Mask of Poison (Fall of Under Book 1) by Kathryn Kingsley (great novels to read txt) 📕

gone. In its place was a young woman. She had long, blonde hair, and was dressed in shades of turquoise. She wore no mask. Her face lit up in a smile as she ran toward Lyon before jumping up to give him an enormous hug.

The King of Blood caught her and twirled once before setting her back down on her feet.

Maverick was smiling faintly. “That is Lydia, the Queen of Dreams.”

20

“Exactly how many mortals are standing about on my lawn?”

“Approximately sixty, perhaps seventy,” Lyon replied. He had not been surprised at being summoned to Aon’s private library. The elaborate estate looked as though it had seen better days, however. Windows were in the midst of being repaired. Most of the books that had been carefully housed and sorted in the towering bookcases that extended well over two stories had been upended and lay in piles around the room.

The House of Shadows was quickly working to repair what must have been hundreds if not thousands of intricate details in the sprawling home, but such things took time, even with the aid of magic.

“And they came from where, precisely?” Aon leaned back in his chair at the table.

“Gioll. The world that I believe has been consumed by Under.”

“Hum.” Aon went silent for a long time, his head tilted slightly to one side. It meant the man was thinking, the gears in his head whirling in unpredictable and esoteric patterns.

Lyon had long since stopped attempting to predict how the other man’s mind worked. It always proved to be a useless endeavor.

“And what am I meant to do with them?” The warlock tapped his metal claws on the arm of his chair in a slow pattern.

Lyon glanced to Kamira, Ini, and Lydia. The ladies were standing on the other side of the table. Dtu had refused to go indoors and sent his elder instead.

Lydia sighed. “They’re mortals, Aon.”

“Yes, and?” The warlock gestured idly. “How is this my concern?”

“They have nowhere to go. Yej has been sacked, and we are bracing for war with an army of the dead, led by Rxa,” Lyon explained patiently. “If we leave them to their own ends, they will die.”

“I repeat—yes, and? How is this my concern?”

Lydia sighed heavily again and put her hand over her eyes. “Aon. They can all fit in the ballroom. You don’t need to put them up in suites. At least give them shelter and food until we can figure out a more permanent solution.”

“I have a permanent solution in mind,” the King of Shadows replied darkly. “One that will find them in due time regardless of whether or not I inconvenience myself with them. Mortals have a nasty habit of dying.”

“You took in a mortal once,” Ini reminded him.

“I remember. And since you seem to forget how those events transpired, allow me to remind you that she died. She was murdered by one of my so-called brethren, while the rest slumbered in their crypts, sent there by their own cowardice. Indeed, if it were not for the meddling of the Ancients, she would still be at the bottom of that damnable lake of blood.” Aon’s metal hand clenched into a fist. “Do not speak to me as if I am a child, Ini.”

The Queen of Dreams threw up her hands. “Then we take them south to my home.”

“That will take weeks of marching,” Kamira said from where she sat perched on the back of a chair. “I can cover that distance in two, but with a pack of slower moving mortals…it will give Rxa the perfect chance to attack.”

“Our greater concern is the army of the dead and their leader, not a wayward pack of unfortunates.” Aon’s hand relaxed slowly. “If what you say is true, Lyon, Rxa has returned with a taste for vengeance. He will be on his way here, I expect. As I am the one who put him in his grave, he will be eager to return the favor.”

“Can we stop him? I mean…there’s five of us here. We’re only missing Evie and Vjo. Five versus one, even without backup. And we should be able to handle zombies.” Lydia sat in the chair next to Aon, kicking her legs up over the wooden arm.

“I expect we will be able to repel his attack, yes. The question is…then what? We cannot kill him.” Aon began tapping his claws on the chair once more. “Restraining a royal is no easy accomplishment.”

“But it’s one you’ve done before. Twice,” Kamira pointed out.

“Yes. And both wore turquoise ink. The cage I built for Qta, and then repurposed for Lydia, was designed specifically to contain a dreamer. Not whatever Rxa has become.”

“Can you build a cage for him?” Lyon asked.

“If I had a sample of his blood, yes. I can distill ink from that and fashion a new series of spells to restrain him. But it would take time.” Aon stood from his chair and walked to the fireplace. He stood in front of the flames, casting a sharp silhouette against the orange glow. Aon always wore various layers of black. Combined with his long, dark hair and black metal mask, the man was nigh invisible in a dark room.

It was purely by design.

“Not to mention,” Aon continued, “there is another concern. The room I used to bind Qta and Lydia is too massive to build in anything short of a hundred years. I would need to use the original chamber, and it is…not here.”

“Where is it?” Lyon asked curiously.

Silence.

“Aon,” Lydia urged quietly. “Now’s not the time to guard your secrets.”

“Now is precisely the time. I enjoy having my cards to play.” He placed his hand on the mantel. “That said…very well. I will surrender this one. The chamber is not here. Keeping my prisoner in or around my own home would be foolish. It is deep beneath the Temple of Dreams.”

Lydia laughed. “You’re fucking kidding me. You built that room beneath Qta’s home?”

“Yes. No one looks for the abducted in their own residence.