Page 16 of Mantle (IMMORTAL FLAME #3)

Frantic footsteps descended the stairs, and I looked to see Velra Nox rushing down, her gaze flicking between her unconscious brother and Cassius glaring at him as he loomed, all powerhouse muscle and supreme power.

He was breathing heavily, but given what he was, it couldn’t be from exertion.

He was pissed, distressed, angry… reacting intensely emotionally.

And as he looked up at Velra, it became clear why.

All for her.

“Cassius,” she breathed. “I felt you.”

He didn’t speak to it, but I saw the struggle all over him not to.

He could barely stop himself from looking her up and down.

“As promised, little shadow,” he rumbled, gesturing at Sorin.

“How did you… I mean… holy hell.”

“You need not fear his foolish and despicable actions anymore.”

“Thank you,” she uttered, so much emotion bleeding from her.

Grief and relief collided with how touched she obviously was at what he’d done for her, along with a whole lot of disbelief that somebody would actually do anything of the sort for her.

“What is the meaning of this?” Cornelius demanded, striding up to Cassius. “There is due process to consider in such matters.”

“Something the Guardian Movement staunchly enforces. Yet I know better where you’re concerned.

You excel at coloring outside the lines.

Dealing with this heathen falls within those parameters.

Not only is he dangerous, he is deeply connected to even more dangerous individuals.

We need to cut out the rot. We begin with him. ”

“Cassius—” Cornelius started to protest.

“If he is not imprisoned in The Void by nightfall, I will take his life.”

Fuck me.

“I need to get back to my work with Mia and Jaxon. Break over.” His gaze flicked to Velra and his reluctance to leave was clear.

But he managed to overcome it, hissed at Sorin’s unconscious form, then teleported away.

“Hades,” Cornelius cursed. In the next moment, he was tugging at a chain that disappeared down his shirt. He pulled it out and I took in the Guardian ring hanging off it. He rubbed it with a spark of his magic. The gems in the ring sparked with familiar vibrant-green magic.

And then green light erupted and a hologram of Ryker materialized.

“Using our emergency line… what’s happened?” he spoke.

“I have just received Sorin Tenebris. He’s in my temporary custody.”

“What? How?”

“I’ll brief you fully later. For now, we need to secure him.

I doubt very much with the special circumstances at play and his part in the Compound attack, that you want him anywhere near the Compound for processing.

Given what he’s a part of, what vital intel he may also have regarding Puritas, I suggest you move to invoke the Veiled Directive. ”

Ryker was silent for several moments, clearly deliberating.

And then he asked, “What is his precise location?”

“My foyer.”

“Clear the area and confirm.”

In the next moment, Cornelius instructed Velra to head back upstairs.

As soon as she did, he led me through the front door and out onto the steps.

He left the door open so we could see through to the area.

“Clear,” he reported to Ryker.

I watched as green sparks erupted around the foyer.

They gravitated toward Sorin.

As soon as they made contact, they swirled and completely enveloped him.

And then he dematerialized like he’d never been.

“Thank you, Ryker.”

“I’ll keep you posted. Velra, too.”

“You’ll need to include Cassius in that.”

“I felt your wards are shattered. Do you need help re-erecting them?”

“No. I have Kai here. He’ll assist.”

“Good. Ensure you erect them immediately as per Blackline Protocol.”

“I will.”

With that, Cornelius ended the spell and pulled his magic back.

“What is the Veiled Directive?” I asked.

“Think of it as an in between from processing and ending up in the Void.”

“An in between with interrogation being a factor?”

“Yes. Necessary for that foolish being.”

“I don’t disagree. Nicely done. You walked the line between Cassius’ extreme approach and the law.”

“You can learn a lot from me.”

“I’m getting that.”

He smiled, then told me, “I’ll see to Velra, then we’ll re-erect the wards and head out.”

“Sounds good.”

Really good.

Arcanum Conclave.

Cornelius had informed me as we’d arrived that it was the name given to the clandestine group’s even more clandestine meeting location.

Their sanctuary, in essence.

We’d first emerged on windswept highlands cloaked in mist, but with a flare of his magic, the true meeting site had been revealed.

A structure hidden by illusion magic—Fae, if I had to guess, considering the effectiveness of it, seeing as though I hadn’t even felt it.

A cathedral rose up toward the sky, its elegant architecture absolutely striking.

Deep indigo stone was carved with glowing Fae markings and ancient symbols. Its spires were asymmetrical with thornlike arches wrapping around its base.

“The entire structure is embedded in dimensional anchors,” Cornelius informed me. “You could walk straight through the grounds and never feel it.”

“Very impressive.”

“Indeed. It was created by one of our members, Maelira Draxen. A Dark Fae four centuries old, a former magical advisor to the Dark Fae King, and since proudly defected and actively engaged in supporting the supernatural world. She focuses on building protections that transcend realm-bound magic.”

With a flash of purple light, the woman herself appeared right beside Cornelius.

Straight black hair with violet tones flowed down the back of a dark cloak-vest. It was sleeveless with an exaggerated collar and shoulder detailing.

A slate-gray top was beneath possessing flared sleeves that gave her a stylish edge.

Her pants were boasting utility sheaths on the outer thighs and a pair of heeled boots completed her bold look.

“Welcome,” she greeted me pleasantly, her gray eyes taking me in. “It’s a pleasure to have you join our clandestine ranks, sorcerer.”

“I’m clearly in incredible company.”

She smiled, then told Cornelius, “I’m done with the prep.”

“Very good. See you inside.”

With that, she disappeared with a cloud of teleportation.

“She’s a very impressive recruit,” I commended Cornelius.

“Yes. Our circle is tight and contained, as the work we do requires immense trust. But with the combined high-level talents and extensive knowledge of merely a few, numbers matter not.” He gestured toward the entrance of the building.

“Speaking of, let me introduce you to the remaining members. You already clocked Gabriel,” he said, just as the man himself emerged from inside the building, giving me a chin lift.

“There’s also Calla Coretti.” A flash of yellow magic and she appeared beside Gabriel, looping her arm through his, her sleek black dress popping against her vibrant-red curls. She beamed out at me in welcome and I gave them the same respect back.

“And I believe you are also familiar with our final member.”

Another figure stepped out.

Or, more like swaggered out and then gave a sarcastic bow with an over the top theatrical edge.

You’ve got to be shitting me.

That black spiky hair with maroon tips—his signature—was the first thing that took my attention. He was wearing all black—cargo pants and a sweeping black hooded coat. And his dark-red magic crackled around him as per usual.

I glared out at him with every step he took toward me.

“Sylas Morgrave,” I ground out, as he stopped just a few feet in front of me.

Obviously sensing the tension between us, Cornelius said, “I’ll let the two of you get reacquainted,” and then he headed over to the others.

Sylas flipped his long coat back and regarded me with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, clearly getting off on my stunned reaction.

The fucker loved catching people off guard—especially me, because it was a rarity for that to occur where I was concerned.

“It’s been a long time, Kai.”

“Not since the Coven Games.”

“Where I bested you, if I recall.”

“Bullshit.”

“Still sore about me breaking your beloved Aetherbound Scepter?”

“With death magic,” I bit back.

“You were too hung up then by rules and procedure, rather than doing what needed to be done to win a battle.”

“We weren’t in battle. It was a friendly competition.”

“Yes, well. I got mine, didn’t I? I was kicked out of my coven for that move.”

“And now you’re a vigilante?”

“Aww, you’ve been checking in on me?”

“The chatter and rumors were loud.”

He slapped his hand to his chest with that usual part-mocking, arrogant dramatic edge. “I’m a celebrity? Is that what you’re conveying to me?”

“Fuck me, you arrogant shit.”

He smirked. “Been there, tried that. You didn’t care for it.” He stepped up close, right in my personal space, his once familiar bergamot scent infusing me. Damn the bastard, he’d always smelled so good.

Pity his abrasive personality drowned that out, along with the heavy cloak of charm he put out there. His overt flirtation was renowned.

“Didn’t like being topped. I heard that you remedied that with Nyx Laryn.” He frowned. “What about the dragon, though? How does that work? His species is highly dominant.”

I stepped back and scrubbed my hand over my face. “How did you get invited to this prestigious group?”

He chuckled at my obvious attempt to shift the subject matter.

Then he thumbed himself. “Unique magical prodigy, Kai. Of course I was invited.”

He held out his hand then, surprising me.

“Bullshit and posturing aside, I’ve actually been following your activities, and I’m honestly impressed.

You’ve come a long way. As soon as you stopped doing things your parents’ way, therein you accessed your true power and potential.

And you managed to do it without going to extremes like I did. ”

I frowned at his words and his offered hand.

“I’m serious. We’re gonna be working together closely with the Order, I’d like us to be able to do that without hindering things, or any of the other members, due to our personal issues.”

“If you can keep it in the past, so can I. Other things matter more.”

His smile slipped, that sparkle in his eyes dimming. “Yeah, they do. There’s a lot at stake.”

I studied him as I actually took his hand and we shook.

He seemed to be talking about something more personal to him than the current threat, something that had the ability to impact him emotionally.

“Let’s begin,” Cornelius’ voice sounded from the entrance.

Sylas and I turned and made our way over.

As we stepped across the threshold and moved deeper into the building, I scanned the surroundings.

The high-vaulted interior was lined with stone inlaid with silver glyphs that glowed faintly with magic.

Floating lanterns lit the space, each flame suspended in a glass orb.

There was an array of magical stations, including an alchemical bench with hovering ingredients, and a divination pool sealed beneath enchanted glass.

A vast spiral archive of knowledge curved upward along the wall, with tomes, scrolls, and magical artifacts held in suspended containment fields.

A round table carved from stone veined in gold sat at the chamber’s heart, surrounded by twelve chairs—the ideal number of members that Cornelius was working toward, I gathered.

Above it spun magical projections of Celestial symbols, Rift anomalies, spectral data, and details of the Inhibitor spell.

It was really something.

I couldn’t wait to get started.