Page 105 of Rites of Passage

Nikolai grasped the compass, inhaled, and placed the skeleton key inside it.

Everyone held their breath.

He turned the key. It wouldn’t budge.

Nikolai frowned. “It’s not working.”

“Let me try.” Mae took the compass off him and attempted to twist the key. It grated against the keyhole. She took it out. “Why is it not—?”

Her stomach dropped at the sight of the grooves on the shank and the bit. Suspicion bloomed in her mind. Her accusing gaze locked on Hellreaver where he was sucking on a bone.

“Hell?”

Yeah?

“Did you chew on this?!” Mae spluttered.

Brimstone groaned. Nikolai drew a sharp breath. Vlad looked distinctively disgusted.

“You cannot make this shit up,” Violet said leadenly.

Horror drained the color from Bryony’s face. “He didn’t?!” Her head whipped around, her eyes shrinking to slits. “Why that little ass—!”

The little asshole had stopped sucking on his bone and was looking distinctively uncomfortable in the face of their glares.

I only nibbled on it a little to see what kind of magic it had inside it,he protested.

“And?” Mae snapped.

“What’d he say?” Nikolai asked grimly.

“He chewed it to test its magic.”

“Did he find anything?” Vlad asked tensely.

Hellreaver squirmed.Er, no.

“No!” Mae growled for everyone else’s benefit.

I’m sure it can be fixed.Hellreaver started to sweat.I mean, someone made it, right? So, whoever it is can fix it!

Mae scowled. “Do you know who made it?”

“What’s he saying now?” Nikolai asked.

“He says it can be fixed.”

Vlad made a face. “By whom? I thought Brimstone told us Azazel created that thing.”

Your father wasn’t a metalsmith.Brimstone huffed.He would have outsourced this to someone else.

“Either of you got an address or a phone number?!” Mae snapped.

Brimstone sniffed.It was thousands of years ago. I haven’t a clue who was around at the time.

Mae pursed her lips. She came to a decision.

Crimson pulsed across the room.

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