“The location of the Alicorn Court cannot be told. It must be found,” Lady Iris said firmly. “Don’t ask about them around the Circle again, or the king will know where next to look. You must find the next stone before he does.”
“Can’t you give us any help?”
“No. I am honor-bound. As well as sworn by an oath of magic.” Lady Iris’ eyes flashed to the side. “The gate will open when you discover the door.That’s all you need to know.”
Lady Iris hurried off before I could ask anything more. She left me with more questions than answers.
The gate will open when you discover the door? What on earth did that mean?
It was another clue we had to decipher. It was one step closer to finding the alicorn stone.
Though I had no idea what it meant.
I returnedfrom the party an hour later. I was successfully able to avoid my mother, and as Lady Iris told me investigating the Alicorn Court within the Circle would be useless, I decided to head back to the university. My friends were lounging around on the couches by the fire in the Rec Room… save for Emma, who was nowhere to be found.
They were all gathered around Kiara, who was reading the paper. Each of them looked up as I walked in.
“Did you find out anything?” Alexei asked.
I huffed. “Jack and shit. Except Lady Iris told me a riddle about the Court.The gate will open when you discover the door. Whatever the hell that means.”
Odette tapped her chin. “Hm. Interesting.”
“What’s that?” I gestured to the paper. Kiara folded it up.
“Just the latest about your love life,” Delmare said. “Apparently, Emma is the sexy, redheaded temptress who eats men alive, while you’re just boring old news.”
I let out a harsh sound. That was typical, for the news to spin their side of the story in such a way. All Emma had done was kissed another guy. Not something I was happy about, but she was hardly going through men. You gave the press an inch, and they’d take the whole country.
Kiara tossed the paper aside. “But enough about that. It’s ready.”
I straightened. “The exorcism?”
“Yes. Don’t say it so loud,” Alexei hissed. “We have it prepared in the alchemy classroom. Once it turns midnight, we’ll head down there and get this demon out of you for good.”
Hope stirred in my chest. This was it. I might finally be able to cast this demon out… get my mate back.
Don’t count on it, the leshane sneered.I’m not going anywhere.
I’ll get you out of me if it’s the last thing I do.The demon didn’t respond to my taunt but to growl.
Didn’t matter. This demon was leaving. Tonight.
Once it neared midnight, we headed down to the alchemy classroom. When I entered, nervousness caused my hands to shake. In the room was a salt circle, a black candle, and a small knife. The room was dimly lit by the fireplace within the alchemy lab, and by the moonlight outside. Kiara stood at the head of the circle, flipping through a priestess spell book. The rest of my friends stood around the circle, as if preparing for whatever would emerge.
“I warn you, this is going to be very painful,” Kiara said as I entered the classroom. “I’ve put up a sound illusion so you can scream as much as you want. No one will hear us down here.”
“This is the only way.” Pain was something I was used to. I’d endure it, if it meant regaining my freedom.
Long moments passed. My anxiety grew with every passing minute. We couldn’t do this without my mate, and yet, she wasn’t here.
“Where the hell is Emma?” Kiara hissed, checking her watch. “We need her for this ceremony.”
Nausea churned within me. If Emma didn’t show up, we couldn’t do the ceremony. Had I pissed her off so badly the other night, she no longer cared about helping me escape this demon?
Eventually, I smelled Emma’s scent from afar. She entered the classroom, steps small and slight. It was ten minutes until midnight— she sure took her time getting here.
“Where have you been?” Kiara’s voice was short.
