Darkness Rising (Dark Angels 2)

“What about Maniae?”

She peered at me. “What about them?”

“Well, they’re considered spirits—or daemones. So should your spell have stopped them?”

“No, because Maniae don’t wear flesh. They’re also deities rather than spirits—a different type of being altogether. I don’t think Alston ever imagined someone would hate her enough to raise a daemon against her, let alone the curse of the Maniae. And that makes her situation extremely tricky.”

“Why?”

“Because the Maniae can usually be summoned only by great injustice. Alston must have cocked up pretty badly for the Maniae to be after her.”

“Meaning the event three years ago is unlikely to be the cause, because the attacks have only just begun.”

“Not necessarily. It could have simply taken that long to perform the summoning correctly. It is not a well-known spell, and it is not one that is well recorded.”

“Would the Brindle have it within their archives?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Meaning it’s the sort of spell that any witch could perform?”

“It’s the type of spell anyone who feels they’re the victim of a grave injustice could perform if they can find the full version. However, the only people who would get access to the spell are witches connected to the Brindle.”

“So maybe all I have to do is go to the Brindle and ask who had access to that spell recently.”

“It is worth a try, though I honestly doubt a witch would be involved in such a summoning—even if it is only to supply the text of the spell.”

“Why?”

“Because of the threefold rule. And because one person’s great injustice can be another’s minor annoyance. It is a very gray area for a witch to be involved in.”

I nodded and finished my tea, wincing a little at the almost bitter aftertaste. Give me Coke or coffee any day. Hell, even the cheapest instant was better than this.

“I don’t suppose you’ve heard any whispers about this sort of summoning being performed, have you?”

She shook her head. “No, it is not my line of work. I protect, not destroy.”

I said, “No witch destroys. That is against the laws, isn’t it?”

Something gleamed in her eyes. Amusement, perhaps. Or pity. “Ask Ilianna that question. She could answer it more fully than me.”

“Ilianna hasn’t destroyed anything or anyone.”

“I’m not saying she has.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“Ask her.”

Yeah, like that would do any good. When it came to talking about the Brindle and the brief time she’d spent there, Ilianna was decidedly mute. I pushed to my feet and held out my hand. “Thank you for your time.”

She rose and clasped my hand. “Be careful, young woman. Evil nips at your heels, and that is not a good thing when your dark angel is not by your side.”

“I can protect myself,” I said. And tried to ignore the suspicion that I’d just tempted fate.

Adeline smiled. It was a knowing yet sad smile. “Yes, you can. Except in the areas where it perhaps matters the most.”

I sighed. Why couldn’t people just come out and say what they meant?