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“You hide your truth. What do you fear?”
With an effort, Peri forced herself to meet the curious hazel gaze. Gabriel obviously had a talent for seeing through illusions.
Okay, then.
“Everything,” she admitted with a simple honesty. “My mother tried to kill me on my sixteenth birthday. I’ve pissed off hundreds—perhaps thousands—of demons who all thirst for revenge, and Tia believes I’m a part of her vision for world domination.” She held up her hands in a gesture of resignation. “That isn’t to mention the mage’s bane that’s killing witches and humans with reckless abandon. So yeah, I fear lots of stuff.”
Gabriel continued to study her and Peri had a flash of insight into what it must feel like to be a bug beneath the microscope.
“Interesting,” he whispered.
“Not really.”
“Valen has no idea what he has chosen.”
There was a blast of power before a low voice sliced through the room. “Are you talking about me behind my back?”
Peri released a shaky sigh. She’d never in her life thought she would be so happy to see Valen stroll into a room.
Chapter 18
Valen felt the tension before he ever reached the library. It hummed in the air like a live wire, threatening to singe the unwary. His first instinct had been to rush to Peri’s rescue. He didn’t think Gabriel would be a danger to her, not when the vampire knew that Valen had offered her protection. But there was more than one way to injure a woman, and Peri wasn’t as tough as she wanted others to believe.
Then logic kicked in, and Valen managed to keep himself from rushing into the room and making a fool of himself.
If anyone needed rescuing it was probably Gabriel, he wryly acknowledged, stepping into the library at the same time he heard his name mentioned.
Gabriel smoothly turned to face him, a mysterious smile playing around his lips. “Nothing that I wouldn’t say to your face.”
Valen glanced toward Peri, who had moved to stand stiffly next to the windows, which were covered by a steel shutter. The sun was setting, but it would be another hour before the last of the deadly rays were gone. He didn’t know what had happened between Gabriel and Peri, but it was obvious she was on edge.
“You said you had something you needed to share with us,” he said in an attempt to ease the tension, angling a path toward the wary mage.
“I do.” Gabriel waved a hand toward the silent male seated at the desk. “Lars, bring up the video.”
The fair-haired demon tapped on a keyboard and the overhead lights dimmed. There was more tapping and an image appeared on the screen covering the window, then one more click and theimage rolled into motion, revealing a crowd of humans weaving their way through a double line of tents and concession stands. In the distance the outline of carnival rides was visible.
Valen frowned in confusion. “What is this?”
“It popped up on social media,” Gabriel answered. “It’s a county fair in Meade, Kansas.”
The video continued to capture the small groups of people who clustered around the individual stalls, throwing balls to win cheap stuffed animals or eating fried foods stuck on sticks. Then a low rumble of confused voices started to swell and the camera swung toward a lemonade stand where two men were wrestling on the dusty ground. A second later, several additional men jumped in, one of them holding a knife that he was slashing through the air with reckless abandon. More men and a few women joined in the spreading melee while the onlookers abruptly screamed in fear as they turned to escape the expanding battle.
“Ugly, but the combination of humans and alcohol often leads to violence,” Valen murmured. They couldn’t jump to the conclusion that every fight that broke out was connected to the magic.
“Keep watching,” Gabriel commanded.
The video zoomed away from the fight, sweeping toward the fleeing crowd. They stumbled over the rough ground, ramming into each other until more than a few had been knocked off their feet and were trampled by the stampede. Without warning, Peri waved her hand toward Lars.
“Stop the video.” The fairy pressed a key and the image froze on the screen. Peri walked forward, pointing to a familiar woman with blond curls and a round face. “Destiny.”
Valen studied the witch’s frightened expression as she glanced over her shoulder. She wasn’t with the group of fleeing people. Instead, she was running from a side pathway, seeminglyoblivious to the crowd that was pushing and pressing each other in an attempt to escape through the gateway to the fairgrounds.
“It looks like she’s running from something,” he said. “Or someone.”
“Can you go back?” Peri asked the fairy.
“Yes.”
