Page 101 of Magic Claimed

And there it was, precisely as we’d feared—Blake’s plan laid out in all its brutal, manipulative glory.

It would be the destruction of The Portal all over again, but bigger, louder, and likely on national TV. Withcomplete disregard for life. It was exactly what we’d predicted, but hearing him say it aloud…

It chilled me as only outright evil could.

“I hear what you’re saying, but you’re asking me to betray someone I care about.” Mentally, I envisioned my hands around his throat, squeezing until he screamed. No… that was too easy. Too good for him. Being eaten alive byratswas too good for someone as twisted and corrupt as Blake Masterson.

“I’m asking you to do the right thing,” he correctedsoothingly. “To secure peace and save millions from the chaos and destruction of a drawn-out conflict.”

Pretending it was my fault that he was planning to attack my city, with no thought for the lives that would be sacrificed. Actually, that was inaccurate. He’d thought about them. In fact, he washopingfor them.

“I’m going to need some time to think about it.”

“We don’t have time, Raine,” he reminded me. “The march is tomorrow. And I don’t think I need to tell you that the march itself will be the least of your worries.”

Which, of course, was why he’d waited this long. So I would have no opportunity to consider the unspeakable betrayal of his proposal.

“I can’t make a decision like this in moments,” I protested.

“What if I offered you something more? A little token of my sincerity, to make this sacrifice less distasteful. A chance to help the ones you love most.”

Maybe we should have expected him to play this like a used car salesman, but this wasn’t part of what we’d anticipated. After all, what more did he have to offer? What fresh horror had he prepared to guarantee our capitulation?

My fingers clenched around the phone, while sweat slicked my palm and tension coiled within my chest. “I’m listening.”

“You have someone you love. Someone you’re hoping to make a life with. But it seems he may not have as much time as you originally thought.”

There were no circles of hell hot enough for a man who would threaten me with Callum’s life.

“Strange that you would mention that,” I returned steadily,with a surge of grim satisfaction as he confirmed my suspicions. “Because we haven’t told anyone outside our family. So the only way for you to know would be…”

If he’d been behind the poisoning.

And if he was behind it…

“I have an antidote.”

Every muscle in my body clenched—in denial, revulsion, disbelief, shock. I saw the same reactions mirrored on other faces around the room, but somehow they remained silent.

“We studied the naga venom and developed a way to reverse its effects,” Blake announced. “And the anti-venom can be yours, if you’re willing to consider taking a different path than this blind worship of outdated loyalty. Open yourself up to the possibilities. Accept that you cannot control everything, cannot save everyone, but youcansave the one you love the most.”

My fingers contracted so hard the phone case creaked, and I heard a brief, startled gasp from somewhere behind me. My magic had escaped its bonds, and when I lifted my free hand, I could see the glowing blue nimbus of my fae power, looking for a target.

“I’m sure right now you’re angry with me,” Blake said, in a tone that suggested this was an amusingly childish response. “I can even sense you preparing to refuse me. But would it be fair to turn this down without even asking the one whose life and future could be saved? Can you live with yourself if you hide this possibility from someone you claim to care about?”

He was so smooth. So reasonable. So calm and self-controlled as he held this double-edged sword to my throat.

“No,” I said, and if my voice cracked under the strain, can you blame me? “But you have to give me time. One hour, Blake. Surely you can afford to give me that much.”

He actually dared to laugh. “One hour for you to kick against the currents of fate… makes little difference to me. By all means. Take your hour. But if I don’t hear from you before that hour is up, I will have no choice but to assume that your answer is no.”

A pause.

“And Raine,” he murmured softly, “you don’t want that to happen.”

The line went dead…

And I threw my phone across the office. It smacked into the wall, rebounded, and nearly hit Angelica, but she just picked it up and set it on the desk beside her. Each of her movements were cool and detached as usual, but her eyes…