Page 97 of Mage Massacres

Wait. Amelia?

Stone tossed a miniature ball of fire at an ancient sconce on the wall, illuminating the dark corner. Silver hair whipped around the man’s face as he covered his eyes with his hands.

Gray ink tinged the bright blue of his mental essence. His thoughts whirled too quickly to follow, but I knew what Sloane’s mother looked like. There was no mistaking their resemblance.

He maneuvered away from the wall, making it to his knees before his eyes landed on us. His attention bounced between our faces, then locked on to Trouble. She stared him down, but she didn’t see it.

She didn’t notice what was right in front of her.

“I hate to kill you while you’re in such poor condition—”

“Wait,” Raguel exclaimed, his voice full of shock. “Let me explain, Sloane.”

“I’m done waiting,” she whispered, her voice taking on that strange layered effect.

Her mind lost all color, the vivid pink of her essence fading to black in milliseconds. She hadn’t been thinking as clearly as usual before her demon took over. But now, her thoughts were spiraling out of control as all the emotions she’d been feeling went silent.

She still saw him as a threat, thinking that he was lying in wait for us instead of being a captive, a victim, in all this shit. Her privacy morals were really fucking her up. If she’d just look into his mind, she’d see all the gruesome torture they’d put him through.

Raguel climbed to his feet, rolling his shoulders back in true King fashion. His bright blue eyes flashed with something close to pride as he softly smiled at her.

“I’m not the one you should be seeking vengeance from, Moonlight.”

His words were equal parts pleading and warning as he held his hands up.

“Sloane,” I called, hoping to break through her clouded mind. “Mon Couer, listen to him.”

Nothing.

It was as if Sloane ceased to exist. All that was left of her was a demon out for blood.

“You don’t get to make that decision,” she confidently told him, striding forward. “Vengeance and justice go hand in hand with matters like this. I’m not Lucifer, Raguel. You can’t play me. This ends today.”

The scene around me moved in slow motion. The guys and I rushed toward Sloane, trying to stop her, but we weren’t fast enough.

She raised her right foot, kicking Raguel in the center of his chest. He wrapped skeletal fingers around her ankle, pulling her closer as he pushed into the veil of the Void.

I didn’t think. I just sought her out, begging what little magic they said I had to take me to her. I stumbled as I landed in the garden of Amelia King’s home.

Raguel had released her, moving back to put distance between them.

“I won’t fight you,” he stated firmly, but Sloane was gone.

There was no way to appeal to her humanity. The True Devil had treasures to protect, and too many of them were in this house right now.

20

Stone

Saturday, June 13th

Afternoon

We followed Sloane and Novak all the way to Amelia’s house, stepping out of the Void into the beginnings of chaos.

Her foot connected with Raguel’s chest again, sending the angel sailing through the air. He slammed into a tree in the middle of the yard, shaking the blow off as he righted his stance. His stride didn’t break as he showed bloody teeth, smiling proudly at her.

“I see they taught you how to fight.”