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“Hellyian demon,” Aidric said as he paced the floor.

The Highmage adjusted his glasses. “Demonic possession is possible, although I have never heard of one over such an extensive period of time.”

“Where does that leave us?” Mira asked, feeling like her body was floating now that the heaviness of her magic was removed.

“A demon can only be killed in its true form,” Obryn explained. “Demons tend to latch on to their hosts, and I cannot even begin to fathom what happens after such a long time.”

Aidric stopped his pacing at once. “What are you saying? That Rakkley remains unkillable because there might not be a way to separate him from the Hellyian demon?”

“Possibly.”

In Yharvan, far away from Rakkley, she felt safe. And yet, she could see those red eyes in the back of her mind. Feel that coldness crawling under her skin below her scar.

“What happens if Rakkley depletes his magic?” she asked.

The Highmage pursed his lips. “I suppose it would starve him out. A Hellyian demon can heal flesh, but he has no magic.”

“And how would we accomplish that?” Aidric asked. “Rakkley is an experienced fighter, and he has an army of Feeders and Wielders.”

“He can’t use his powers during the extraction process,” Mira said, remembering the moment Rakkley had begun to cast the interlocking spell.

“Not on others,” Aidric corrected. “He can use them on you.”

“Yes, but what if we reversed the extraction process?” Mira jumped to her feet. “What if I extracted his powers from him? We would weaken him enough to starve out the demon, and he couldn’t attack you.”

Silence hung in the air. Aidric’s eyes were almost black with rage. But all of his powers were meaningless. He couldn’t kill Rakkley. Not until they found a way to destroy his connection to the demon.

She turned to Obryn. “Would that work?”

He pursed his lips. “I suppose so. Literature on power extraction is rather thin, but I have come across several theories—”

“Theories!” Aidric huffed. “Yes, let’s risk her life on theories.”

“I will continue my research,” the Highmage replied. “We won’t rush into anything.” Then he turned to Aidric. “Could you give us the room?”

For a moment, Aidric was motionless, but then he gave a short nod and left. When the door shut behind him, Obryn focused his attention on Mira.

“I don’t know where to begin, whether to reprimand you for your stupidity in going up against the Primemage by yourself or to congratulate you on destroying the amulet.”

She looked down at her muddy shoes, just like they had been on the day she arrived at Ivercrest.

“What will you tell the council?” she asked.

“That the Primemage had Mercer’s amulet, which summoned Rakkley, who killed him.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly, raising her eyes to meet his stern gaze.

He clasped his hands behind his back and walked to the door. Just as he was about to open it, he turned to face her. “As admirable as the success of freeing Mr. Dawson from permanent enthrallment is, I want to remind you not to continue to risk your life for him.”

“Why?”

He paused. “Not everyone can be saved, Miss Winters.”

Did Obryn truly think so poorly of Aidric? The Highmage opened the door, and the cold winter air blasted inside.

As he stepped outside, Mira lifted her chin. “I think you’re wrong.”

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