Shit.
“Nothing you need to worry about, I’ve got it handled.”
“Auraelia.”He ground out her name in the way only an older brother could when they were calling out a sibling on their bullshit.
“I’mreallygetting tired of hearing my name said like that tonight.”
“Maybe you should stop doing things that get you in trouble.”
Auraelia narrowed her eyes at Daemon before returning her gaze to her brother. “Xander, really. You couldn’t come anyway. You’re in no condition to leave this room.”
“Why would he need to leave the room, Princess?” Daemon asked, pushing away from where he had been leaning against the wall.
Expelling a sharp breath through her nose, Auraelia tried to explain her plan in a manner that wouldn’t upset her brother…and failed miserably.
“You want to dowhat?” he yelled as he attempted to sit up.
“Xander, please. Lay back down.”
“Like hell am I going to just lay here while you go off and summon that snake.”
“What are you going to do? You can barely sit up. Dammit, Xander.” Standing, Auraelia gently pushed him back against his pillows. “Lay back down!”
“Daemon,pleasetalk some sense into her.”
Daemon scoffed and shook his head. “If you think I’m going to have better luck than you on that front, then you reallyshouldstay in bed.”
Groaning, Xander let his head fall back against the pillows. “Why, Rae? Why do you want to meet with him?”
“Because I want to know who Davina’s source is. And I need to know how to take her down.”
“You really think he’s just going to hand that information over?” Xander riposted, raising a skeptical brow.
A cocky grin spread across her face. “I’m not going to give him a choice. I just need you to tell me how to set a trap.”
“What are you talking about?” Daemon asked warily.
Pinching his eyes closed, Xander sighed and explained. “There’s a way to trap someone with runes. The problem is, you have to ward the entire room, so it traps everyone except for the one who wrote them. And Iassumeyou’re not going to let her do this by herself…right?”
Before Daemon could answer, Auraelia cut in. “But you know how to avoid that.”
“Been reading my books,Your Majesty?”
“We had the same tutors, Xander. You just happened to pay more attention to runes than I did.”
Xander scrubbed his hands down his face. He looked more tired than she’d ever seen him, and she hated that she was pushing him on this, but she needed to know in order for her plan to work.
And it had to work.
“Yes, there is a way to avoid it. You’ll need to mark anyone who you want to give the capability of leaving with a rune—”
“Easy enough. Just—”
“Hold on, Rae. It’s not that simple. You have to draw it inyourblood, infuse it withyourmagic, and they have to be willing to accept it. And I’ve heard it’s not a pleasant experience for the receiver.”
“You mean I have to—”
“Yes, Rae. You will have to funnel some of your magic into another person.”
