I wanted to tell Niki how ridiculous that was, but kept my opinions to myself. I wasn’t a warlock. It wasn’t my culture to criticize. What I could do was educate. “Magic is eternal. It’s a type of energy. It cannot be created or destroyed. It can be changed and manipulated, but it will never disappear.”
Niki’s heart beat steadily beneath my palms, its rhythm a little faster than typical but not alarming. Staring over my shoulder, Niki’s gaze appeared wonderous—like a child who’d just learned something that broke their world wide open.
Arms wrapping around me, Niki pulled me close, his chin resting on my head. “Thank you.” Niki sounded almost breathless. “I can’t tell you what that means to me, the comfort that brings me. I…other warlocks would most likely find my concerns inane but hearing that magic is eternal is comforting.”
My body tingled pleasantly as the magic surrounding Niki merrily vibrated. I was never certain how sentient Magic truly was. Perhaps it simply reacted to the feelings of those it was nearest. I honestly didn’t know. All I knew was that right now, the magic was nearly as joyous as the warlock it surrounded.
I snuggled in, happy as a social pixie who’d just racked up ten thousand likes on a social media page. I rubbed my cheek against Niki’s chest, marking my territory.
We could have stayed like that for hours. Well, maybe nothours, but a few minutes at least. Unfortunately, we still had a gaudy piece of nastily twisted magic to deal with.
Niki must have had the same thought because with a reluctant sigh, he pulled away and turned his attention to the swan covered black envelope. Those gold swans glinted maliciously in the overhead lighting, making me wonder, “Why swans?”
Niki huffed. “Gaia knows, because I don’t have a clue. It’s been swans since I was a child. I can’t speak to anything before that.”
“That’s the first thing we’ll change when you’re head of the Warlock Council.”
“Yes of—what? I have no desire to be?—”
“The best leaders rarely desire the position. That’s what makes them effective.” I was no politician, but you pick up a few things over the centuries. “Look at Tenzen.”
“I’d rather not.” Niki’s tone was frosty.
“I’m aware. What I’m saying is that he started the Magical Usage Council. Tenzen craved power and look where that got all of us. Are you going to stand there and tell me that Warlock Stefan Danzig didn’t desire his position?”
Niki’s lips twisted as if he’d sucked a lemon through a straw. “He campaigned rather aggressively for the position.”
I crossed my arms, tails flicking. “Proving my point.” Two leaders didn’t exactly make for blanket assessment, but I could easily go back through history and point out more if Niki wanted.
“Regardless, I do not want to be head of the Warlock Council. I can think of no worse punishment in life than that. I do not believe Gaia would be that cruel.”
I wasn’t so certain about Gaia, but I knew, down to the tips of my clawed toes, that, assuming there was still a Warlock Councilat the end of all this mess, that Niki would be sitting at its head, leading the way and cleaning house.
Deciding to table that volatile discussion, I circled the kitchen counter, poking a claw at the envelope. It didn’t so much as twitch. For all intents and purposes, being ugly appeared to be its deepest remaining sin.
“Is it safe to touch now?” Niki asked.
I shrugged. “If you’re asking if it will physically hurt you, then it’s safe as a newborn kitten. I’m not so certain about the emotional damage.” Niki seemed to be made of sturdier stuff and most likely wouldn’t be heartbroken by whatever horrid words were written within. Most likely it would piss him off more than truly upset him.
Niki started to reach for the envelope but stayed his hand. “What was it meant to do?”
“Before I liberated the magic?”
Niki’s lips twitched as he fought a smile. “Before that. You said you doubted Alistair was as far away as I imagined. What did you mean by that?”
I inhaled before releasing that breath in a huff. I may not be a witch or warlock, but I’d seen enough spells over the years to understand the threads of this one. “It would have incapacitated you.” Fury surged through me at the very thought of something so vile happening to my warlock.
“Incapacitated how?”
Looked like Niki wanted details. “It would have separated you from the magic always surrounding you—almost like a force field. That was the first layer. The second would have stopped your heart. I think that was only meant to be temporary, but I can’t be certain. The last layer would have temporarily bound your abilities. I can’t say if Alistair knew everything that would happen, but I’d wager he knew it was meant to make you easyprey. All he would have had to do was wait for you to break the wax seal and fall to the ground.”
Instead of paling, red crept up Niki’s neck, flushing his cheeks. Just as I’d thought, he was pissed. “What if I’d opened it behind my wards? Even incapacitated, Alistair wouldn’t have been able to reach me.”
I shrugged. “You might have.”
A muscle in Niki’s cheeks twitched. “But you don’t think so.” It wasn’t a question.
I took a moment to stare him down. “What do you think? Would you have tucked it into your pocket and driven up to the house, or would you have ripped into the thing right then and there in front of Alistair?” I cocked my head to the side, waiting to see if Niki would admit what I already knew, what Danzig had been counting on.
