“By choice,” she said through gritted teeth. Then she grimaced, realizing she wasn’t being entirely honest. “Or at least the choice of my father,” she clarified.
Levet deliberately cleared his throat. “And fairies wouldn’t be the only demons either forced to return to their homelands or be separated from their families for the rest of eternity.”
The thick-skulled vampire abruptly stiffened. “Santiago.”
“Precisely. Not that I particularly care about your ill-mannered friend.” Levet gave a small sniff. “But lovely Nefri and her clan would be forever cut off from this world,” he continued, referring to the vampires that had chosen to live beyond the Veil. “And there is no way to predict exactly what the closures will do to the demons who remain here.”
“What does that mean?” Cyn pressed.
Fallon made a sound of disgust. “Typical. You didn’t care what happened to the fey, but now that it affects vampires—”
“Magic comes into this world in many forms.” Levet hastily interrupted. “Some is the natural residue from demons, but there is a great deal that seeps through the veils that separate our dimensions.”
Fallon sucked in a deep breath, regaining her composure. Damn the oversized, arrogant . . . aggravatingly gorgeous vampire. She’d never realized she even possessed a temper until he’d come crashing into her world.
“This spell would stop the magic?” she asked, determined to concentrate on the looming disaster.
Levet nodded. “Oui.”
Naturally Cyn had to intrude. “What happens to the demons who depend on it?”
“All demons depend on magic to survive.” Levet deliberately held Cyn’s gaze. “Even vampires.”
His jaw clenched. “You didn’t answer the question.”
“It’s impossible to know for certain,” the gargoyle confessed. “But there’s a very real possibility that our powers will begin to fade until we—”
“Die,” Cyn completed the sentence.
The harsh word hung in the air before Levet gave a slow nod of his head.
“That is my fear.”
Fallon pressed a hand to her throat. As a Chatri princess she could return to her homeland, but what of all the lesser fey who would die? Not to mention all the other demons who would be trapped and condemned to a slow, painful death.
“Why would anyone even consider closing the portals?” she choked out.
“I intend to find out. But first . . .” Cyn glared in Levet’s direction. “Can you get in touch with Siljar? She needs to know what we’ve discovered.”
The gargoyle wrinkled his snout. “I can try.”
Taking several steps backward, the gargoyle gave a dramatic lift of his hands, his eyes closed as he sent some sort of mental message to the Oracle.
Beside her, Cyn made a sound of disgust, his lips parting as if he were about to share his opinion of Levet’s less than subtle style.
But before he could speak there was an ominous electric charge in the air, and without warning Levet was flying backward to hit the wall with a sharp thud before sliding to the ground.
With a muttered oath, Cyn was striding across the floor to grab the gargoyle by the horn, hauling him back to his feet.
“What the hell was that?”
“It would appear that Siljar isn’t in the mood to be bothered right now,” Levet muttered, rubbing his backside.
Fallon bit her bottom lip. That didn’t sound good.
“What does that mean?”
Levet gave a shrug. “Either she is truly busy and does not wish to be disturbed. Or—”
It was Cyn who finished the sentence. “Or she’s under the control of someone, or something.”
Oh hell. It was just as bad as she feared.
“Do you think the person who is trying to manipulate the Commission sent them this spell?” she demanded.
“Aye,” Cyn muttered.
“So what do we do?”
Cyn returned to her side, staring down at the dangerous hieroglyphs.
“I have to discover who is behind the spell.” His jaw clenched. “And stop them before they can force the Commission to cast it.”
She frowned. “Don’t you mean we?”
He sent her a stern glance. “I’m going to take care of this. You need to return to fairyland.”
“Mon Dieu,” Levet muttered, gingerly inching toward the door. “I believe that is my cue to leave.”
Neither of them noticed the gargoyle exiting the room, both intent on winning the glaring contest.
“I was brought here just as you were,” she reminded the arrogant man. “I have a duty.”
His gaze narrowed. “That was before we realized the magnitude of the danger. I’m sure Siljar would agree that you should travel back to your home.”
Fallon tilted her chin. “And I’m sure she’d expect me to complete the task she gave me.”
“Fallon—”
“No,” she interrupted.
It wasn’t that she was particularly courageous. Or that a part of her didn’t want to rush back to her father’s palace where she’d be removed from the danger. But she’d been brought to this world for a reason, and she wasn’t leaving until the job was done.
No matter what the oversized vampire might say.