Wynn sternly ignored her prick of annoyance at Azh’s obvious obsession with the dead queen. Or at least she tried to, even when the jerk stepped closer to the illusion to watch as Gabriela crossed the beach and climbed a wide staircase that she created out of layers of mist. Up and up she went, clouds beginning to form in the blue sky to surround her.
“What’s happening?” she demanded.
Azh shrugged. “I’m not sure, but there has to be a reason this section of the book was protected by magic.”
On cue, the clouds thinned to reveal a heavy stone pyramid that looked far too solid to be resting on air. There were two uniformed men standing next to a copper door engraved with complicated hieroglyphics. Gabriela never slowed her pace, waving away the guards as the door swung open. Was her presence some sort of trigger?
The illusion darkened as the dragon stepped into the interior of the pyramid, her skin releasing a soft glow that allowed Wynn to see she was walking through a huge room that looked surprisingly empty. Like a vast cavern.
Then she reached the back wall, pausing in front of another copper door set in the thick stone. She glanced over her shoulder, as if to ensure that there was no one around. Odd. Did she have some sort of secret hoard? Or was she just looking for some peace and quiet? Maybe a bubble bath and a glass of wine.
Being the queen to a bunch of arrogant, brutally violent dragons couldn’t be an easy job.
The dragon lifted her hand, pressing open the door to reveal another vast space, only this one wasn’t empty. In the center of the stone floor was a raised dais with a huge, gem-encrusted throne that sparkled with priceless perfection.
Gabriela walked with an elegance that made her appear to float on a breeze as she climbed the steps and slowly turned to settle on the throne. The gems flared with brilliant light in response to her presence, shredding through the shadows to reveal a wide crack in the floor filled with a thick sludge.
Wynn gasped. There was no mistaking the sickening green glow that suddenly came from the sludge, rising and spreading through the room.
“Azh,” she breathed in shock. “That’s the same magic that’s infecting the demons.”
Azh hissed, his brows pulling together as he watched Gabriela lean her head against the back of the throne, allowing the glow to wash over her. As if she were in a spa, not being infected with evil.
“The corruption.” He stepped back, as if worried the toxic sludge might spill out of the illusion. “It has to be.”
“It’s supposed to be locked out of here.” Fear trickled through Wynn, freezing her blood and sending goosebumps over her skin. Azh didn’t have a lot of information on the corruption or how it worked, but he’d been very clear he suspected it’d destroyed the homeland of the dragons. What the hell would it do if it managed to spread through this world? “How did it get into the demons?”
Reaching down, Azh closed the book with a loud thump before speaking a word of power. Instantly, it disappeared.
“I have to speak to the Watcher,” he announced in grim tones.
Wynn was already heading toward the door. “Follow me.”
* * * *
Maya heaved a sigh as she tossed her cell phone on the worn counter. She’d known that Ravyr wasn’t going to be pleased when she shared her latest update. He wasn’t foolish enough to try to tell her not to protect Tia, but he made it clear he was going to be epically pissed if something happened to Maya.
Not for the first time, she wished he was there. His absence was like an ache she couldn’t ease. As if a piece of herself was missing. And if she was honest, she could use the comfort of his presence. If he was there, she would be absolutely certain that nothing bad could happen.
Unfortunately, he was stuck in Greece for at least another week, and she was on her own.
No...wait. Not on her own. She could sense someone approaching the front door of the empty pawnshop.
Maya touched the emerald that glowed around her neck. The barrier that she and Tia had wrapped around Hexx’s building should be strong enough to deter the most determined trespasser, but she had a lethal spell prepared if anything managed to break through.
Scooting off the high stool that was the only piece of furniture in the empty pawnshop, Maya walked forward to peer out the large front window. Her tension eased as she caught sight of the slender woman jogging across the street dressed in cutoff shorts and a tight T-shirt.
Peri.
Maya moved to open the front door, whispering words of power to allow the younger woman to step through the barrier.
Peri stopped in the doorway, studying the shimmering webs of magic with a lift of her brows.
“This isn’t just your magic.”
“No,” Maya agreed. “It was a combined effort with Tia.”
Peri’s lips twitched. “You and Tia working together? A miracle.”
