Page 23 of Veiled By Smoke (The Nature Hunters Academy #5)

Maris bowed, her voice small against the thunder of his presence. “Forgive us, Lord Viscious.”

Joel tried to vanish into the shadows, but there was nowhere safe from Viscious’s gaze.

He stalked closer, heat rolling off him in waves. “You are my hands in this world. If you bring me nothing but excuses, I’ll snap you in half and use your bones to roast marshmallows. Speak.”

Maris’s words tumbled out, desperate to please. “We have news. Not a Mark, but something bigger. The female dragonrider, the one who, the girl that, she,” Maris stumbled over her words as if she’d just learned to speak.

“Good grief, don’t hurt yourself,” Lamia chided, a smirk playing on her beautiful face. She loved to taunt the acolytes who were afraid of breathing around them.

“Rory,” Viscious snapped. “The female’s name is Rory.”

“Yes,” Maris nodded quickly. She took several breaths and pulled her shoulders back, raising her chin–perhaps realizing that she was acting ridiculous and as a dark elementalist should have a little more backbone than a simpering fool.

“She has a sister. Aurora. Apparently, she would have been too young to have been able to be a Mark when their parents died. But now, she might be the perfect age. Unmarked. Unclaimed. They’re searching for her. ”

Lamia’s laugh was low, dangerous. “A soul that pure . . . ripe for the taking. If we claim her–”

“We will not just claim her,” Viscious interrupted, his eyes blazing, every muscle coiled with energy.

“We will make her the instrument of their ruin. Hope is brittle. I will turn it to ash.” Not only would this be detrimental to dragons because of the dragon bonded, who would most likely do anything to get her sister back, but it was the perfect opportunity to call in that favor he was owed.

He circled the acolytes, firelight flickering over the room and providing some heat, but not enough to chase away the chill. “How did you learn this? No slip-ups, no gaps. I want it all.”

Maris, the one of the pair who had decided she wanted to prove herself and not be a simpering fool, replied, “The air elementals were watching the same burning building we were. They got a phone call while waiting for any surviving children to be brought out, and the voices traveled on the air to me. And,” she paused, her eyes darting to Joel, and then back to Viscious.

“And?” Viscious questioned, his voice low and threatening.

“Demons showed up.” Maris continued. “The light elementalists dispatched some of them. Three others made themselves known to us. Said Lucifer sent them. He’s . . . awake, Master. They offered to help.”

That sent a delicious shiver down his spine.

Some might fear having the true ruler of the underworld free of his chains, but not Viscious.

The world was tilting, finally, gloriously out of balance.

“Lucifer’s out of his cage? Good. I want chaos.

I want the light’s foundations shattered.

Did the demons say what he wants, or were they too busy gnawing on their own tails? ”

Joel, trying to disappear again, muttered, “They’re . . . unpredictable, like toddlers hyped up on too much sugar. Argued a lot. One actually tried to set a firefighter on fire. They said Lucifer has instructed them to help the dark elementals.”

Viscious’s smile was all hunger. “Perfect. The world is finally waking up. And it’s ours for the taking.

” He wasn’t a fool–he was sure that the lord of the underworld had his own agenda–but that didn’t mean he would succeed or that Viscious would pick a fight with him while he was trying to beat the light elementals.

That didn’t mean Viscious wouldn’t pay attention.

He stalked to the window, staring out at the storm.

“Bring me a demon. I want to hear from Hell’s mouth what Lucifer plans.

Leave the Aurora situation to me.” He rubbed his hands together and chuckled.

He didn’t voice it aloud to the two acolytes he’d trust with this information.

But, he was about to tear the soul bonded apart from the inside using the young pharaoh.

There were fewer things as painful as betrayal from a friend.

He turned, fire crackling in his eyes. “Why are you two still here? Move. The age of waiting is over. It’s time for the world to burn, and I will fan the flames myself.” He opened a portal and the acolytes scrambled through it.

When it was closed, Lamia walked over to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. “What are you planning in that diabolical mind?”

“You will enjoy it so much more if I make it a surprise for you.” He reached up and stroked her face. “Good things come to those who wait.”

“You know I hate waiting,” she pouted.

“Yes, but I promise you, this will be worth it.” Viscious reached out through darkness, seeking out a certain someones fire.

Ra. The fire elementalist might not be an acolyte, but as Viscious had told him when they’d met about Ra’s request, there was darkness that lived in him.

And it was enough that the dark fire king could connect to the baby king.

Ra might not have technically made a deal with Viscious, but he’d told the pharaoh if he didn’t accept the deal, Viscious would kill him.

He’d been biding his time on the killing part, waiting to see how things would play out.

Now he had an opportunity to use Ra, and, because he was so generous, he’d let him live.

“I did not forget about you, Ra. And now, it is time, pharaoh. I can kill you, or we can strike a new bargain. Meet me tonight. If you do not show, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth and you will pay for ignoring my first offer.” He told him where to meet him and then waited.

It was less than a minute when Ra responded. “I will be there.”