Teryn’s mind spun with the information. Weaving. Ancient Elvyn magic. The Roizan. Teryn had witnessed the sorcerer utilize blood in such dark ways. He’d even attempted to kill Teryn with that very magic at Centerpointe Rock. The Roizan, however, he only partially understood. During Cora’s interrogation, she’d told the inquisitors that the creature he’d known as the Beast had a name.Roizan. He’d learned the intel during his own interview. One of many he’d endured to prove Cora’s identity. “What exactly is a Roizan?”
“A Roizan is a creature born from death, a sorcery of the forbidden Arts of the sanguina and ethera—blood and spirit. Neither alive nor dead, it becomes a vessel for magic that can be drawn from at will. It amplified Morkai’s own magic, allowing him to do things he never could have done on his own. Large feats of magic either empty or destroy the Roizan, but the beasts are essential for doing magic beyond one’s means.”
“You said to nullify the enchantment that makes the crystal unbreakable, we would need to reverse the spell he’d placed on it. How the seven devils can we do that?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “I don’t have all the answers yet, but I’m working on finding a way. One thing we’ll need is Morkai’s blood—the blood from his original body. He’ll have some stored somewhere, and we can count on him to retrieve it himself. There are certain spells he won’t be able to cast with the blood from your body alone. He’ll need his own. The second thing we’ll need…”
She paused, expression falling.
“…is the blueprint for the pattern he used to bind the qualities of the crystal to the unicorn horn.”
“Do you have a way of finding this blueprint?”
“Not exactly,” she said with a grimace. “He never showed it to me. He has the power to block me from projecting my ethera outside the crystal. It takes constant focus, so he couldn’t do it all the time, but he must have been doing so when he drew the blueprint. I watched him weave the spell, but I couldn’t see the pattern he used clearly. It was complex. Miniscule from where I stood.”
Teryn rubbed his brow. “How are we to reverse a spell with a pattern we don’t know? How do we reverse a spell at all? Is that something you have the power to do?”
“No, that is not something I can do. You’ll have to be the one to reverse the spell.”
Teryn’s eyes went wide. “I don’t know the first thing about casting magic.”
“You don’t need to. Blood magic follows rules. Patterns. That’s why Morkai relied on it so much. Once we have everything we need, and you’ve strengthened your connection to your cereba as much as you can, you’ll need to take over your body and draw the pattern in reverse using Morkai’s blood. On paper, on a stone, it won’t matter. You simply must reverse the lines he drew. As for the pattern itself…do you remember how I told you I was a seer when I was alive? I still maintain some of my abilities. I can watch my own memories. I’ve been trying to study my memory of Morkai casting the spell, watching it from different angles to see if I can untangle his movements. I’ve also sought the greater Art of seeing, seeking answers from the spiritual plane beyond. I haven’t glimpsed the pattern yet, but…” Her eyes unfocused. “I have seen that we must stay the course. Keep doing what we’re doing.”
“That’s all? Stay the course?”
“It’s an imperfect Art, especially for someone no longer alive. I don’tseeas strongly as I used to. Even if I do manage to catch glimpses with the sight, when it comes to Morkai, everything is shrouded in these tangled…threads. I don’t know what else to call them. All I know is that they’re working against him. So when they pull me forward and tell me to stay the course, I listen.”
Teryn leaned against the doorframe, felt the energy thrum against his back. Gods, no wonder she hadn’t told him this. It didn’t help at all. Perhaps Emylia was used to blind trust when it came to magic, but Teryn still felt lost in this world of fate and blood sorcery. There was so much he didn’t know. So much he didn’t understand. His mind wandered back to the Godskeep, saw Dimetreus draw blood from Teryn’s own throat.
His gaze locked on Emylia’s. “You said you had an inkling about Morkai’s plan in the Godskeep. What were his reasons behind it?”
Emylia held up her hands in a soothing gesture. “If I tell you, you must remember that there’s nothing you can do?—”
“Just tell me,” he ground out.
She folded her hands at her waist. “Morkai’s plan was to destabilize the king and prove to the council that he’s incapable of ruling. The council has made their decision. You know what happens next.”
Teryn’s pulse quickened. “Cora will be forced to ascend to the throne.”
Emylia nodded. “But first she must marry you. Morkai has spoken to the council in your place and has agreed. I don’t know about Cora, but as of now, your marriage contract is set to be signed first thing tomorrow morning.”
It took all of Teryn’s focus not to lose touch with his breathing, with the rapid thud of his heart. “He’s going to marry her…as me. Tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
His voice came out cold. Sharp. “What happened toyou have time, I promise?”
“You still do have time. Maybe not as much as you thought, but enough to do what must be done.”
“I have until tomorrow morning to regain control over my body before he…” He couldn’t say it out loud. No, that would make it too real. Gods, he thought he had a year, not a matter of days. In what world did Emylia consider that enough time?
“He won’t attempt to consummate the marriage, if that’s what you’re worried about. He’ll continue to try and maintain his distance for the time being.”
“Why is he forcing her to ascend to the throne so soon, to finalize the marriage alliance so suddenly?”
“He wanted to act before Cora could catch on,” Emylia explained. “This way, even if she does grow suspicious, he secures his role as king consort while he puts all the other pieces of his plan into place.”
“What is his plan? I know he intends to rule Menah, Khero, and Selay as one, and that he wants to use my marriage to Cora to make that happen, but…how?”
