Black Magic Shadows Read Online Free Page A

raised his eyebrow. "Do you plan to?"
    "Hell to the no. I told you, you're not my type. Too old." Too arrogant and conniving, as well.
    Thorandryll nodded. "I see. Even though I can give you every luxury imaginable?"
    "I'm not really a fan of luxury. Comfortable, now yeah, I like being comfortable. But I don't need a man to make that happen. I can do it myself." I was doing it myself, even though buying the house and adopting five furry kids was costing more than I felt okay with.
    "Everyone enjoys a bit of luxury, Miss Jones."
    I grinned. "Keyword's a bit. Drowning in it? Not me."
    Thorandryll nodded and smiled back. "Very well. Straight talk now, I believe the saying is."
    "Okay." Holy crap, had I really convinced him to lay off?
    "I am a power in this city. I have a duty to my people, and to those who name Santo Trueno home." He paused, watching my face. "I wish to see this city prosper, and that requires making alliances."
    How refreshing was this? He was talking straight.
    "As you noted, you are a power in this city as well. A growing power; one that discomfits certain groups."
    "Okay."
    "It would be beneficial to us both to be allied."
    Like I didn't already have enough alliances to keep straight. "In what way?"
    "Marriage would be the first option."
    I blinked. Did he seriously just...not understand I wanted him to back off? "Option two?"
    "Less optimal would be a declared alliance."
    I felt my forehead wrinkling. I had declared alliance with the tigers, but was now an adopted clan member. Which meant I was a declared ally of the lions, because the clan was. For all intents, I was an ally of the vampires' Council now too, and possibly the gargoyles as well. "Why is that less optimal?"
    "You've chosen allies that aren't acceptable to some of my people. They will wonder where your loyalty truly lies."
    Oh, well... "That's easy. People. All the law-abiding and innocent. In fact, make that every living being in Santo Trueno who isn't up to no good."
    Thorandryll raised his left eyebrow. "You consider this city yours?"
    "I was born here, and have lived here all my life. Yeah, that makes it mine, as much as anyone's." Hell, I'd fought for it against demons, gods, vampires, and dark elves. "I'm not going to marry you to make all the other elves feel better."
    "Then you'll agree to a declared alliance?"
    "I need to talk to Terra first." I'd done way too much tripping into supe politics in the past year. "Because if I'm your ally, that makes the clan your ally too, and you've made it pretty clear you don't like shifters."
    The prince frowned. "Logan has earned a modicum of my respect."
    Good to hear, especially since he had a funny way of showing it. "That's nice to know."
    "Discuss it with your people and inform me of your decision." He hesitated. "I must request a friendly appearance between us during the ball."
    "I'll be nice," I said after swallowing a giggle. "Promise."
    "Then let's move onto the matter that brought you here."
    "Lady Celadine." Possibly my imagination, but I thought he flinched at her name. "She hired us to find a stolen object, a mirror she loaned to the museum."
    "And you require my assistance in what way?"
    "She wasn't exactly forthcoming with useful info. I wondered if you could shed any light on why someone might want to steal it."
    He smiled, leaning back in his chair. "Anyone able to use magic is interested in acquiring objects of power. How they would use those depends on the object, and I can assure you that the mirror has proven to be remarkably uncooperative to those who have possessed it."
    I frowned. "We were told it—he—has an attitude. Do you know how he ended up in the mirror? I mean, he was a person once, right?"
    Thorandryll tilted his head to the left. "He was. The legend is that he was a human who angered a god, and thus, was stripped of his body, his soul imprisoned in the mirror."
    "That's horrible." I shivered.
    "Gods aren't above cruelty, Miss Jones. Hasn't that become clear to