Loa wasn’t an overly dramatic being, and she didn’t mince words. If she said ruin, then that was exactly what she meant. But what alternative did he have?
The priestess sighed. “Not long ago, a vampire used a wishgiver to turn his human Bride into a day-walking vampire. No death and resurrection necessary.”
Sign us up! This sounded ideal.
“A wishgiver, then?” Kereny wore a poker face—even as her heart rate spiked.
The beat filled his ears, exciting his beast.
Loa nodded. “It’s called the Ring of Sums, a talisman owned by La Dorada, the Sorceri Queen of Gold and Evil.” Meaning she could control both.
Not so ideal. When Dorada had attacked an Order installation to reclaim that ring—while Will was a prisoner there—she’d empowered all the evil beings, leaving the good ones weakened.
Once the installation fell, Will had nearly been raped by a pack of starving succubae. Of all the creatures.
“How do we get that ring?” Kereny asked, her body vibrating with new tension. She must think it would return her to the past. Which wasn’t possible, even with such a storied talisman.
Loa answered, “To find it, you must find Dorada. Your best lead is Lothaire, the Enemy of Old. He’s the one who used the ring to turn his human Bride. As far as I know, he saw Dorada last.”
“Who is Lothaire?” Kereny asked.
Munro said, “He’s a crazed vampire, possibly the oldest in this realm. He’s known for doing favors in exchange for open-ended vows. He keeps a list of his debtors in an infamous ledger book.”
Loa shook her head. “No longer. Lothaire surrendered his ledger for one night’s use of the wishgiver. Now Dorada controls everyone in that book.”
Munro traded a brief glance with Loa. The priestess herself had once run afoul of the Enemy of Old. Her name resided within those pages.
Loa continued, “The spirits tell me that Dorada has gotten a taste for those vows and will bargain with the ring for one. Since she can already control any evil being in existence, she’ll only consider powerful Loreans who are not evil.”
“Then I qualify,” Munro said. “Where do I start?”
“Are you sure about this? I would’ve thought you’d be the last person to make an open-ended deal like that.”
He’d sworn to himself that he would never be a plaything again, but nothing was more important than Kereny’s survival.
“Munro, Dorada can make you do whatever she pleases. You’ll gain your wish and forfeit your future.” Loa could speak from experience.
But so could Munro. “There’s nothing Dorada can do to hurt me worse than losing my mate.”
Loa looked disappointed, but not surprised. “Then I’ll try to arrange a meeting with Lothaire.”
“Can the witches no’ scry for the sorceress?”
“Debtors in the ledger have hired them to, without success. Plots abound to either steal the book or kill the sorceress.”
Loa no doubt schemed to do both.
He’d just had the thought when Kereny said, “Like you, priestess. You’re in that ledger.” Observant lass.
Loa lifted her chin. “I bargained with Lothaire, and now I regret it.” Her tone indicated she’d say no more on the subject. Even Munro didn’t know what would have possessed her to make such a deal with the Enemy of Old.
To her credit, Kereny didn’t press. “What does Dorada want with her debtors?”
“Some think she’s buildin’ an army of the good, so that few remain to fight her own dark forces.”
Kereny frowned. “Why would she need an army, or anyone in her debt, for that matter? Couldn’t she use her ring for whatever she wants?”
“Dorada knows the perils of that wishgiver,” Loa said. “The more one uses it, the more the ring misinterprets one’s wishes. Things go awry. She has vowed never to use it again.”
Kereny narrowed her gaze. “She doesn’t trust her own talisman?”
“It can be dangerous. I believe Lothaire only dared to make two wishes.”
Munro waved that away. “I only want one.” Mayhap two. Three at most. Though he’d destroyed the gateway, he could still reunite with his family! “How soon can we meet with the vampire?”
In a resigned tone, Loa said, “His response time varies. I might hear back in ten minutes or a decade. Also, you should know that Lothaire is now the king of Dacia.”
“The Realm of Blood and Mist?” Munro had heard legends of a hidden kingdom of super vampires who lived within a hollowed-out mountain in the Carpathians.
Loa nodded. “Lothaire is allowin’ select immortals into his kingdom. Let’s hope you make the cut.”
“How do I get there?”
“He sends his general to pick up guests from the Inn of Nine Daughters, an establishment run by nymphs. It’s rumored to be close to Dacia.”
“Wait one moment.” Kereny crossed her arms over her chest and drummed her scarred fingertips. The mannerism reminded him of a cat flicking its tail before a pounce. “I can’t go a decade without knowing what happened in the past.”
Nor can I. Munro’s nagging worry grew. Had he affected that newling battle?
Loa said, “The inn is tucked away in the Carpathian foothills, right at the edge of your Cursed Forest. You could return there and look for clues to your fate.”
Kereny’s eyes brightened. “Yes, I want to see the fairgrounds as soon as possible!” She turned to Munro. “Would you be able to scent or sense if I died there?”
After a beat, he said, “Aye.” And stay sane while doing it? Debatable.
“Can the Luber demon trace us there now?”
Munro made a scoffing sound. “No’ happening. You have to eat and rest first.”
“The inn would be a good place to do both,” Loa said. “My advice is to lie low from the warlocks until we hear from Lothaire. The nymphs too might have information about the past, and I can also investigate on my end.”
“Very well,” Kereny said. “We’ll take a meal and a short rest.”
“Try a full night’s sleep and two meals.” When she parted her lips to argue, he shook his head. “Mayhap you should no’ go on this quest to find Dorada. You’d be safest at Glenrial, once the boundary spell is in place.” Yet mates never willingly separated.
Kereny’s gaze flashed with irritation. “Leaving me behind? I guess I should have been sitting at home in my wagon during the newling battle. Oh, wait! I had to save your life against that giant Lykae.”