“Father!” said Curly. “You won’t believe it.”
Mona sighed in relief. They were safe.
“I kept my eyes open, just like you said,” Curly continued. “The Academy was attacked. I didn’t run. I found her,” he said, pointing at Mona. “She has it, Father.” Curly was so excited that his voice began to shake. “The behelit.”
Mona was floating in the air. She couldn’t breathe. The tallest man in the room stalked towards her. He was only at Mona’s eye level because he was suspending her in the air with a spell. She couldn’t move her body at all, only her eyes as the man glared at her with…cat’s eyes? They were emerald green, with a vertical slit in place of a pupil. His face was deathly pale. As were the faces of all the men in the room. One of them bared his teeth. Demon blood.
She wanted to tell Curly to make them stop, tell them she had nothing to do with it. But she couldn’t speak.
“It’s not on her,” Curly’s father said. He let Mona drop to the ground. She landed, gasping, on her knees. She put a hand to her throat. It burned.
The man raised a hand. “No!” said Curly quickly. “She bonded with it. The behelit itself is somewhere in the Academy.”
There was a long moment of silence. The man’s brow was furrowed, deep in thought. He stroked his sharp chin with long, pale fingers. Then he breathed deeply, and reached out a hand to Mona.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought…” He shook his head. “Never mind. I have done you wrong while you are a guest in my home. Please.”
Mona took his hand, let him help her to his feet.
All the other men were quiet as Curly’s father spoke. “With the events going on, I assumed the worst. That you were an assassin.” He smiled. “My son is very precious to me, you understand.”
Mona nodded. Sneezed, as the smell of brimstone tickled her nose.
“I do admit, it is good fortune that Augustus brought you here. The Academy is not safe.”
Mona followed him to one of the lush, leather chairs. Herself, Curly, Curly’s father and the other men all sat. “I’m not sure how long the magi council can hold out,” said Mona. The chair was very soft, and heated internally from an enchantment. She felt herself growing tired.
“The magi council is at the Academy?” Curly’s father asked, quirking an eyebrow.
“Some of them. I don’t think they know what to do.”
He smiled at that. “I have a plan. You see, I’ve been trying to get through to the council ever since the fighting broke out. But something is blocking our communication. I fear that the enemy is stronger than I imagined.”
Mona glanced at Curly, but he wore a blank expression.
“Will you help us, Mona? Help us save the Academy?” said Curly’s father, leaning forward in his chair.
“I would,” said Mona, taken aback, “if I knew what to do.”
“Perfect. Perfect,” said Curly’s father. He settled back into a restful position. Grabbed a glass of wine from the nearest table a took a sip. The color of the wine looked too dark, and it moved oddly against the side of the glass. “I knew you were brave from the moment you stepped through the rift. Together, we’ll put an end to this thing.”
A man opened the door to the lounge and took a step inside. He was dressed in an antiquated tuxedo. “Lord Hyde,” he called. Curly’s father turned to face him. “A woman is here for you. We tried to turn her away, but…”
“But what?”
“She is powerful, my liege.”
“Did she give a name?”
“She claims to be the Lady of Arrows.”
Lord Hyde smiled, showing off the full length of his fangs. “This day just keeps getting better. Send her to my study.”
THE END of BOOK ONE
Thank you for reading Faerie Mage!
Book 2 is available for pre-order: Faerie Empire
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With kind regards,
Marian
Faerie Mage: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Vampire's Bane Book 1) Page 22
