Page 57

Rowan

W olfy remained a good distance away from me while I studied the old circle of rune stones.

They were hardly recognisable from years of nature reclaiming them.

Based on how derelict they were, I guessed at some point the valley flooded, taking them into the depths of water.

Thick mud clung to the stone, hiding the carved runes with such a fierce protectiveness that it took me using the tip of my dagger to finally reveal the markings beneath.

I scrubbed one of the large stones down, pouring water over the mud and moss to expose the grey rock beneath.

There were multiple runes carved on the surface, some I knew from my studies; protection runes that had once been used as barrier wards when enhanced with charm magic, and old vampire sun runes.

Some were symbols to represent the creature that lived on the land, and the sign for vampire—a sun and moon combined—appeared more than once.

But there were others that appeared, too. Smaller runes I vaguely recognised. I couldn’t remember if it was from the old textbooks I’d poured over during my studies, or if they’d appeared in my visions.

My stomach bottomed out at the last thought. A small part of me prayed that they weren’t runes similar to the ones from my vision. That there was no chance the runes Dante used existed in any realm.

But then, I hoped for answers. If there were old runes—ancient ones that pre-existed Avalon—then I needed to know.

To find some hint of them out here, in a land that hadn’t been touched by the hands of creatures in years.

It was clear the creatures at the palace hadn’t been in the valley for a while.

There was a circle of twelve stones, each one carved with so many runes, it would take me days to clear them and document their uses, because each stone had a specific purpose.

The forest around me was quiet, save for whatever Wolfy was doing in the distance.

He’d managed to hunt a couple of small animals for dinner and sniffed out some root vegetables that would be safe to eat.

I hadn’t exactly participated in the wilderness survival courses at the Phoenix Compound during my training years.

I was pretty fucking useless in that regard.

Actually, I was feeling pretty damned useless in all areas right now. The visions were giving me nothing. I had no idea where future Dante was planning on holding Ivy if he succeeded, and I had no way of counteracting the runes he would use.

Or designed , a dark voice in the back of my head told me. I didn’t want to even think about what it could mean .

I had no frame of reference for how that could happen.

Charm witches and mages were the only ones capable of creating runes.

And even then, they had to be a master of their power.

Adrian wasn’t even close to that, though now that he’d completed the bond with Ivy and she’d come into her full power of Nyx, it was possible he could design them now.

It required a hell of a lot of power and skill.

I wasn’t even sure if Sir Theon had made it that far into his mastery to build a rune.

They were entirely different from charms, and could be wielded by anyone because the magic was built into the creation of the rune itself.

It was why rune stones were so coveted. Charm witches and mages had to build them, but anyone could use them.

Dante wasn’t capable of that, unless…

Unless he had someone doing it for him.

I shook my head. No, the runes I’d seen in the vision hadn’t felt new . There was a difference in ones that were recent, made in the last couple hundred years, and ones that were old as fuck.

And the ones that stripped Ivy of her power were ancient .

Ivy had even mentioned that even Nyx hadn’t known about the runes. I assumed the same ones destined to harm Ivy and trap her, were the same ones hiding Dante from Nyx.

I stared down at my dirty hands and sighed. The second stone I’d uncovered was much the same. There was a warning against shifters, which was a rune not used anymore. I’d forgotten the conflict between vamps and shifters. They’d butted heads over territory, if the history books were to be believed.

A shiver rolled down my spine, and a tingle of magic worked its way through me as the bond warmed. I looked up to find Ivy, Adrian, and the asshole Fae prince approaching. My mate looked well rested—or as well rested as sleeping on wet moss could allow—though tension lined her.

I checked in with the bond but found nothing wrong. You okay, my love? I asked, rising from my crouch in front of the rune stone.

A sweet smile played at her lips. “I’m okay,” she replied, joining me in the circle. Her brows furrowed as she took in the twelve standing stones, and the two I’d managed to clean. “Wow.”

I wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her into my side. “You don’t see these anymore,” I said, sighing. “Stone circles aren’t very common anymore.”

Ivy raised a brow as the other two joined us. Adrian still looked exhausted, but he’d clearly slept for as long as he could. Magic leaked from him slowly—had been since we’d boarded the ship that abandoned us in hell. He was doing something, but he just hadn’t told me.

“Shit,” he muttered. “These are…”

I grimaced as Black approached one of the clean stones and ran his fingers over the carvings. “I understand my father’s interest in runes now,” he murmured, not glancing at anyone. “He claimed he was a collector of the Old World. Now, I see that was another lie.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I was pretty sure Hyperion Black had trademarked the term ‘ lying asshole ’.

If there was one thing I knew about Fae court politics—and I knew pretty little—it was that the High Lord of the Luna Court was not liked by his fellow courts.

The Unseelie put up with him, and the Seelie barely tolerated him.

Made sense now, though too many had still chosen to side with him and Dante during their takeover at the ball .

He also wasn’t liked well for his treatment of his fated mates—fated mates no one has seen for a while. I had to wonder how much Black knew about his father’s dealings. Being the son of two courts, there was a lot of stigma.

I felt the burn of Ivy’s dark eyes on me. I glanced down to find her staring up at me with furrowed brows.

Now, I felt like an asshole. How much of that had she caught? Since fleeing the Underworld, I’d mostly dropped my barriers to her. Of course, I had to work on keeping a specific mind mage out of my head. But that’s what we’d worked on the night before we’d left the Elysian palace.

Ivy shook her head. “Did you find anything here?”

I released a defeated breath. “Nope.” My arm tightened around her, almost instinctively. “Just some runes I already know.”

Her eyes left mine as she took in the cleaned stones. Black moved to stand beyond the circle with his arms crossed. Meanwhile, Adrian was wandering around the circle aimlessly.

“What’s the purpose of a circle like this?” Ivy asked, her voice soft. “You said they’re uncommon.”

“They are,” I replied. “At least, they haven’t been used in the last several hundred years. I think they went out of style before Greer became Queen.”

Ivy stepped out of my embrace, and I missed her warmth immediately. “Why? Is there a reason?” She moved to the most recently cleaned stone to trace one of the runes—a protection against unwanted guests, specifically against those who meant harm.

“These were kind of like huge power banks back in the day,” Adrian explained, before I could.

I shot him a look; one he ignored as he moved to her side.

“There would be a power source in the centre, like a charged crystal, and then the stones would be powered by it in order to strengthen the purpose the runes served.”

“This circle just seems to have been made for the vamps to hide out from shifters,” I said. “I recognise most of these, though pretty vaguely.”

From outside the circle, the Fae prince made a sound in the back of his throat. “Why are you the expert on runes? And not the actual charm mage?”

I bristled at the question, but even Ivy was curious. “Because whoever my mother slept with to birth me was a charm mage,” I replied stiffly. “She thought if I was trained in runes, then I could maybe double affinity or something along those lines.”

Ivy’s brows furrowed, though based on the bond, there was more she wanted to ask. About my birth father, I was sure.

I don’t know anything other than that, I told her. Sable never spoke of him, and that was it .

Her gaze softened, and she moved to my side again. I understand , she replied. I have a dad like that .

Damn, Nyx really thought of everything when putting us together.

Adrian, though…He shook his head as he glanced between me and the stones. “I don’t know, man, but maybe Sable actually lied about that.”

I rolled my eyes, though the implication made my heart race. “Of course she did,” I muttered. “She got me into runes because of this.”

Because she already knew Ivy was going to be in danger.

And now, I couldn’t ask her to be sure.

Even though we’d said no fire, a small one burned between us, hidden by shadows crafted by the demon king. The meat Wolfy found roasted above the hidden flames, the smell of cooked rabbit making my stomach churn.

“So, we still don’t know anything,” Ivy said, her voice soft. Defeated. “He has something we don’t, and we know he’ll use it against us—against me.”

Guilt bloomed within me, and I ducked my head. “I’m sorry?—”

“Don’t you dare,” she snapped, eyes finding mine. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Rowan. This isn’t your fault.”

I released a heavy breath, leaning back against the base of the tree I sat against. “I just—if we’re right, then Sable has been preparing me for this. To find a way to help you. And so far, I’m failing pretty miserably.”