Chapter 55
Fifty-Five
He’s on the hunt.
Mina used her mist once more and hastened back to the poker room. The plan was simple: put a sword to Enti’s neck to force her to return Adham’s power as soon as he’d followed her inside.
As she misted through the doorway, the demon poker players were leaving. Why would Enti send them on their way? The sorceress sat alone at the table, tidying it with her powers, and she seemed to be looking right at Mina.
No time to rethink the plan. Mina drew her sword and zoomed behind her?—
“Kosmina Daciano,” Enti murmured, though she couldn’t see her. “I thought I read your mind in the crowd. I sent the demons on their way, so we could chat. I’ve awaited you for so long, wondering if you’d ever show.”
Mina placed her sword above the sorceress’s golden collar. “It’s only been a week since I last saw you.”
“Your time, not mine. After years of vice here, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.” She tapped Mina’s sword blade with an unconcerned nail. Ting, ting, ting . “Are you sure you want to make an enemy of a friend?”
“Friend? Are you jesting?” Curbing her fury, she said, “You know why I’m here. Adham’s about to enter, and when he does you’ll return his power.”
“Or what? You won’t behead an unarmed sorceress. You’re good .” She said the word like an insult. “Well, except for your pesky pride.” Voice vibrating with sorcery, she commanded, “Join us in vice, prideful princess.”
Enti clouded Mina’s mind, embittering her thoughts. Why should I be the one to risk all? Why should I chase after a man who hurt me and my brother so badly . . . ?
Mina shook off the sorcery. “I’m here for love, Enti, the greatest virtue—and my defense against you.” She pressed her sword harder.
“You would never hurt me. You like me, have from the beginning. Princess, I just wanted a home.”
“Then why take his oath-breaking power?”
Shrug. “I was going for the other one, but he had that one locked down.”
“You went for his root power? Enti!”
“For the love of gold, it’s what we do. I knew we’d have to settle here, and sand sorcery would increase our chances of survival until my own abilities recharged.”
“Stealing a power wasn’t enough for you, so you stole his home?” Mina heard a dim buzz from outside the room—the sound of a sandstorm approaching. He’s coming.
“His concubines opened up the place and welcomed me. I started over from scratch here, didn’t even have enough power to build a siren like Pearl the sea she needed to survive.” Sounding bereft, Enti said, “So she and Xodin deserted me when I was at my weakest. I have nothing left but this place.”
Mina’s gaze darted to the door. Her sympathy was getting the best of her, but Adham would be here any second.
“Exactly,” Enti said, reading her mind. “He’s about to stalk in here with a storm raging, and you’ll disappear inside it.”
“Just do as I’ve told you!”
“I’m not returning anything, princess. Being able to break vows comes in handy at times, and I’m not keen to fulfill all the ones I’ve made.”
“You’re leaving me no choice. You think I’m bluffing, but the stakes are life and death. I will do anything to save my mate and my brother, and you know I can’t lie.”
Enti quickly said, “If someone like you takes my head, Silt’s power will leave my dead body to be reincarnated into another Sorceri babe somewhere in time. How will you find it?”
Enti was right. Bettina had warned of that. That buzz grew louder, grains of sand tumbling over the threshold in advance of a storm. They felt cold—pitiless.
Out of time. Think, Mina! “If you return his power, we’ll give you this place, and it’ll be your home from now on.”
Enti feigned a yawn. “Give me the holding I already occupy?”
“You’ll officially own it, and he’ll never come after you.” Mina was almost sure he’d agree. But then, he had built this monumental structure with his own hands. “Don’t get greedy, sorceress. Otherwise I’ll have my uncle’s army of Dacians level this place to the ground. You’ll have to start over again, beginning from scratch once more.”
After a beat of hesitation, she said, “Deal, princess.” When Mina released her and sheathed her sword, Enti threaded her fingers together and cracked her knuckles. “Tonight, we play at virtue!”
Sand flooded in, scouring the doorway to the stone, the sound deafening. Adham entered behind the storm, yanking off his domino. A king in all his glory, he wore sand armor over his muscular physique, and more grains hovered behind him like a cobra’s hood. “Where is she, Enti? Where is Kosmina?” Sand clouded the room, waves of it seemingly searching for her.
The sorceress murmured to Mina, “You might be able to see through that sand, but I can’t. And this won’t work until I catch a glimpse of him, princess.”
“On it.” Mina misted to Adham. Because he was her mate, she should be able to extend her cocoon to him and turn him into air as well. As her powers wrapped around him, she imagined him as formless like her, glittering ether.
Fulfillment swept through her when he became mist—because he was her mate. There they stood, face-to-face, and it felt like an eon had passed. Or seconds. “Uh, hi!”
He was so shocked that his sand faltered, plunging to the ground. “Why are you here?” He gritted his teeth, sweat dotting his brow. “I have you now. You’ll tell me where your brother is,” he said with a barely perceptible wince. And all the while he’d been raising a dagger from his belt to place at her throat.
“No, Adham!”
Though she grabbed his arm to stop him, he struck, flipping the tip toward himself and stabbing his eye. He didn’t even register the pain, just stared at her with what she could see was utter hopelessness.
“That’s the last time, love.” She allowed her mist to fade, and they grew visible once more. “Now, Enti!”
“Fine,” the sorceress grumbled. “Take it, then.”
Sorcery arced across the room like a monochrome rainbow. Adham’s remaining eye glowed even brighter for a split second, and he jolted upright with a yell.
She didn’t dare breathe. Had her plan worked?
“Kosmina?” he murmured in confusion, sagging against her. “Mina . . .” His heaving exhalations seemed to carry away a lifetime of frustration and sorrow.
She wrapped her arms around her sorcerer. “I’ve got you, Adham. I’ve got you.” The sand that piled all around them now felt warm again.
Against her hair, he rasped, “You knew.” He drew back to face her. “You knew . How did you figure it out?”
She cradled his face in her palms. “I believed in you.”
His brows drew together, and he kissed her.
“Enough already!” Enti cried from behind them. “Too syrupy.”
They broke their kiss. Then Adham turned to Enti. The weariness in his frame disappeared as his resentment welled. “You did this to me—to us . You knew I had vowed to kill her brother. I should annihilate you for stealing my sorcery from me.”
“Like you didn’t think about robbing mine!”
Sand rose ominously. “Thinking about it right now .” The sorcerer who’d revered vengeance had just cause for it.
“Adham, wait,” Mina said, only wanting to leave this place. The background cacophony of music and raucous laughter must be needling him. She didn’t believe Adham would imbibe again, but breathing the smoke had to be uncomfortable. “Let’s just go.”
His menacing gaze remained locked on Enti. “You tried to make me a siren’s mindless puppet to trap me in a dying world and keep me from my mate forever. When that didn’t work, you gave me a sword as a parting gift, so that I could fight the hive for you and your friends. My power cleared the way for your escape, but that wasn’t enough for you. You turned back and stole my oath-breaking ability. Why would you go for that one?”
Uh-oh.
But Enti didn’t take the bait, changing the subject instead. “If not for my resources at Castle Vitis, you and the vampire would’ve perished in Nightside. So what will it be now? Your mate has promised me ownership of this place. All you have to do is walk away and you’ll have almost everything you’ve ever wanted. But can you? Or is Revenge still your mistress?”
Mirceo and Caspion traced inside the room at that moment, both looking incensed as they climbed over sand.
“You tossed a fucking sandstorm at my sister?” Mirceo swung a fist before Caspion could restrain him, pummeling Adham’s face.