Sylas flexed his fingers, staring into space for several moments. The war taking place all over him was gut-churning, honestly.
Then he looked at me. “Winter said those words to you?”
“He did. And I to him.”
Emotion welled in his eyes. “Well, then.” A smile spread over his face.
A spark.
Of hope.
“Risen Reckoning is off the table. Never to be used on the living.” He ground his jaw. “Even that parasitic Celestial.”
“Thank fuck,” Kai breathed. “Taking you down is not something I want to be doing.”
Sylas eyed him. “You taking me down? Hilarious.”
“Sylas, I’m not—”
Sylas held up a hand. “No, I get it, Kai. Injecting some levity into all this hell… great call.”
Kai shook his head. “Motherfucker.”
“And the siphoning?” I pushed, obviously needing to ask. For Winter.
“Last resort.”
Curses.
As Kai and I both started to protest, he cut in, “Win’s come a long way in a short amount of time training with me. There’s a lot he can do. I just… need to let him.” He fisted his hand. “Not ‘let’ him… step back. A little. Maybe more than a little.”
“Wow, that was like pulling teeth, but at least we got there,” Kai commented.
“On to problem-solving the spellwork actually in play now, then,” I said. “The anti-Celestial fusion spell.”
Sylas gave a nod. “Yeah.”
“I can’t keep this from Winter for long,” I warned.
“I know,” Sylas said with a kind smile. “Me neither.”
“Just until the spellwork is solidified?”
“Until we know we have something,” Kai cut in. “Otherwise, if this can’t be handled discreetly, quickly, and without those already in the know sustaining harm, we have to open this up—Ari and V at least.”
“Agreed,” Sylas said. “Speaking of those already in the know, I’m gonna bring in Cassius right now with this spellwork.”
“To test it on him?” Kai asked.
“What? No. You think I’d let somebody I love be tested on? With this shit, too? A spell meant for a True Celestial—tested against a Fallen?”
“I’m thinking he’d insist if it can help with this situation, help his son. Familiar sentiment, huh?”
“Kai.”
“We’ll use some of the Celestial magic Vaxan has in his possession to test it on.”
“You havewhat?”Sylas exclaimed.
