armor of magic 02 - rising light by Simone Pond Read Free Book Online Page A

things. First, I need to know if a woman named Lilith Amon is working at Diamond Escorts.”
    Sipping his delicious-smelling coffee, he paused, lifting his eyes with curiosity. “Why does that interest you?”
    “I don’t care about the succubus, but I’m concerned for her twin sister, Charlotte. They’re running from Cagliostro. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”
    Lucius chuckled. “Of course I’ve heard of Cagliostro. We go way back. Old fool thinks he can actually go up against the Monarchy. He’s been campaigning for my faction for centuries. But as you can see, we have it quite good here in The City.”
    “Yes, and judging from a certain business card I came across for Diamond Escorts with Lilith’s signature charm, I’m guessing she came to you for protection.”
    “You are good,” he said, and I couldn’t tell if he was being a smart-ass.
    “Just tell me where they are and I’ll leave you to your business.”
    He laughed and walked back over to his desk. “And why would I do that, Miss Farrow?”
    “I basically just overheard you and your hot colleague admit to defrauding state pension plans and using the escort service as a money laundering front.”
    “And?”
    “What’s to stop me from running this story and having you locked up for good?”
    “Seeing that I’m the head vampire of the AOV, that’s highly unlikely. You’re wasting your time, Miss Farrow. I’m untouchable.”
    “Your vampire magic doesn’t scare me. I’ll take you down.”
    His smug grin made me cringe five levels deep. “No you won’t.”
    “Why is that?”
    “Because you can’t. Nobody can.”
    Lucius Diamond was a real cocky son-of-a-bitch. I mean, who did he think he was? Nobody is that untouchable. I kept pressing to see if I could find a crack in his vessel.
    “What about the murders you’ve been committing in the Southwest? A little risky, encroaching on Cagliostro’s territory, don’t you think? That’s going to catch up with you. How will your vampires respond to their leader acting so slapdash?”
    “I have nothing to do with those murders. I’m being set up. Why do you think they’re leaving behind business cards for Diamond Escorts? You actually think I’d be that sloppy?”
    I didn’t want to sit there and argue with the head of the Ancient Order of Vampires. “Let’s say that’s true, how do you think your vampire friends will react when I leak that you have possession of the missing Sacred Scroll and that you’re using it for your own selfish gain?”
    Lucius glanced up from his monitors. Originally, I hadn’t been a hundred percent that he had the Scroll, but now I knew for sure. His pale green eyes said it all. I used his moment of vulnerability to my advantage and scribbled my number on a legal document sitting on his desk.
    “I’ll give you until 3 p.m. today to text me the address. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll assume you’re not worried about me releasing the information.”
    “You do whatever you need to do, Miss Farrow.”

ten
    Walking down Fifth Avenue toward The Plaza, I felt a super dark presence looming over me. I had felt something similar that day in San Francisco when Julian and I were attacked by the swarm of demon-bats. The sky above—what I could see of it amidst the tall buildings—was darkened by an eclipse. My heart beat hard, and fear began to drape over me. My Armor took on a more vibrant glow. Then I heard it: the sound of a million crows cawing, and I could feel the flutter of their wings as though they were creating a wind with their approach. From above, a black mass swept down like a tsunami. It was the demon-bats again and they were rapidly approaching.
    I manifested my shield to protect myself and began to recite the ancient invocation that Ezra had engrained in us during our training. The Logos, he had called it. I yelled in that strange and foreign language, “Your Darkness has no authority. We stand with the power of the Light. The Light