The Emperor (The Tarot Club 2)

“How are we supposed to save them - how can we possibly stop the war you speak of?” My head spun at the possibility, and I wanted nothing more than to sit down, but only an idiot would show such weakness in front of a Demon.

“Through love.”

“What?” This time it was Dimitri who spat out the same sentiment we both held. Perhaps Charlain was walking the line of madness once more - perhaps this was all some cosmic joke. I was tempted to glance around, certain that some form of camera crew would jump out at any moment, screaming ‘surprise.’

But none of that happened. Instead, Charl remained seated, his gaze flitting between Dimitri and myself.

“I wasn’t certain the two of you would work, but it was a gamble we had to take. And in the end it paid off.”

“What are you talking about?” My patience had officially snapped as I demanded answers from Charl - answers that were long overdue.

“We found a way to counter the wave - to cause the ley lines to retreat to their original positioning - to shrink so to speak.”

My tongue felt like a piece of weighted cotton wool as I struggled to swallow down the maddening frustration. If Charl hadn’t been speaking with clear eyes and an alertness that I had missed from our days at Summer Camp, I would have chalked this entire conversation up to madness, but he was deathly serious.

“How?” Once more, Dimitri voiced the question, stepping forward as an equal participant.

Charl smiled at him, and for a moment he was the same boy who approached me at Summer Camp, flashing his deck of cards at me in a way that had me enthralled - had me chasing after him for the entire duration of camp.

“Through strategic pairing.”

I fought the urge to rub the bridge of my nose in frustration. Getting answers from him was akin to pulling teeth.

“Can you just tell us what that means - not in dribs and drabs, but can you actually explain what the hell is going on? We’re not invalids, we don’t need you to spoon-feed us information one bite at a time as if giving us the whole box of cereal may somehow be too much.”

“Fine.” Charl dipped his head in agreement, not in the least bit fazed at my outburst.

“The way to shift the ley lines is through strategic pairings or partnerships - where one normal human -” his gaze rested upon Dimitri. “- of considerable means, influence and power, partners or unites with someone capable of great Magickal ability.”

“You paired us in the hopes that this would happen?” My accusation held little venom, because now that I had Dimitri, I couldn’t find it within myself to be angry at the setup of it all.

Charl only shrugged. “It wouldn’t have worked if the two of you did not love one another.”

“The threat has been quelled then?” Dimitri seemed to ease his stance at the thought of it.

“No.” Charl grimaced, and it was the least reassuring expression I had ever seen him pull. “One new ley line has retreated, taking with it the Magick it had imbued upon non-magickal folk.”

I mentally analysed the words he had just spoken. “How many new ley lines are there?”

“Just over twenty. We need to reduce at least half of them, and even then, there's no guarantee.”

My gaze swung towards the Demon. “And what do you have to gain from all of this?”

Cort smiled and it was all sensuality and promise. Dimitri tracked the Demons every movement, growling softly if Cort so much as looked at me too long. The otherworldly creature simply smiled, amused by Dimitri’s wrath.

“If humans become slaves, then they can’t summon us.”

“But humans have no need to summon Demons - not if they don’t hold an iota of Magick in their blood.” My argument sounded lame even to my ears.

“Need? No. Yet they still try - and it is for them that we fight, for without such stupidity, some of my brethren would starve.”

“You feast on them?” I tried to sound shocked - repulsed even, but the truth was far more complex than that, for I was mostly curious and intrigued.

“As you must dine, so must we. It is their fear that fuels us, but that fear needs to be bound within a bargain. Take The Tower for example, Maxine leads many a lost soul towards us, and for that she is rewarded, loaning power from the Demon realm itself.

I was going to be sick.

“What if Dimitri and I didn’t work out?”