“Does that mean something to you?” Gnuz demanded.
I lifted a shoulder. “Lightning is significant. My family’s name means storm, and that is the essence of our characters and ancestors. What was the name of this leader?”
“No one caught her name,” Carmine said. “Do you know what the four objects were and why lightning struck her?”
“The mother clearly struck her with lightning to give the coven leader the power necessary to win. I imagine that the four objects were to do with that as well.”
Quiet filled the rooms after my words. The tension had dissipated. My answers had assuaged their suspicions. They were all contemplating the concept of “Mother.” Demons were not spiritual, so an unseen force striking a magus with lightning to grant her more power was very far-fetched to them.
“What now?” I asked.
Carmine tapped a finger on the heavy stone table. “We send a greater force. And quickly. You were right about their creativity and resilience. I should have struck with great force early on. I have given them time to learn, and I will not repeat that mistake. Next time the majority of our army will go. And I will go too.”
Fuck.There was no one else like Tempest, but Carmine held mind-boggling power. I’dfeltmore of his power than most, and I still hadn’t felt the full extent.
He would win a battle between them. Carmine was going to kill my sister.
“A leader for a leader,” he said, then met my gaze before glancing away.
He knew exactly who the coven leader was.
The councillors fell into gleeful plans of our attack, and I wondered that they did not perceive Carmine’s sudden retreat from the discussion.
He had never released my twin’s demon from the dungeon because he’d known that Tempest lived on as a magus. While she’d lived without her demon side, she hadn’t posed a threat.
The only assumption I could make from all that was that Carmine hadn’t wanted to kill her five years ago.
From his leaden expression right now, bizarrely, that want hadn’t altered. So how would he feel after learning Tempest was free?
And whole again.
25
I almost regretted that Gratia wasn’t available for queen training to pass the time.Two hours.Two measly hours until I could portal to Athira and find out what happened to Tempest.
Knock, knock.
Yes!I bounded off the bed and wrenched the door open. “Hello!”
The blue-scaled demon blinked. “Mate-Intended. I have come with your order.”
I peered past him to the rack of dresses. Clearly he didn’t pass Carmine in the halls on the way here. “You’re the head tailor?”
He swirled his hands in the air before bowing low. The demon wore an embroidered loincloth and a collar. Not a dog collar, a shirt collar.Classy.
“I am he, Mate-Intended,” the tailor murmured.
This was the demon who cut off Yiti’s hands. “Bring them in.”
He snapped his fingers at a yellow I hadn’t seen cowering in the back. She scrambled to push the rack inside, then hung them carefully in my wardrobe after another snap of the blue’s fingers. Even Carmine didn’t snap his fingers… and he was king.
“Thank you,” I said to the yellow, then didn’t look at the tailor as I said, “That will be all.”
The head tailor hesitated, then bowed low again before leaving. Not long after, another knock interrupted my inspection of the incredible dresses.
“Come in,” I called, sensing the yellow magic on the other side.
The male opened the door, then bowed. “Mate-Intended, I was sent to inform you that there will be a royal family luncheon.”
