It was rather like taking a unicorn horn while it was still attached. There were creatures dumb enough to try. And sadly, unicorn horns were a treasured magical item that held a lot of power within them.
As did the flesh of creatures born from magic.
She didn’t even want to know what her own skin would be worth. Relic Hunters were a terrible thing. They all should be rounded up and gutted. Especially those who preyed on children.
“How do you break anaþaswerecontract that was transferred to elfin skin?”
“With great care,” she said. “That is if it can be undone.” She jerked her chin toward the morbid piece. “Burning won’t work. It could even backfire and cause the signers to die. Without knowing the spell, I don’t think I can undo it.”
“A spell you can’t undo? I didn’t think that was possible.”
“Improbable doesn’t mean impossible.”
“What should we do?”
She fingered the lettering. A chill from it shot up her arm and into her mind, she saw the moment theaþaswereallowed the ink to flow from his skin to the new document. There was life in that ink.
Life in the parchment.
Strange how that essence had a very particular smell. Like citrus soaked in brandy. Unmistakable. Pungent even. It was how she could track others without her potions. How she trained her potions to seek living creatures.
That unique essence.
“To break this, you’ll have to divide it.”
Masakage arched a brow. “How so?”
“I’m not sure. My guides are trying to tell me, but something is muzzling them.” Her ears buzzed as she tried to push past the interference.
Her brother took her elbow to steady her. “Are you all right?”
“Not sure,” she whispered. And she wasn’t. Something was very off about all this. She felt her eyes flood with heat, which meant they were now glowing orange. “He’s taken money from two monarchs. He was supposed to end the contract. But his goal is to make money.”
She turned toward Masakage. “They intend to kill you and Xaydin. Gisela will be a hostage, and if her mother refuses to pay for her, Gisela will be killed as well.”
“Do you see where his partner is?”
Cocking her head, she let her two shadowy guides lead her through shifting scenes that blurred together. This was the part she always hated. It was so hard to filter all the information bombarding her. Images flashed and blurred so quickly that often she had no idea what she was looking at or what her guides were trying to tell her.
“I see him…” But she couldn’t quite hone in on where he was. “He’s strong.”
“No one’s stronger than you are.”
She appreciated her brother’s confidence in her abilities, but it didn’t change the fact that she couldn’t push through the haze. Diflyn wasn’t the fool he pretended to be. His powers were formidable.
“He wants vengeance on Dash.”
Masakage widened his eyes. “Pardon?”
“Diflyn was among your group…but kept outside it. He has a personal grudge against the lot of you. Dash in particular. He feels as if you abandoned him by not allowing him to be an Outlaw. He not only wants to prove himself worthy… He wants to destroy all of you.”
And with that, she had to pull out before she caused herself permanent brain damage. As it was, her head pounded a second heartbeat that pumped pain all throughout her body.
She could barely keep her eyes open against the piercing light that sent shards of agony into her brain.
Masakage swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bed where he gently laid her down. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you ill.”
Grateful that he understood the toll her powers took, she patted him warmly on his arm. “Anything for you.”
