Page 21 of Madness of Her Mages

I woulddiefor them.

“What would you do?” I asked Nikkos while drawing circles across his hard abdomen. “If Malvolia asked you to kill Blaze or Drae?”

He looked away. “I don’t want to answer.”

“Why?”

My breath caught when he looked at me again, his eyes dark and haunting. “Because I don’t want you to do what I would do.”

“Why not?” I knew it was wrong of me to press him, but I had to know.

His smile appeared plastered to his face. “It won’t come to that, so no use discussing it.”

I flattened my palms against his chest. “What would you do?” My voice rose and cracked with urgency. I had to know.

His smile faded. “Shiri, don’t ask me.”

“If she put a poisoned dagger in your hands and told you to thrust it into Drae’s heart, what would you do?” It was cruel to press him, and yet I couldn’t stop. I had to know.

His sweet boyish face was replaced with a mask of stone I hardly recognized. “I’d turn it on myself.”

I heaved out a slow breath. “That’s what I thought you’d do.” Which meant he wouldn’t hold it against me if I was forced with the same choice. At least, I prayed he wouldn’t.

“That’s not what you’ll do.” He sat up and grasped my shoulders, desperation flaring in his eyes, and I swore I felt his heart shatter through the bond between us. “We’ll find a way out of this, Shiri, I swear.”

I silently nodded then looked away, unable to tell him I’d already decided I’d forfeit my own life before I took Tari’s.

Chapter Five

Drae

After checking with my men to make sure the battlements were secure, I flew to my bedchamber, not surprised to find Blaze in my sitting room. Hands braced on the mantel, wings half suspended, he stared into the hearth’s fires as if he’d lost something in there.

I crossed over to the server, pouring two fingers of brandy for each of us in the fine lead glasses my father had reserved for special occasions. Tonight wasn’t particularly special, but I didn’t know if we’d ever have a chance to drink from them again.

I handed him the glass, and he downed his drink in a few swallows before slamming the glass on the mantel.

“Have you found out anything?” I asked.

He paced the thick carpet in front of the hearth, his wings tucked behind him, his brow drawn low. “The housekeeper hired the nurses the day before you arrived. She said she remembered telling them Abyssus didn’t need nurses, but then they persuaded her to let them stay.”

“Persuaded?” I asked, immediately thinking of the mind spinner. “With magic?”

Blaze shrugged. “She doesn’t remember.”

No doubt these demons used some sort of magic to gain access, and how coincidental they’d been hired on the day before I’d arrived. I berated myself for not knowing. As Lord of the Manor, I should’ve been aware of the history of every staff member, but my brothers and I had spent so much time away from home that I’d depended too much on Romulus and the rest of the staff to oversee everything. No wonder Romulus took itupon himself to alert Malvolia about the giants. He considered himself more Lord of the Castle than I was. I only hoped this wouldn’t continue to be a problem.

Blaze stopped pacing, shadows darkening his features. “Do you find it strange they arrived the day before you did?”

I gritted my teeth. “Not if the demons knew Shiri was coming here.” Why did they arrive the day before me and why were they disguised as nurses? It was as if they were expecting there to be injuries.

“How did they know?” Blaze asked.

“I don’t know how.” Releasing a long breath, I dragged my hands through my hair, a thousand different conspiracies swirling through my mind. “But the trolls knew she’d be here, too.”

Blaze arched a dark brow. “Do you think whoever sent the trolls sent the nurses?”

I nodded. “The trolls said they were sent to serve the white witch, but maybe whoever sent the trolls was hoping they’d do more harm than good. They could have easily razed the castle, after all.”

---