“I made the same mistake with Alex,” she said, unprompted.“It’s why he wasn’t healing despite the fire lily juice and the magic of my presence.I never fed him.Your humanlike constitution makes you vulnerable to hunger.Now I’m vulnerable too.”
“Where is Alex?”
She snorted softly.“I have no idea.”
“You must be able to sense when he uses your amulet.”
“I could if he was using it.He’s not.I haven’t felt the ripple of the amulet’s use in some time.Of course, I’m weaker without my heart.If you gave it back to me, I might be able to help you.”
“Find him first, and then we’ll talk about your heart.”
“I have no magic without it.I had one dragon scale, and I used all its magic to preserve myself.I am useless to you now.”She turned her head away.
“I highly doubt that.”He strode to the end of the bed.“My sister was stabbed by someone who looked exactly like you.How is that possible?Do you have a twin?”
“No.”Her gaze darted in his direction.“Perhaps it was Alex with a camouflage charm.”
“There was a protective enchantment against him around the property.”
She adjusted in the bed as if she was in pain.“You’re fucked.You are so fucked,” she said through a forced smile.
“Why?”
“Because if someone else is helping Alex and using my identity to do so, your sister is only the beginning.Let me guess, there have been other incidences, other strange occurrences.Unexplained phenomena?”
“Maybe.”Silas pictured the vampire stabbing himself in the chest.
“This isn’t about Alex anymore.”She paused, breaking into a fit of coughing.“This is bigger.Much bigger.”She closed her eyes and sank into her pillow.
“Don’t fall asleep.Tell me.Tell me what you know, or I swear to the goddess, I’ll crush your heart with my bare hands.”
That made her entire body vibrate with laughter.“You’re going to kill me, Detective?As if I’m afraid to die.As if I didn’t imagine my death a thousand times in that tomb I made in my mountain.You idiot.I welcome death.Death is far preferable to what’s coming.”
“And that is?”
“War.The underworld is rising.Panaal has been suppressed for far too long.”
“Panaal?”
“The horned god of the underworld.”She gave him a smug look.“You don’t even know who he is.”
“The devil.You’re blaming this on the devil?”
“Panaal is not the devil.He’s the balance, the equal and opposite of Hecate.The goddess has abused her position for far too long, intervened on behalf of the witches, fae, and shifters who do her bidding.But demons, some fae, and vampires are gathering in numbers, coming together to advance the cause of their forgotten cultures and traditions.They will avenge their ancestors.They will take back this world for their progeny.”
“This again?When are you going to drop this idea that you can unite the supernatural communities under common rulership?It can’t be done.”
“Look at me, wolf.Do I look like I’m in any condition to unite supernaturals?Oh no.You should wish it were still my goal to do so.Our friend Alex has found an advocate in Panaal, and the forces he is engaging are far more powerful than I ever was.”
“But still focused on the subjugation of humans?”
She jutted her chin toward him.“The suppression of supernatural power is a trend whose heyday is over.Panaal knows this and is ready to turn the tides.”
“And Alex is his tool for making it happen?”
The corners of her mouth curled in smug satisfaction.
“But how?I can’t imagine Hecate would be keen on this idea.”
