Night Rune (Prof Croft Book 8) by Brad Magnarella (best e reader for academics txt) 📕

me, and she’d returned him to the freshly warded cell. Now I had to fulfill my end of the agreement if I didn’t want to forfeit my soul.

I shut off the speaker and returned to Vega.

“Look, I have something to tell you.” I rubbed her arms, then held them. “My magic was right. The key to recovering the Upholders, stopping Malphas, and freeing the Order was in the time catch. Well, time catches, plural.” Her head tilted in question. “That’s another story. The thing is, Arnaud’s role turned out to be much bigger than just getting us there. He helped us to destroy Malphas.”

“And that’s why he’s still alive,” she said, her gaze cutting to the cell.

“I made a deal with him for that help.”

“A demonic deal?”

I sighed and nodded. “In exchange, I can’t destroy him. And neither can the Order or anyone I hire. So basically, once I let him out of that cell, I can’t touch him. It wasn’t something I negotiated. He formed the agreement and left it out there. I never, in a million years, thought I’d take it.”

“What did your magic say?”

Her voice was tired but neutral, like her eyes.

“It told me to listen to his words. I think my magic knew the opportunity would come for Arnaud to destroy Malphas.”

That must have been why it hadn’t issued a warning during the entire journey, despite that I’d largely been playing into Malphas’s hands. It was just a matter of me listening when it told me to listen.

Vega sighed. “Then we have to trust it.”

I was starting to tell her I didn’t like it either, but I stopped.

“Call it a detective’s intuition, but when you left here, I sensed that Arnaud remaining alive was a possibility. And while I’ve been waiting, I’ve had time to think. I gave you shit over your magic, but it’s only because I don’t always understand it. All right, it scares me. But it’s a part of you, and I don’t get to pick and choose which parts I love and which parts I don’t. That’s not how it works.” Her mouth leaned into an almost-smile. “Plus, you always seem to pull through, so it’s obviously doing something right.”

“Yeah, but what about my promise?” I said dismally. “About destroying Arnaud?”

“I want him gone more than anything.” Her thumb tapped a button on the stomach of her blouse. “But I can’t imagine the kinds of choices you had to face in there. I’m not going to second-guess what you did.”

I pulled her in close and pressed my lips to the crown of her head. “Before I do anything else, I’ll talk with the Order,” I said. “See what our options are for—”

I grunted and doubled over as a savage force twisted my guts.

“What is it?” Vega asked in alarm, kneeling beside me. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s the agreement,” I managed. “Arnaud did his part, and now I have to do mine.”

She helped me to my feet and drew my arm over her shoulder. “Then we’ll do it together.”

With Vega supporting me, we made our way to Arnaud’s cell. When we arrived, I nodded and whispered that I could stand under my own power. Though the pain lingered, the brunt of the soul attack had passed.

She drew her service pistol, the magazine loaded with hybrid rounds. I unlocked the door and pulled it open. Beyond the oscillations of warding energy, Arnaud rose to his feet in his prison scrubs and neat robe.

“For a moment, I thought you were going to stand me up.” He strolled forward, hands behind his back. “And after saving humanity together,” he tutted. When he spied Vega behind me, he leaned over and smiled. “Hello, lovely.”

“I just want one assurance,” I said.

His eyes snapped back to mine. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Croft. You accepted the agreement as is. There was no talk of amendments or assurances. And what did you say when I attempted to establish the terms for delivering you into the time catch? ‘No one gives a shit’?” He opened a hand. “Well, then.”

“That you’ll really stay away from my family,” I pressed on.

“My history as a vampire is one of persevering. And as a demon, I’ll increasingly crave power. We had this conversation, Mr. Croft. I can’t help what I am. And neither can you. As my ambitions grow, so will my enterprises. I’ll do things that will offend who you are and what you stand for. You may not be able to challenge me directly, per the terms of the agreement, but you’ll make every effort to frustrate my plans. That’s a cart of bothers I won’t tolerate.” He leaned over to look at Vega again, this time making a point of fixing his demonic gaze on her stomach. “And family, I’ve found, make excellent pressure points. If you could promise to leave me to my work—work you deem reprehensible—then I might honor your request. But you can’t, so I won’t. Now, kindly release me.”

Arnaud’s smug voice and subtle threats needled my rage centers. I accessed the pulsating wards. Did I test the strength of the agreement and throw them wide? Reduce the demon-vampire to smoke before he knew what hit him? The gut-twisting pain seized me again, and I dropped to my knees.

“Stop it!” Vega shouted, placing a hand on my shoulder.

Arnaud laughed heartily. “Oh, I’m not doing a thing, Miss Vega. Your shillyshallier is doing this all to himself.”

I could feel the pleasure he took in my pain, in Vega’s fear. But beyond that, I could feel his raging hunger. Free of Malphas, immune from the Order, and with no demonic rivals on this plane, the world was truly his oyster. The minute he walked, he would start seeding his hellish empire in Manhattan. One that would exceed his reign as a vampire in misery and butchery many, many times over as he pursued the rank of demon lord.

Yellow flames flickered in his eyes as he grinned down at me. “Come now, Croft,” he