A part of me was tempted to argue, to tell him about how it tried to convince me I knew who he was, that I recognized the magical signature behind the Priest. I’d never managed to confess that, though, for a lot of reasons.
I didn’t do it now, either.
“I can tell what it’s doing,” I offered, which I’d told him before. “I can feel ittryingto pull on me. But no, it’s not affecting me like it does you. Not yet, anyway.”
Alaric let out a low scoff.
I’d considered telling him about my strange sun primal, the one only Caelum Bones could see, but Bones had convinced me it would be a very bad idea to share that information with anyone, too, even my closest friends. A part of me wondered why I was still listening to him or his dire warnings of my imminent peril, but I couldn’t bring myself to go against him, either, not until I knew for sure.
But yes, I’d considered making an exception for Alaric.
Why I hadn’t, given we’d been doing this together for most of the summer, was something I couldn’t entirely explain, even to myself. I kept thinking Ishouldtell him. Alaric was smart, logical, well-read, and came from one of the oldest familiesin Magical Europe. He could probably tell me a lot about my strange primal, what it meant, and why only Bones could see it. But whenever I thought about telling him, I got a strong warning ping in my magic.
Something always whispered “No.”
I couldn’t explain that, either. Or maybe I just didn’t want to.
“Children of Magique,” the Priest whispered. “Your time approaches. We await it eagerly, but everything must be in place before we make the final push. Blessings will be bestowed, for your masters see you, and the black flame rises…”
I winced, remembering the black flame around the crystal primal over Bones’s head.
Why didso muchof it have to remind me of him?
“I don’t know what any of that means,” Alaric said under his breath. “It’s always the same, every time. Have you got what you need?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Do you still want me to try? A real attempt, I mean?”
He winced, and I saw him struggle with my question for a few seconds.
“Yes. I do want you to.” He hesitated. “Be careful. Gods, please, be careful, Leda… but yes, one of us should try. The more you can resonate with the frequency in real time, the more likely you are to succeed. The voice is like a thread to him. The magic, even distorted, is a thread, too. It’s much more direct than a recording. I would do it myself, but I can’t get past that damned––”
“It’s fine.” I waved him off. “It’s totally fine. And we agreed.”
I knew he felt guilty, but if I was going to do this, I couldn’t spend time reassuring him now. That would have to wait until after.
I focused on the Priest.
I counted my breaths down, slowing them each time.
Once I felt my mind anchor into stillness, I mouthed another silent spell, and a thin shield glossed over my aura. I reached out only then,carefully,with a subtle frequency of magic I’d been experimenting with for the past week. I threaded it into the cloud whispering out from behind the masked face.
“Don’t go too far in,’ Alaric said, his voice nervous. “If he feels you––”
“Alaric,” I warned. “I need to concentrate. Unless you’ve changed your mind.”
He fell silent, and after a slight pause, I brought my vibration down to the lowest, stillest frequency I could manage. When everything about me felt totally still, I slid more of myself into those dense strands of magic.
"The instructions are coming now,” Alaric muttered.
I barely heard him.
I barely heard the Priest himself now.
“Giantess four-forty-four,” the masked figure intoned. “Fractal seven-seven-eighteen, the green door awaits. Cormorant four-twelve-twenty-twenty. Chimaera eight, one, seven, four. Viper mantis eight one. Lord clear the way with your mighty horn, for the crow flies late into the night. We need your eyes…”
I continued to follow his magic, holding my breath.
I kept my magical aura utterly silent. I kept my mind empty, wordless.
