Sinking into his powers, he tightened his bond with the gem, giving it a mental “tug.” Whoever had created the necklace was still connected to the magic, allowing him a direct link.
Seconds passed and then minutes. Distantly he was aware of the howl of a coyote, and the sound of Sloane’s steady footsteps as she patrolled the area, and yet within the circle there was nothing but thick silence as he wrestled the reluctant spirit through the dimension that separated the worlds.
His teeth clenched, his muscles rigid as he watched a dark mist form directly in front of him. He could make out the vague female shape, but the features were impossible to determine.
He had a sense of age. And power. A lot of power.
Which was why he was struggling to maintain his control.
“Give me your name,” he commanded. A name would offer him an added layer of control.
“Leila,” the mist answered, the female voice filled with an innate arrogance. “Succubus from the House of Akana.”
Succubus? Holy shit.
That would explain why the magic felt familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time. The female sex demons had disappeared from the world centuries ago.
“An ancient and noble House,” he murmured.
The mist swirled, the potent energy filling the circle. “You are…Furia,” the Succubus at last said.
Tiege gave a nod of his head. “I am.”
There was the sound of something that might have been a chuckle. “They always were handsome devils with the charm of an angel.”
He flashed a wicked grin. Thankfully Sloane wasn’t close enough to give her opinion of his supposed charm.
“True.”
“And so modest.” There was a pause as the spirit studied him with an intensity that Tiege could physically feel. “Why have you disturbed my rest?”
“I need information,” he readily admitted.
“What information?”
Tiege pointed toward the gem. “Why you created this.”
The mist quivered, as if the spirit was deeply affected by the sight of the necklace.
“Inanna’s Tear,” Leila at last breathed. “So the time has arrived.”
Tiege felt a surge of hope. Clearly the gem was more than just a pretty bauble with a spell wrapped around it.
Now he had to pray it could offer him some way to destroy Marakel.
“Tell me what the magic will do.”
“It was intended to counter angel magic.”
“Angel magic?” he muttered. That wasn’t what he’d expected. “Why place it in the pendant?”
There was a hesitation, as if the Succubus was considering her words. “To answer the question, I must reveal something that has been a closely guarded secret,” she at last said.
“I will do my best to share only what is necessary,” Tiege promised. He wasn’t Jian from the House of Xanthe, who used secrets as weapons.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore. At least not to me,” the female muttered before the mist seemed to solidify with an internal resolution. “There are a rare few within the House of Akana who possess the gift of foresight.”
Tiege arched a brow. “I’ve heard whispers, although the House refused to confirm or deny the rumors.”
“Can you imagine how tedious it would be to have endless petitioners lined outside our palaces, desiring a glimpse of the future?” Leila demanded. “As if we were their personal fortune tellers.”
Tiege grimaced. She had a point. What could be more priceless than a glimpse into the future? Every demon in the world would be clamoring to know what their fate was going to be.
His lips twisted. And that didn’t even begin to cover how valuable it would be to their various business ventures. Who didn’t want to know which stocks were about to triple in value?
“You had the foresight?” he demanded.
“Yes.”
“What was your vision?”
“I saw the Master of the House of Akana trapped in an angel’s web.”
Tiege rose to his feet, a sudden knot of fear lodged in the pit of his belly. Jian had warned that the angels were trying to influence Marakel and undermine the protection of the Obsidian Throne, but none of them had suspected the bastards had been directly responsible for attacking Akana and his men.
“What is an angel’s web?”
“A spell that traps a demon in his own mind. He’s alive, but unaware of the world around him,” Leila explained before continuing with her story. “It seemed impossible, but there was no mistaking the image of the Master and two Watchmen lying in the darkness, surrounded by the magic.”
“Damn.” Tiege clenched his hands. He’d never heard of the spell before. Now it sent a shiver down his spine.
“I assume it came true?” the female asked.
“Yes.”
The mist shuddered. Even in death the Succubus feared the mere thought of an angel invasion.
“Have they returned?” she breathed.
Tiege shook his head. “Not yet, but we fear they may be using the Oubliette as a meeting place to plot with Marakel.” He paused, considering the impact of what he’d discovered. Unfortunately, he still had more questions than answers. “Do you know why the angels would target the House of Akana?”
“No.”
Of course she didn’t. That would have been far too easy.