Page 74 of Wicked Warlock
“Nah, I won’t.”
Zinnia marched up to the cage. “Do you remember me?”
Megaera turned up her nose at her. “Yes, quite the queen you’ve become.”
“You knew my father and now we need to know what you know.” Zinnia paced around the cage. “There are walls around the earth protecting it from outsiders.”
Megaera laughed. “There used to be. Fractured pieces are all that’s left.”
“Regardless of the state, they need to go back up, and I need to know how he did it the first time.” Zinnia stopped and met her eye. “And you are going to tell me.”
“And why would I tell you that?” She sighed and played with the gauzy fabric of her dress.
I moved right next to Zinnia. “Because if you don’t, I’ll keep you trapped here for years, making every day of your life a living hell. My power is strong enough to do it.” I motioned to the cage. “And I’m enough of a wicked warlock to not give a shit how long I have to sit here and let you rot.”
Zinnia’s lips turned up in a devilish smile. “Think about it. Trapped here, never to torture again. Never to see your sisters again.”
Megaera shrugged. “You’re only mortal. Eventually you’ll die and your magic along with it. What’s another fifty years to me? If you make it that long with all the wars you’ve been fighting.” She looked over my shoulder at Tilly. “Some of you have already died once.”
“You can tell us the information.” Maze’s card flew from his pocket and circled overhead. “Or I will trade you to the crone, and she will get the information out of you one way or another. And we’ve all seen how long she can live.”
“She seems to know my Uncle Titus very well and he’s old.” Grayson leaned back against one of the tables. “Really old. It could be eternity until you get free. Or just a few hundred years… if you could wait that long.”
The Fury hesitated, looking back and forth between all of us. “You wouldn’t dare turn me over to her.”
Maze arched an eyebrow at her. “Oh, wouldn’t I? Apparently, you don’t know me very well. But, yes, I can assure you I would sell you to her because I would love to get some things from her… and you would fetch a good price for exactly what I want.”
“He doesn’t lie.” I lowered my voice. “He will do exactly what he says. Trust me.”
“Why hide anything for Alataris anymore? He’s dead.” Zinnia’s face fell into a cold stare. “I would know. I killed him.”
The Fury let out an ear-splitting screech that made me want to fall and cover my ears. She broke the chains around her wrists and tried to flutter her wings only to slam into the side of the cage, rocking it back and forth. Liesin chuckled. “Temper, temper.”
I threw out my magic and the cage cemented to the ground with a jolt. “You aren’t getting out. So, tell us.”
She settled down with a huff. “Screw it. He was never worth it. I don’t know how the walls go up or down or anything else. I have one piece to a larger puzzle.”
“Let’s have it then.” Zinnia waved her hand. “Out with it.”
“I can’t tell you. I have to show you. Even I don’t understand what it is.” She stood in front of the door. “I have to come out.”
“No.” Liesin slashed his hand through the air. “Absolutely not.”
“Then you won’t have the clue.” She shrugged. “Your choice.”
Zinnia motioned to the cage. “Open it, Astrid.”
“Okay.” I threw my magic at the door and glittering gold smoke hit the lock and the door flew open. The Fury charged for the door, but I opened my hand. My power poured over her, holding her in place. “Carefully.”
I closed my fist and let her free. She blinked at me then slowly sauntered from the cage and sashayed across the room. She placed her hands on the wall and they glowed a bright burning red as though she was going to set everything on fire. I was about to stop her when she stepped back and motioned to the marks on the stone wall.
“That’s it. That’s all I have.”
I walked up to the wall and stared at the mixture of twisted lines and scratches. “Is it a map?”
“I don’t know.” She spun around to face Liesin. “I’m leaving now.”
Liesin pressed his finger to the edge of the circle on the floor and it glowed brightly once more. He motioned for her to go through it. “Leave.”
