to avoid when they’d packed up their families and run all those years ago.
But what the fuck would they do now?
“I’m going after the Mal .”
Remy’s softly spoken words held the weight of a vow that Rom could hear clearly through the glass.
“Do you know who you’re going after?” Amity asked. “Do you actually know the name of the man who hired the demon?”
Rage hit Rom low in the gut. Damn that demon for forcing them to kill it before they’d been able to ask it any questions. He and Rom had wanted the demon to tell them who’d sent it after them. Who’d ordered it to kill their families.
But that hadn’t happened. Now they were back at square one.
Rom wasn’t sure he wanted to continue on. For so many years he’d sought vengeance, and now that they’d killed the demon… Damn, he was tired.
But Remy… Remy wanted more blood. And he was afraid his cousin—
Shit.
Rom wouldn’t leave his cousin’s side. He owed him too damn much.
And yet…
“No,” Remy finally answered Amity’s question. “But I won’t stop hunting until I have it. And I think I might have found a way to track the guy.”
Rom’s heart skipped a beat. What the hell was Remy talking about? He’d never mentioned anything about this.
“And how’s that?”
Remy paused, and Rom’s heart pounded out a staccato rhythm.
“An auscultatus spell.”
Rom’s heart stopped beating for a few seconds.
Rom hadn’t known Remy even remembered what an auscultatus spell was. Tullia had spoken of it in hushed tones and with a healthy sense of fear the first and only time she’d ever mentioned it during their training. Then she’d told them never to attempt it, even though they might be tempted.
Tinia’s teat. That spell required a shitload of power and precision control, so the caster didn’t leave his mind open to whoever’s mind he was trying to read. It could backfire big time.
Remy knew that. They’d never even spoken about using it before because either one or both of them could fry their minds if they tried.
“We’ve tried everything else,” Remy continued. “The demon was our last chance to figure out who’d hired it. Now we need to take another approach.”
“Remy, that spell…”
Obviously Amity had heard of it, too. And rightly feared it.
“I know what Tullia told us. I know how dangerous it is, but we’re out of options.” Remy shook his head. “We stayed ahead of that demon for years. Then a month ago, we felt it getting closer, trying to get a lock on our position, and we knew we’d have to move again. We tried to draw it out a few times, staying in the same place for a couple of months, daring it to come and take us, but the damn thing must have known what we were doing. It never took the bait. The few times it’s come close to snatching one of us have been when we thought we were safe. So we’ve learned never to think we’re safe.”
“It was playing with you.”
“Yeah, like a cat with a mouse.” Remy’s voice could have cut glass, it was so sharp. “I’m done being prey. The demon got sloppy when it went after you. Or it just got arrogant. Whatever happened, Remy and I managed to track it here and save you.”
“And I can’t tell you how grateful I am for what you and Rom did for me.”
Rom watched Amity lay her hand over Remy’s fist clenched on the table top. At the touch, his cousin actually seemed to relax the tiniest bit.
“Do you have any idea why the demon was after you, Lady?”
It was Amity’s turn to pause, and Rom could tell by her expression that she knew.
“Yes,” she finally said. “But I can’t tell you what you want to know. It’s complicated and… nothing for you to worry about.” She smiled, but he could tell it was forced. And so could Remy because his cousin’s gaze narrowed to slits.
Rom knew that look. When Remy got an idea in mind, he was like a dog with a bone, no pun intended.
“Amity, I don’t want anything to happen to
But what the fuck would they do now?
“I’m going after the Mal .”
Remy’s softly spoken words held the weight of a vow that Rom could hear clearly through the glass.
“Do you know who you’re going after?” Amity asked. “Do you actually know the name of the man who hired the demon?”
Rage hit Rom low in the gut. Damn that demon for forcing them to kill it before they’d been able to ask it any questions. He and Rom had wanted the demon to tell them who’d sent it after them. Who’d ordered it to kill their families.
But that hadn’t happened. Now they were back at square one.
Rom wasn’t sure he wanted to continue on. For so many years he’d sought vengeance, and now that they’d killed the demon… Damn, he was tired.
But Remy… Remy wanted more blood. And he was afraid his cousin—
Shit.
Rom wouldn’t leave his cousin’s side. He owed him too damn much.
And yet…
“No,” Remy finally answered Amity’s question. “But I won’t stop hunting until I have it. And I think I might have found a way to track the guy.”
Rom’s heart skipped a beat. What the hell was Remy talking about? He’d never mentioned anything about this.
“And how’s that?”
Remy paused, and Rom’s heart pounded out a staccato rhythm.
“An auscultatus spell.”
Rom’s heart stopped beating for a few seconds.
Rom hadn’t known Remy even remembered what an auscultatus spell was. Tullia had spoken of it in hushed tones and with a healthy sense of fear the first and only time she’d ever mentioned it during their training. Then she’d told them never to attempt it, even though they might be tempted.
Tinia’s teat. That spell required a shitload of power and precision control, so the caster didn’t leave his mind open to whoever’s mind he was trying to read. It could backfire big time.
Remy knew that. They’d never even spoken about using it before because either one or both of them could fry their minds if they tried.
“We’ve tried everything else,” Remy continued. “The demon was our last chance to figure out who’d hired it. Now we need to take another approach.”
“Remy, that spell…”
Obviously Amity had heard of it, too. And rightly feared it.
“I know what Tullia told us. I know how dangerous it is, but we’re out of options.” Remy shook his head. “We stayed ahead of that demon for years. Then a month ago, we felt it getting closer, trying to get a lock on our position, and we knew we’d have to move again. We tried to draw it out a few times, staying in the same place for a couple of months, daring it to come and take us, but the damn thing must have known what we were doing. It never took the bait. The few times it’s come close to snatching one of us have been when we thought we were safe. So we’ve learned never to think we’re safe.”
“It was playing with you.”
“Yeah, like a cat with a mouse.” Remy’s voice could have cut glass, it was so sharp. “I’m done being prey. The demon got sloppy when it went after you. Or it just got arrogant. Whatever happened, Remy and I managed to track it here and save you.”
“And I can’t tell you how grateful I am for what you and Rom did for me.”
Rom watched Amity lay her hand over Remy’s fist clenched on the table top. At the touch, his cousin actually seemed to relax the tiniest bit.
“Do you have any idea why the demon was after you, Lady?”
It was Amity’s turn to pause, and Rom could tell by her expression that she knew.
“Yes,” she finally said. “But I can’t tell you what you want to know. It’s complicated and… nothing for you to worry about.” She smiled, but he could tell it was forced. And so could Remy because his cousin’s gaze narrowed to slits.
Rom knew that look. When Remy got an idea in mind, he was like a dog with a bone, no pun intended.
“Amity, I don’t want anything to happen to
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