Niko raised his head and observed the men in the room before answering. “My sensei told me about such books and how they were created. He said they were the alpha and the omega.”
What Niko hadn’t known all those years was that the spells weren’t activated by reading them alone but by touch. After a long night, Gem noticed strange occurrences whenever she ran her fingers over the symbols and read them aloud. It didn’t even matter which language she used so long as they matched up with the symbol. It was as if it drew from her power in order to work. If she had to guess, only a Mage could activate the spells. Otherwise, the Relic who owned the book would have figured it out and been a powerful man.
“Did you show it to your sensei?” she asked.
“I have never shown the book to anyone.”
“Too much talking.” Cyrus snapped his fingers three times. “Nikodemos, bring me food. You still remember how to cook, don’t you?”
Niko’s lips thinned. “Don’t say anything to anger him. I’ll just be in the next room.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be fine. Just toiling away on a dead language and writing nonsense on paper.”
He gave her a worried smile and left the room. Niko was in on her fictitious translating of the passages—it was the one thing they both agreed on. If something went wrong, at least Cyrus wouldn’t be able to read the book himself, which would be bad even if he didn’t know how to unlock the power.
From their brief conversation, Gem had acquired a valuable piece of information needed for one of the spells. It was the name of Niko’s Creator, who was also the Creator of these other men.
Artemon.
Cyrus had given her a quill and inkpot instead of a regular ballpoint, and the ink stained her fingers. By the looks of his home, he didn’t embrace the modern world. Ancients were like that, and she wondered if she might one day be clinging to relics of her past. What might those be? Microwaves? Toilets? Hair dye? Battery-operated lights? What did the future hold in store?
She sipped her tea and gathered her thoughts.
Can I do this? What if I’m wrong? What if it doesn’t work? What if he catches me?
Gem had been waiting for an opportune time, but fear gripped her spine. Cyrus was Niko’s Mage brother, but were the others as well? She couldn’t remember. These past two days she’d been without sleep, and she couldn’t remember the details of every conversation. Kallisto was still unaccounted for, and that presented a threat, especially if he didn’t share the same Creator.
She patiently waited for Niko to finish cooking. The smell of grilled meat wafted from the kitchen, a delicious blend of pork, vegetables, and rice. Once he fed these ogres and returned to his position, she would ask him more questions.
“Did I say you could rest?” Cyrus asked, his tone as sharp as a razor blade. “Each time I see you lift a finger away from that pen, I’m going to cut one of them off. Starting with the pinky.”
Arcadius drew his sword. He pressed the tip of the blade against the floor and rested his hands on the pommel.
Gem loathed Cyrus for killing her ex, but it was Arcadius who made her tremble with fear. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him smiling at her as she gulped water into her lungs. With a shaky hand, Gem lifted the pen from the stand and continued her work.
Thirty minutes elapsedbefore Niko returned with a tray of food. He carefully made his way toward Cyrus, and when he reached the couch, he knelt and offered the tray.
Gem wanted to stab Cyrus in the eyeball with her pen.
The only way to placate Cyrus was to continue working, so Gem had to tamp down her anger and focus. After all, they still had Kallisto to worry about. Niko revealed that when she had returned to Keystone, Cyrus received a call every three hours or so. But Gem noticed the phone hadn’t rung all afternoon. Not since she made the agreement with Cyrus to translate the book. He must have called off Kallisto. Perhaps he’d been outside in the hallway this whole time.
Then again, what if he had infiltrated the mansion and slaughtered everyone? If only that phone would buzz. The silence wrecked her, but it also galvanized her into taking action sooner rather than later.
Gem continued reading a specific passage, one she had successfully translated and quadruple-checked. It was the only spell she’d managed to find that might actually help them, so she had devoted most of the afternoon to deciphering it.
What if it didn’t work? While she’d dabbled with the power within the book, she had only gone so far as to feel the energy lift from the page, but it hadn’t actually done anything outside of brighten a few candles.
“Not bad,” Cyrus said while tasting his food. “Your seasoning technique has improved, but the rice is underdone. When I’m finished, you can prepare a plate for everyone else. Well, everyone except the girl. She doesn’t get to eat until she’s done with that book.”
Gem nearly knocked over the inkpot when Cyrus abruptly kicked Niko, knocking him onto his back.
“What have I told you about giving me that look?” he said absently while gathering his chopsticks.
Niko’s body had twisted so he faced her, his palms on the floor and his head slowly rising. Fire burned in his ice-blue eyes, and threads of blue light leaked from his fingertips.
Cyrus looked more interested in the plate of food on the armrest. He pushed around pieces of meat with his chopsticks until he found one that pleased him.
“You’re nothing but a pig!” she spat, the words leaving her mouth before she had a chance to stop them.
