The Rise of Fortune and Fury (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 5)

The Dark Fae doesn’t hide his feelings. Within his eyes, there’s happiness at seeing Zora and also sparks of desire. There’s sadness there, too, and I’m guessing he’s missing her.

Maybe enough to grab her and whisk her away. He could easily nab her hand and bend distance to somewhere unknown, which causes me to move a little closer to her.

Of course, it would be a risk to bend distance with her. I’ve been trying to teach Zora how to do it with her own magic, but she’s not been able to tap it. Humans can’t ordinarily survive bending distance, but I can because of my inner magic. I’m guessing Zora probably can, too, but I hope Amell isn’t thinking to test that theory here today.

“What do you have to share with us?” Carrick asks brusquely, a reminder that Amell wasn’t allowed in this condo for a reunion with Zora.

With a sigh, Amell’s eyes leave Zora and pin on Carrick. “The ritual has to start at the dawn of the new moon. One might think that means the actual morning dawn on October 8th but it’s more literal. As soon as the clock strikes midnight on October 7th, leaving that day behind and starting October 8th, you can be assured the ritual will start.”

My jaw tightens. I’m not impressed by this information as we had already planned to be ready to go as soon as the midnight bell tolled twelve times.

Amell looks around, realizing none of us find this information useful. “It will take place in a clearing between Lake Wenatchee and Fish Lake. I’ll give you the exact coordinates.”

That causes me to twitch a bit in surprise.

Because while we had that general information from Blain, and Maddox had scouted the area, we could never be quite sure the information was good. It could have been disinformation for all we knew.

But Amell confirms for us not only when the ritual will take place, but also exactly where.

Okay… now he’s starting to intrigue me.

“What can we expect from the ritual?” I demand.

Amell’s blue eyes slice to me, and whatever disdain was apparent in my expression before is now mirrored in his. He doesn’t like the way I’m standing before Zora and keeping them apart, and he clearly doesn’t like me demanding information.

And yet, he provides somewhat of an answer. “Kymaris will use the Blood Stone to channel power through our brethren, into a sacrifice, and finally back to her, where she’ll be able to rip open the veil.”

We already knew those general facts. We also knew Blain was the sacrifice—the one unlike the twelve Dark Fae who had been held hostage—and I wait to see if Amell says anything about the fact we stole him back.

He remains stubbornly mute on the issue.

“What happens when the veil opens?” I ask.

“You know what will happen,” he counters.

“Fae and demons will come pouring out, taking over Seattle first and then sweeping the world,” I sneer.

“Not just Seattle,” Amell replies, a flash of malice turning his pupils red. “Kymaris will have the power to rip veils everywhere. She’ll travel the world and let her demons out.”

A flash of demoralizing pain sweeps through me as my eyes move to Carrick. If she succeeds in her ritual, Earth is definitely lost.

“Why are you telling us this information?” This from Maddox, who had remained silent throughout. His tone is confrontational, making it clear that, like most of us in this room, he doesn’t trust the Dark Fae at all.

Amell looks to Maddox, and I wonder what he’d do if he found out Maddox has been intimate with Zora. I imagine the condo might get destroyed in the ensuing battle.

“I have no stake in the veil coming down,” Amell replies softly. “I don’t care if it does, and I don’t care if it doesn’t. I do what my queen asks me to do. But I want Zora to have a fighting chance. She’s been mine to protect since day one. If I had my way, I’d take her to the Underworld right now where she’d be safe.”

His words trail off, as does his gaze as it slides over to Zora. Amell softly adds, “But she wouldn’t want that.”

“No, she wouldn’t,” I answer for Zora, not able to help my unbearable need to protect her from this monster. I twist my neck slightly to see her. Her blue-green-gold eyes meet my identical ones, and she gives a slight shake of her head.

She doesn’t want to go to the Underworld, and her message is received loud and clear by Amell.

He clears his throat, the slight flash of disappointment replaced by antipathy. “I’m not sure I’ve really told you anything you haven’t already figured out or couldn’t figure out on your own,” Amell says, his attention back on Carrick. I can see he feels more comfortable dealing with him. Considers him more his equal than me. “But there’s one other thing.”