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"I don't understand. My mother lives in Earth Realm. The closest crossing is here in the Shadowlands. How did she get it through?"
"She didn't get anything through the crossing," he answered. "It was a tracking spell she was well-known for. It's most likely one of the ones she brewed into potions and sold during her time in Eastbourne. Someone, probably one of the royal spellcasters she is so fond of, purchased it, added your blood to the vial, and then soaked the crystal in it."
Casimir squeezed my hip. "If it were only a tracking spell, why was she thrown into a memory? One strong enough to cause harm?"
Draven lifted his hands to his mate's shoulders as he shifted behind her chair. "It was meant to be a tracking spell, yes. But when mixed with the original memory spell on the crystal, it amplified the power and created something dangerous."
He shook his head. "The spellcasters underestimated the result. Sersha, most definitely did."
"How so?" I asked.
"She had to know that if you were here and you were marked, she'd have to figure out how to get you away from the Shadowlands without incurring my wrath. But because it also harmed you, my wrath is now guaranteed. She committed an act of war on the grounds of my home. She won't like the outcome."
The Shadow Lord's eyes screamed vengeance. This was exactly what I'd wanted to avoid. I would not bring war upon these demons. Innocents on both sides would be caught up in the crossfire.
Too late, my inner witch taunted.
Then I thought of something else. "How did Sersha even know I was here?"
Lyric absently popped her knuckles against her palm. "We don’t think Queen Bitchface actually knows where you are. Henderson jumped back to Eastbourne to check the records on how many of those spells were sold and when. Apparently they sat on a shelf collecting dust until a few days ago when a fae came and purchased a handful. We're assuming they found a way to gift most of the surrounding leaders with something innocuous enough to not be suspicious. We were only suspicious because you're here. And the spell only paints a mark on you, so it's unlikely anyone else was hit with a dose."
Closing my eyes, I scanned my body, searching for any trace of an enchanted brand within. Normally these spells leave behind a concentrated morsel somewhere under the skin. I'd cut it out as soon as I found it.
There ... no ... I scanned again, calling on both sides and ignoring the voices around me. I kept finding traces, but they were everywhere. Faint and elusive. I followed one down my arm and back to my heart. Every muscle in my body tensed.
"What is it?" my mate demanded, searching my face.
My mouth moved to form words yet no sound came out. How was I to tell him I needed to get as far away from Embour as possible?
"Hugo!" he roared.
The healer came through the door immediately with Kree in tow. "You rang?"
"She can't speak."
The congenial demon cocked his head. "There's nothing wrong with her speech. From the looks of her aura she's majorly stressed."
Hexing Hades!
"I'm ..." I couldn't say I was fine because it was a lie. "I, ah, felt something in my bloodstream. Residual magic." I left out the details.
"What your mate is trying to tell you,” Hugo stated without emotion, “is that the tracking spell resides in her blood, still. Kree and I flushed out most of it."
A quick bloom of red overtook Casimir's face. "Why not all of it?"
Hugo and Kree shared a complicit glance.
"It's okay," she said. "I'm not scared."
My eyebrows came together. "Scared? Why would you be scared?"
Her angelic face scrunched. "I don't want to upset anyone so please remain calm."
Lyric shot to her feet. "You cannot start with a statement like that and expect us to remain calm, Kree! So say it fast before I’m no longer calm!"
As though compelled, Kree parted her lips. "The spell couldn't be dissolved and adhered to the closest being. Since I was touching Raven, I was closest."
"I made her let go," Hugo added. "Hence, some of it is still attached to Raven's cells and the rest is in Kree's. It looks like it’s clinging to blood cells. I'm not sure how to obliterate it."
