you?” she asked him.
He shrugged. “I should’ve known.”
“Do you know why they hunt the mortals?” Fintan asked.
Maiti chuckled wryly. “You’re not getting anything else from me until I’m far from my family.”
Fintan looked pointedly at the bracelet. “That’s got to come off first.”
“Good luck with that,” she stated sarcastically.
Kyran explained, “She’s tried to remove it before. Her father spelled it so no magic could touch it.”
“Wonderful,” Fintan murmured. He flattened his lips as he shook his head at Kyran. “Do you search out the most difficult tasks? It must be your gift.”
Kyran didn’t bother to answer Fintan. Instead, he held out his hand, waiting for Maiti to lay her wrist in his palm. Once she did, he wrapped his hands around the silver.
Magic pulsed into his fingers. Strong magic. Old magic. But still not nearly as powerful as a Reaper’s. Kyran pushed his magic against the bracelet. The magic in the bracelet fought back.
“We don’t have time for this,” Fintan murmured. He put his hand atop Kyran’s and added his magic to the mix.
With both of them forcing their Reaper magic against the bracelet, the old Dark power didn’t stand a chance. The binding charm faded away without much of a fight.
Kyran and Fintan dropped their hands. Maiti’s gaze was on her wrist. She waved her other hand over the bracelet, and with a click, the cuff unlocked.
She removed it and the ring. Maiti held it for a moment, silently staring at the thing that chained her to her family for thousands of years.
“I’m free,” she whispered in happiness.
Her smile began slowly but soon took up her entire face. With a few words, the cuff vanished. Maiti then looked at them. “How did you do that?”
“Magic,” Fintan replied.
She rolled her eyes, her smile fading. “Smart-ass.”
Kyran stepped in before Fintan could say more. “You’re free to go wherever you want.”
“There’s a Fae doorway on the west side of the palace. Help me get there, and I’ll tell you the family who set the Lightslayers on the mortals.”
Kyran motioned with his hand for her to start walking. “Agreed.”
Fintan remained ten steps behind them to make sure no one stopped them. Neither Kyran nor Maiti spoke in the ten minutes it took them to reach the west side of the palace.
They walked through dozens of rooms where numerous people saw them, and a few even tried to get Maiti’s attention. She never stopped. Their pace was sedate, as if they didn’t have a destination in mind.
By the time they maneuvered the corridors, dozens of guards, and hundreds of Dark, Maiti was frazzled. They stopped just inside the palace and stared out over a courtyard where a Fae doorway stood unguarded.
“There it is,” she said.
Kyran glanced at Fintan to see if he knew where the doorway led. Fintan shrugged and looked down the hallway. “We got you here.”
Maiti turned and smiled at him. “So you did. Who are you, Kyran?”
“I already told you. I’m no one.”
“Perhaps. But I saw your reaction when I mentioned the Lightslayers. You know that family as well.”
Kyran shrugged.
She shot him a quick smile. “You kept your word. I’m surprised.”
“I had something to gain.”
“You did,” she replied with a nod. “I also get the feeling your word means a lot to you.”
Fintan turned and whispered urgently, “Hurry up.”
“You could’ve tricked me. I was desperate,” Maiti said.
Kyran chose not to respond. “The other name, please.”
“Who else but my own family?”
He bowed his head. “Thank you.”
“I owe you, Kyran.”
Now this shocked him. “We made a deal. I helped you in exchange for information.”
“This information was nothing to what you and Fintan did for me.” She stepped out into the courtyard and looked back at Kyran. “If you ever need anything, I’ll be there.”
Kyran watched her walk to the doorway and step through. He didn’t know how long Fintan
He shrugged. “I should’ve known.”
“Do you know why they hunt the mortals?” Fintan asked.
Maiti chuckled wryly. “You’re not getting anything else from me until I’m far from my family.”
Fintan looked pointedly at the bracelet. “That’s got to come off first.”
“Good luck with that,” she stated sarcastically.
Kyran explained, “She’s tried to remove it before. Her father spelled it so no magic could touch it.”
“Wonderful,” Fintan murmured. He flattened his lips as he shook his head at Kyran. “Do you search out the most difficult tasks? It must be your gift.”
Kyran didn’t bother to answer Fintan. Instead, he held out his hand, waiting for Maiti to lay her wrist in his palm. Once she did, he wrapped his hands around the silver.
Magic pulsed into his fingers. Strong magic. Old magic. But still not nearly as powerful as a Reaper’s. Kyran pushed his magic against the bracelet. The magic in the bracelet fought back.
“We don’t have time for this,” Fintan murmured. He put his hand atop Kyran’s and added his magic to the mix.
With both of them forcing their Reaper magic against the bracelet, the old Dark power didn’t stand a chance. The binding charm faded away without much of a fight.
Kyran and Fintan dropped their hands. Maiti’s gaze was on her wrist. She waved her other hand over the bracelet, and with a click, the cuff unlocked.
She removed it and the ring. Maiti held it for a moment, silently staring at the thing that chained her to her family for thousands of years.
“I’m free,” she whispered in happiness.
Her smile began slowly but soon took up her entire face. With a few words, the cuff vanished. Maiti then looked at them. “How did you do that?”
“Magic,” Fintan replied.
She rolled her eyes, her smile fading. “Smart-ass.”
Kyran stepped in before Fintan could say more. “You’re free to go wherever you want.”
“There’s a Fae doorway on the west side of the palace. Help me get there, and I’ll tell you the family who set the Lightslayers on the mortals.”
Kyran motioned with his hand for her to start walking. “Agreed.”
Fintan remained ten steps behind them to make sure no one stopped them. Neither Kyran nor Maiti spoke in the ten minutes it took them to reach the west side of the palace.
They walked through dozens of rooms where numerous people saw them, and a few even tried to get Maiti’s attention. She never stopped. Their pace was sedate, as if they didn’t have a destination in mind.
By the time they maneuvered the corridors, dozens of guards, and hundreds of Dark, Maiti was frazzled. They stopped just inside the palace and stared out over a courtyard where a Fae doorway stood unguarded.
“There it is,” she said.
Kyran glanced at Fintan to see if he knew where the doorway led. Fintan shrugged and looked down the hallway. “We got you here.”
Maiti turned and smiled at him. “So you did. Who are you, Kyran?”
“I already told you. I’m no one.”
“Perhaps. But I saw your reaction when I mentioned the Lightslayers. You know that family as well.”
Kyran shrugged.
She shot him a quick smile. “You kept your word. I’m surprised.”
“I had something to gain.”
“You did,” she replied with a nod. “I also get the feeling your word means a lot to you.”
Fintan turned and whispered urgently, “Hurry up.”
“You could’ve tricked me. I was desperate,” Maiti said.
Kyran chose not to respond. “The other name, please.”
“Who else but my own family?”
He bowed his head. “Thank you.”
“I owe you, Kyran.”
Now this shocked him. “We made a deal. I helped you in exchange for information.”
“This information was nothing to what you and Fintan did for me.” She stepped out into the courtyard and looked back at Kyran. “If you ever need anything, I’ll be there.”
Kyran watched her walk to the doorway and step through. He didn’t know how long Fintan
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