In spite of everything, in spite of the threat they posed to him and everyone he loved, Winter’s gentle nature stood strong.
“Winter was infected?”
“Yes.”
“Sylas—”
“I know. I’ll give you all the details. And, yes, it’s impacted Winter. I just can’t determine to what extent. Ruxnoth has made that impossible.”
“If he’s made that impossible, then you being able to determine all that about the necromancers working for him… he’d know you could do that.”
“He’s likely trying to influence how I see to this nightmare.”
“You mean, trying to take you out?”
“Perhaps.”
“We suspect you’ll try to siphon their power,” I told Sylas. “You cannot. It will mean your demise. Your goal is to safeguard Winter. You doing that will shatter him.”
“Agreed. If he’s influenced by this bastard like you suspect, brother, losing anyone he cares about so very dearly could be the thing that pushes him toward this maniac. Something said maniac could very well be counting on.”
“Winter told me he loves me,” I spoke. “I’m conveying this to demonstrate that even being infected, Winter is still Winter. Deeply stressed and burdened, but not unduly influenced and merely masking it. He’s stronger than you may believe.”
“Unless something tips that balance,” Kai said, giving Sylas a fierce look.
Sylas blew out a breath. “Iwoulddie.”
“What?” Kai essentially snapped.
“I’ve run the calculations now I have the power levels of all the necromancers, and if I siphoned them to the point of no return for each of them, I wouldn’t survive it.”
“See, that’s what—”
“But there is a way for Win to pull me back. If we prepared for it in advance. And, before you ask, Kai, yes, without harming the Valley.”
“Even then, the risks are beyond.”
“There’s also a way for me to perform Risen Reckoning on Ruxnoth. Wipe him the fuck out utterly.”
“How?” I asked. “A Celestial being with warped magic? And protected by twenty necromancers? You have the means to do that to any pure Celestial, yes? Morien was on his way to doing that twenty years ago against Mia, Jaxon, Cassius, and Cornelius, who were among those holding up that shield against him—before you arrived and defeated him, yes?”
“It’s not even how, it’s you even doing it at all, Sylas. Using Risen Reckoning on the living—just like Morien did. Like you’ve vowed and shown everyone for twenty years that you would never ever do,” Kai warned.
“This. Is. My.Son.”
“If you did this, Winter would be forever tarnished in the eyes of the supernatural world, far worse than he is now,” I stated. “Due to you. It wouldn’t be protecting him, not in the long term. Especially with how desperate Winter is to be accepted.” I held up my hand. “Whatever is determined here needs to keep that in mind. Not just the defeat, but the aftermath. Ideally, a stand needs to be made that reframes Winter in the eyes of the supernatural world. Much like Arianaand Ketheron experienced when they performed the Severance. It forever reframed all that fear toward two insurmountable beings as heroes and protectors of us all.” I strode over to them. “Winter needs to be part of this solution, part of this fight. Not just trained to withstand Ruxnoth’s corruption. Not just as a backup if he is taken again at some point, or things don’t go to immediate plan and he’s pulled into Sanctus.”
“Sanctus?” Kai mused. “That’s what he’s calling his construct? What a fucking ego trip that is.” He eyed Sylas. “I’m guessing that your loves would be calling for the same thing Vaxan is—empowering Winter in this, not fighting the battle for him.”
“Yes,” Sylas gritted. “Something I’m trying to stick to. But things don’t always go to plan, do they?”
“So this is your last-resort thinking in play?”
Sylas nodded.
“These are beyond last resorts,” I said.
Kai winced. “Actually, they’re not—for Sylas. Par for the course, unfortunately. And on steroids because it’s his son.”
