Poison's Kiss (Deadly Beauties 2)

Before he can ask the question on the tip of his tongue, Gage materializes in the room, kneeling before the dead night stalker. Kane follows quickly with Zee on his heels.

"What the hell?" Kane gripes.

"Isolis broke in, a dreamer knocked you guys out, and then they both died, thanks to Dice."

Dice looks at me, his eyes questioning why I just held out on the whole truth.

"Yeah," he says uneasily before turning to meet the scrutinizing eyes of the guys.

"How the hell did any of them get in? And since when is an incubus strong enough to take down a night stalker as old as Isolis?" Gage grumbles, quickly coming to my side at the exact same time as Kane.

They both start inspecting me, searching for damage, but I shrug them off.

"I'm fine," I grouse while heading over to stand beside Dray. "They got in using this," I continue, holding out the black stone.

I intentionally ignored the latter question. I don't feel like telling them I killed Isolis. Too many questions will arise. Dray and Gage know where I come from, but they don't know the strength I truly hold.

"Shit," Dray growls as he stares at the stone.

"What? You know what it is?"

He looks at me, his face too serious. "Yes. I'm surprised you don't. These are Crescent stones. Not like the shape, but like the old coven. The first coven ever to form was the Crescent. They were light, but they had a tainted edge. They were killed by the council when they committed treason. Do you know what that treason was?"

Old stories and cautionary tales swirl around and stir my memories, evoking the fables I heard as a child.

"I thought the Crescent coven was more of an urban legend to remind the light to behave. Didn't they side with the dark about something?" I ask, more than likely looking like the confused girl I am.

"They didn't merely side with the dark, they helped them. During one of the wars, there was a debate about a witch - one with too much power. The light wanted to imprison her, keep her locked away until they knew how to deal with her. The dark wanted to kill her before she gained immortality - before she was too strong to take down. This girl was prophesied to make Drackus look like a rookie, though Drackus became much stronger than they ever thought possible.

"In an effort to keep the mortal witch safe, the light barricaded her with their protective shield. The problem was the Crescent coven sided with the dark. Not for the fearful reasons the dark shared, but because they didn't want to risk someone stronger than them rising to power.

"They drew ten stones from the Well of Eternity, and they blessed them with their light touch mingled with a dark glaze. No one truly understood the well's power until then, and no other coven was ever strong enough to duplicate their collective power. The stones allowed the dark users access through the barrier, and they stormed the council chambers.

"The girl was tortured first. It's a

lengthy process to send someone to purgatory, and that's where they wanted her. The light made it to them though and the dark were forced to spill her blood prematurely before they could conclude the process.

"The massacre that ensued is what prompted the truce between all councils. It was a bloodbath and it stole the lives of more light and dark users than any other battle in history. The stones were offered up as a sign of good faith from the dark. The light took them, supposedly disposed of them, but there were rumors of five being taken before they could be destroyed.

"The Crescent coven was brutally executed for their part, and their spirits were cast into purgatory for all eternity. If this stone is in the possession of someone like Isolis, it's because a member of the light gave it to him. The only person who could have taken those stones away from the light is a member of the light."

Gage once told me he suspected someone from the light was behind my mother's disappearance. His eyes catch mine as he thinks back to that same conversation.

"It would have had to be the person who was supposed to dispose of them, otherwise the light would have warned everyone," I quickly interject, looking to solve the mystery behind Isolis's alliance.

Gage lets out a derisive snort while coming to my side. "You know as well as I do that's bullshit. The light would have done all they could to conceal that secret. That's why there were only mere rumors. The person disposing of them was probably killed just for being a suspect; when in all actuality, they would have been the one to bring it to the council's attention that five were missing."

Crap. That makes sense. Why do I suddenly feel so naive for trusting my people for so long?

"So Isolis was working with someone from the light? Is it possible this is all linked to who took my mother?"

Kane grips his head as he plops down on my sofa. I walk over to sit beside him - leaving a safe gap. To make things a little awkward, Gage comes to sit down on my other side - not leaving a gap.

His arm crosses over my shoulders, but I don't brush it away. Right now, I'll take a little comfort. In fact, I want to talk to him. If they killed that witch because of how powerful they thought her to be, what would they do if they knew about me?

Kane glowers at Gage's contact with me, but the dark user doesn't acknowledge him.

"What was her name?" I ask, looking to Dray for the answer.