Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“I’m going to show him what it means to cross me,” Amberdash said before gliding away from her.
Lorcan glanced back at the troll as he tapped his temple. “We need to find a way out of here.”
Kierse yanked away from him, abandoning the mind speak. “You’ve completely lost it if you think that I’m going to leave Graves here.”
Lorcan shot another look at the troll. “He can handle himself.”
“Meaning you don’t care if he lives or dies,” she snapped.
“He can’t die. Neither of us can,” Lorcan barked right back. “So we need to secure the person who can.”
“Amberdash isn’t going to kill me. And if you get in my way, I’ll be testing your theory.”
“Kierse, wait,” he snarled. His arm went around her middle, and she fought him, but he was twice as strong as her on a good day. “Look.”
She trailed off as she saw what he was holding. The ledger. Her eyes rounded. “But I thought…”
“He gave it to me when he ran into me.”
“I don’t… Why would he do that?”
“Why do you think?”
“I’m not leaving him.”
“It is safer for you to get out of this party now.”
“Stop trying to tell me what to do and help me. I’m not leaving this party without him. Do you understand?”
Lorcan blew out a harsh breath. “Fine. What do you have in mind?”
“Now you’re talking,” Kierse said with a dangerous smile.
The troll pushed them back into the party, which had grown in their absence. Kierse had to push her way through to find Graves standing on the balcony with a troll on either side. He looked nonplussed as per usual. His hands were in the pockets of his suit pants. His gray eyes surveyed the room as if he were the guest of honor and not someone to be made an example of.
“We have a treat tonight,” Amberdash said as he stood at the front of the crowd. “Our own warlock of New York City has graced us with his presence. Only he was not given an invitation, and I made my requests quite clear. Only the favored few would be allowed in.”
A cheer rose up from the assembled crowd. Kierse met Mafi’s widened gaze across the room. Mafi gestured to Graves and then the door. Kierse nodded. She didn’t want her in the crosshairs.
She was not the only one who looked uncomfortable with the proceedings. Rio had a bored expression on their face. They picked at their nails and took a step toward the exit. Quint, too, was unimpressed by Amberdash. She couldn’t blame any of them. They never could have taken Graves without the magic dampener. There was a reason he was the warlock of New York.
“Many of you wondered why I brought you all together like this. Why only weeks before the convocation to decide what becomes of the Monster Treaty, I would want to get my friends and enemies alike in one place. I wanted to guarantee that all of you were on the right side.”
A set of trolls brought out what looked like a giant throne made out of polished marble. It had to weigh a metric fuck ton, but they carried it as if it were weightless, setting the thing down on the edge of the open-air balcony. It looked incongruous with the modern decor and city skyline beyond it.
Amberdash gestured to the monstrosity. “This is what I offer you. The rightful ruler of the city is not this man,” he said, gesturing to Graves, “but the man sitting on the Stone of Fal.”
Kierse gasped, jerking forward a step. Lorcan’s hand went into hers to keep her from jumping out into the empty space.
“Steady,” he said into her mind.
Graves’s eyes rounded for a split second. Long enough for Kierse to see the panic in his eyes at the proclamation. In theory, the four objects of the Tuatha de Danann didn’t always work right for those who weren’t of Irish descent. They picked and chose who they spoke to and preferred their own ancestors to the common folk. That didn’t mean they weren’t incredibly powerful. Amberdash having one was devastating.
“The Stone of Fal has proclaimed the rightful ruler for thousands of years. And today it will be me sitting on it.”
The stone itself was nothing special, just a flat block of limestone inserted into the ostentatious marble covering.
But he sat, and the tides turned.
The room shifted. Those in attendance hungered for power. For blood. And Amberdash would give them a show.
“As the rightful ruler, we will bring the illegitimate claimant low.”
Graves lifted his chin, shooting Amberdash a disbelieving look. “I’ll have you know,” he said, turning back to face the riled crowd, “that I will not forgive this.” His voice was low and deadly. The voice of a king. A very pissed-off king. “You have all made an enemy of the warlock of New York. Those who leave now, I will release from this promise—you will no longer be welcome in my city. You should be afraid. You should be very afraid.”