Carved in Stone_Protectors of Magic_Book 2 Read online

  He let out a light laugh, a sound that sent shivers of dread through my veins. “Oh, my dear. It really is a shame the Queen of Shadows could not keep a tighter leash on you, though I can now see why she couldn’t. You’re a fiery little thing, aren’t you? Not unlike your mother.”

  My breath got stuck in my throat. “You knew my mother?”

  “Knew?” He arched an eyebrow. “You speak as though she’s no longer alive.”

  Something heavy and hard formed in my gut. “What are you talking about? How could she be alive?”

  “She’s immortal,” he said, pursing his lips and shaking his head. “Only another god or goddess could kill her, and I cannot imagine any would try. She is much more powerful than most.”

  My heartbeat pounded hard in my chest; my palms went slick with sweat. “I don’t understand. Then, why isn’t she stopping the hunters?”

  “She left this realm, Rowena Mortensen. And vowed to never return.”

  With a heavy sigh, I sat back in my chair and placed my shaking hands in my lap. Emotions charged through me like a runaway horse, grief mixing with confusion and anger. It was painful to know that somewhere out there, the Goddess of Witchcraft was living her own life and had no desire to help ours when she’d been the one to start it all. But what irritated me the most was that the conversation had gotten the better of me. And Magister Thorne knew it.

  Although...there was one thing he’d said that didn’t escape my notice. He was alive back then, which meant he was very, very old. Did that mean he wasn’t mortal? A vampire, perhaps? I needed to find out, but I’d have to choose my words very carefully.

  “The shadow witches have obviously kept a lot of information from me.” With a vapid smile pasted on my lips, I leaned forward and rested my chin on my fist. “I’d love to learn more.”

  “I’m sure you would,” Magister Thorne replied with an indulgent smile.

  I took that as my cue to continue. “What was it that made her return to her realm?”

  “I believe it had to do with that human male of hers.” He rolled his eyes. “It seems even a powerful immortal goddess can be stupid enough to get her heart broken.”

  His words were sharp and uncaring. A dozen tiny knives. His carefully constructed demeanor was unraveling now with every sip of that deep red wine. I needed to keep him drinking and talking, and eventually, I would lead him to the one question I really wanted to ask.

  Where the hell is my damn sword?

  “How careless of her,” I said, though I didn’t mean it. I just had to keep him appeased for as long as I could.

  He nodded, flashing his teeth. “She had this world. It was hers. Every human on this planet would have bowed before her power, and every supernatural would have worshipped her with the kind of reverence only reserved for the highest of beings.”

  Okay. Things were starting to get a little weird, but I continued to press on, determined to dig a little deeper into the Magister’s brain. “And I guess humans back then didn’t live as long, did they? So, it’s not like she’d have that many years to spend with him.”

  Just how long ago was that, Magister Thorne? How old are you?

  I held my breath, determined to keep my face blank, desperately hoping he’d walk straight into my trap of a question. But instead of answering, a look of surprise flickered across his pale face. A chuckle followed. Soft and small at first before mounting into an almost deafening roar.

  Chills swept across my skin. This was…not the reaction I’d expected.

  The laughter died on his blood-red lips just as quickly as it had appeared. “Rowena Mortensen, daughter of Circe. You’re not as gullible as I thought you were. Well done, but it’s certainly not going to do you any favors.”

  In an instant, the pale, bruised skin was replaced by a face that glowed like an incandescent light, the wrinkles disappearing into impossibly smooth skin. His long dark hair now curled on his shoulders, as dark as a nightmare. I sucked in a sharp breath, my eyes caught on his slender neck, the glow of his eyes, and the way his body radiated with pure power. This was not the Magister of the Blood Coven.

  “Let me properly introduce myself.” The smile he flashed was pure fae. His bright green eyes were the color of moss, and his voice was lyrical and haunting. “I am Oberon, King of the Unseelies. And you’ve walked straight into my Court.”

  Chapter 14

  Before I had a chance to react, his two bodyguards—also now fae—gripped me by the elbows and yanked me from my chair. Fury roared through me at the look of pure delight on the fae’s impossibly golden face. It almost hurt to look at him, but I refused to avert my eyes.

  He steepled his fingers under his chin and smiled a wicked smile. “As I’m sure you’ve realized, the Blood Coven did not summon you here, Rowena Mortensen. I did. And I never intended for you to leave.”

  “Why?” I asked, curling my hands into fists and narrowing my eyes. “What’s the point of this?”

  He lifted a slender shoulder. “If you die, the veil between our realms will be destroyed. I need you alive. Unfortunately, you insist on doing everything you can to change that. So, you will stay here in my new Court until I decide it’s safe. Though I must warn you, it might take a century.”

  My nostrils flared. I didn’t care what he was or if he wore a crown. He couldn’t keep me trapped in this place. “Yeah, that’s not happening. I’m taking my sword, and I’m returning to the City of Wings.”

  He sneered. “Don’t think I’m not aware of your limitations. You still haven’t unleashed the power of the sword. Until you do, then you aren’t strong enough to get through my wards, demigoddess or not.”

  Frustration churned through me, and I tried to rip my arms away from the guards. But they were strong. Too strong. Much stronger than a mage could ever be. How had I not realized this sooner? Nothing about these fae even remotely resembled witches and warlocks. Sure, they’d been wearing illusions, but I should have seen straight through them.

  “What did you do to the blood mages?” I asked through gritted teeth. “They wouldn’t just abandon their castle.”

  He let out a low chuckle, and chills rippled down my spine. “Those bloodthirsty mages have been taken care of. And don’t worry, my sweet, sweet demigoddess. You have no need to mourn them. They deserve their fate.”

  Blood roared in my ears as I shook my head, lips parting. My words came out a harsh whisper. “You killed them. You attacked the castle and killed them all.”

  He gave a nod. “That’s enough questions for now. You’ll return to your room, and there you will remain. You’ll have access to most of Crimson Hall once you calm down. Don’t bother attempting to escape, because you’ll just be wasting your energy.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but the guards lifted me from the ground and hauled me from the dining room. And then they carried me up the stairs before tossing me in my room and slamming the door of my new cage in my face.

  * * *

  I pounded the bed with shaking fists. Fury was a storm within my gut. Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to shed even a single tear because of these deceitful fae. I’d always heard they weren’t able to lie, but they’d cleverly fibbed in order to draw me into their fold.

  With an inward roar, I paced from one end of the tiny room to the other. I reached the window facing the courtyards and spun on my feet, stomping toward the opposite wall to the window where Marcus had visited me.

  Marcus.

  My gut clenched.

  He had no idea that these fae were not who they said they were. He thought we’d returned to the blood mages he’d been guarding all of his life. Instead, we’d walked straight into a court of fae who would sooner see him dead than flying through the skies.

  What the hell was I going to do now? How could I warn him?

  He knew the blood mages, and he’d sensed something was wrong. Had he figured it out already? And, if he had, what would he do in response? I couldn’t imagine he wo
uld take it very well.

  After striding the path between walls three more times, I stopped at the window where Marcus had knocked on the glass. I pushed at the frame to stare into the darkness, hoping to find Marcus out there in the cold. But the windows didn’t budge. Eyes widening, I pushed harder. Harder and harder until I let out a cry of frustration.

  The fae had sealed the windows with their strange magic. Every single wall seemed to close tight around me, closer and closer until I could barely feel the breath in my lungs. Darkness crept into the corners of my eyes, and fear pounded through me like a hurricane.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I sunk to the floor and leaned against the door. I was trapped. Far more trapped than I’d been in the City of Wings. Even more trapped than I’d been in Dreadford Castle.

  It was my past all over again. Only this time, it was far, far worse.

  But it had one thing in common.

  The fae were behind it, just like they had been then.

  They kept trying to control my life, pulling on puppet strings they had no right to touch. With a deep breath, I stood, a newfound determination filling my gut. I couldn’t let them win, and I couldn’t let them get to Marcus before I had a chance to warn him about who—and what—they were. And I had to find the raven Kipling had sent after us and alert the shifters about what had happened.

  I might not be able to open these windows, but there could be a weakness in their wards somewhere in Crimson Hall. And, if there was, I’d find it.

  Chapter 15

  The door was unlocked. I pressed it open with timid fingers, edging one foot into the silent hall. Not a single whisper of movement echoed in response. When the fae had first led me into this part of the castle, Marcus had seemed surprised. Perhaps because no one lived here but the dead.

  With bare feet, I padded down the carpeted hallway, glancing into each room I passed. Most of the doors were open. Rooms very similar to the one they’d given me. Each one held a bed covered in red silken sheets, an ashen fireplace, and a small bedside table with a single lamp. Small, basic, relatively nice. If I weren’t being kept prisoner, it could even be considered cozy.

  The entire top floor consisted of more of the same. I eased down the curving staircase to the bottom floor and stopped in front of the door where we’d first entered. Obviously, it would be locked, but I still had to try just in case the fae had made a mistake. No such luck. The door wouldn’t budge.

  A clatter sounded from the dining hall, and I froze in place. Voices murmured. Harsh whispered words tinged in anger. King Oberon had surely left by now, so who was there? Another prisoner? Some guards? I had to find out without being seen myself. Whoever it was might hold some answers to my many questions.

  Thanks to the light thrum of magic I felt slithering along my skin, even though I hadn’t yet fully unlocked my powers, my steps were soft and quiet. When I reached the archway, I pressed my back against the wall before taking in a deep breath.

  You can do this, Rowena.

  So, before my trembling heart could convince me otherwise, I eased to the right and peered with one eye around the corner. There stood the two fae guards who had escorted me to my room. And, between them, a small trembling woman’s shaking knees dug into the thick carpet. She wore a long silk gown that was ripped at the shoulder, and her hair hung in messy waves that hit her waist. But it was her eyes that stood out from all the rest. Wide and fearful, they were a red the color of blood, surrounded by rings of pure purple. She looked, I thought, a hell of a lot like the fae’s illusion of a blood mage.

  But this was no illusion. I could feel the truth of her in my bones.

  “I knew we’d find you eventually,” the fae said in a lyrical voice that sounded so wrong, like a song with all the notes mixed up. “Now, tell us where the others are, and we’ll convince King Oberon to spare your life.”

  “The others?” She coughed out a hollow laugh, one that sounded both defeated and defiant somehow. “Sure. I’ll tell you where they are. Check your blood mage graveyard you built by destroying our temple. They’re there. You killed them all.”

  The fae pulled a knife from his belt, and the light of the chandelier glinted off the steel blade. “Don’t lie to us, witch. We know some of you escaped. Where did you go and how did you get into this room?”

  “I heard we had a visitor,” the blood mage said, her eyes drifting across the room until they landed onto where I stood. Our gazes locked, and I sucked in a breath. Those blood red eyes flashed with determination and rage. “The demigoddess has come.”

  “That’s right,” the fae said. “But it won’t do you any good. She can’t save you, witch. She can’t even save herself. Her powers are useless without being unlocked by the sword.”

  The witch sneered. “You have made a huge mistake. She might not have mastery of her powers now, but she will someday. And every last one of you will pay for what you’ve done.”

  The fae grunted and lifted his knife. My breath froze in my lungs. I should do something. I needed to stop the fae before they killed the witch because there was no way in hell she would talk. She’d rather die than give up the location of the others. I could tell by the look of resolve in her eyes.

  But the fae was right. What the hell could I do? I had no powers of any use. Not unless you counted the ability to see in the dark. If I charged out there now, it wouldn’t help her.

  My head swam with the heavy beating of my heart, and my hands curled into fists. I couldn’t do nothing, no matter what it might cost me. I couldn’t stand here and watch her get killed.

  With a deep breath, I stepped out from the shadows and into the light. The fae heard my footsteps and began to turn, but a heavy roar crashed around them instead. Ebony wings beat at their heads and fists of pure rage launched the fae across the room. My heart lifted as I stared up at Marcus’s winged form descending upon the fae. His face was fury; his eyes full of fire. He had come for me. Somehow, he was here.

  I began to rush toward him but the second fae jumped before me, levelling his yellow eyes on my throat. His lips twisted into a wicked grin. With the speed of a hurtling train, he was on me, all claws and jagged teeth. My breath got knocked from my lungs as I landed hard on my back. And the fae pinned me, hands on wrists and knees on legs. I squirmed but his strength kept me down. Pinned. Trapped. Captured.

  Again.

  I narrowed my eyes and hissed up at him. “Get off me, you prick.”

  He lowered his lips to my neck and dragged his sharp teeth across my skin. Pain flickered through me. He hadn’t pressed hard enough to cut, but it still hurt all the same. “Do you know what we like to do with the humans we capture? After we’re done playing with them, that is.” He let out a laugh that grated on my eardrums. “Eat them. Limb by exquisite limb.”

  Revulsion rolled in my gut, and I twisted my neck as far away from his disgusting lips as I could.

  “I wonder what demigoddess tastes like,” he said, leaning over me to lick his lips. “Something tells me you are far more delicious than a mere human.”

  I wrinkled my nose and spat in his face. Saliva hit him right on the mouth. He flashed his sharp teeth and dragged his tongue across the spit. “Delicious. Just like I thought.”

  Elsewhere in the room, I heard the crash of bodies, the heavy flap of wings, and the soft sound of whimpers. My heart shook in my chest as Marcus roared, and I tried to twist my head to see what was going on. But it was no use. The fae had me trapped, unable to see anything but his brutal face.

  “Nice try,” I said. “But I know you aren’t going to kill me. Your king made that very clear. Hell, it’s the entire reason he lured me here in the first place. He doesn’t want me to die.”

  The fae’s yellow eyes flashed. “You don’t have to be dead for me to enjoy your flesh. Your fingers, for instance. That’s a nice place to start, and you aren’t going to die from a couple of missing fingers.”

  I shivered. I hated to show weakness, but I couldn’t help it. His
words sent swarms of goosebumps across my arms, spiking fear in my heart. He wasn’t bluffing. I could tell by the darkness in his eyes, by the scent of blood on his mouth. This fae...he loved to feed. And he’d set his sights on me.

  A pair of midnight wings flashed behind the fae. In an instant, the tight pressure on my body disappeared as Marcus hauled the fae up by his white-gold hair. He wrapped his strong hands around the fae’s head and yanked it sideways in a sharp snap. My eyes widened at the noise, at the dying light in his eyes. And then the fae’s body crumpled onto the carpet, his vacant eyes staring right into my soul.

  “Marcus?” I barely breathed the question. Violence flashed in his violet eyes, those silver flecks dancing with rage. He took in a shuddering breath and held out a hand, lips flat and thin.

  “Come on, love. We’ve got to get you out of here before the fae king realizes what’s happened. There will be other guards nearby. And they likely heard this fight.” His voice was steady, calm. The total opposite of how I felt inside.

  “How will we get out of here?” I asked. “They’ve warded the entire building.”

  Heavy footsteps pounded on the floor.

  “No time to explain.” Marcus knelt and pulled me into his arms. “We must go now.”

  Chapter 16

  Marcus hoisted me into his arms, one hand under my back and the other under my legs, and then he sprinted across the dining room. I clung to him, my arms wrapped around his neck. I didn’t look at the bodies on the ground. Not even the one we inched by as he ducked behind a dangling maroon tapestry.

  Instantly, darkness surrounded us. We were in a small stone room with shelves lining each wall. It was largely empty other than a few cleaning supplies—bottles of bleach, a mop, and a few stained rags. It would have been a decent place to hide if the fae didn’t have enhanced senses. The second they began a search of the dining hall, their noses would lead them straight to us.