Free The League of Illusion: Legacy by Vivi Anna Page A

going back to that, dear brother? Still pricks your tight arse that I am and always will be better at it than you.”
    Rhys set his knife and fork down on the table, wiped his mouth with his napkin, and stood. There was real menace in the way he regarded Jovan. “Father’s not here to interfere this time.”
    “No, but I am.” Skylar sprang to her feet. “As it seems we are done with our meal, it’s time we made our way to Cross Bones to continue our search. Let’s remember, gentlemen, we have a job to do, and the sooner it’s done the sooner we can all part ways. I for one would be glad for that.” She set her napkin on the table, pushed back her chair, and left the room.
    Without another word, Rhys followed her out.
    Sooner or later, he and Rhys were going to have it out. It was inevitable. For seven years they’d endured a cold war, not speaking to each other, leaving when the other arrived, b n
t,ut now they were being forced together. Two opposing forces in the same cramped container. An explosion was imminent. The problem was, years ago Jovan would have bet without hesitation that he’d be the victor but now he wasn’t so sure. Rhys was a cold, unyielding man but Jovan could see the storms swirling in the gray depths of his eyes. And storms could be unpredictable and unyielding.
    The ride to the Cross Bones burial grounds took them across London. Jovan chose to dismiss the driver and drive the coach himself so he could spend the entire ride up top and not have to be near either Rhys or Skylar. They both set his teeth on edge, although in very different ways. He didn’t know which was worse.
    By the time they reached the cemetery gates, it was past dusk and the sun had sunk deeply in the west. The imposing, twisted iron gates were closed and locked, naturally, as no self-respecting mourner would visit a grave at night. But there were no mourners and a lock meant nothing to any of them.
    He jumped down from the driver’s seat and opened the door for Skylar. She slid out, her leather satchel held tightly in her hand. He knew she carried her tools of the trade inside it. Jovan carried his own leather pouch slung across his chest, his tools inside.
    “So, now that we’re here, how do we find this Evangeline?” Rhys asked as he surveyed the consecrated grounds from between the iron bars of the fence.
    “With this.” Skylar held up the locket. “You just take care of the lock on the gate, I’ll take care of the rest.”
    With a nod, Jovan raised his hand toward the chain lock on the gate, but before he could incant any spell, Rhys was there with a heavy iron bolt cutter, snapping the lock with the vise. He pulled the chain through the bars.
    Chuckling, Jovan lowered his hand. “I could’ve done it with less effort, brother.”
    Rhys refused to respond, just pushed open one side of the gate so they could enter. It creaked as if it hadn’t been opened in years. Skylar went through first, then Rhys, then Jovan at the last.
    Skylar handed Jovan her satchel and held up her arm, letting the locket hang down freely. “We’ll need some light.”
    Jovan jumped at the chance to show off. He cupped his hands together. “Accendo.” A glowing ball of blue light developed inside. When it filled his palms, he released it, and it floated up in front of him.
    “The locket will swing back and forth when we are moving in the proper direction. It will stop if we veer off the path.” Skylar held up the locket in front of her toward the north. The locket didn’t move. She turned to her right and did the same. It started to swing back and forth like a pendulum.
    “This way,” she said.
    They followed her along the narrow dirt path that cut a straight line through the graves. Some had elaborately carved stone markers spouting some sentiment about the deceased. Here lies Mary Margaret Theodore, loving wife and mother . But most had only had a stone cross with a name and date chiseled onto it. This was a place for the