“You do not need to,” Kiandra cut in. “I’ll send one of the fifth-year trainees. They will be more than capable of handling such a task.”
Being a trainee at the Brindle didn’t mean you were new to magic. It was quite the opposite, in fact. Witches came here to hone their skills and to become both a master and a teacher. I knew it took at least ten years to reach the master rank, so she was sending someone pretty damn proficient.
“Thank you, Kiandra.”
She nodded without looking at us. “Ilianna, I believe Rozelle is available. But look after her, reaper, or I will be displeased.”
Azriel bowed, the movement regal. “You have my word no harm will befall her.”
Ilianna caught my arm and guided me back out the door. “Has there been any word from Tao yet?”
“No.”
She grimaced. “I fear for him, Risa. I can’t see anything but fire in his future.”
“He’ll pull through this. He’s stronger than you think.”
“I hope you’re right.” But her expression said that I wasn’t.
And maybe she was right. Maybe there wasn’t any future for him. But that didn’t mean I could give up. I wouldn’t, not until every single option had been explored and abandoned.
We went back up to the next level and into a section that I knew from past visits held the sleeping quarters for the witches stationed here. Rozelle was tall, pretty, and looked all of twenty. Which meant she had either become magic proficient at a very early age, or she was much older than she looked. Most witches didn’t usually begin the master’s training until they were at least thirty.
Ilianna explained who we were and what we wanted, and Rozelle bounced up from her seat, gathering magical bits and pieces and carefully placing them into a carryall.
“Right,” she said, “Let’s go.”
Her warm tones held an edge of excitement that made me smile. Obviously, things had been a little slow here at the Brindle lately. I gave Ilianna a hug, then said, “Keep strong. We’ll all get through this, I promise.”
She smiled, but didn’t say anything. Because she knew, like I knew, my promise was empty. No one knew how all this was going to pan out.
Not even, I was beginning to suspect, fate.
Azriel transported us, one at a time, back to the warehouse.
“Wow,” Rozelle said, blinking rapidly and wavering a little as she reappeared. “That’s certainly a novel way to get about. Not something I’d like to do too often, though.”
“Yeah, sorry,” I said. “But we’re on a tight deadline and it’s the quickest way to travel.”
“Then let’s get on with —” she stopped, and her gaze widened a little. “That man’s not dead, is he?”
I glanced down at the shifter. “No. He’s merely in an enforced sleep.”
“Oh, good.” She cleared her throat, then added, “Let’s get to these stones. Although I’m hoping they’re not the ones creating the barrier around this building, because that is way beyond my capabilities.”
My eyebrows rose. “You can sense that?”
She nodded. “Although it has an energy that feels rather weird.”
“That’s because it was created by a dark sorcerer, and designed to keep me out,” Azriel commented. “It will not, however, prevent you from entering, nor will it harm you.”
“Oh, good,” she repeated, then paused, her eyes narrowing a little. “In case you’re interested, the source of the energy seems to be coming from under the building, which is rather odd. Shielding stones usually have to be placed at each corner for them to work efficiently.”
I glanced at Azriel. If the source is underground, maybe that’s what the smaller circle is protecting.
Possibly. What we need to discover, however, is what this building might be protecting beyond the shielding stones and the transport gate you found. There has to be something else here. He paused, then added out loud, “Be careful.”
“You keep saying that,” I said, amused. “Anyone would think you don’t trust me to look after myself.”