A Battle of Blood and Stone (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 4)

Quickly, I do an internal check to make sure my magic is there and accessible. Thank God, it is, which means the rope tying me is nothing but a rope.

Pyke waves his hand in front of his face, and the cut under his eye disappears. Glaring at me as he advances, he growls, “Now… give me the Blood Stone.”

“I don’t have it,” I yell. “Carrick does, and he’s not here.”

With two long strides, Pyke stomps up to me and crosses one arm over his chest, only to let it fly in a backhand at my cheek. It connects solidly and I go stumbling backward, but I manage to stay on my feet.

“I hate liars, Finley.” Pyke moves so fast I can’t even see it, but he’s suddenly gripping the front of my shirt and jerking me up to my tiptoes as he glares down at me. “If I could so easily put a tracking spell on you, don’t you think I could do the same to the chalice? I felt it when you arrived.”

The memory comes at me as fresh as if it happened today rather than a week ago. After the battle with Micah in the forest clearing was over, Pyke was the one who had picked up the chalice and returned it to Carrick.

He had touched it.

He had put a tracking spell on it.

Before I can ask why, he’s swinging me around and pushing me toward the hut. “It’s in there. Now get it.”

Heart hammering, hoping to God Zaid escaped, I walk to it. The fact Pyke seems to think it’s in the hut doesn’t give me hope, though.

With a feeling of dread, I step into the hut, Pyke behind me. My gaze immediately flicks to the bed. The satchel is gone, and there’s no sign of Zaid.

I look over my shoulder at Pyke, whose expression has turned thunderous. “Where is it? I felt it with you when you appeared in Faere.”

“It was,” I rush to assure him. “As was Carrick. He brought me here for safekeeping, then he left to go hide the Blood Stone.”

That explanation makes no sense as Carrick would never leave me behind. He would have battled Pyke right then and there, but the prince is either so outraged, so stupid, or a combination of both, that he doesn’t bother to puzzle that out.

“Where is he?” he demands. “Where did he go?”

“I don’t know,” I say, which is the absolute truth.

Pyke must hear the veracity in my voice because he doesn’t ask me again. Instead, he starts a short pace back and forth in the hut as he obviously ponders his options.

Finally, he stops, bringing his gaze to me. “Carrick has the Blood Stone, and I have you. This could work out.”

Panic hits me as the meaning of his words sink in. I lunge for the opening of the tent, but I’m not sure where I think I can go with my hands tied behind my back. I stand firm in my resolve not to use my magic, because that’s a secret I’m not going to give up unless I’m in a life-or-death situation.

Right now, Pyke seems to want me as bait.

Surprisingly, I make it through the tent flap and halfway around the side before I’m stopped by Pyke grabbing my elbow. He whirls me around to face him and smiles down at me maniacally. “Yes, I think a trade will work out nicely.”

I lift my chin defiantly. “Carrick will never give it to you.”

Pyke laughs with genuine amusement. “I guess there’s only one way to find out, right?”

Before I can object, my body is pulled hard as Pyke bends distance, able to easily glide through the veil without ripping it. Benefits of being a Light Fae royal, I guess.

Instantly, we’re inside a dimmed bedroom. I don’t think we’re in Faere as the decor looks distinctly Earth realm and is lavishly but traditionally decorated. The walls are wood-paneled with heavy velvet draperies closed almost all the way so only slivers of light come through. Sconces on the walls are lit, interspersed with oil paintings that appear costly. Several table lamps are also lit, providing more glow, and there’s a huge canopy bed with red velvet bedding.

“Where are we?” I ask as I slowly turn around.

From one of the darkened corners of the room, I make out a figure moving toward us. Tall, lithe, and wearing some type of cloak. There’s a slight vibe of nausea indicating something dark, but I quickly turn it off. I’ve gotten good at pushing that feeling away so as not to get distracted.

When it steps into the light, I gasp in shock as I take in Kymaris standing before me. Her face is burned in some places, as is her skin showing outside of the cloak. Some are just pinkened skin, others are black with scabs. Based on the description of the explosion Carrick described, she healed a lot faster than we thought she could, which means her powers are greater than we thought.