“Well, when you get back topside, you’re gonna feel that from them up there as well,” Fiona said. “The Dracoryn Realm, especially, after what you did for them.”
“I suppose.” I’d just done what had been needed.
Wesley gave my shoulder a squeeze, then addressed them, “I was going over the mechanics of the Fuel Core bonding with Winter. Specifically, what will happen during the transference and the point at which he will be vulnerable.”
“Which Ruxnoth will use well,” Philip said.
“Indeed,” Wesley confirmed. “His promises to Winter about the partnership Winter was able to tame him with will break.”
“And as I’ve said, I’ll be able to stop him,” I assured them.
Off their looks, Wesley explained, “Winter has formed a hold on him.”
“How?” a bunch of them asked in unison.
Before I could get a word out, Rex’s eyes shot wide. “The veins you were healing of his? He was so desperate and also knowing he’s so close to getting what he’s wanted for two decades, he didn’t question it enough… you’re using that to get a hold on him?”
“It’s connected to that, yeah. But during the point when I’m vulnerable, I have to send out a pulse to Ambrose Wisteryn. I can’t then pull on the‘hold’I have on him, do that, and also take an attack from Tiberia and Matteo.”
My allies here with me had warned me that those two were planning to punish me tonight once I bonded with the Fuel Core. With my nature, they all knew it wouldn’t kill me or hurt Sanctus, so they considered it a free-for-all on me to hurt me. Badly, from the intel these guys had gathered for me.
“It’s gonna be Ansel now, too,” Felix confirmed, because that tank of a guy’s involvement in coming at me had been up in the air beforehand. “He’s wanted a piece of you since you got down here.” He screwed up his face. “In every way.” Aliya made a gagging sound, and he stroked her nape. “I know, darling, it’s fucked. And, yeah, it’s some revenge against your dad, Win. And now also in honor of his sugar daddy in Ruxnoth. You taking control and influencing Ruxnoth has got Ansel all up in arms.”
“None of them will harm Winter,” Wesley asserted. “As I discussed with him, we’ll coordinate our timing so that the moment Winter delivers that pulse to Ambrose, I will incapacitate all three of them. The five of you will briefly fuse your power, breach Sanctus, and send a necromantic call toSylas. Winter was intending for Sylas to latch onto his father-son bloodline necromantic link between them, but said link has only just been restored, so it could be unsteady, unable to take pressure of this magnitude. With Winter being strained by the Fuel Core, it also poses issues.”
“We’ve got it in the bag,” Felix confirmed, and a collective confirmation rang out.
“He’s gonna get us out, right?” Aliya asked me. “Sylas, I mean? We’ll be death-tethered when this place starts going down—helpless and fallen literally on the freaking ground here—while our spirits are held hostage by him in the Veil. You’ll be compromised, so you won’t be able to help.”
“He’s gonna do a mass-teleportation.”
“You’re sure?” Rex pressed.
“I’m sure. He knows I won’t leave if you’re trapped down here.” I sighed. “And, yes, even those against us.”
“Cutie pie,” I heard Felix call me to Aliya and Philip, to which they chuckled.
“Certainly is,” Rex said.
“All right,” Wesley spoke, his voice cutting through it, before more chatter started up. “We are all aligned and prepared, well aware of our respective tasks. Anything else that you wish to voice?”
Everyone shook their heads, agreed that things had been covered.
“Excellent,” Wesley said, swinging his head toward the door. “Because the loyalists are leaving the Center of Sealed Knowledge now.”
Yeah, he’d tagged them, and I’d managed to keep that off their radar with a little illusionary magic I’d infused to his spell.
“They’ll be getting ready to be briefed by Ruxnoth. He’ll be done with his restorative session in ten minutes,” Rex informed us.
All on schedule.
“Scatter,” Felix said.
“Indeed,” Wesley agreed.
Smiles, nods, chin lifts and the like came my way. Then in several eruptions of teleportation, they all took off to where they needed to be.
I drew in a breath and sank onto the couch.
