I watch him drink and sit with my wine untouched for several long minutes before he releases an exasperated sigh. “We won’t be discussing the information you’re waiting for until you drink, girl.”

I want to argue, but what’s the point? Everything’s about power to this male, who’s stolen most of his. He will not stand for even this small defiance. I take the smallest sip possible. The wine is sweet and velvety, and it spreads warmth through my chest. “The second relic?” I prompt.

He smirks. “Such a taskmaster you are. Don’t you want to enjoy your wine for a moment?”

I glare at him. Hard.

Mordeus leans back in his chair. “The second relic is called the Grimoricon, and it will be much trickier to retrieve than the mirror.”

Of course it will. I can’t expect Sebastian to hand over everything I need to get my sister back. Though I’m beginning to believe he would—for me, for Jas. If only telling him wouldn’t void my bargain with Mordeus. “What is the Grimoricon?”

“You may know it as the Great Book. It’s the sacred text of Faerie, and it contains the earliest spells and magic from the Old Ones.”

“A book?”

He takes another swallow of his wine. “Of sorts. Something that powerful cannot be contained by pages alone, so like all the greatest magical texts, it can change its shape and appearance.”

“Into what?” I don’t feel any ill effects from my sip of wine, so I brave another. It is truly delicious. Besides, if he wants me to retrieve this book, drugging me senseless won’t help.

“Into anything, my girl. It can and will turn itself into anything if it senses danger.”

A book that senses danger and changes form. Looks like we started out with the easiest of the relics. “Where is it?”

“That I cannot answer. The Seelie Court stole it during the war and has guarded it since, though it belongs to my court and its magic cannot be used by the golden fae.”

“Then why did they steal it?”

He takes another sip and stares off into space, as if flipping through millennia of memories to find the answer. “The same reason they’ve taken everything else. To weaken us.”

“You’re saying you want me to find a book that could be anywhere in the Seelie Court and that could look like anything?” It’s worse than a needle in a haystack. At least when you come across the needle, you know you’ve found what you’re looking for. I could be sleeping next to the Grimoricon each night and never know it.

“I’ll let you keep the mirror,” he says, his gaze dropping to my lap, where I’m clutching the mirror in a white-knuckled hand.

Every time I thought about losing the mirror—my only connection to Jas—I pushed the thought away, unable to consider it. Now, knowing I’ll be able to check in on her, my shoulders sag.

“Good luck.”

* * *

Mordeus’s goblin whisks me away from the Unseelie palace and back to the gardens surrounding the queen’s castle.

“Why could you get me from my rooms, but you can’t return me to them?” I ask him, fighting the nausea that goblin travel brings.

“Because you have a visitor in your chambers,” the goblin says, “and I’m not interested in losing my head today.”

“But how do you know that?” I ask.

The goblin gives me a wide grin, showing all his yellow, pointed teeth, then disappears.

It seemed as if I was at the Unseelie Court for only a few hours, but the sun is already high in the sky. The gardens are bustling with staff tending to the flowers, and the smells of lavender and roses call to me as I walk toward the palace entrance. It’s so tempting to take a seat here, maybe close my eyes, let the sun warm my face and the sound of the birds lull me to sleep. But I resist. If there’s truly someone in my chambers, I want to know who it is.

“He’s been waiting there all morning,” a syrupy sweet voice says behind me. “The prince might be suspicious if you show up in your pajamas.” I turn to see “Eurelody” motioning me toward a carriage. “I’ve already sent word to your maids that you’re training with me all day.”

I grimace. “I’m too tired to train.”

“And my ears are too pretty to listen to whining, yet here we are. Come on.”

I don’t argue—not when she’s right about the pajamas. But when we get to the house, we walk into mass chaos.

“Get out of my way, Tynan,” Jalek barks.

“No.”

“You’re being ridiculous. I’m going on patrol, not—”

“First of all, I don’t believe you,” Tynan says. “Second, it doesn’t matter where you think you’re going. You’re safest if you stay here.”

Pretha pulls me in the door and out of the way of the ruckus. It’s not uncommon for this group to fight, but this isn’t their typical bickering. Jalek is dressed in his leathers, his broadsword strapped across his back. He glares at Tynan, whose silver facial webbing glows with his emotions. Finn stands between them, legs wide as he looks from one friend to the other.

Tags: Lexi Ryan These Hollow Vows Fantasy
Source: readsnovelonline.net