed at my constructive criticism, and I ignored her.

If I needed help, Prince Cade was the safest bet. I just needed to convince him to go along with my plan.

“I respect you a lot more than the other princes, sir,” I said. “It’s the reason I came here. I believe only you can handle the situation, since it pretty much falls into your specialty.”

He narrowed his eyes at me.

“I’m concerned about the weakened Veil on the south side of the campus,” I said. “Any good citizen of Mist of Cinder should be concerned. I came through that portal effortlessly. Any being that has a drop of magic can pass through now, and we don’t want anyone who’s up to no good to come into the realm, sir!”

“The ward of the Veil is above your pay grade.”

“But not above yours, high sir. That’s why I came to you instead of reporting it to the other princes, including my new boss,” I said, and the mage prince gave an almost unnoticeable nod. Flattery never fails. It’s the number one rule in the book. “I hope it’s not a hype when they say the prince heir of the House of Mages is most qualified at patching up and strengthening the Veil.”

“How dare you have doubts, ye of little faith?” He scowled at me before allowing a smile to tug his curvy lips. “Are you sure you can see the spells warding the Veil?”

“Yes, sir,” I said. I had to give him something more. Power called to power. “Wards and spells don’t stop me unless they’re woven by the gods.”

My father, God of Ruin, was the only one who could bind me with his commands and runes, though they’d always faded in time. When I was his captive, he’d have to renew his power words, spells, and runes that he’d implanted in me once a week in order to control me.

“The gods are dead,” said the mage prince.

He’d be in the valley of tears just like the rest of the world when Ruin came calling, raining down wrath and destruction. I shuddered at the thought of facing my father again. I was the only one who understood that no one and no realms were safe from him, and I had to prepare for Armageddon.

“I can sense magic and spells. I can see their colors and shapes and foundation. I can feel the pulses of their strength. The magic in the realm is fading, and it saddens me.”

Wars between the houses would be so disastrous. It was one of the reasons the houses were willing to cooperate to a degree in order to preserve, or more accurately, to slow down the fading of the magic. The supernaturals’ future and their survival were at stake.

The wild magic in Underhill, the strongest and purest element in all the worlds, would be most vulnerable if Ruin came.

No one could tame or harvest the wild magic except me.

I’d never harm it.

---