hand at the first sniff of sulfur. A minute later the harpies came into view.  Four of them flew in formation and dove down from the upper deck. Each screeched shriller than the next in their competition to be the loudest. Their purpose had been to distract us, making the arrival of their master more dramatic when he materialized.

Ashen colored smoke bled into the realm from seemingly nowhere, and revealed him six feet in front of Veronica. She remained silent upon his arrival, but her fingers flexed tighter around my talons and she took an involuntary step back.

He had the appearance of an average man. Average height, average hair color, average build. Average in every aspect of the word. But I tasted the magic he used to hold together the illusion. The harpies landed in unison behind him. Hi...

Please subscribe to keep reading.