The Evolution of Fae and Gods (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 3)

“The succubus and incubus you encountered,” Carrick say with a grim expression. “Those powers to seduce and drain life-force are an example of how their species evolved. Kymaris would have naturally evolved and have some type of power down there. That’s how she creates demons.”

“But not enough to escape,” I muse. “Not without the changeling ritual or a stone.”

My stomach tightens painfully, thinking about my sister living down there not only with Dark Fae, but also demons who seem to be nothing more than the Earth realm’s version of dangerous animals like grizzlies or tigers. I can’t imagine being alone with one.

“And you said Kymaris now has power?” Nimeyah asks Carrick.

“Immense,” he confirms. “I’ve seen it, and whatever she gained in that ceremony rivals your own.”

“She must love that,” Nimeyah sneers. “When she was sent to the Underworld, not only were her powers mostly stripped, but extra confinements were also placed upon her to keep her where she belonged. She’s got to be itching to use that power.”

“Which brings us back to ruling the Earth realm,” Carrick says, turning the conversation back. “How would she bring them here? With the demons, we’re talking about hundreds of thousands, right?”

Nimeyah nods grimly. “If she relied on small rips in the veil, which can be done with summoning spells, it would take her years to bring them all through. She’d want instant gratification, which means bringing down the entire veil between Earth and the Underworld.”

Carrick and I exchange uneasy glances. We had been going over our own hypotheses since meeting with Otto a few days ago, and our greatest fear was that she would disintegrate the veil and create a toll-free bridge between my world and hers.

“So she wants to open our world up and let every evil creature out of the Underworld so they can fight by her side and subjugate humans,” I say in a succinct summary of what we’re facing.

“But she doesn’t have that much power,” Carrick points out. “No one can bring the entire veil down.”

“Could she pool the magic of these Dark Fae she’s collecting?” I ask Nimeyah since her powers are the most similar to what Kymaris probably has.

Nimeyah shakes her head. “Dark Fae magic isn’t all that strong; more particular to their specific species as Carrick pointed out with the succubus and incubus. I don’t think it would be enough.”

“A stone,” I suggest.

“They’re so rare,” Nimeyah replies dismissively. “But any left wouldn’t have enough power.”

“Even yours?” Carrick asks, and I jerk, turning to him in surprise.

His gaze comes to me, then he nods to Nimeyah. “She still has the stone she used to create Faere, and it’s not depleted of all its magic.”

“True,” Nimeyah replies nastily, her eyes narrowed at Carrick for telling me that, which means it must be somewhat of a secret. “But the power left in that stone isn’t enough. It could create small rips, but nothing big enough to bring forth the entire Underworld.”

I huff with frustration, leaning back in my chair. We’re no closer to learning anything helpful other than possibly what the prophecy actually is—Kymaris wanting to rule Earth, which would mean her dark subjects would probably decimate the humans.

Earth would be doomed.

“There’s a rumor,” Nimeyah says softly, and she suddenly has our attention again. “About a stone—The Blood Stone. The legend is it was a piece of the meteor about the size of one’s palm, and it was dipped in The Crimson River, whereby it became a beautiful jewel and had limitless power. It’s passed about in stories among the fae, but I believe it’s a myth. I’ve never met anyone who had direct knowledge.”

“What’s the Crimson River?” I ask.

“That’s a myth, too,” Nimeyah says dismissively.

“There are many who think it’s very real,” Carrick says in a low voice, and our heads swing his way. “The Underworld pit where evil souls are burned and tortured drains a liquid flow of evil souls into a river. Because the souls in that river are tortured for all time, it’s said that it contains the power of dark infinity.”

Nimeyah gives Carrick a begrudging nod. “And if the Blood Stone was dipped in it, it could have garnered the power of infinity.”

“Which means Kymaris could throw unlimited power at the veil to bring it down,” I conclude.

“Maybe she’ll use the Dark Fae as some kind of conduit,” Carrick further muses. “She’s going to have to have a ritual to do this.”

“I suggest Otto Von Schmidt,” Nimeyah says. “He’s the best in the business for dark rituals.”

“Been there, done that,” Carrick mutters as he glances over. He’s wondering the same thing as I am right now. Did Ozigeor know about a ritual to take down the veil and already give it to Kymaris? He feigned ignorance, but he could have been lying, putting his head and balls at risk. I’m sure we’ll be making a trip back to visit him.