“Thanks,” I whispered, feeling a pull to the room from which the guard had come. “I think it’s ahead of us.”

  My footsteps echoed quietly on the stone floor as I made my way toward the shadowy space. The overhead lights had been turned off, leaving only the golden spotlights to illuminate the collections that sat on square white pedestals.

  Awe swept through me when I saw it. Directly in the middle of the room was a half-moon-shaped stone. It was enormous, perhaps three feet tall and double that in length, with the ends tapering down to form points.

  One had broken off.

  I’d left the other piece in the dirt back on Inchmurrin, but annoyance swept through me. What kind of shoddy antiquarian had left part of the stone behind?

  As I stepped closer to the dark gray stone, I caught sight of the carvings that cut into the rock. Excitement flared, and I hurried forward, dropping to my knees for a better look. The stone wasn’t behind glass, so it was easy to make out the artwork that had been painstakingly etched upon it. There were figures and lines, swirling patterns that made no sense to me but lit up something in my soul.

  “Do you recognize it?” Carrow asked.

  I shook my head. “I feel like I should, though.”

  Lachlan walked around to the other side of the stone. “There are more designs on the back.”

  I hurried around to see for myself. There were just as many carvings, but I still didn’t understand them. Gently, I ran my fingertips over the rough edges of the designs, then spun in a circle, looking for the other stones. When I saw none of them, I frowned. “Where are they?”

  “In storage, maybe?” Carrow said. “Or sent to other museums, perhaps.”

  Damn it. That would slow us down.

  Ralph hurtled into the room a moment later. Guard coming up the stairs.

  Shit. “He says there’s a guard coming.”

  Lachlan strode to the entry and waited.

  He could take care of one guard, so I turned back to the stone to inspect it. I heard Lachlan scuffle with the guard, but my attention was on the stone. What the hell was it trying to tell me?

  Movement flashed out of the corner of my eye, and horror shot through me.

  The Maker.

  He stood about fifteen feet from Lachlan, who was lowering the guard to the ground. The man appeared unconscious, and I hoped he hadn’t seen the demons before Lachlan knocked him out.

  The Maker had his back to a huge glass case of old weapons. Half a dozen demons fanned out around him, all of them with dull gray skin and sawed-off horns. Each gripped a serrated blade and grinned with malice, like screwed-up backup dancers to the king of hell.

  Shit.

  As fast as I could, I drew my bag from the ether and grabbed a potion bomb. I hurled it at the Maker, but he dodged it. The weapon hit the demon who’d been standing behind him, though, and he dropped.

  More appeared, popping out of thin air. Where the hell was he getting them from?

  The Maker smiled and waved a hand casually, as if sending a waiter away. A blast of magic shot from his palm, plowing into my chest and driving me backward. My spine slammed into the huge stone, and I slipped down to the pedestal, aching.

  Lachlan charged the Maker, but two demons stepped in his way. They fought, Lachlan dodging the blades as he swung hard punches at their faces.

  “But I need more time to decipher it,” I said, knowing the words were insane but unable to help myself.

  “There are too many,” Carrow said.

  I called upon my magic, using the power of the moon to lift a huge wooden bench and hurl it at the Maker. It crashed into him, driving him backward, but he didn’t go down. Lachlan had transformed into a wolf and fought his way through three more of the demons. Carrow dragged me to my feet.

  There were a dozen demons now, all prowling toward us or going for Lachlan. I was sure the Maker could conjure even more if he wanted.

  “We need to get out of here,” Carrow said.

  “We can’t leave the stone.”

  She shot it a desperate look. “Fine. We’ll shove it through a transportation charm.”

  “Is that possible?”

  “If we’re fast. You’re mega strong now, right?”

  “Let’s do it.” I hurled a potion bomb at the demon who approached, my gaze on the Maker. He watched us with collected calm, as if confident his forces would overwhelm us and he could stroll in and take the stone.

  We were going to prove him wrong.

  Lachlan broke through the line of demons and charged him, taking him to the ground and chomping onto his throat.

  As Lachlan grappled with the Maker and I chucked potion bombs at the demons, Carrow plunged her hand into her pocket and withdrew a transport charm. She pointed to one end of the stone. “Get over there and get ready to push.” She looked at Lachlan and shouted. “Come on!”

  With that, she threw the potion bomb to the ground at the opposite end of the stone, then joined me. Together, we pushed the stone into the silver cloud of dust. My back ached and my muscles sang, but it moved, grinding against the platform.

  As the stone disappeared into the portal, I looked back at Lachlan. “Come on!”

  His big head turned, and his green gaze met mine. He darted away from the Maker and followed us into the portal.

  4

  Eve

  * * *

  The ether sucked us in and spun us through space, spitting us out in the middle of the Haunted Hound pub.

  The stone had made it, but it had splintered the bar on impact. Quinn stared at it incredulously. “What the hell did you bring to my pub?”

  Panting, I turned back to the portal to make sure the Maker hadn’t followed us through before it closed. He hadn’t. Even better, Lachlan had arrived with us. I couldn’t have lived with myself if we’d left him behind.

  I turned back to the stone and Quinn. “Sorry about this.” I looked at Carrow. “Wait, why did you bring us here?”

  “I panicked.” She grimaced. “But frankly, I think we could all use a drink.”

  Quinn groaned. “Really? I’m supposed to pour you a beer after you destroy my bar?”

  “We’ll fix it.” Carrow smiled winningly, trying to lay on the charm.

  “Bloody hell, you’re impossible.” He turned to the taps. “But what’ll it be?”

  “Lager for me,” Carrow said.

  I had no interest in beer—not as long as this stone was here, trying to show me the answers. The faces of the dire wolves kept swirling in my mind, seeming to blend with the shadows of madness that always crept at the edges.

  Help us.

  Save us.

  Only you can do it.

  Things happened around me as I inspected the stone, but I barely noticed. Time seemed to slow as I studied every inch of it, running my fingertips over the ridges and indentations of the carvings.

  “You have to eat.” The words echoed hollowly in my head. “Eve, you have to eat.”

  It wasn’t until strong hands gripped my arms that I startled awake, drawn from my trance to realize that the pub had nearly emptied out and Lachlan stood in front of me with a flaky golden Cornish pasty.

  I blinked at it. “Where did that come from?”

  “Quinn had some left over from tea.” He thrust the plate at me. “It’s been hours, and you need to eat.”

  I took the plate, the savory sent of the pasty making my stomach grumble. He was right. I did need to eat. Ravenous, I scarfed down the beef and potato pasty, then turned around to look for Carrow. I swallowed and asked, “Where did everyone go?”

  “Home. It’s well after midnight. Quinn tried to get you to leave, but you ignored him.”

  “I didn’t even hear him.”

  “No, you were gone. Carrow left, too, but she said she’d return if you needed her.”

  I turned back to the stone. “I won’t.”

  “Eve, you’ve been at this for hours. You need to rest.”

  “I’ll be fine.” I knelt by the stone again, trying to interpret the carvings. I could almost figure out what they said. Almost.

  Time started to slip away once more. When Lachlan gripped my shoulders for the second time, I lashed out, nearly punching him in the face.

  “Whoa!” He grabbed my arms and held me still. “Eve, you need to calm down.”

  I blinked. “Sorry. I didn’t realize it was you.”

  “It’s been another two hours. You need to rest.”

  Two hours?

  Holy fates, I’d really been at this two hours? How was that possible? Time was escaping me while I tried to decipher the message on the stones.

  But I had to.

  I was running out of time, and there was too much at stake. The darkness at the edges of my mind threatened to overwhelm me, but I couldn’t seem to fight it.

  Determined, I turned back to the stone.

  “Eve, you need to rest.” Lachlan gripped my arm again.

  “No.” I felt tears welling—crazy, asinine tears that I shouldn’t be crying. But I couldn’t help it. This was all just too much. The madness seemed to sneak inside my brain and make everything feel more intense. Madder.

  My inability to interpret the stone was the last straw. I wasn’t worthy of being the moon goddess.

  I felt the tears pour from my eyes and fell to my knees, sobbing.

  Lachlan joined me, pulling me into his arms. I knew I shouldn't go to him, but I couldn’t help it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried, the tension of the last days overwhelming me.

  In that moment, it didn’t matter that we weren’t supposed to be together. That it was dangerous. It was just us. Lachlan was my port in the storm.

  As he rubbed my back and murmured soft, comforting words in my ear, my crying couldn’t seem to stop. It just got harder and harder, unnaturally so. The madness circled my mind, creeping in during this moment of weakness.

  Lachlan pulled back, studying my face. “Eve, your eyes have turned black. You need to take a deep breath.”

  I dragged in a shuddering inhalation. He was right. The dark moon curse was sending my emotions out of control. In turn, the heightened emotions were letting the curse get to me even more. It was a vicious circle. No wonder I was weeping so much.

  I wiped a hand under my eyes. “Sorry. I never cry.”

  “These are extenuating circumstances, and the curse is intense.”

  “You can say that again.” I looked back at the stone, frustrated anew by my inability to understand what it was trying to tell me. There were people counting on me, and I was failing them.

  “You need some sleep.” He dragged a hand through his hair, and only then did I notice that he, too, looked tired.

  “Okay. But I can’t leave the stone.”

  “I’ll get some people over here, and we’ll move it to your tower.”

  “Thank you.” The streets of Guild City would be empty at this late hour, giving us the perfect opportunity to transport the stone without too much hassle.

  I stayed by the miserable rock as Lachlan called some of his shifters. They arrived twenty minutes later, a big wooden cart in tow. It barely squeezed through the door of the Haunted Hound. I watched as they loaded it onto the conveyance, trying to help but thwarted by Lachlan.

  “You’ve done enough today,” he said.

  I just nodded, not wanting to argue.

  Together, we trooped out into the night, passing through the gate to Guild City and starting down the empty streets. The moon hid behind clouds, but the golden streetlamps provided enough light to make the journey easy.

  We were halfway to my tower when the moon crept out from behind the clouds. It shone on the stone, and I gasped.

  The stone glowed.

  “Stop!” I held out a hand to the shifters who pulled the cart, and they did as I asked.

  Heart pounding, I walked up to the stone and inspected it. Suddenly, everything made sense. It was as if the moonlight were a key to unlocking the message, and I could finally understand it.

  “What’s happening?” Lachlan asked.

  “I’m able to read it now.”

  He looked up at the moon, seeming to comprehend but saying nothing. Finally, he said, “We need to get this back to your tower. Standing out on the street isn’t wise.”

  “You’re right. We can go.” I could translate as we walked. Hope gave me greater energy, and I was ready to read the entire thing. To learn exactly what I had to do.

  The shifters began to pull the cart, and I followed them, studying the stone as we moved. The message was clear. There were five stones in total, and they needed to be united under the moon at a specific spot. I needed all five to determine the spot, and then they would reveal the next step to the crown. Only then would I be able to save those who relied on me.

  We just had to find the stones.

  Finally, we reached my tower. Once again, the cart barely fit through the doors, and the shifters left it in the middle of the room in front of the hearth. I wanted to keep studying the stone, but I could sense Lachlan’s concerned gaze on me.

  “I know, I know, I need to sleep.” Even now, I could feel exhaustion tugging on me.

  “We’ll keep an eye on the stone.”

  “It’s safe in our tower. He can’t get past our protections.”

  “Just in case.”

  I nodded, knowing he’d station his guards outside, no matter what. And I appreciated it. I was 99.99% certain the Maker couldn’t get into our tower, but I wouldn’t risk my soul on that last 00.01%.

  When I reached the stairs, I turned back to look at him. He was impossibly handsome, and there was a look in his eyes that I couldn’t quite decipher. Heat, definitely. Maybe even longing.

  My skin prickled with awareness, and my heart raced so fast it hurt.

  I wanted to invite him up.

  Of course I did.

  Instead, I turned and hurried up the stairs. It was the only reasonable thing. And if he were wise, he’d refuse to come up, anyway.

  Despite the excitement of the last hours, it didn’t take long for me to fall asleep. Ralph had been a silent shadow at my side all day, his presence helping my mind stay calm. He settled into his favorite chair to sleep, surrounded by chocolate bar wrappers that I didn’t have the heart to nag him about. Anyway, it was important to let animals pursue their true nature, and he was a trash panda at heart.

  It wasn't long before the dreams came.

  The Maker.

  He didn’t speak, but he was constantly there, a presence at the edge of my mind. As the minutes passed, he drew closer and closer, until it felt like he was entirely inside my head. Reading my thoughts, interpreting my next moves.

  It felt like he was part of me.

  The horror of it had me shooting awake, a scream on my lips and my heart in my throat. Ice shot through me, followed by the most intense awareness.

  “Are you all right?” Lachlan stood at the door, shirtless and barefoot.

  I looked at him, wide-eyed. “He’s here.”

  “The Maker?” He tensed, immediately in a fighting pose, and inspected the room. “He’s not.”

  “He is.” I pulled the covers up to my chest and huddled back against the bed. “In my mind.”

  “What do you mean?” Concern echoed in his voice as he sat on the edge of the mattress. His warm, strong hand came up to grip my arm, and I leaned into him.

  “We’re connected somehow. Two halves of a whole.” I shuddered. “Moon and shadow. I’m not even sure we are separate people.”

  “You are.”

  I nodded, clinging to his words, taking comfort in them. Shaking, I ran a hand through my hair. “Fates, this is just too much.”

  “You can do this, Eve. I know you’re strong enough.”

  I drew in a shuddery breath and strengthened. He was right. I could do this. I’d survived so much already, I’d survive this, too. I gathered my power about me and set my jaw. My breathing calmed, and I felt my familiar strength return.

  “Why are you here?” I asked.

  “I slept downstairs in case you needed me.”

  Oh, fates, was he for real? Too good to be true, this one. “It turns out I did.”

  I wanted to kiss him then, so fiercely that the desire seemed to sweep me up and carry me away.

  But no.

  He seemed to get the drift and stood. “I’ll be going, then.”

  No, stay.

  But he couldn’t. It was so unwise.

  And yet, I couldn’t resist.

  “What if you just stayed? To sleep, I mean.” I wanted it so badly, my skin vibrated with longing.

  “Will we just sleep?”

  “We have to.” But I wanted this. The closeness. The quiet moment that I might never have again.

  Anyway, Ralph was there, still snoring in a chocolate coma on the chair across the room. He could kill a sexy mood without even trying.

  “Please?” I asked.

  Lachlan nodded and climbed into bed next to me. I snuggled down into the covers, sighing when he pulled me against him. His warmth and strength sank into me. I shouldn’t have been able to fall asleep, but somehow, I did.

  Eve

  * * *

  When I woke the next morning, Lachlan was gone. It was a good thing, even though it slightly disappointed me.

  Fortunately, Ralph was there to provide a distraction. As I climbed out of bed, he held up a slightly squashed chocolate croissant.

  “For me?”

  He nodded.

  “You must really think I’m in a bad way.”

  He shrugged. You looked like you could use some cheering up.

  I took the croissant and looked at it. “Where did you get this?”

  Doesn’t matter.

  “You got it out of the bin behind the coffee shop, didn’t you?”

  There’s no need to be a snob about it. It was sealed in a plastic bag with other pastries. Perfectly sanitary.

  I inspected my bin croissant, then bit into it. He was right. I’d been having a bad day, and my standards were low. It wasn’t half bad, either. “Thanks, pal.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17