Jellan did not know, and in truth, had reflected on this question much these past days.

He did not have control over the Beast. He was not even certain Marian did.

He was struggling with the answer to that question and was seeing now, he should not have alerted them to the messages of the veil before he’d made a decision.

“Jellan, answer,” Daemon demanded.

“Powerful witches at work. Powerful spells cast. Powerful rituals held,” Jellan dissembled. “For instance, the rituals conducted to awaken you caused more than a tremor of the earth. It was felt in the veil.”

“Hmm,” Daemon hummed, then queried, “Do they know I have ascended?”

Jellan shook his head, his reaction honest this time.

“I don’t know. Though, I would assume if they had, we would not have been unmolested as we have been since you made the surface.”

Daemon appeared also to be thinking hard on that.

But Marian was watching him closely and Jellan’s heart beat hard in his chest for he sensed she knew he was not being completely forthcoming.

He felt certain she’d expose him and was utterly stunned when she did not.

Instead, she looked forward and stated, “He might be right. Perhaps we should know what’s happening in the realms. Understand these messages of the veil.”

Jellan was not sure the decision he was making was the right one. He did not know if he could gain the trust, and control, over the Beast to do his bidding, not Marian’s, not Daemon’s own. It did not seem in the now he could, though it did seem he was useful to the creature, if not useful to Marian.

But he did not feel he had firm footing in their little trinity.

Thus, he decided not to tell them the lovers had united in one place.

And they were not only together, something in and of itself that increased their strength.

They were lovers.

The prophecy had been completed. They were at full force. Their power was disrupting the veil, regularly, mightily.

It wasn’t just powerful witches dying (although he sensed that was also happening, and he was keen to know why this was occurring so often), it was more.

Much more.

He feared what either one of them would do if he held this information from them, only to share it at a later date.

But if he could not gain control over Daemon, set him to do Jellan’s bidding, not his own, definitely not Marian’s, it would be essential that those prophesied remained at the height of their strength.

And that those powers grew.

Because if he could not control the Beast, someone had to eradicate it.

In the meantime, he had to find a way to ingratiate himself with the creature.

He had to find a way to lessen Marian’s hold over him.

And he had to discover what this “work” was that Daemon wished to do.