Page 64 of The Darkest Night

Mae ran a hand through her hair, a heavy sigh blowing out of her. “But wouldn’t that mean I would have an equal chance to overpower Oscar?”

“No,” Nikolai said in a hard voice. “They were planning to bind your soul before you awakened and torture you into submitting to them. Without access to your magic, you would have been helpless to defend yourself.” Outrage filled him when he recalled the ghastly details he’d gleaned of his father and Oscar’s awful ploy. “It wasn’t just physical torture they were entertaining. What they intended to put you through would have shattered your sanity. Had you continued to resist, I suspect the devil would have stepped in and brought you to heel.”

The sound that left Brimstone made the glass wall overlooking Central Park vibrate. The fox’s hackles rose, flecks of drool dripping from his jaws as he grasped Nikolai’s unspoken words.

“They plotted to go that far?!”

Hellreaver hummed angrily where he hung from Mae’s neck, silver glowing red.

Mae touched the pendant and the familiar, quieting their wrath. “It’s okay.” She met Nikolai’s gaze, her own filling with deadly resolve. “It seems I have you to thank for saving me from that grim fate.” She faltered. “I may not be able to forgive you for Rose’s death right now, but know that I acknowledge the reason for your actions.”

Chapter 31

The reliefthat flooded Nikolai’s face had Mae’s gut twisting with regret. Though what she’d said was the honest truth, it was clear to her how much the consequences of Nikolai’s acts weighed on his conscience.

He may represent the bloodline of the sorcerer who robbed Na Ri of her past happiness and destiny, but he is no monster.

Brimstone’s low huff and Hellreaver’s rumble indicated the familiar and the weapon shared her feelings on this subject.

“By the way, something puzzles me about your encounter with Oscar.” Vlad tilted his head to the side as he studied Mae. “If he used a binding ritual the Sorcerer King and Barquiel himself came up with, how did you escape it?”

Mae exchanged a cautious look with Violet and Miles before indicating Nikolai. “He broke the spell.”

Bryony inhaled sharply.

Guilt darted through Mae. They hadn’t revealed that aspect of their fight yet.

Vlad’s eyes flared with grudging admiration. “You undid magic created by an Archduke of Hell?”

Nikolai looked very much like he wanted to sink into a hole in the ground. “It was only for a moment.”

“Still, not many can claim to be able to do something like that,” Bryony said sternly.

Newfound respect shone in her advisors’ eyes as they observed the sorcerer.

Nikolai examined his hands, his face growing unfocused. “It was my mother’s magic. Vedran and Oscar don’t know it, but I’ve been refining my white magic on the side for years.”

Mae’s heart twinged at his haunted expression.

“Your mother was one of a small group of humans able to wield magic similar to the first witch’s powers,” Bryony told Nikolai gravely. “All the councils who opposed the Sorcerer King were devastated when she caught his eye and he forced her to leave the Council of the Moon to join his court. I know you likely harbor bitterness toward us for abandoning your mother to her fate, but I for one am glad she passed on her powers to you.”

A muscle twitched in Nikolai’s cheek. He dipped his head wordlessly, emotion darkening his eyes.

Mae turned to Vlad, unwilling to explore what she was feeling for the man who had rescued her from a fate worse than death itself. “What do you think the Sorcerer King is trying to do withOniks?”

Vlad rubbed the back of his neck. “I have a vague suspicion, but my syndicate and the ones helping us gather this information abroad are reluctant to accept it. They don’t believe in demons and magic, despite many of them knowing what I can do.”

“You mean, it’s not just the criminal underworld here in New York?” Bryony’s shoulders slumped. “The Dark Council are involved with other international crime syndicates too?!”

Vlad waved a hand vaguely. “All the major crime families have had something to do with the Dark Council at one point or another in the last century, from the Yakuza all the way to the Cosa Nostra. Most don’t know the true identities and abilities behind the faces of the Dark Council representatives they’ve dealt with, but they all share the same interests. Narcotics and illegal firearms trade, money laundering and sex trafficking, you name it, the Dark Council has a hand in it.”

Bryony’s stiff gaze locked on Nikolai. “Is that true?”

He nodded, his expression pained.

“No wonder they have so much wealth and influence,” Abraham said glumly.

Bryony rubbed her temples. “We’ve long suspected them of being involved in shady dealings. But to think they are so heavily invested in the criminal world is pretty damning. We should have kept a closer eye on their activities.” She clenched her jaw. “I’ll have to report this to our High Council.”

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