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“Trash that I’m about to dispose of.”
Tia held up her hand, a tingle in the air revealing she’d released a burst of magic. The statues briefly glowed before Tia hissed in shock.
“This is the miasma.” She sent an accusing glare toward Peri. “I thought your mother released it.”
“She released one of them.”
Tia walked toward the vessels, her magic still dancing over them. Valen swallowed a growl of frustration. The urgent need to destroy the arrogant mage pounded through him, but he couldn’t be certain he could rip out her throat before she could release the curse.
Tia ignored the sharp chill in the air as she bent down to study the statues. “I followed you because I assumed you were hunting the magic. But this…” A visible shiver raced through her body. “So much power. It’s making the earth shudder.”
“No, don’t.” Peri rushed to stand next to Tia. “My mother made the mistake of thinking she could control the magic.”
Tia made a sound of disgust. “A witch.”
“A witch,” Peri agreed. “And an egotistical bitch who cared more about her bloated ego than the people who pledged their loyalty to her. Because of her pride, the evil is spreading through the world.” Peri squared her shoulders. “I won’t let any more be released.”
“Don’t forget.” Tia touched the mark on the back of Peri’s hand. “I own you.”
Peri slapped Tia’s hand away. “Do your worst. I might suffer, but Valen will still kill you and I will destroy the vessels.”
Tia blinked, as if she couldn’t imagine that Peri would risk crippling pain or maybe even disfigurement to destroy the miasma. Then a cunning smile curved her lips.
“Don’t be so hasty, Peri,” she said, her tone more imperious than cajoling. She wasn’t a woman who would ever beg. “Imagine the possibilities. The two of us could share the magic. Together we would rule the world.”
“I don’t want to rule the world.” Peri turned toward Valen, a slow smile curving her lips. “I just want to enjoy my family in peace.”
Valen jerked in shock, once again feeling as if his essence was being molded into someone new. Family. He’d never wanted more than his place in the Cabal and faithful servants. That was enough to satisfy his needs. Or at least, that’s what he’d told himself. It wasn’t until the pleasure blazed through him that he realized just how desperately he desired to be included in those Peri considered her most intimate circle.
“So stupidly naïve,” Tia snarled.
Peri took a deliberate step back. “Take care of her.”
“With pleasure.”
Valen parted his lips to reveal his massive fangs, not surprised when Tia grimly stood her ground. The mage possessed the sort of ego that would never allow her to back down. Even when she must know that she didn’t have a chance of surviving the encounter.
He prowled forward, fully prepared to bring a painful end to the bitch who threatened his chosen woman.
“Stop it!” Peri called out.
Focused solely on Tia, who was moving her lips as she prepared a spell, Valen came to an abrupt halt.
“What’s wrong?”
Peri pointed toward the statues, which were suddenly surrounded by a reddish glow. As if they were coated in a layer of evil.
“She’s trying to draw on the magic from the vessels.”
“It’s not me,” Tia protested. She stepped away from the statues as the first sign of fear crept over her face. “I swear.”
Valen frowned, sending Peri a worried glance. “Is it the miasma?”
She looked momentarily confused. She obviously sensed something she didn’t understand. Then, with a horrified gasp she turned to sprint toward the door.
“Get out of here.”
Valen didn’t need any prompting. A heavy cloud of magic was filling the air, seeping up through the floorboards as if some buried creature had been stirred to life. Even worse, there was a steady pulse at the center of the cloud that warned of a looming explosion.
