“The other day was field repair. Emergency measures to buy time." He straightened, and those dark eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her breath catch. "Today we work on permanent solutions."
The central ward-stone loomed nearly six feet above the floor, its surface etched with symbols that pulsed with light. Smaller stones cascaded from it at varying heights, each connected by those chains that created an oddly beautiful pattern.
Elegant and probably lethal if mishandled.
"Multiple ward-locks operating in sequence," she observed, following the channels across the floor. "Designed to reinforce each other."
"Precisely. But the synchronization requires..." He paused, his gazestill fixed on her. "More intensive collaboration than our previous work."
The way he said 'intensive' made anticipation tighten low in her stomach.
She studied the raised platforms scattered throughout the hall, noting their positioning relative to the hanging stones. "How much more intensive?"
"The primary controls are here." He stepped onto a platform directly beneath the central stone, where control panels emerged from the floor like metallic petals unfolding. "But the secondary adjustments need to be made simultaneously from various points throughout the hall."
Which meant they'd be working in coordination across a space the size of a small cathedral, with her manipulating delicate mechanisms while he controlled the primary flows. The level of trust required was considerable.
And probably exactly why he'd chosen this exercise.
"And if we're not perfectly synchronized?"
"Catastrophic feedback that will either destroy the ward-stones or drain enough life force to kill us." His tone was matter-of-fact. "Probably both."
Wonderful. Because nothing in this realm could be straightforward.
She climbed onto the nearest platform, examining the crystalline controls that emerged from its surface when she approached. Beautiful mechanisms that responded to touch, their surfaces warm against the chamber’s chill.
"How do we maintain coordination across this distance?"
"My shadows will guide you." His expression remained neutral, but something in his voice had shifted. "But they'll need to maintain contact throughout the entire process."
Not the brief touches of their previous training, but a sustained connection while they worked through complex magic that could kill them both.
"How extended?"
"The full sequence takes approximately an hour to complete properly."
An hour. With his shadows wrapped around her hands, guiding her movements, maintaining that constant awareness of his presence and power.
She glanced across the hall at him, noting the way his shadows moved restlessly around the platform like they were already anticipating the contact.
This is fine. This is just magical training.
Except the heat building in her chest suggested otherwise.
"Let's begin with the first configuration," she said, proud of how steady her voice sounded.
XXX.
BRYNN
She positioned herself at the first secondary station. The moment his gloved hands touched the primary controls, ward magic surged through the channels beneath her feet, glowing blue. It carried his signature with it. That dark undercurrent she'd learned to recognize, threaded through the ancient power like he couldn't touch anything without leaving a mark.
"Can you see the energy flows?" he asked.
She studied the crystalline controls in front of her, watching as threads of light began weaving between them. "Yes. There's a pattern forming, but it's..." She frowned, tracking the magical current. "The left side is running stronger than the right."
"Adjust the left crystal to compensate. Quarter turn counterclockwise."
