Kingdom of Lies (Imp Series Book 7) by Debra Dunbar Read Free Book Online Page A

shoulders. Nasty-ass gem and a thieving elf shouldn’t take me all that long to deal with. I’d killed Feille, faced down a mob of angels, killed Ahriman, and survived blowing myself to bits. I could certainly handle this. And then I would have one less pile of shit on my to-do list.
    After popping over to Dis for some preliminary investigative work, I headed to see Kirby. The flight was less than enjoyable. This was the first time I’d used my wings since the fight with the manticore, and although my right wing didn’t pulse with pain, it still wasn’t fully healed. As I flew, the scar tissue around the injury began to break, and my motions became more fluid. Hopefully by tomorrow, I’d be fully functional again.
    Tomorrow. Which actually was today. I hadn’t slept, hadn’t eaten more than a handful of roasted beaks. I was going to settle things up with Kirby then take a long nap before I set out to try and find this gem of Gareth’s.
    From the air, Libertytown was impossible to miss. The area had formerly been part of the elven kingdom of Cyelle, but it was clear where the elven lands ended and the human ones began. The trees were yellowed and stunted, patches of lush meadow pockmarked with thorny scrub and red sand. I circled around the huddled buildings of the city and landed in front of Kirby’s magic shop.
    It was still pretty early in the morning, but the door wasn’t locked. The mage was bent over a staff, carefully carving the wood.
    “Hey, Sam,” the mage said without lifting his head from his work. “Gareth said you were on your way.”
    Mages. It was like they had the equivalent of text messaging. “Do you know an elf named Swiftethian? He did some work with Gareth, and I’m trying to track him down.” It was a long shot, but if the mage knew this elf, it would make my gem hunt a lot easier.
    Kirby shook his head. “I certainly don’t know every elf in Cyelle, but if the guy was involved with the mage apprentice program, or a sponsor, I’m sure I would have heard of him.”
    Damn. Gareth had told me his partner wasn’t from Wythyn and had been really cagy about his kingdom affiliation. You’d think an elf with a big-ass gem would have drawn some attention, but no one in Dis had seen him coming or going. I had my demons checking for any affiliations on our side while I tried every avenue I could to avoid actually going into the elven territories. That wasn’t a can of worms I was ready to open at this moment.
    “Fair-skinned dude with sharp features. Light, golden-blond hair, brown eyes. About 5’ 8”. Slim. Dresses like minor nobility. He’s got a long scar on the outside of his left thumb.”
    “Sorry. If he’s blond, he’s a Southern elf. Probably not Klee, since they’re darker in complexion.”
    Great. That narrowed it down to three kingdoms, assuming Gareth and Kirby were right and I could rule out Wythyn and Cyelle.
    “Thanks. Oh, and I have someone I’ll be sending over to help with your crops. She’s got to finish up at college, so it’s gonna be early summer. I’ll need you to escort her around Libertytown and translate for her, since she only speaks English.”
    Kirby’s shoulders slumped. “I guess a human agriculture major is better than nobody, although I’m not sure what they’re going to be able to do that we haven’t tried already.”
    “She’s not a human. She’s a half-elf, and she’s really good with plants.”
    The mage stared in shock. “Not the baby? You’re not seriously bringing the demon-elf-hybrid baby over here. Sam, she’ll be killed.”
    “She’s not a baby; she’s graduating college, for fuck sake.” I spread my wings and stretched the achy right one in preparation for another long flight. “And I’m hoping you’ll keep her from getting killed.”
    Kirby set the staff aside. I noted he kept the carving knife in hand. “Right. You’re supposed to be the one repaying the favor here, Sam. I’ve got a backlog of orders to fill.