“You’re suggesting that it wasn’t possible to achieve this at all. Not against an Ancient.”
“Correct. The guard would have felt the presence of power being called before the spell was ever able to begin. He also didn’t remember a thing, didn’t recall letting Sorin out, didn’t recall any fucking thing. When I’ve rarely had to resort topuppeteeringa vampire, I can ensure that they don’t remember me doing so. That guard reported losing time, which has been put down to this Dark Fae spell.”
“But you believe a necromancer was involved?”
“I’m saying they had to be, that the Dark Fae spell component was used as merely a cover. And with it being able to be used as a cover and not actually violate the mind of the Ancient in question, it means this magic, this spell… it can be controlled by the spellcaster and even nullified. It was in the vampire’s system but not actually activated.”
“Left dormant, enough to serve as misdirection.”
“Precisely. Spells of this nature have immediate effects. With that not being the case here and the spell being dormant within a being’s system, we’re looking at a much more dangerous situation. Those infected having that unknowingly in their system for a long time, which could impact their body chemistry, their minds, on a more fundamental basis. Not just for the immediate impact of the spell, of having somebody do your bidding, like vampiriccoercion,necromantic domination, that sort of thing. Now, in order to develop an effective antidote, this facet needs to be considered and further researched.”
I scrubbed my hand over my face. “The fact that a necromancer was likely involved in Sorin’s release is also of a great concern. Especially when paired with the murders of five necromancers all happening around the same time.”
“Five?”
“My spell located another a couple of days ago, also found murdered.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t think it necessary.”
“You mean, you were worried I’d have a breakdown over it, knowing that yet another chance at me being cured was killed—literally?”
“Sylas, I—”
“It was a week and a half ago, the day Cornelius performed the binding spell on me. I had a mild breakdown immediately afterward. That’s all. Nothing since.”
Yes, because he had been heavily immersed in his research the entire time since. The only time he took a break was to eat with us or to make love. Then there was also sleep. But any other time he was conscious he kept himself incredibly busy, non-stop about it.
“You also haven’t mentioned it once since your magic was bound.”
He flinched.
But then he shifted his weight, his fingers clenching around his journal, averting his gaze. “Is that what you’d prefer? Me to wallow in something I can’t currently change? To fall apart? To be a weak little fuck about it?”
There it was.
That word.Weak.
He followed it up with a bitter laugh. “Come on, Cassius, do you really think this is the first time I’ve found myself powerless? I deal in complex, high-level magical architecture. Things happen.”
“Ithinkthis is the first time you’ve found yourself magically powerless since you lost your family before you’d come of ageand schooled yourself in the magical arts to such a significant degree.”
His jaw ticked.
But of course he had a rebuttal once more.
“Well, my family is long dead and fucking buried, so I don’t find myself in the same circumstances, do I? And those I have allowed close to me are powerful supernatural beings who can definitely hold their own against whatever enemies may come our way. Twice, then. Twice your point is moot.”
“Hmm. You are correct that the circumstances are different. You see, you are still exceedingly powerful. Your knowledge base rivals that of myself, Cornelius Martel, perhaps even approaching that of Ryker Morgan’s, especially with your gift of devising solutions to the seemingly impossible. You currently being without your magic does not negate that. It doesn’t even so much as touch it. With the enemies that we find ourselves confronted by, that is exactly what is needed. Not magical might, but what you bring to the table. Because despite great power, our enemies are not deterred. They have already hurt us.”
He stared at me for several moments, his expression briefly softening, before a smile graced his lips.
And then he cleared his throat and said, “That’s what I’ve been trying to hold to as well. And with that in mind, when it comes to what we were talking about, I believe there’s a strong case to be made for the attack on Velra not being about Sorin’s personal hatred for her, that it was much more than that. I believe it was engineered down to the tiniest detail, the reactions from each of us being anticipated byPuritasand whoever this necromancer is that they allied themselves with in order to free Sorin fromThe Void.”
“Yes. With your revelation about the investigation, I would call it a certainty.”
He arched an eyebrow. “What do you know?”
