Rise of the Gryphon by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love Page B

came back into focus. She didn’t know the rules of a Beast Club, but she doubted she and Storm would walk out of here alive if he killed a sponsor. She touched his arm. “Put her down. The armband isn’t doing anything to me.”
    He reluctantly lowered Imogenia until the woman’s kicking feet hit dirt, but he kept his fingers around her throat and demanded, “Why do you smell of licorice?”
    “What?” Imogenia’s eyes were still bulging. “Incense. Bought it.”
    He growled at Imogenia, “Take off the armband and hand her the finger bone.”
    Imogenia coughed and sputtered.
    Evalle said, “Let her breathe, Storm.”
    When he released the witch reluctantly, Evalle told Imogenia, “Now take it off.”
    Imogenia rubbed her neck, then held up shaky fingers. “Give me a chance to explain. The bone was already woven into the armband when it was gifted to me and can’t be removed. The gold and bronze is five centuries old and protects the Volonte powers.” Nodding at Evalle, Imogenia continued, “She’ll have to free the armband the same way when she hands it over to the next owner or the bone will attack her. It resents being stolen. Every time it moves from one person to the next, it must be passed as a gift or it attacks both the new owner and the previous one. And—” Imogenia’s eyes smirked at Storm. “If you give it to a shifter, they can’t shift.”
    A pet bone with emotional issues. Just what Evalle needed. “Can I take it off to shower or go to bed?”
    “No. The Volonte will retaliate if you try to remove it for any reason other than gifting the armband to a person who accepts it.”
    “Retaliate how?”
    “You’ll be blinded.” Imogenia looked at Storm, whose chest moved up and down with angry breaths. “I’m telling the truth.”
    “What else do I need to know about this thing?” Evalle asked, eyeing the creepy armband.
    Imogenia must not have answered quickly enough to suit Storm. He growled at her and the witch started issuing instructions. “Before you give it away, you have to take full possession by telling the bone it belongs to you.”
    Evalle felt heat around her wrist. “When?”
    “Sooner than later. It will get hot when it’s angry to the point of a burn scar if you wait too long. Then the bone will burn through your arm. Once that starts, your body begins to die. Is it warm yet?”
    “Yes,” Evalle hissed.
    “Then talk to it.”
    “I can’t believe I have to—” The skin on her arm felt as though she held it in a flame. “Okay.” Evalle lifted the bone into view. “You belong to me.” She’d read her horoscope in the paper this morning.
    There hadn’t been one word about owning slave fighters or sentient cadaver bones.
    Imogenia continued her directives. “When you’re ready to hand off the Volonte, do the same thing I did. Just tell the bone that you’re giving it as a gift, then order it to release and put the armband on the arm of the new owner.”
    Storm stared at Evalle’s arm, then warned Imogenia in a low voice, “If that bone harms her, expect to see me again.”
    “If she does what I told her, she’ll be fine.”
    He wasn’t sold. “Did you give her that armband to harm her in any way?”
    “No.”
    “How will it affect her?”
    “Unless she uses it in the dark arts, this bone’s power will only enhance her desire for whatever she wants.” Imogenia shoved her attention back to Evalle. “Now, you owe me a name.”
    How could enhancing be harmful? Other than thatone moment, Evalle still didn’t feel anything playing around with her Belador powers, so she told Imogenia, “The traitor is Daniella.”
    “That evil, backstabbing bitch.” Imogenia waved her hands and muttered a string of words, then turned to Evalle. “I’ve cleared the shielding spell. We’re done.”
    When the witch took a step to leave, Evalle said, “One more thing.”
    “ What?    ” Imogenia snarled, hair whipping around when she spun to face Evalle and