“Yes. With the knowledge imbued in me from many True Celestials as per a facet of my makeup, I would be aware.”
“Well, that is certainly a relief. One, at least. Although, it does also mean there is now no clear way to terminate Ruxnoth—if anyone could even actually get close enough to deliver a deathblow.”
“Like you are concerned Sylas may try to do regardless? Deliver a deathblow of another sort?”
“He made you give him the magical essence you extracted from Winter—Ruxnoth’s infection.”
“And you don’t think it should be in his hands, not with Winter being Ruxnoth’s target?”
“I know that Sylas has the means to achieve the seemingly impossible and this threat is one such thing. However, with his son a factor, I am duly concerned that he will break from his cautious, toeing-the-line approach he has maintained for the last two decades.”
“And that’s what you think he’s doing with that portion of Ruxnoth’s power? Not just determining Ruxnoth’s specific abilities and any limitations?”
“I think his plan has two stages. First, to siphon all those necromancers under that abomination’s charge, rendering them inoperable and utterly powerless forevermore. Second, while channeling all that power, fuse Ruxnoth’s essence into a version of Risen Reckoning that will be able to force him into the Valley of the Dead.”
I choked. “No. We’re talking about twenty necromancers, some we know to be of significant power sets, close to Sylas. If he did that, he’d—”
“He’d perish. Especially if he then channeled all that power into Risen Reckoning—something he absolutely cannot do. That spell cannot be used on the living by him. Not after what happened before, not after Morien.”
“Sylas knows the world needs a highly-capable and trained necromancer.”
“Hence him also agreeing to train Winter, despite concerns that Ruxnoth’s manipulations have impacted him. Not just toempower him, but to be his replacement. Sylas knows we could bridge the gap after he’s gone and get Winter close enough to Sylas’ level.”
“Cassius would have gathered this too. He’s been keeping an eye on Sylas’ lab work. And Remnant is highly intuitive.”
“But do either of them have the means to actually stop him?”
“He won’t just leave his family, Ambrose.”
“He also won’t allow his son to be stolen away for eternity.”
I sat up and leaned against the headboard, scrubbing my hand over my face. “You’re getting at something… you wouldn’t let this happen, I know you.”
He sat up with me and clasped my hand over the sheets. “Once we determine the location of Sanctus, if I can reach through Winter’s connection to Ruxnoth, I could then use that to lock onto that heathen deep within the magical construct. I could establish an anchoring point through which to direct a flood of black magic. In doing so, I could also trap him there, even fuse him with the construct itself, making both him and the entity inert.”
A rare curse escaped me at his incredibly intelligent plan. “I don’t say this often, butwow. Wow,my gorgeous.”
“Well, you do happen upon that word whenever you come for me, and so very beautifully, I might add.”
I chuckled and slapped his chest. “Stop.”
He leaned in and nipped at my ear, then licked the lobe, sending a tremble through me.
I knew what he was doing.
“I’m okay. So long as we link before this plan comes to pass.”
“You wish me to channel you?”
“Of course. Because we’ve been physically connected several times—and, you know, also that blood thing that happened a couple of times too when my vampire facet made itself known in our early days of lovemaking—we don’t need to be touching foryou to channel me. So long as we form a link beforehand, you can call on it whenever you need.”
“I don’t like the idea of doing that.”
“I know, but I don’t like the idea of you draining yourself to the point of death.”
He jolted at the severity of my words.
Then he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against him, draping his body around mine, covering me with his warmth, grounding me.
