Page 188 of Prince of Darkness and Deceit

That’s…strange.

But I don’t have time to dwell on the unusual interaction.

The air inside the tent is thick with incense, and the heavy spice clings to the back of my throat. Oddly enough, the familiar aroma eases a fraction of my nerves.

Everyone follows me inside. I approach Darius.

The unconscious Fae lies where he always does, chest rising and falling with steady slowness. A faint shimmer glazes over him, like light rippling across water.

“What is that?” I ask.

Draven appears at my side in a blink. “A ward.”

He waves a hand, and the glistening surface vanishes.

At his nod, I kneel beside the cot.

“Hello again,” I murmur.

I hover my hand over his chest. He looks better. His skin is still ashen, but not corpse-gray. Rian was right—he’s better than before.

The sight stirs something inside me. Confidence. Reckless, fragile hope.

I can do this. My magic is light. Light consumes dark. I can burn the curse out of him.

“Do you need the book?” Draven asks abruptly.

My head jerks toward him. Then to Rian. His back is to us, facing the tent flap, guarding. As if sensing my stare, he looks over his shoulder, and his silver eyes pulse.

I lower my gaze back to Darius, my lips pressed in a frown.

Rian told Draven about the book. It feels like a betrayal. I can’t explain why.

But what difference does one more betrayal make?

I shake off the strange emotions, then answer, “No, I don’t.”

The surly Fae doesn’t argue. His anticipation saturates the air, pressing in on me from every direction.

I clear my throat. “Could you give me space?”

Shockingly, he obliges.

I turn to Darius, my hand still suspended above his chest. Magic pools in my palm, a living light. It spills in white threads, crawling over my skin, slithering toward him before curving back and wrapping around my wrists.

“Shit,” Jaxon mutters.

“Shut up,” Ferria snaps. “Let her focus.”

My lips twitch, but I can’t hold on to my amusement. Not when the power is restless, writhing. I coax it forward, closer to Darius. The glow flares pale, docile for now, but brimming with anticipation.

My breath hitches. A sliver of space remains between my palm and Darius’s body. My heart pounds.

Then…I close the gap.

Agony detonates.

Hellfire-black… Soul-destroying darkness.