“Then we would have to find Danutians who were willing to give up pieces of themselves—pieces of their asha and magic—to refill the Heart of Air should it also be wounded,” Farinne concluded.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Salien said. “Shielding the heart would only require asha but as it would be temporary, we don't believe the price is worth the risk.”
“So, we're back to searching Danu,” my grandfather said.
“We believe we can help with that, Your Majesty.” Master Erlandral stepped forward to address his king. “The thief now has an excess of Earth magic. We should be able to construct a device that can locate such a person.”
“A device?” Uncle Nial asked in surprise. “Like a magic sensor?”
“Yes, precisely, Your Highness,” Erlandral agreed. “We could possibly make a sensor that will scan large areas for an excess of Earth magic. Or of any magic, for that matter.”
“Then, by all means, do so.” Everan waved his hand imperiously toward the mages. Then he looked around the table. “Unless any of you oppose this idea?”
The Royalty of Danu was in agreement—the mages were our best shot for finding the thief and I was our best shot for getting the stolen magic back. So, the Royals went back to their kingdoms, the mages went to work, and I was left to wait and stew in my diminished magic.
Chapter Twenty
The mages from the other kingdoms stayed behind to help our mages create the device and the other royals promised to send more mages to bolster their ranks. Hopefully, they'd soon have something to help us find the magic thief. But until then, there was nothing to do but twiddle our thumbs.
A day passed and then another with no sign of the device's completion. I decided to take a quick trip to Earth to let Cyprian, Malik, and Kyrian know that I was all right. I left my lodestone with Everan so he could summon me back if the mages finished their work before I returned. Then I twisted to my townhouse bedroom.
The bedroom was empty but the scent of exotic spices wafted up from the kitchen and the sound of sizzling came with it. I followed my nose and as I started down the stairs, I heard Kyrian and Malik's voices. I grinned, delighted to have caught both of them there. Then I heard what they were saying and frowned.
“What in Hell's name are you doing?” Malik growled.
“What the recipe says,” Kyrian replied calmly.
“But that's just... disturbing.”
“It's the whey separating from the milk.”
“It's disgusting, is what it is. Is it supposed to be green?”
“It's not green. That's what whey looks like.”
“Well, I'm not eating that.”
“You don't eat the whey, you eat the rest of it.”
“I'm not eating stuff that comes out of green gunk either.”
“It's just cheese!” Kyrian huffed. “For Heaven's sake, you're a Bleiten and you're afraid of cheese? What are you, lactose intolerant?”
“I'm gross-food intolerant,” Mal shot back.
“This is how you make cheese. And I know you love cheese.”
“Not that weird soup cheese you're making.”
“If you'll just move your massive ass out of the way, I could strain this and it wouldn't be soup cheese, it would just be cheese.”
“Even the name is disgusting,” Mal's voice held a grimace.
“Soup cheese is not its name! You just made that up. It's called paneer.”
“Pan ear?” Malik asked in horror. “What kind of ears did you use? Is that what makes it that color?”
I crept down the stairs with my lips pressed together to hold back my laughter and then peered around the corner. The men were stuffed into my small kitchen—Kyrian in front of a pot on the stove while Malik blocked the sink. I don't think Malik meant to block the sink access, the kitchen was simply that small and the men that big.
