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“Clearly I didn’t.” He looked down at the puzzle box in his hands. “To me, it sounds like it’s whispering.”

“What’s it saying?”

“It’s thanking you,” came a voice that made my blood run cold. “Thanking you for doing such a splendid job, freeing it from its prison.”

My insides froze. All the hairs on the back of my neck stood on their ends. Slowly, I turned around, and there was Mason Diaboli, standing at the entrance to the vault. At his side was Carla, and she had a box in her hand that I recognized.

The crown.

“Hand it over,” Mason said, his voice dark, and stern. “Now.”

Chapter

Thirty-Four

Mason Diaboli and his wife stood in front of us, barring our only way out of the vault. As long as the portal remained open, the amulet was useless to any of us, and while we were in here, we couldn’t get out. The vault existed in a space outside of space. It was a pocket realm, a dead end, a cul-de-sac, and we were trapped.

I should’ve known.

We had escaped too easily.

“Hand it over,” Mason said, “I won’t ask again.”

“I can’t do that,” Lucien said.

“I see…” Mason nodded. “I suppose you think you’re being noble, or brave. I suppose you think, by standing up to me, you’re going to win points with your little girlfriend.” Lucien’s father widened his eyes and feigned shock. “Oh, you thought I didn’t know? That I wouldn’t notice the sneaking around, the voids in the security streams, the magic cast in my own house?! Thought I hadn’t already figured out you were fucking the Ethera bitch?”

Max made a squeak.

Mason pounced. “Looks like her brother is the only one of us who didn’t know about his sister spread?—”

“—enough!” Lucien snarled.

Mason grinned. “There,” he said, “There’s a slice of that strength I taught you, but it’s only a shadow, isn’t it? That’s all that’s left after she got done with you.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Oh, but I do. You used to be my son, but no son of mine could be as weak or pathetic as you’ve been. You’ve disgraced yourself, Lucien. You’ve disgraced yourself and our family, and while we’re on the cusp of restoring greatness, no less! And for what? For her?”

“I did this because you’ve gone insane, and I won’t stand by and let you get away with what you did to the Ethera.”

“The Ethera are our enemies,” Mason snapped, putting emphasis on the word.

“If they’re our enemies, it’s because we were on the wrong side of history.”

“What do you know of history?”

“I know that mom’s death wasn’t an accident,” Lucien spat.

“Watch your tone,” Mason snarled.

“And now that I’ve seen who you really are, I think you had something to do with it.”

“Your mother died out of her own foolishness. She thought she could control the demons without the engine, and she failed. She was weak, just like you are.”

“Weak?” Lucien took a step closer to his father. “Mom was twice the mage you’ll ever be, and it made you sick to your stomach. That’s why you want this engine. That’s why you had her killed!”

Mason shook his head, grimly. “Delusions,” he said, allowing the word to linger a moment. “The Ethera poisoned your mind, didn’t she? She fed you some lies, and you believed them all, because you couldn’t help yourself.”