Susan Illene - 03.5 Playing with Darkness by Susan Illene

Author:Susan Illene [Illene, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

As soon as we entered the palace cool air hit us, making for a stark contrast to the afternoon heat—the fae sure did like to warm things up within the dome during the summer. Nienna led the way up a set of spiral stairs to the second floor. We traveled down a short hallway until we reached a closed oak door.

Nienna held up a hand. “If you two would wait here, I’ll check to see if they are ready for you.”

She slipped past the door, shutting it behind her. I leaned against the stone wall and stared at one of the flickering torches nearby. The whole palace had poor lighting since the fae refused to use modern technology. There was a definite medieval quality to the decor.

“Do not worry, sensor,” Lucas said, coming over to stand next to me. “They won’t keep us out here long.”

He was right. Nienna popped back out a few minutes later and let us know they were waiting for us. We left her in the hallway and went inside. The council room was round with a long table situated at the back. Three fae elders sat behind it—a fairy, an elf, and a pixie. I recognized them from my previous visit.

As soon as they saw Lucas, they rose to their feet. Respect and admiration reflected in their eyes. He’d been key to ending the supernatural war several centuries ago. That had gone a long way to boosting his reputation and keeping him in their high esteem. They barely glanced at me.

Ireth, the elf elder, came around the table and took Lucas’ hands in hers. “It is so good to see you again, Lucas of Pistiros. We’d hoped you might pay us a visit and return our missing device.”

Oh, sure, she was going to give him all the credit for bringing it. Of course, it was one thing to owe a debt to a respected nephilim and quite another to owe one to a sensor.

Lucas released her hands.

“The one we should be thanking is Melena. She went through a great deal of trouble to retrieve the device and liberate me from confinement.”

“Oh, yes.” Ireth’s smile faded. “She also managed to draw the attention of the archangels and gain a guardian for a companion. How has that been going for you two?”

My muscles tensed. She’d known exactly where to strike with that remark. Lucas didn’t stay away these days only because he was looking for his brother, but also because he couldn’t stand to be around Kerbasi. Not that I could blame him. The guardian had been torturing him off and on for centuries in ways that would make most men go insane.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve, Ireth.” I took a step toward her. “In one breath you express your happiness to see Lucas return and in the other judge me for how I made it happen. Perhaps next time you can be the one to break into Purgatory and see how that goes for you.

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