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

“Why is she here?” Pyke asked before sipping on his beer.

Not “how did she come to be here”. If anything, Pyke looked slightly intrigued, but Carrick assumed not alarmed since he really didn’t know anything about Kymaris other than stories his mother might have told him.

Carrick shrugged, but it was Maddox who answered the question, keeping the information just as vague. “We have no clue, but we assume she’s at the center of this prophecy the gods say Finley is a part of. Clearly, your aunt is here to cause some type of havoc.”

Picking up on his brother’s words, Carrick decided to give him a tiny bit more. “We have a theory, though.”

Pyke merely raised an eyebrow.

“She’s always wanted to rule a major realm and have ultimate power. It’s why she tried to take over Heaven. I imagine the Underworld just didn’t meet with her ambition, so her eyes are set on a new realm.”

“So, you think she wants to rule Earth?” Pyke asked with a frown. “Because that seems a little overambitious, don’t you think?”

And that was the opening Carrick needed to feed just a little bit more to Pyke without it seeming like they knew more than they really did. “We thought the same, but if she could somehow manage to bring down the veil separating the Underworld and Earth, she could potentially have enough forces to do it once all the demons and Dark Fae were released. Of course, no one really knows much about Kymaris so it’s anybody’s guess.”

“No one can bring a veil down,” Pyke scoffed.

“With a stone possibly,” Zaid offered. He knew Carrick was parceling out ideas to see if Pyke would grab hold, possibly knowing something they didn’t due to his vast contacts. “But everyone knows the stones are practically extinct.”

There was no way Carrick was going to discuss the Blood Stone with Pyke or anyone outside of his tight trusted circle, because if they were right about it, there would be a race to find it. He would have to fill Zaid and his brothers in on the Blood Stone later, though, and he knew Finley was downstairs in the library right now telling Rainey and Myles about it. In turn, he knew they would be hitting the books, searching for any reference.

“Not all stones are gone,” Pyke said casually. “If you know the right people and have the right price, they can still be found.”

That was exactly the type of information he had hoped to get from Pyke, and Carrick had to repress a smile of victory.

“As a matter of fact,” Pyke continued with a sly grin. “I’m attending a party tomorrow night, and it’s the type that brings out the creepiest of the creeps in the immortal world. I could ask around if you’d like.”

This was better than Carrick could have expected, and he pounced. “How about I come with you?”

Pyke shook his head. “Not your type of party, Carrick. Trust me on that.”

Now Carrick was the one confused, his chin drawing inward. “What in the hell type of party isn’t my type of party?” he demanded with affront. “I’ve been to every type of party conceivable over my lifetime.”

Chuckling, Pyke waved his beer bottle to the side. “Let’s just say to get in, you’ll have to have a pet with you. It’s a fetish party.”

“Pet?” Zaid asked.

“Human pet,” Pyke clarified. “This is one of those parties where those in attendance hate humans, and there will most likely be some things happening there that might be a little too dark.”

“Too dark for me?” Carrick sneered. He was starting to feel completely disrespected. He’d done so many dark things in his life that nothing surprised him anymore.

“Too dark for Finley,” Pyke corrected. “I just assumed you’d be bringing her unless you know another human to take.”

“You let me worry about that,” Carrick replied. “You just tell me where to be and what time to be there.”

Pyke grinned. “All right. We’ll have a blast tomorrow night and maybe you’ll get lucky and find some information, too.”

Tipping his beer all the way back, Pyke drained it and set the bottle on the counter. “I appreciate the beer, my friend. But I’ve actually got an incredibly hot date with a succubus that does the most amazing thing with her tongue. She—”

“Not interested,” Carrick cut him off.

“I am,” Maddox said, leaning toward Pyke with an earnest expression.

“He’s not,” Carrick corrected, shooting his brother a look that said, “Grow up, you child”. Pyke laughed and waved farewell, not bothering with an exit by conventional means. He merely bent distance to wherever he had intended to go—which could be halfway around the world for all Carrick knew—and blinked away.

“I never liked him,” Zaid muttered as soon as Pyke was gone. He picked up the empty beer bottle to put it in the recycling bin.