vampires mage 02 - witch hunter Read Free Page B

reading that.”
    He turned, hurrying to the fireplace, and she gaped as he tossed the book into the flames. “ That, little girl, will only feed your nightmares.”
    “I can decide what will give me nightmares.” She glared at him. He was awfully preoccupied with her nightmares. “What don’t you want me to read? Drew already told me about the Ravener.”
    Orcus furrowed his brow, pulling up his black hood over his head. “You don’t know much, and that’s the way it should be.”
    Anger simmered. Don’t trust anyone, Rosalind. “Why is everyone so intent on hiding things from me?”
    Orcus shook his head. “You’re paranoid, Rosalind. You’re not thinking right. You look like a crazy woman. Get some sleep before the nightmares fill your waking life.”
    Dark, acrid smoke swirled from the flames, and the room slowly filled with the scent of burning paper.
    “I’m not paranoid.” She cocked a hip. “You just burned a book to stop me from reading. I think my suspicions are justified.”
    “Let me make you a tonic to help—”
    “I don’t want a sleep tonic.” Her pulse raced, and sweat beaded on her brow. “I want to search the streets for my sister. I swear I’ve felt her aura, and I can feel all kinds of powerful magic around us. And I want to hunt down Randolph Loring, beat him until he screams for mercy, and chain him to the walls of one of his prisons. I want to find out what Drew meant when he said the air was thick with menace.” She could feel it, too—and it was starting to make her sick. She leaned over and retched.
    “What’s the matter with you? Never mind. I’ll tell you what’s the matter—all that coffee rotted your gut.”
    She retched again, clutching her stomach. This wasn’t just nausea. There was something familiar about this sensation. The last time she’d felt this sick was when she’d first visited Lilinor. That feeling had been the magic at the boundaries—shadow magic and light magic magnetically attracted to each other.
    “Hang on a sec, Orcus.” She blinked, letting her eyes focus in the dim light as a shudder wracked her body. Thick tendrils of magic stained the air—pale shimmering copper, deep sea-green, dark silver. A whole rainbow of light and dark colors. Why didn’t I notice it before? It was almost as if shadow magic and light magic were warring with each other, trying to cancel each other out, and she couldn’t see them unless she concentrated.
    Orcus tutted. “Are you going to stand there all night making those gagging noises?”
    “Orcus. There’s magic all around us—light and dark forces together. It’s astoundingly powerful.”
    He sniffed. “What on earth are you talking about?”
    “There’s silver night magic, like Caine’s, moving over my skin like a warm wind. Miranda’s sea magic—salty and wet on my skin. But it’s not just light magic. There’s gold, copper, and pale gray.”
    “Light demons.” A wicked glee tinged his voice.
    She shook her head, trying to understand. “Why would light magic merge with shadow magic? I thought there was some kind of ancient war going on between those two.”
    “There is. And perhaps they’re waging a battle now. I have no idea.” He scowled, pacing across the floor. “If the reapers are fighting a battle with hellhounds, I should be there. They will need me to fight with them.”
    “We should both go.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed.
    “You can’t leave me here unguarded. The Brotherhood could come in and kidnap me, and then Caine will be furious.”
    His nostrils flared. “Why would you want to go? You’re no match for true demons.”
    “I can sense Miranda’s aura. I don’t know if she’s in trouble, or if she’s working with the Brotherhood—but either way, I need to find her.”
    Orcus straightened. “Fine. But you must stay near me. Caine will murder me if you get hurt.”
    Relief washed over Rosalind. “I’ll stay near you. I promise.”
    Orcus cast a