Darkness Splintered (Dark Angels 6)
I glanced past Ilianna. Kiandra’s attention was still on the cord wrapped around Mirri’s neck, but she’d obviously been keeping tabs on our conversation, despite the fact we’d been speaking softly.
“But,” she continued, “the spell would need to be fed into the energy of the wearer to have any long-lasting benefit.”
“That sounds like we’d be stepping into blood magic territory.”
“No, we would not,” Kiandra said. “Tapping into the wearer’s aura or life force is no different from drawing strength from the elements or from the earth.”
“But,” I said, “drawing power from the elements or the earth has its cost – it saps the witch’s strength and leaves her vulnerable to attack from darker forces if the drawing isn’t done within a protection circle. You can hardly employ a protection circle in the case of a portable warding device.”
“Who’d have thought you knew so much about magic,” Ilianna murmured, a smile touching her lips.
“I have been hanging around a witch for most of my life,” I said dryly. “Some stuff rubs off, even on someone as thickheaded as me.”
Azriel’s amusement rolled through the back of my thoughts, soft and enticing. If I had said that, you would be very annoyed.
You may not have said it, reaper, but you certainly thought it.
That, he replied, amusement stronger, is undoubtedly true.
“The difference in this case,” Kiandra said, “is that the wearer would be performing no magic, so there is no need for a protection spell of any sort.”
Which didn’t mean it wouldn’t still drain the energy of the wearer. “How would it work?”
“It would be similar to the micro cells you wear. Four stones would need to be worn on four points of the body, which would then create a self-sustaining continuous circuit of energy and provide protection against any force they were set to.”
“In other words, if they were set to protect against the Raziq, the Raziq would not be able to either physically or mentally harm them?”
“In theory, yes.”
Right now, theory was all we had. “How soon could you start making half a dozen sets of these stones?”
Kiandra blew out a breath. “Mirri is our priority —”
“I know,” I cut in. “I meant once Mirri is safe.”
“A few days, at the very least. And only if Ilianna is willing to be involved in their creation.”>He didn’t answer. Maybe he couldn’t, simply because there was no real answer.
“If you do not hand us the keys,” Yeska said, voice flat, yet somehow filled with venom, “then all those you care about will not only lose their lives in this time, but in all their future times. They will be forever locked in this world, never to know life or love again.”
His words chilled me to the core. Yet fury rose, and it was all I could do not to throw Amaya. Threatening my life was one thing. Hell, I could understand them threatening the lives of my friends – even if I didn’t like it – but stripping them of all their futures and making them ghosts? That was totally unacceptable.
And it had to stop. Somehow, somewhere, I had to find a way to end all this and make my friends – and the world – safe.
“Fine,” I muttered. “Just let me know where the sorcerer’s entrance onto the fields is, and we’ll take it from there.”
“Do not double-cross us,” Yeska warned.
“I get it already,” I said, voice tight. “Now just get us out of here so we can get on with the business of tracking the key.”
“The reaper can get you out,” he replied. “Once we retreat, the shield will go down.”
“What, don’t you trust us?”
But there was no reply. The dark energy that was the Raziq had gone. I sheathed Amaya and let out a slow breath. “Well, that certainly went better than I expected.”
“Yes.” Azriel pulled me into his embrace and wrapped his arms around me. “I fear, however, you have only delayed the inevitable.”
“I know.” I closed my eyes and listened to the steady beat of his heart, feeling so safe it had tears stinging my eyes. But it was an illusion. None of us were safe. Not even a Mijai warrior with centuries of fighting behind him. But I’m hoping that by the time they realize I have no intention of giving them the key, we’ll have figured out a way of stopping them from hurting anyone.