“Yes, we found her. Come along—I only want to do this once.”

May looked concerned, but said nothing as we entered Mrs. P’s room. Several of the ladies were lying on makeshift pallets on the floor, one or two reading, one playing on a tablet computer, and a couple with eyeshades on, clearly having a nap. Mrs. P was sitting with Bunefer, having an intricate henna tattoo applied to the back of her hand.

“Ladies—” My voice broke. I cleared it and tried again. “Ladies, I have some very bad news. Tragic news. Ipy has been… she’s passed away.”

“What?” Gilly screeched and grabbed my arm. “How can she? She’s like the rest of us—immortal. She can’t just die.”

I tried to forget that image of the smaller second bundle. “I think… I think someone did a grievous injury to her.”

Silence filled the room for a few seconds, then I was peppered with questions. What had happened? Where was Ipy now? How had she been killed?

Although I expected the questions, what I didn’t expect were the dry eyes and relative sense of calm.

“I…” I stopped and shook my head. “I don’t want to sound callous, or like I’m judging how you’re grieving, because I know from my husband’s death that everyone grieves differently, but aren’t you guys… upset?”

“Why should we be?” Mrs. P asked as Bunefer continued inking a fanciful pattern.

“Because one of your dear sisters just died,” I said, my hands on my hips. “Great Caesar’s balls, woman—one of your fellow priestesses is no more!”

“She’ll be back,” Mrs. P said, giving me pause.

“She will?”

May’s gaze was on nothing as she clearly thought through the situation. At last, her eyebrows rose, and she gave a little nod. “I see. She died in the Underworld.”

“Ahh,” I said, enlightenment dawning. “You mean she’s in the prefect place to be… reborn?”

“Most likely in spirit form, I’d imagine,” May said, glancing at Mrs. P, who nodded.

“She should be along shortly, full of fire for what happened,” Gilly said. “I can’t imagine who would be idiot enough to kill someone in the one place where death has no meaning. Not in that way.”

“Well, at least we’ll find out who did it to her,” I said, my mind thinking of that smaller bundle. I shuddered despite the relatively happy ending to the tragedy.

“Most likely so.”

May and I left shortly thereafter. May’s demeanor was slightly ruffled, and she murmured something about finding Gabriel and talking to him about the possibility of it being a demon attack. I decided to find Rowan and demand some solace when Mrs. P poked her head out of the bedroom and gestured toward me.

“Did you need something?” I asked, approaching her.

She caught my wrist and pinned me back to the wall with her sapphire gaze. “You are my champion in all things, Sophea, and I appreciate that fact. I didn’t understand until now why he brought us together, but it has been made clear to me. Do not fail me. All will be lost if you do.”

“Who brought us together?” I asked, but she simply closed the door in my face. I stared at the wood for a few seconds, then sighed, carefully locked the cabin door behind me, and went out to find Rowan.

I badly wanted some answers and just hoped he’d be able to provide them.

Sixteen

“I like Gabriel’s attitude,” I told Rowan when I finally found him.

He looked first surprised, then angry. “You’re my mate! You’re supposed to favor me over all others!”

I laughed and licked the tip of his nose. “You’re adorable when you’re enraged about something so silly. Calm down, I didn’t say I liked Gabriel—I said I liked his attitude. And by that I was referring to the fact that he was so willing to do something that would please May. Do you live to make me happy?”

“Of course,” he said, relaxing enough to give me a look that damn near steamed my cheerleader socks.

“Well then, since Ipy’s death isn’t the tragedy that I thought it would be—and really, can we have a moment to process the fact that everyone is just fine with her being killed and turned into a ghost?—what say we go back to my room and I can harness your fire?” I gave him a come-hither look. “Mrs. P said Ipy won’t return in spirit form for a few hours, so we might as well put them to good use and let me try to put this mark on you, so we can match.”

“Only if you promise to do a couple of cheers for me afterward,” he said, goosing me as I sashayed past him.

I had to admit, the fire thing sounded a lot easier than it was. Rowan, lying facedown on my bed, said patiently, “How long is this going to take?”

“I don’t know,” I said, looking down at his bare neck. “I’ve never done this.”

“Just spit a bit of fire at me, so we can get down to business.”

“What business?” I asked, thinking he wanted to discuss the magic ring issue again.

“I’m going to sex you up until you can’t think straight.”

“Oooh. I like the sound of that. All right, brace yourself, one sept mark coming up.”

He tensed as I leaned over him, gathered my thoughts, and imagined the ring of fire that frequently appeared at my feet when I was kissing Rowan, translated into a ball. A bright glow the approximate size of a quarter danced before my eyes. I mentally threw it at the back of his neck.

One of his shoulders twitched. “Was that it?”

I peered down at him. “Well… not really. I mean, I see a bit of a mark there. I think it’s a sword, and a C shape behind it. Is your mark supposed to be different from mine?”

“I don’t believe so. Maybe it’s not complete?”

“Oh, good point.” I summoned up more fire. This time, it formed a ball the size of a small lemon. I reached out to hold it, feeling that a little more control was in order, and tossed it up in the air a couple of times before splashing it onto the back of Rowan’s neck.

“I felt that,” he said, arching his neck for me to see.

“Did it hurt?” I asked, worried that I’d messed up.

“No.”

“Good. I see more of a circle shape, but it’s still not like the one you say is on the back of my neck. It’s more a K with a C behind it.”