Chapter 15 #3
“We don’t have time for this,” Azh growled, his words rumbling through the hidden lair like thunder. “Why did you buy the necklace?”
Axton seemed to shrink beneath the force of Azh’s power, looking ridiculous with his hair half burned away.
Once, he’d strolled through the streets with his chest puffed out and his lips twisted into an arrogant sneer.
He’d been the unchallenged cock of the walk and he’d rejoiced in keeping the lesser demons in their place.
Either with violence or threats against their families.
Now he looked like a sad, pathetic loser.
“I recognized the symbol etched onto the medallion,” he at last admitted in sullen tones.
Wynn studied the carving on the silver. It was so worn she could barely make out more than a tree with branches spread wide and a crescent moon at the top.
“Is it a human crest?” she asked. The aristocracy in England were always stamping their family coat of arms on stuff.
“No. It’s the symbol of the Graia Coven.”
Wynn clenched her teeth. Of course. Obviously, her newfound memories were true. She had been connected to a coven. And they’d tried to burn her at the stake.
The bitches.
“Witches,” she hissed.
“One of the most powerful covens in England,” Axton added before he shrugged. “Or at least they used to be. They lost a lot of power over the years.”
Wynn shoved the medallion back into her pocket. It was a painful reminder of what the coven had tried to do to her.
“Why would you be interested in human magic?”
“I could tell you weren’t a witch, so I assumed you stole the medallion from them. I tried to sell it back to them for a tidy profit.”
Wynn considered his explanation before giving a slow nod. Cheating a helpless woman to make a quick dollar was typical for Axton. He was a common street thug who had the imagination of a turnip.
“They didn’t want it?” she demanded.
The demon visibly shuddered. “Not only did they not want it, they went into a panic the minute I showed up with it. They claimed the medallion was cursed, along with anyone who touched it.”
Cursed? Wynn considered the powerful magic that had prevented Azh from touching the medallion. There was certainly something strange about the necklace, but it didn’t feel like a normal spell. Maybe her lack of magic made it impossible for her to detect it.
“Do you believe it’s cursed?” she asked Axton.
“Yes. And they were right. Look what happened.” Axton glanced around the barren cellar with a bitter expression. “My bloody life is in ruins.”
That wasn’t actual proof of a curse, but she was willing to accept that the spell connected to the medallion was dangerous.
“Why keep it?”
“I thought I might be able to use it to destroy my enemies. But when I got back to London and finally had it locked in the vault I had a bad feeling. Just holding it during the journey had made me feel sick.” Axton rubbed his fingers together as if he could still feel the taint from the medallion.
“I was afraid there was something in the curse that would backfire if I tried to use it. Better to take the loss and forget about the stupid thing.” Axton shook his head.
“I should have tossed it into the sewer. Or better yet, I should never have bought it from you. This is all your fault.”
Wynn waved away his petulant accusation. She still had no idea why the evil magic had waited two centuries to track her down, or why it wanted her dead, but it was obvious Axton didn’t have any clue about Malis or why he’d burned down his shop.
All she could do was hope that he could lead her in the direction to find the truth.
“Tell me more about the coven. Are they still around?”
“Who knows.” Axton sent a glare toward Azh as the flames danced closer. “I’m telling the truth. I haven’t heard anything about them in years. Mortals come and go too fast to keep up with them. Besides, most covens try to stay below the radar these days. They don’t like attracting attention.”
Wynn swallowed her sigh of impatience. “Fine. Where was the original coven?”
“A remote area in Chiltern Hills. They used to have a tiny village hidden in the woods.” Axton sent another glare toward Azh. “That’s all I know. I swear.”
Azh glanced at her with a lift of his brows. “Enough?”
“Yes.” Wynn studied the bedraggled Axton with a surprising stab of sympathy.
He was cruel and greedy and willing to sacrifice anyone to save his own furry skin, but he’d also allowed her to beg on the street corner without demanding a portion of her meager earnings.
And his presence had kept away lesser demons who might have taken advantage of her innocence.
She would at least give him a warning. “I’d leave London if I were you,” she told him.
Axton’s eyes widened with a burst of fear. “Does that dude know where I am?”
“No. I killed him.” Wynn ignored Axton’s shock at her blunt confession. She didn’t have a single regret. “But there might be worse things hunting me. Probably best for you to get out of town before they come looking.”
“Damn you, Wynn,” Axton ground out.
Wynn shrugged, glancing toward a smirking Azh. “Let’s get out of here.”