“Yes.” He has the decency to look upset about that. “I tried to give her a potion to help her move on, but she refused. She couldn’t tell me what was happening to her, but I did try to help,I promise. I knew the magic would wear away eventually and she’d be able to move on.”
I nod. I guess that makes me feel a little better.
“Did you help her?”
“My ma—partner did. He’s a demon.”
Rune studies me with inquisitive eyes, and I can almost feel his attention prodding at my thoughts. Instinctively, my dragon rises, huffing until smoke billows from my nostrils.
“Interesting.” Rune smiles. “Don’t worry, I have no interest in your demon.”
Ignoring the comment, I try another tactic. “Listen, Rune. I’m in a little bit of trouble.”
“Obviously.” He snorts, folding his arms across his chest.
“I need the amulet to get out of a mess. There’s gotta be some kind of deal we can make.”
“There isn’t, but I will show you something. Come.”
He gestures for me to follow him, so reluctantly, I do. We travel down a hallway lit with sconces and pause in front of a metal door. Rune pulls a necklace with a large key on the end of it out from inside his shirt, but it’s no ordinary key. It glows blue with a pulsing aura around it.
Rune unlocks the door and pushes it open to reveal a room lined with shelves. Under the shelves are labels, some illuminated in white and others in red, with the names of items on them. I see an amulet right away. Is it Belinda’s? There’s a gleaming white tag and the amulet sits on a velvet cloth. It has a dark, ropy chain with a decent sized red jewel on the end. Instinctively, I reach out to touch it, but I get a little zap when I do.
Rune chuckles. “Do you know what that is?”
“Belinda’s amulet,” I venture a guess.
Rune’s expression twists into a wry smile and he shakes his head. “It’s a cursed amulet, but not Belinda’s. That one isresponsible for the dancing plague of 1518. This is what I do, dragon. I protect the world from all the cursed shit no one should be messing with.”
Rubbing my stinging fingers, I glance around, considering what he’s saying. Most of the shelves are still empty. Those spots have red tags. The others are filled with items like books, more jewelry, keys, and bottles of liquid.
“Do mages have hoard rooms?”
Rune chuckles. “This isn’t a hoard. I just told you it’s my attempt at making the world a balanced place. There’s too much darkness out there that, in the wrong hands, can do real damage. Belinda’s amulet was one of those items.” Suddenly he’s beside me, his breath warming my face. “What do you want with it, dragon?”
I’m pretty sure that if I tell him my powerful demon boss wants it, I won’t get very far.
“I’m a dragon. It’s pretty.”
He huffs, eyeing me as he circles me once then steps back. “Nice try, but you already admitted you were in a mess over it.”
“Nah. I was just trying to play on your sympathies. If you have any.”
“I have plenty, but not for those who dig their own holes.”
“I have a feeling there’s nothing I could tell you that would get you to change your mind.”
“Ah, you’re not just a pretty face then.”
We’re at a standoff, facing each other. I have nothing but the hope that somehow the guys can figure out where I am beyond this magic. Drax always has a way, so maybe.
“Okay then, let me go.”
A devious smile spreads across the mage’s face. “Maybe. Once I’ve decided which side of the good and evil line you stand on. What if I have to keep you here for safety too?”
I decide to play a little hardball. “What if that’s a huge mistake on your part? I could shift and shatter this entire place in seconds.”
He doesn’t even flinch. “You sure about that, dragon? I may be young and devastatingly handsome, but it’s not my first go around with your kind. I bet you can’t even produce a scale. Go on. Try.”
