Page 20 of Disabling Relics for Dummies
Ravyn delicately bit into a piece of bacon and pretended to be super impressed by that. Key and I weren’t saying a damned thing, even though we had questions. This was something only Ravyn could do.
“Why do you think the spirits talked to you instead of attacking you?”
“Because they recognized an alpha, of course. It’s the only thing that explains it.”
I tried not to choke on my eggs. Valentine wasn’t born an alpha. Nor had he challenged one for their position. He wasn’t remotely an alpha. Ripley dug into him after he destroyed Ravyn’s heart, and he was exiled from his pack because they didn’t want him anymore. Probably because he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants and liked to start fights.
He liked to pretend that was just what shifters did, but it wasn’t even remotely true. Most of the shifters I’d met would have found that offensive. Bram had been nothing but great to Ripley, even if he was a Hellhound and not a wolf.
Key caught my eye, and we shared this disgusted look. He knew damned well Valentine wasn’t an alpha too. Valentine had adopted every negative stereotype people who were racist against shifters liked to say and acted like he was proud of it. Ravyn was super into the werewolf porn at the Library of the Profane, and I’d read some of it over her shoulder. Those books got some things about wolves completely wrong for erotic purposes but still preserved werewolf culture.
Honestly, I’d never understood Valentine or why he perpetuated that nonsense with pride.
“You’ve always been my favorite alpha,” Ravyn purred. “The Cult of the Aether Sisters has always fascinated me. I can’t believe they spoke to you instead of attacking you. I’m pretty sure other people have been to those ruins and didn’t find out about the basement. That’s utterly brilliant. Did they spill any secrets no one else knows?”
I loved watching Ravyn at work. She was brilliant at the museum, but both of the twins had weaponized their sexuality if a man was up to no good. Ihatedwatching her pretend to be into Valentine after what he did, but he was eating it up. If anyone was going to be left with their dick in their hands and a broken heart when this was over, it was going to be him. So, I dealt with it. Key didn’t look like he enjoyed this any more than I did.
“I haven’t been able to find it, but they told me that their grimoire was in the ruins and that I needed to locate it. I’m guessing it’s in that weird puzzle box that looks like it hasn’t aged a day. Of course, they wouldn’t have put it in a box without magical protection. I’m not sure how you opened a blood lock, but Iknowyou’d tell me if you found something as important as their grimoire.”
Yeah, you know nothing, Jon Snow. Key ratted your ass out. I didn’t know what shit show was in that puzzle box, but it was probably way worse than their grimoire. Valentine was right about one thing. They put their grimoire in a metal box that managed to be airtight despite the time they made it.
The grimoire was still in fairly decent condition for Sasha to scan. Unfortunately, it wasn’t given the same consideration as whatever they put inside the puzzle box. The puzzle box had so much magic in it, there wasn’t a speck of rust on it like the box with the grimoire.
“I agree. The discovery of their grimoire would be a major find. But, even if you’re an alpha, you still aren’t a witch. So why would they want you to have their grimoire?”
I didn’t like what Valentine’s aura was doing. I’d never really liked it, even before he broke Ravyn’s heart. It was starting to twinge black. I’d seen that before, and it was never good. His aura wasn’t bad before, or Ravyn would never have fallen for him. I just hated everything about him, including his aura, because I thought he was wrong for her, and I was right. His aura was having things creep into it like he was getting into dark shit he shouldn’t.
All three of us were witches. He could hide that from plenty of people, but never to us.
Ravyn was playing him brilliantly. I wanted to vomit when she started stroking his arm. I knewwhyshe was doing it, but I didn’t want her near him.
“I know I’m not a witch and can’t use what’s in there, butyouare. You could use what’s in that grimoire.”
Ah.Thereit was. Valentine didn’t choose this museum because he wanted to mend fences with Ravyn after what he did. He wasn’t even trying to be nice with breakfast because of their past. He needed thebestmuseum and a strong enough witch to cast whatever spell was in that grimoire the cult whispered to him.
I had a feeling it had something to do with the eclipse and the right spell. Coming back from the dead was impossible without necromancy done right. Ripley and Ravyn were both pretty amazing at that. While Ripley had an entire room at her library to help people with that to cut down on revenants, the Museum of the Profane had a strictNo Necromancypolicy with remains that came in.
Valentine had brought an entire case full of bones. No one at the museum was dumb enough to bring them back. Valentine knew necromancy was forbidden at literally any museum he would have brought something to. He might not have paid much attention to Ravyn’s likes and dislikes the last time he was here, but he had to know she wouldn’t do it.
I had a feeling we were missing a piece, and it had something to do with that puzzle box. I didn’t like it.
Of two things, I was certain. One, I really didn’t want Ravyn opening that puzzle box. Two, I knew damned well she would do it anyway, no matter what anyone told her.
Chapter16
Key
Most people didn’t trust me for excellent reason. I was a duplicitous creature that did things on a whim just for fun, and then things blew up in my face. I lied for fun. When I chose cases to represent as an attorney, it was for the sheer joy of screwing up the legal system.
I was helpful when I wanted to be, but only on my terms. I wasn’t at this museum to be helpful. This was personal. I was used to people not trusting me. I could count on one hand the people I knew thatItrusted, and I knew a lot of people.
I wanted to be honest with the witch and her dual natured friend, but I couldn’t be sure I could trust them yet. But, I needed to trust them soon because I was tired of pretending. I knew the connotations that came with my name. They’d know me immediately and all the stories about me that were floating around out there.
I needed them to get to know me first. I wasn’t all bad, and I really was here to stop the Cult of the Aether Sisters from returning. I knew them better than anyone alive. If they had delivered a prophecy, they had the tools to know it had a very good chance of coming true. It probably would unless I stepped in.
Ravyn was magnificent. She was a brilliant witch if she could pick a blood lock with the help of her twin sister. I was guessing Old Norse wasn’t the only language she knew, but the fact that she did spoke to my soul. She was masterfully manipulating Valentine. He was eating it up and telling us exactly what we needed to know.
You couldn’t even tell she probably wanted to dissect his testicles while he was still awake and replace his eyeballs with them. That was actually a good idea. I needed to file that away for later in case someone pissed me off.
