Page 110 of The Crown of the Dark Prince
My power flared, and an invisible barrier sprang up between her and Camilla. Iris rebounded off it with a growl, her gaze snapping to me.
“Put it down,” she snarled, her voice a low, dangerous command.
“I can’t do that,” I said softly.
Her eyes narrowed, and she took a threatening step toward me, one of her daggers twirling effortlessly between her fingers. “Put it down!”
Clay rushed inside, stepping between us, his commanding presence shifting the air in the room. “Enough!” he ordered.
Iris paused, blade stilling in her fingers as she glanced between the two of us. Slowly, she laughed, the sound brittle and bitter. “Oh, this is rich.”
Clay stepped toward her, reaching for the blade, but she danced out of his grasp. “Iris—”
“The irony of it all!” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. “A year ago, you were begging me not to join the Order. And now? Now you want my skills. Now you want me to convince half of my legion to abandon their sworn cause to help you steal a throne. Only you’re not asking me to do it for the betterment of the kingdom. You’re asking me to do it to save the woman you love.” She pointed the blade accusingly at me. “Because she freed the bitch who killed the womanIloved.”
Camilla flinched, tears slipping down her face. “Iris, I—” she began, her voice trembling.
“You don’t get to speak to me!” Iris roared, lunging again. My barrier held, and she slammed against it with a scream of frustration.
“If you want someone to blame, blame the Goddess of Madness!” Elaina’s voice rang out, sharp and cutting. All heads turned toward her as she stood by Camilla’s side, her posture protective, her eyes blazing. “If any of you had taken the time to actually listen to Camilla, you would understand that Pasnia has been in this realm longer than any of you realize. She poisoned her thoughts, literally drove her out of her mind.”
“You think that excuses it?” Iris growled.
“I think it means Camilla was a victim, too,” Elaina said, her voice softening but no less resolute. “And we have a bigger enemy to deal with.”
Clay’s gaze shifted to Kent, a silent command passing between them. Kent nodded and began to hum a soft tune so quiet that only the three of us could hear it. The magic took effect, visible in the way some of the tension left Iris’s shoulders. After a moment, she tucked her blades away into the belt across her hips and folded her arms across her chest.
“Fine,” she spat through clenched teeth. “How do we find her?”
I drew on what I knew of Pasnia from my nights studying in the library upstairs. “Pasnia’s magic has an animus that’s visible when she’s nearby.”
“A butterfly,” Camilla said hoarsely, her voice breaking the tense quiet. “It’s a butterfly.”
Clay nodded, his expression grim. “Then we keep watch. If anyone sees a butterfly, report it immediately.”
“And then what?” Rankor asked, resting his hands on his hips.
“And then I send her back to the Underworld,” I said firmly.
A heavy silence settled over the room. Kent sank into the chair by Camilla’s feet, his brow furrowed. “This would be a lot easier if we knew what she wanted.”
“She wants to lower the Veil, obviously,” Iris said flatly.
“But why now?” Kent pressed.
“Because she’s dying,” I said, the words heavier than I’d expected. Every eye turned to me. “She doesn’t want to leave Hyrax alone. That’s why he created me.”
Iris let out a bitter laugh. “So once again, we’re back to you being the problem.”
“Iris,” Clay growled, his voice a sharp warning.
She turned to him, her gaze icy. “She’s the only thing that can lower the Veil. You all know it. If Pasnia’s planning to drop it, she’s betting on Thea helping her.”
Her words hit like a blow. She was right—I was capable of lowering the Veil. Hyrax hadn’t even known Pasnia was in the Mortal Realm though. In all her time here, she’d never come to me, never seemed remotely interested in me.
So what if I wasn’t the only thing capable of lowering the Veil?
“She wants the Book of the Gods.” The revelation escaped me in a whisper.
