“Blood has been experimented with in the past by other Fae, as we know mostly from the histories with the witches. But the complexity and scale of this ward, blood alone wouldn’t be enough.”
Hope deflated in my chest, and I sighed as I pulled out a weathered chair and straddled it.
Julian looked pitifully in my direction as he started to pick up the fallen papers.
I glanced back at Gunnar, and watched as he stroked his long, gray beard. His eyes refocused on me, and something flickered across his gaze. Turning sharply, Gunnar strode away and began to pace in the middle of the room.
“Let's say this theory does work. We would need an extraordinary amount of blood. Far beyond what any one person would be able to give.” Gunnar’s robe swished at his feet as he continued to pace. “But…”
Julian stopped picking up the scattered papers and turned to watch Gunnar pace, listening intently.
“But maybe there is a loophole…” Gunnar muttered, almost to himself.
Hope sparked again in my chest. “Yes, a loophole,” I said quickly, and Gunnar stopped pacing, his gaze returning to mine thoughtfully.
“That’s what that witch Lana said she used to escape our dungeons,” I explained. “A loophole, and I thought…” My chest tightened as I trailed off. I'm still not sure what I thought, but I continued anyway. “I think it has to do something with blood.”
Gunnar resumed his pacing, and Julian eyed me as he took a seat at the table across from me, his focus fixed on Gunnar.
“Again, in theory, if Lana were to have your blood, she might have been able to trick the wards into believing she was you, if only briefly.”
My fingers tightened on the chair, the wood creaking beneath the pressure.
“It's not impossible,” Gunnar whispered. “She is your half-sister. You come from a similar bloodline and, from what you have reported, she seems to have a similar power signature. Different, of course, but equally powerful.” Gunnar stopped pacing and turned fully toward us. “If she were to have mixed your blood with hers, she might have been able to confuse the ward. It wouldn’t have worked for long, just a second, enough for her to shadow away.”
My heart was thundering at this theory, but my face fell. “I don’t think she can shadow; besides, how would she have gotten my blood?”
The room was silent for a beat, and then Julian spun shouting suddenly.
“They stabbed you!” Julian said it with such gleeful force that it made Gunnar and I both jump. “I bandaged you up that night! Was it her? Did Lana stab you?” Julian's eyes were practically saucers within his dark frames, and they had a wild glint to them.
“No,” I replied softly, frowning, trying to remember that night. “It wasn’t Lana. It was...some burly woman. But Lana was half-pinned under a tree near where it happened. She could have picked up the dagger, but I can’t say for certain. I didn’t check.”
“If these events played out as we are theorizing,” Gunnar stated, “then we might be able to do the same with the ward. Not bring it down, but at the very least get past it.”
“What are we waiting for?” Julian shouted, pulling out a long, jagged dagger from fates knew where. “Let's test this!”
Julian cut a large gash down his palm and started practically running at me, lifting the blade.
“Whoa!” Jumping from my chair, I shadowed behind him, watching as Julian’s foot caught on his robe and he toppled over, crashing into the chair I had been sitting in seconds ago.
I winced as he fell to the floor with a smack, the dagger bouncing off the stone floor in a clatter and sliding away from him.
“Julian,” Gunnar scolded, striding toward him. “Your blood and his would not work. Didn’t I just explain that her blood might have only worked because they are from the same bloodline, the same power signature?”
Gunnar loomed over Julian, who was on the ground. Julian lowered his head like a child caught doing something wrong, but then he snorted. “Well, I guess we can thank our lucky stars for that,” he said, a smirk directed my way as he got to his feet. He glanced sheepishly at Gunnar, scratching the back of his curly blond hair. “Sorry,” he mumbled, “I'm just tired.”
“We're all tired,” Gunnar sighed, and now that he was closer, I saw how pale his face was. “It's a good theory, but we can test it tomorrow. I think we could all use some rest.”
*
The early morning sun streamed in through the large wall-to-ceiling window of the dining hall, casting a golden glow on the rolling landscape. Hills and lakes shimmered in the lowlight. Everyone was seated at the table, heads bowed and bodies slumped. From the look on their exhausted faces, I knew no one had gotten proper rest last night.
Theo and Dedra were leaving to travel back to the ward today, and my stomach twisted with guilt for not joining them, yet again. But we had to test this theory, and unfortunately, that meant I needed to pay a visit to my uncle.
As I ate at the head of the table, my gaze swept over my friends. Gunnar was yawning and idly pushing food around his plate, lost in thought. To his left, Theo was shoveling a bizarre mix of bacon, eggs, oats, and what appeared to be jam into his mouth like a ravenous beast. Julian, sitting opposite, had paused his own meal to watch Theo with a scrunched-up face as he continued to cram more food in. Dedra had also paused to look at her brother and Theo finally seemed to notice our stares.
Theo, looking surprised, dropped his spoon into his bowl and looked at all of us. “What?” he mumbled through a mouthful of food.
