He shrugged. “I think it’s worth investigating. That book wasn’t there on accident.”
And because Malakai had lived through Echnid’s torture with me, his encouragement meant as much as Tolek’s. Sighing, I leaned forward, pressing my head against Tol’s chest and allowing his embrace to soothe me.
“Vale said Echnid is focused on my scythe, and the gorgons seemed worried about it,” Cypherion added. “Meridat has people searching their records to see if there’s any chance it was imbued. So far, we just know it was given to my father after he performed a great act of bravery in Soulguider Territory.”
Cyph’s scythe and Tolek’s sword…There had to be a reason behind them, something we were meant to learn. When it came to fate, coincidences didn’t exist.
“If Echnid burned the trove because there was a weapon in there he was afraid of, then we’re going to have to make our own. We need to figure outwhatsort of imbued weapon can kill a god,” I muttered, scratching at my Curse scar as my thoughts bound from one possibility to the next. There were wells of power within the Gates of Angeldust. We could start?—
But Malakai interrupted my thoughts. “We had a theory on that, too.”
Cypherion added, “We’re going to need to find Cyren.”
“You think it’sme?”I asked incredulously.
“We think it’s possible,” Cypherion corrected as Tolek walked around the war room, turning up the mystlight lanterns. The maps and briefs that normally littered the table had been moved to the smaller surfaces framing the room.
While they’d explained their theory to me, Erista and Malakai had left to find those we needed. They returned now with Cyren, the Starsearcher General, in tow as well as our Bodymelder friends, Esmond and Gatrielle, who had arrived in Xenovia a week ago with healers from their clan and had been assisting in triage plans.
When I raised my brows after greeting them, Malakai said, “Gatrielle is Angelblessed.” He’d told us before that the Bodymelder was a rareallure, one of their clan who were deemed blessed by the Angels, giving him access to sacred sites across the continent, like Firebird’s Field.
Or places to bless weapons.
Gatrielle’s brown curls bobbed as he nodded. “When I studied to pass my Angelblessed exams, we had to memorize the process and production of the rituals that forge sacred weapons.”
“Can we see your sword, Tolek?” Esmond asked.
Tol unsheathed the blade and handed it to them. The Bodymelders examined it, muttering softly to one another as strands of gold magic spun overhead in anticipation.
Finally, Gatrielle said, “This sword doesn’t have any of the markings of one forged in your Spirit Volcano, for example. But it doesfeellike it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, pivoting to his side.
“Here, Revered.” He held out the hilt.
When I grabbed it, a hum shot up my arm. I gasped at the contact, wide eyes swinging to Tol. “I don’t remember your sword ever feeling this way.”
Tolek nodded in agreement. “You probably feel it even more than I do with your magic—but I know what you mean.”
“I still wish we’d been able to speak with Aimee,” I mumbled, frustration at the Storyteller who never existed mounting within me again. “Shehasto have answers to all of this.”
How could she never have existed?
“I know, but think about it,apeagna. Echnid wantsyou.” Tolek’s hands curled into fists until his knuckles turned white. He cleared his throat. “The god can suck my cock if he thinks he’s getting you,” he added as he came to stand behind me at the head of the table.
“Threats aside,” Malakai continued for his friend, “what if part of why Echnid wants you so close and part of why he drugged you was because he doesn’t want you to figure out thatyoucan destroy him?”
I’d wanted to send the god to ruin from within—I’d wondered if I made a mistake by getting out before I’d learned all of his secrets—but perhaps breaking free of his hold was the answer. Owning my mind once again, regaining the strength I’d always burned with, would spell his downfall.
“So, you think seraph magic can imbue a blade?” I asked, and all three of the boys nodded vigorously.
“You’ve said yourself that Angel magic is raw power,” Tolek said. “The seraphs are no longer of this realm, and that magic is akin to the power of Angels, right? All seven of them? Safe to say that power rivals a god when combined. Probably the next most powerful thing on Ambrisk. It’s something that hasn’t been seen in living history in this realm, and as Erista said, blades imbued with this level of magic are rare.”
That thought settled between my wings, making me stand taller.Iwas that next most powerful thing on Ambrisk.
I flared my feathers wide, asking Gatrielle, “Think it will work?”
He shrugged, claiming one of the seats at the table among Erista, Cyren, and Esmond, who leaned forward to continue discussing his theories about what kinds of steel absorbed magic best.
