I wanted to ask Devlinn what this all meant, but he was too far back. So I sat with my anxieties and my magick as we continued to ride on through the night, not knowing what to do except hold the horn and pray for my powers to settle.
But I heard no response from the God of the Underworld, only Imogen’s warning.“In order to remove the cursed choker, you must die.”
Lies. They were all lies. I repeated it to myself over and over again, trying to quell the fear that was rising. But if they’d all been lies, then why had Tansy and Devlinn brought up that island?
I tried to be brave as the hours passed. The closer we came to the bottom, grass began peeking through the frost. Every once in a while, Bastien and I would talk in hushed whispers, but mostly he was silent, listening for trouble, and I was left to my own thoughts.
When we finally reached the base of the mountain, it was near dawn, and the muted light revealed an eerie graveyardthat stretched for miles. Fog clung to the trees and grass, obscuring headstones jutting from the ground like jagged teeth. Many of which had iron cages over each plot.
Bastien slowed Lucien to a halt beside one such grave.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“This is the resting place of those who have fallen in battle.”
The wind threaded through the iron bars, making them groan. “What’s with the cages?”
“The witches place cages over the bodies to keep them from being used for ill will.” When I gasped, he held me tighter against his chest. “Don’t worry. We won’t be going through the graveyard.” He pointed to what appeared to be a stone mausoleum nearly hidden by snow-speckled moss. “That is the entrance to the graveyard tunnels that were created to allow those who carry peace banners to pass.” My throat tightened. “They will lead us directly to the secret entrance of Chastity’s underground stronghold.”
He dismounted first, then grabbed me around the waist and helped me off Lucien’s back. Once I was safely on the ground, his hands lingered on my waist, and the heat inside of me grew. With his hair whipping in the wind and his frost-colored eyes, he truly looked like a prince.
Bastien leaned down an inch, bringing our mouths a fraction closer. “I need you to tell me to back away,” he breathed. “I’m feeling far too protective of you. And I need to do my job.”
Even though I ached to feel his lips on mine. To hear his whispered promises. To let him linger a little while longer, we couldn’t. Our marriage was still a closely guarded secret. It was against the laws of vampires to take their mates as sanguine partners. It was also against the law to command an army while mated. By all rights, weshould be at the capital.
However, my husband was a stubborn man, and I believed in what he was doing.
“Back away,” I whispered. “Do your job.”
With my permission, he stepped back, but held my eyes for a long moment. Finally, he stalked toward the mausoleum. I followed after him, keeping my distance as he approached the arched doorway, and stopped a few paces behind him. Lifting his hand to the door, he knocked three times and said, “We seek safe passage under peace banners.”
I held my breath and waited for something to happen. But nothing did. Bastien tried again, repeating the gesture, when the overwhelming scent of dark magick filled the air. Sweet and fragrant. There was a spell keeping the door closed. I could feel it. Natalia, Tyson, and Lady Okeri appeared beside me.
“What’s wrong?” Natalia asked.
Bastien slammed his fist against the door. “The arch is sealed. Some kind of dark spell.”
I didn’t know why, but I felt suddenly guilty. “Why would they do that?”
“Werewolves,” Natalia replied coolly. “Tracks are all over the place.”
“And the stench of them is horrible,” Tyson added.
A cold wind whipped through the graveyard, carrying the howl of a wolf with it. I pulled up my hood to keep the chill out, hoping I’d only imagined the sound. My wolves drew nearer, as if they heard it too.
“What are our choices?” I asked.
Bastien’s eyes found mine. “Either we break the spell on the arch, or we take the long way around.”
I stuffed my hand back into my pocket and found the horn waiting for me. Eager to help.
“There’s only one problem,” Natalia deadpanned. “We don’t have an experienced Dark Witch to break the spell.”
Bastien lifted his chin and scanned the ranks of soldiers gathering around us. “Send for Devlinn.”
“I can do it.” The words came out before I’d fully decided to say them.
Every eye landed on me. Natalia looked me up and down. “You don’t count asexperienced.”
