“Yes, Sir,” the knights said.
“Good enough?” Az asked Ekwensu.
“I guess,” Ekwensu muttered as he looked around. “You look like you've been through some shit. I suppose that's enough.”
“He chose your face for a reason,” I said to Ekwensu. “I don't believe for one second that you are completely innocent. So, take the win.”
Ekwensu grimaced, then turned and walked away. The knights went with him.
“We don't know anything for certain,” Odin said as he watched Ekwensu leave. “But from what we have to go on, it's a reasonable assumption that the trickster took Katila's magic.”
“How did he do it?” someone asked.
I'm not sure who asked the question because I was focused inward. Something was bugging me. The gleam at the trickster's throat. What was it? Right. A crystal point. And it looked familiar. Why did it . . .
“I know how he did it,” I whispered.
“What's that, Minn Elska?” Trevor asked.
“I think I know how the trickster took Katila's magic.”
I had everyone's attention again.
“Odin, did you ever check on your valuables?” I asked.
“My valuables?” Odin scowled. Then his expression smoothed. “No. I didn't check on them. You were taken, so I rushed home before I looked.”
“I think you'll find that the magic condenser is missing.”
“The magic condenser,” Odin whispered. Then, “Damn it all!”
“What's a magic condenser?” Anubis asked.
“It belonged to Nuada once,” I said. “A gift from High King Cian. It unites god magic. Bres used it to free the Fomorians.”
“But you have it now?” Lucifer asked Odin.
“Not if Vervain's suspicions are correct,” Odin muttered as he headed for the tracing room. “I'll be right back.”
“This condenser, it can give one god's magic to another?” Samael asked.
“No, that's not its purpose,” I said. “It unites magic. But if the trickster was uniting their magic at the time of Katila's death, I imagine Katila's magic would flow into him. Magic doesn't want to die.”
“So now the trickster has Jehovah's tablets, the Pasha, a fey magic condenser, Katila's magic of going ghost, and all the power and magic Katila stole from the Yamadutas of Naraka,” Blue summed up.
Several people cursed.
“But you have your dagger back, right, Anubis?” I asked.
“Yes.” Anubis tapped the dagger strapped to his thigh. “And I'm not letting it out of my sight.”
“Oh, well, if he has his dagger back, then it's all fine,” Horus drawled.
Before I could respond, one of the citadel knights slipped through the crowd, calling out, “Your Majesty! Azrael! Queen Vervain! You need to see this!”
The way parted for the knight. Azrael and I went to meet him halfway.
“What is it, Gress?” Azrael asked.
