“The magic shop?”
“Yeah. Tessa Daniels, the kingdom’s witch, owns the place. She’ll know how to find me. Anything either one of us can do, just let us know.” She smiled and squeezed my arm. “Take care, Liana.”
I nodded and watched as she slipped away into the shadows. A buzz flowed through my veins. Vivian knew a witch?
We needed information, and Tessa Daniels might be exactly the witch to give it.
But first, I needed to find Bowen.
Chapter 21
Bowen
The heat from the forge radiated against my back as I waited for the unconscious man chained to the wall to awaken. I ran the edge of a sword over a whetstone, letting the slice of metal against rock drown out the noise inside my head.
I’d waited for this moment for years—had set the plan into motion myself—yet so far, I’d found little satisfaction in the act. This was supposed to be the moment I took back control of my life and made Argus pay for his part in my downfall. It was supposed to feel exhilarating and cleansing. I never imagined I’d feel shame. But there it was, clawing to get out.
Did I really think I could punish Argus with the same savageness I had been shown? I once told Liana I craved the power my weapons collection afforded me, and she didn’t seem surprised. She was someone who never wanted to be at a disadvantage and had honed her skills with the intent to never let it happen. But after meeting her, it didn’t take long for me to realize I’d rather spend my time protecting her than waste it mired in the past.
Argus jerked awake and winced at the pain likely pounding through his skull. I’d cornered him in my office, finding him alone, even though I knew he’d arrived with the oracle. Somehow, they’d gotten separated. Regardless of her involvement, my payback didn’t include her.
“That’s gonna leave a mark.” I paused in the act of sharpening the blade to angle it at the side of Argus’s head where one of my men had knocked him out cold. “It’ll fade though, unlike these.” My fingers stroked the jagged scars along my cheekbone.
“How long was I out?” he asked.
“Does it matter?” I chuckled, knowing he was probably wondering what had happened to the oracle.
“How long?” he growled, yanking on the chains binding his wrists to the wall.
“You’re not asking the right questions. It’s disappointing.” I dropped the sword onto a table and turned my attention to the man who’d helped me drag Argus to the forge. I’d sent someone to find Gavin, but he hadn’t shown yet. There was no sense in waiting any longer. I wanted this done. “Bring me the Grimm’s blade.”
“Yes, sir.” The heavily reinforced door creaked open as the man slipped through, leaving me alone with Argus.
I grabbed the sword and approached a crucible hanging over the heated forge. Thrusting the blade into the red-hot coals, I watched as the metal heated.
“You and I go way back, don’t we? We have a history of getting in each other’s way.”
“Hazards of the trade,” Argus said, trying to shift into a more comfortable position.
I smirked. “No doubt. But there’s one encounter I want to make sure you remember. Because it’s one I’ve never been able to forget.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
And that was part of the problem. It was so easy to hate someone oblivious to your pain and their part in afflicting it.
“Of course you don’t. Why would you? You were always so obsessed with ruining your father’s empire you never stopped to think about who else could get caught up in your plans. You know, it wasn’t long ago that I was just like you—always looking for the next score, walking over anyone in my way as long as I got to the treasure first. As you can see, it didn’t work out for me.”
“Enough of your vague ramblings. If you knew I was searching for the blade, why did you buy it out from under me? Why go through all the trouble?”
I hooked my fingers in my leather belt and leaned against the worktable. “Because you ruined my life by setting fire to the one object I spent years searching for, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to return the favor.”
Argus’s brow creased in confusion. “The warehouse fire?”
“Very good. You do remember. I’d just returned from overseas, and the shipment I brought back had been offloaded into your father’s warehouse. He hired me to find the Incantus.”
“The fabled treasure chest? What did my father want with it?”
“It wasn’t for him. It was for the witch.”
