Page 143 of Madness of Her Mages

Ember stuck her thumb back in her mouth and nodded.

“A curse chamber.” Shiri’s voice rose with her pitch. “There was a demon with him?”

Ember shook her head. “It’s in him.”

Shiri let out a hiss. “He’s demon possessed?”

When Ember nodded, my legs buckled, and I collapsed in Finn’s arms.

“Oh, goddess,” I cried out as Finn sat me down on a log bench beside the fire. I clung to him, desperation filling my soul with dread. “We have to go back!”

Drae pulled back his shoulders, giving us a grim look. “Malvolia’s fire mages will be waiting.”

I bit down on my knuckles to stifle a sob. “We can’t leave Helian.”

“You heard her,” our father interrupted. “He’s demon possessed.”

Frustration threatened to split my skull open. Sure, now he believed Ember!

Fire raced through my veins as I snarled at my father like a wounded animal. “I will find a way to get the demon out of him.”

“Tari, no!” My mother jutted a foot toward me. “You’ll get yourself killed!”

I clasped a hand to my shattered heart, my chest concaving inward. “He’s my mate!” We couldn’t leave him. We couldn’t!

And he’s my rider.Radnor puffed up his chest as steam streamed from his nostrils, fogging the air.I’ll go get him.

I watched Shiri out of the corners of my eyes, how she looked at Radnor as if she could hear him, but that wasn’t possible. Only I could mind-speak him because I was his rider’s fated mate. “What will you do with him?”

I’ll bring him to you. Where will you be?

I looked to my sister, and she nodded. “Fallax,” I breathed, an ember of hope igniting in my chest.

Then I’ll find you on Fallax.Radnor didn’t spare us another glance as he took off into the air. I squinted up at his massive shadow, the displaced air from Radnor’s wings beating down on us before he disappeared into the fog.

Elements, please let him find Helian alive,I prayed.And please help me find a way to expel his demon.

Prince Helian Celsus

A DRUM POUNDED IN MYskull as dark sounds echoed around me. I rolled onto my side with a groan. My muscles burned. My bones ached. Even my teeth were sore. And the pressure behind my eyes and ears was unbearable.

Wake up, foolish Fae.

I gasped when a familiar dark voice echoed inside my head. I recognized that voice. Nox. The demon possessing me. Fuck. I’d been hoping my memories of the demonic possession had been just a nightmare.

“Wh-what happened?” I slowly opened my eyes, trying to adjust to the fog that surrounded me. I was resting inside what looked like a spongy, translucent cocoon that rocked back and forth like a ship on the ocean. “Am I dead?”

No, you’re not dead,he snapped, his deep echo making my head ache more.You were stupid enough to fly off with the explosive instead of destroying our enemies.

Well, at least Nox wasn’t in total control of my body, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to fly off with the bomb. I’d throw myself off a cliff before I let the demon take complete possession of me. “There were children.”

So? Children die.

Bastard. “Anya’s children, my brothers’ children.” I didn’t know why I was trying to reason with a demon. It’s not like I expected him to have an ounce of empathy.

You’re lucky I made this curse chamber, or you’d be dead, too.

Curse chamber? I squinted at the sides of the bubble as the shadow of a fish swam by. We were under water! What the hell had I gotten myself into? Expelling a groan, I hung my aching head in my hands. “I’d rather die than kill innocent children.”

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