Later, Kain went to the old woman's family tent. He needed to have another discussion about what he had bought into. An agreeable, forgiving lifestyle might be somewhere in his future, but that somewhere certainly isn't here and now. Confusion was in charge, and he was compelled to dance to its tune whether he wanted it or not, though Kain still got to decide a step here and there. He had a little moment before the feast, and he needed to deliver a few messages, which he dictated to Almera. The old woman busied herself with basket-making while Almera and he labored away. Finn was sent off to look for suggestions down at the wharves. Kain hoped he might stumble across something we could build while he was poking around. It took him a while to clarify to him

Kain knew he was being ridiculous. There were a thousand things wrong with this scenario. He was standing in King Edward’s lair years before he was ever born. Surrounded by demons and alchemists who would happily destroy them if they decided they were intruders. And they had no way to return to the proper time. Which meant they were stuck. But was he thinking or planning on how he could survive the next hour? Or day? Nope. His brain was utterly consumed by the revelation that Pearl was formally betrothed to another male. Scowling in frustration, Kain watched as she gave a small shake of her head. “My mother mentioned a betrothal, but I assumed that I was cursed before it could be formally announced.” “Who is the lucky male?” “What does it matter?” she demanded in genuine confusion. “I’m curious.” She paused as she searched her memory. Then she gave a faint shrug. “I believe his name was Ethan.” “Ethan,” Kain repeated, the name teasing at the edge of his mind. “Do you know

  But Kain couldn't help the feeling of dread that washed over him as he looked around the dark and foreboding room. He knew they had to find a way out of there, but he wasn't sure how they would do it.   "We need to find a way to get back to our own time," Kain said to his companion. Pearl nodded. "I know. But how are we going to do that? We don't even know where we are or how we got here."   Kain took a deep breath and tried to think. He had a basic knowledge of time travel, but it was mostly theoretical. He didn't know if the same rules applied in this situation.   "We need to find a way to create a time portal," Kain said after a moment. "But I have no idea how to do that. And even if we could, we don't know whe

Pearl was surprised how easy it was to assume the role of an arrogant, pureblooded alchemist. Almost as if she was born to the role. And she supposed she was, despite the fact she’d been isolated her entire life.She could only hope her brittle façade could last long enough for her to do a search of the lair.Acutely aware of the heavy press of power that crackled and sizzled in the air as they reached the throne room, as well as Kain’s seething disapproval, she halted and removed her hand from the guard’s arm.“I can find my way now.”“My lady.” The guard offered a small bow before he was disappearing among the guests.She dismissed him from her mind as she allowed her gaze to wander over the large room. It was remarkably plain, with woven rugs on the stone floor and torches stuck into the walls. At the far end was a high dais with two thrones. At the moment both of them were empty.Her attention turned to the guests who were gathered in small clumps. Most of them were pureblooded al

He grimaced. Was it possible the two alchemists were safely going to indulge their passions? It was hardly unusual for party guests to seek out companionship among the female servants. He hesitated at the arched opening to the harem, peeking a glance into the large inner chamber. The floor was covered with mosaic tiles, and in the centre was a large fountain that sprayed water into the air. The walls were made of delicate latticework, and the ceiling was domed and covered with precious gems. Kain watched as the two males crossed the floor, waving away the females who scurried to offer their services. They exited into a darkened room on the other side of the main chamber.Kain shuffled through his memories. When he’d been li