Until Ruxnoth.
Until my gorgeous had been damaged by that heathen.
Now as I looked out at him, the worry I saw him trying to quell cut at me.
Last night had been a celebration for us, but also a timeout from all the rest. But with this new day came an unfortunate return to outside reality.
I’d known it would come, but I’d hoped we’d be afforded more time.
“Is it the spell? Did it generate some results while I was sleeping?”
I should have felt it too, though. It had been fashioned to alert us both, even in sleep. But if one of us was asleep, it would be directed at the one already conscious, the path of least resistance, because alerting a sleeping mind took more power and effort.
“No. Not yet. It’s still very early.”
We’d been tasked with investigating possible locations for Ruxnoth’smagical construct,the point at which it connected with the mortal plane. He was drawing from its lifeforce, which accounted for Ambrose detecting a destabilization. However, Ruxnoth was doing so at a meager, barely noticeable rate. The actual destabilization that had been felt had been a result of Ruxnoth initially grafting Sanctus to the mortal plane—the moment of that connection. Since that instance, it had become imperceptible.
More accurately, it appeared imperceptible once he’d taken measures to ensure it remained hidden. Given that he had the ability to perform a particular version of transmutation, those measures weren’t easily discernible. He could alter the physical form, properties, and shape of all sorts of things.
Now, my gorgeous could do something similar with his abilities. He couldwarpthe intent in the magic of others. Briefly.
He had employed that at a powerful scale two decades ago when Sylas had been unwell and accidentally released his most damaging ability, Risen Reckoning. Ambrose had made it impact the environment instead of people—altering its intent.
The similarity to those two abilities was what had given me the idea for the spell we’d finished crafting together yesterday after many days of figuring out the theoretical spellwriting for such an unorthodox thing.
Using the essence of that ability of his, I’d fused it into a spell that drew from the formidable durability and stamina of my own magic that was now sweeping across the supernatural world and searching outunnatural alterations—Ruxnoth’s magic, basically. It would enable us to thereby identify an access point into Sanctus. There were likely several, in fact, if what Ruxnoth had told Winter was fact—that he’d left Sanctus to walk on the mortal plane several times over the years.
“You are concerned about Sylas?” I asked. “What he might do in light of this Winter-Ruxnoth situation?”
“Predominantly Winter.”
“Tiny god? He would never position himself as a threat to either of us. He is my baby brother in essence.”
“Under normal circumstances, no. But Ruxnoth has whispered in his ear. And if Sylas cannot counter that as he clearly intends to do with the apprentice training, Winter could very well unleash that savior complex of his in full force. Given your relationship with him, I know well that you wouldn’t stand for it.”
“You think I would go into battle against Ruxnoth?”
“If you enter into battle, especially one of that magnitude, it will violate the rule of the Guardian Movement and all those occupying seats of power across the realms.”
I swallowed. “I would once again be seen as a threat. They would come for me.”
“For us. I would stand beside you.”
“It won’t come to any of that. Besides, I’m not the only being of True Celestial power.”
“The Haven Initiative Celestials are also prohibited from battle in a similar way to that which you are. And if you are referring to Ariana Martel, she is of pure angelic magic, while Ruxnoth wields a deep perversion of it. It is that perversion that will prove unconquerable for her in all likelihood.”
“It’s only a matter of time before the existence of Ruxnoth and Sanctus gets out and—”
“I know it doesn’t sit right with you that Ariana hasn’t been told, especially with the True Celestial aspect involved. But you also wish to protect Winter. Telling Ariana wouldn’t mean just her being made aware. With her affiliations, it would bring in Ryker Morgan and his Guardian Movement, Jaxon Silver, Mia Snow, Kai Hunter, then the Titanus dragon brothers also. A wealth of high-level magic and abilities wielded by those who will be deeply antagonized by the news of a True Celestial villain running free beyond the Celestial Plane. More than that, with the intention to build his own version of the Celestial Plane here. We must also prepare for the possibility that he could be in possession of Celestial weapons.”
“Like the Wrath of Hades and Valkrith?”
“Yes. Weapons that have the means to kill Celestial beings with a strike through the heart.”
I shook my head. “You need not worry about that aspect. There are no other Celestial weapons.”
“You’re certain?”
