Page 62 of Madness of Her Mages

I SHIELDED MY EYESfrom the bright sun as we followed Malvolia out into a pretty garden with bushes of thorny roses and tall hedges. It was particularly cool outside this morning, and I was glad I had my new white cloak, though I wished I had the added protection of one of my mate’s wings wrapped around my shoulders as well as thicker shoes. I knew only my fire mages could chase away the chill that snaked into my bones.

After we left the garden, we walked past rows of horse stables, the smell of manure overpowering the fresh, salty brine of the air. We finally ended up at the edge of a long, sandy field right below the towering seawall. The roars of the monster ocean waves hitting the wall on the other side overpowered all other sounds, and it terrified me to think what would happen to the city should the wall ever break. A horn sounded somewhere in the distance, and the sky turned black with raven wings. Mages fell from the sky, causing the earth to shake as they landed in front of us. I shielded my face from the spray of sand, though it was no use. Grit stung my eyes and coated my tongue.

By the time the dust had settled, I noticed the fire mages prancing in front of us like peacocks, their hungry gazes on their queen while they formed a line as far as the eye could see. They were all around my age with perfect physiques, and they were preening for their queen. A thought occurred to me that my aunt had probably killed off many of their parents while grooming them to become her lovers. Gross.

She gave them appreciative smiles while licking her lips like a starving woman. “Shirina,” she said while taking my elbow, “this is my personal army, a thousand of Delfi’s finest fire mages. Use your siren’s call to find out if any among them are demons.”

After breathing out a shaky breath, I summoned my siren, magic racing up my throat. “Step forward if you’re a demon!” I called, my voice surprisingly a deep bellow that rose above the din of the crashing waves.

My blood turned to ice when two mages at the end of the line stepped forward.

Malvolia swore, black smoke curling off her skin like steam.

I reluctantly followed her toward the end of the line, stopping in front of two winged mages, both about a head shorter than my mates, though still intimidating with their broad chests and beefy arms. They could each easily snap my neck. Both mageshad haggard looks in their eyes. One had shorn hair that looked like black fuzz on his head and a ring in his nose. The other had hair tied back in a queue and flame tattoos on his chest.

When one of them jutted a foot forward, my siren voice rang through the air like the reverberating gong of a powerful drum. “Stop! Neither of you make a move toward us.” I knew they’d rather kill me than answer my questions.

I looked to my aunt, waiting for direction.

“Ask them their names,” she said through a hiss.

“What is your demon name?” I asked the mage with the nose ring.

He snarled as a bloody tear slid down his face. “Baltaban.”

“And your demon name?” I asked the other.

“Isarus,” he blurted as if the words were pulled from his tongue. A drop of blood dripped from his nose and into his mouth.

“Why have you come here?” I demanded.

Their faces contorted, like they were physically warring within themselves. “To cause chaos,” they finally blurted.

“Why?” I pressed.

They panted like wounded animals, their chests heaving while they curled their hands into claws.

“To make the invasion easy,” Isarus answered.

Malvolia gasped, stumbling back. “A demon invasion?”

I looked to the demons. “Answer her.”

“Yes,” they blurted, then snarled.

“Why do you bleed when I ask you questions?” I asked Baltaban.

His top lip pulled back in a snarl as more blood spilled from his eyes. “We’re blood-sworn not to reveal our mistress’s secrets.”

I leaned toward them, my siren voice reverberating across the sand. “Who is your mistress?”

Both demons began to shake as if tremors were rattling them from the inside out. “She is the debaucher of maidens,” they said in unison, “the destroyer of mothers, the devourer of children, the eternal darkness.”

Well, fuck.

“Who else does she control?” I asked, deciding not to wait for Malvolia’s direction. Now was my chance to expose Thorin.

“There are many,” they said.

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