Yugan’s face twisted with genuine fear. “But—”

  “Now.”

  The warrior battled against his urge to protect his master and the compulsion to obey his command. At last his desire to please Lynx overcame his need to shield him from danger. He whirled around, stomping out of the temple.

  “Arrogant ass,” Skye muttered.

  Lynx sent her an amused glance, his tension vanishing as he allowed his fingers to curl around the hilt of the sword. He clearly wasn’t worried about the hex.

  “You’re right, seer,” he drawled.

  “About what?”

  “I heard your whispered disbelief that the poor mage and her tragic lover created this temple.” The fairy cast a disdainful glance toward the tapestries. “The cheesy story is nothing more than a romantic fantasy conjured by demons to hide the truth.”

  An icy chill inched down Skye’s spine. Not a premonition. Not even a reaction to Micha’s burst of anger that was dropping the temperature. It was fear.

  “The truth of what?”

  “Of this place. And this...” With a dramatic jerk, Lynx pulled the sword out of the marble.

  Only he didn’t pull it out. The blade remained stuck as the hilt popped off, still clutched in Lynx’s fingers.

  “You broke it,” Skye muttered in confusion.

  Next to her, Micha made a sound of disgust. “It’s a fake.”

  “Of course it’s a fake.” Lynx laughed as he strolled toward them. “Despite overwhelming vampire opinion, demons aren’t stupid.” He paused, as if considering his words. “Well, let’s say not all of us. There is a real sword called the Tempest. And it does everything that has been promised. Not only allowing demons to tap into the magic that still flows in our veins, but killing leeches. Permanently.” He shrugged. “Unfortunately, it’s a fickle weapon and it will only respond to the hand of a demon it considers worthy of being a king.”

  Skye pointed toward the middle of the room. “Then what’s that sword?”

  “A diversion. The Tempest was famous ten thousand years ago. Every demon in the world knew of its magic and secretly lusted to carry it.” Lynx smiled, as if relishing being at the center of attention. “But there was only one true master of the sword.” He paused, adding drama to his story. “Lynx.”

  “You?”

  Lynx shook his head. “It’s a family name.”

  Skye rolled her eyes. “Predictable.”

  The fairy ignored her, continuing with his monologue. “The story is also true when it claims that the original Lynx was betrayed by his most trusted warrior. The bastard stuck a cursed dagger in his back. My grandfather used his dying breath to wrap it in a powerful magic that would keep it hidden until his true heir could retrieve it.” He tapped the center of his chest. “Me.”

  “Then who created this place?” Skye demanded.

  “Lynx. He always knew there was a chance he would be deceived, so he planted the story about the lovers and built this temple.” He looked excessively pleased with himself. “He paid a mage to hex it and keep his secret safe. Until I could get my hands on it.”

  “Then why are we here?”

  “The location of the sword remains hidden by the magic.” Lynx held up the hilt, using his fingers to wiggle the decorative crystal out of the pommel. “I need the compass to locate it.”

  “A chunk of glass?”

  “Not to me. Watch.”

  Lynx tossed aside the hilt and balanced the smooth crystal on the palm of his open hand. For a moment nothing happened and Skye quickly whispered the words to a magical snare. If she could trap him before he could call for his waiting servants, they could bring this to an end. But even as the magic tingled through her, the fairy’s aura began to pulse, the silver streaks zigzagging through the green until it was almost blinding.

  As the silver surrounded Lynx’s fingers, a glow abruptly appeared in the depths of the red crystal, as if a fire had been stroked to life by Lynx’s touch.

  “Micha,” Skye breathed in warning.

  She didn’t know what was happening, but she knew it wasn’t good.

  With a low roar, Micha reached up to rip off the wire around his neck. Skye felt an irrational stab of annoyance. Aggravating leech. He could have let her know he’d managed to disable the device. Instead he made her think he’d rather have his head blown off than let her help him.

  Lynx’s eyes widened, clearly blindsided by the realization that Micha was off the leash, quite literally, but he didn’t panic. Not even when Micha launched himself forward. Pulling a metal object from his pocket, he tossed it in Skye’s direction. She frowned as the thing rolled across the marble floor, halting as it hit the toe of her shoe.

  “Choose, vampire,” Lynx warned as he raced past Skye, heading toward the door.

  On the point of running after him, Skye’s air was knocked from her lungs as a freight train smashed into her back, slamming her to the ground. A second later she realized that it wasn’t a freight train that pinned her to the marble, but a very heavy vampire. Trying to process what the hell was going on, her thoughts were shattered when a large explosion rocked the temple.

  Shards of marble blasted through the air like miniature daggers, slicing and stabbing into Micha as he covered her with his large form. If he hadn’t been on top of her, Skye knew that she would be in serious danger.

  Unfortunately, he couldn’t protect her from everything. The vibrations from the explosion were still shaking the ground when the roof abruptly collapsed and a cinder block smacked her on the back of the head.

  For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Skye was knocked unconscious.

  Chapter 11

  Hexx’s Pawnshop didn’t look special. It was a one-story brick building squashed between a liquor store and a pet grooming salon. There was a large front window stuffed with the usual watches and gold chains, and a glass door had a neon sign that promised easy credit loans.

  It wasn’t until Maya had entered the cramped space that she could feel the distinct tingle of magic. Not an active spell but the residual hum from having a lot of magical items stored in the same location. The Witch’s Brew felt like a nuclear reactor when she opened their heavily warded safe.

  Assured she was in the right place, Maya weaved her way past the open bins filled with used toys, sunglasses, and old DVDs. At last she spotted a girl who barely looked old enough to be out so late at night seated behind a wood-paneled counter. Her hair was short and dyed a deep purple that matched the heavy liner that circled her eyes. She was wearing a fishnet top with a black bra underneath and was perched on a high stool, her attention glued to the phone in her hand.

  Maya halted several feet from the counter. The girl was a human and she didn’t look dangerous, but only a fool allowed themselves to be deceived by surface appearance. Usually a dead fool.

  The girl continued to stare at her phone, and Maya loudly cleared her throat. “Excuse me.”

  “Can I help you?” The girl didn’t bother to glance up.

  Maya swallowed a sigh. Good help was hard to find.

  “I’m looking for something special,” she said.

  “Then you’ve come to the right place.” The girl waved her hand toward the glass cases on the far side of the room. “Lots of special stuff here. Jewelry—”

  “I don’t want jewelry,” Maya interrupted, her voice sharp enough to force the girl to at last glance up.

  She wrinkled her nose as she took in Maya’s black slacks and expensive cashmere sweater. Was she offended by the elegant outfit? “The knockoff clothes are over there,” she waved her hand toward the opposite side of the shop where a few wrinkled blouses and a fake fur coat were hanging on the wall. “There are some purses in the bins, but you’re better off checking out the street sellers around Times Square. They have more stuff.”

  Maya ground her teeth. Was the girl being deliberately annoying, or was it her natural personality?

  She stepped toward the counter, deliberately turning her head to reveal the spiderweb of scars.

  “I said something special.”

  The girl dropped her phone. “Yikes. That’s bad. Did you put your face on the stove?”

  Maya smiled. The girl had at least cleared up any confusion. Annoying was her natural personality.

  “I heard you had magic that can get rid of blemishes,” she said.

  “Maybe. I don’t know nothing about that hocus-pocus stuff.” The girl turned her head to yell toward an open door at the back of the room. “Hexx!”

  A minute passed, then another before a goblin with long stringy hair and crimson flames tattooed along the line of his jaw stepped into the shop. He was wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and jeans that looked as if they hadn’t seen a washing machine in several weeks, but Maya was more interested in the pale red aura that pulsed around him. A low-grade demon.

  “What now?” he snapped, clearly irritated at the interruption.

  The girl nodded toward Maya. “You have a customer.”

  “Buying or selling?” he demanded, his bored gaze swinging toward Maya. Instantly his eyes widened. Unlike his human assistant, he recognized the scars on the side of her face. “Oh shit.” Reaching up, he grabbed a small crystal hung around his neck, yanking it off the leather strap and throwing it in her direction.

  Maya waved her hand, releasing a burst of power that deflected the crystal. It careened toward the shelf of bowling balls and exploded. There was a loud crash as the balls collapsed to the ground, some shattering beneath the impact and others rolling crazily across the cheap Formica tiles.

  “What’s happening?” the girl cried out, ducking behind the counter. “Should I call the cops?”

  “No!” Maya and Hexx roared in unison before the goblin was spinning on his heel and darting into the back room.

  Maya raced behind him, but not before he slammed the door and locked it. Dammit. She rolled her eyes, dipping her hand into her purse to pull out a small vial. Centuries of finding herself in dangerous situations had taught her to reserve her magic, preferring to use the potions she could brew at home in her leisure. Spells weakened her and left her vulnerable.

  Stepping back, she tossed the vial at the door handle, her nose wrinkling as the acid ate through the lock. Melting metal dripped onto the floor, and lifting her leg, Maya kicked the door open. It slammed loudly against the wall, and Maya stepped into a small room that appeared to be a combination office and storage space.

  Hexx was currently grabbing the lids off boxes piled in a haphazard fashion, no doubt searching for a weapon to use against her.

  “Settle down,” Maya commanded, moving to stand in the middle of the room. “I just want to talk.”

  Reluctantly turning to face her, Hexx licked his thin lips. “You’re Maya Rosen.”

  “Yes.”

  “I heard what you did to Jada.”

  Maya frowned. “Jada?”

  “She was a friend of mine. She did séances to make some extra money.”

  “Ah. I remember.” A decade ago she’d heard rumors of a witch who’d moved to the area offering to speak to the dead for grieving families. It didn’t bother her until she’d discovered the woman was gouging the poor humans by demanding outrageous sums of money and threatening to trap their dearly departed if they didn’t pay up. “I did warn her to shut down her business. More than once. She decided she could do whatever she wanted, even if she risked stirring prejudices against magic users. Things could have gone much worse for her.”

  Hexx grimaced. “Okay, she made a mistake, but shit...she still breaks out in a rash during the full moon.”

  Maya shrugged. It wasn’t her curse that continued to make the witch break out in a rash. It had been a temporary spell that would have dissipated within a few weeks. If Jada continued to have rashes, it was a psychosomatic response. Not unusual and probably a response to her own sense of guilt for taking advantage of vulnerable humans.

  “As I said, she was warned.”

  Hexx stepped back. “I don’t want any trouble...” His words faded as he dove toward the nearest box and pulled out a small linen bag filled with various herbs. Maya could smell lavender and mint and cloves. Probably the ingredients for a sleep spell, but the magic wasn’t activated. Thankfully, Hexx didn’t seem to know anything about the items he sold, and tossing it in her direction, he watched her with wide eyes.

  Maya allowed the linen bag to bounce off her chest before she swayed and lowered her head as if she were going to sleep. At the same time, she reached into her purse to pull out another vial. On cue, Hexx darted toward the door, desperate to get away.

  Waiting until he passed, she spilled the contents of the vial onto his shoulder. Instantly he froze in place.

  “Argh.” Hexx struggled against the potion that held him prisoner. “What have you done to me?”

  “Nothing that can’t be undone.” She strolled until she was standing in front of him. “Answer my questions and you might survive.”

  “I...yeah, okay.” He did more lip-licking, a fine layer of sweat coating his tattoos, as if his face really was on fire. “What do you want to know?”

  “Earlier today you gave two disguise spells to a demon who goes by the name Long Jong.”

  He sucked in a sharp breath. It wasn’t what he’d been expecting. “Who?”

  Maya reached into her purse, pulling out a small crystal. It was nothing more than a healing gem, but Hexx wouldn’t know it wasn’t a dread curse.

  “Don’t even start with me,” she warned.

  His eyes darted from side to side, but he was stuck. And he knew it. “What about him?”

  She dropped the crystal back into her purse. “Who told you to give him the amulets?”

  He hesitated, obviously reluctant to reveal the identity of the buyer. “No one told me,” he eventually said. “Long Jong came by the shop to buy them.”

  “A lie,” she snapped.

  “If Long Jong told you a different story, he’s the one who’s lying,” he insisted. “I swear.”

  Maya ground her teeth. Skye was out there somewhere, obviously in trouble. And this idiot was wasting her time.

  “You’re starting to piss me off,” she snapped. “There’s a simple way to discover who’s telling the truth.”

  Hexx made a strangled sound, his eyes wide with terror. “No magic. Please! I don’t want a rash.”

  She rolled her eyes, nodding toward the desk across the room where a small monitor was set on top of an old-fashioned DVD player. Even from this distance she could see it was a security camera monitoring the store.

  “There’s no need for magic. We can watch the security video.”

  “Oh. Right. The security camera.” His fear remained, but it was threaded with an unease that had nothing to do with her. “Sorry, it’s not working.”

  Maya narrowed her gaze. Enough was enough. “Tell me, Hexx. Do I look stupid?”

  “No.”

  She pointed a finger at the center of his face. “Do you think I won’t turn you into a hamster?”

  He blinked, his mouth falling open at the threat. “You can do that?”

  She released a trickle of magic. Just enough to make his greasy hair float on an invisible breeze.

  “Let’s find out, shall we?”

  “No! Wait!”

  “Talk,” Maya commanded, emphasizing her request with a sharp yank on his hair.

  Hexx’s face paled to a pasty gray. “Okay, okay. Earlier today I got a text telling me to have two disguise amulets in a bag and to be waiting by the curb at noon for someone to pick them up.”

  “Who sent the text?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Maya clicked her tongue. It was like dealing with a five-year-old. “You honestly expect me to believe you received a random text telling you to prepare two disguise amulets that are not only forbidden in Valen’s territory but extremely expensive and then to stand next to the curb to hand them over to a stranger? And you thought...yes, that’s a fantastic idea?”

  “I was going to delete the text,” Hexx protested. “I get all sorts of crazy messages. Some dude last week came in looking for a corpse. What kind of shop does he think this is?”

  Maya deliberately glanced toward the stack of crates shoved against the back wall. A few of them had a familiar logo stamped on the side.

  “One that sells black-market magical items,” she stated the obvious. “No doubt you also dabble in illegal drugs, including dragon scale—”

  “Well I don’t trade in dead bodies,” he interrupted. As if that excused his criminal behavior.

  “Who sent the text?” she pressed.

  “I truly don’t know.” His expression tightened, the muscles of his neck bulging as if he was struggling against her spell. When he failed, he sent her a glare of frustration. “Look, I was going to delete the text but a second later I got an alert from my bank showing a very large amount of money was just deposited into my account. The sort of money that was as good as a threat. Whoever sent it didn’t intend to take no for an answer.”

  Maya believed he’d gotten a large sum deposited in his account. Whoever was funding the attack on the Cabal wasn’t counting pennies. But she didn’t believe he’d felt threatened. At least, not by taking the money. He most certainly was terrified to reveal who had deposited it.

  “Was anyone with Long Jong when he stopped to get the amulets?”

  “Not unless he had someone hidden in the trunk.”

  “Did he say anything?”

  “Nope. He rolled down his window and I threw the bag to him. End of transaction.”

  Maya lowered her hand and stepped back. She was wasting her time. Hexx was obviously nothing more than a pawn. He didn’t have the information she needed. Her only hope was that he could lead her to someone who knew what was going on. And where she could find Skye.