Alec made an abortive gesture.
"Not that I wanted him anymore, and I'm much happier without him," I said quickly, flashing a quick smile at Alec. "But still, she stole him from me! Angels don't do that!"
"She is a vessel," Terrin said, his warm brown eyes doing a little twinkle thing at me. "She serves mortals."
I thought about that for a moment. "You're saying she took Dermott from me because . . ." My gaze shifted to Alec, enlightenment dawning in the dusty hallways of my mind. "Because I was going to meet Alec?"
"Because you are a Beloved, and you have a moral code that would not allow you to fulfill that role if you were bound to another man," Terrin said, hiding his smile in the cup of tea.
"I can't help but be a little annoyed with the fact that she thought she'd just come along and manipulate my life like that," I said, feeling disgruntled and somewhat betrayed. "I thought she really loved him. I thought he was better off with her. I thought I was doing the right thing by giving them my blessing."
Terrin shrugged. "She most likely does love him. Her job would not have required her to marry him, so I assume she felt they had a future together. And just for the record, no member of the Court takes it upon themselves to manipulate mortals. We may guide now and again, but in the end, the choice of what path your life takes is entirely yours."
My gaze went again to Alec, whose mouth was tilted up on either end in the very faintest of smiles.
You look smug.
I do not feel smug. I feel grateful.
Grateful that I let my inner devil have her way and hook up with you?
Grateful that Diamond had the foresight to separate you from your ex-husband. Did you love him?
When we were first married, yes. But it wasn't the sort of love that had much depth to it, and before six months were up, I knew I'd made a mistake.
"That's all and well, not that I mean to make light of your relationship with your ex-husband, Cora, but what, exactly, do you expect Cora to do to get her friend out of the Akasha?" Pia asked Terrin. "Are you going to . . . for lack of a better word . . . use her?"
"Would that I could," Terrin said, looking even more tired. "But although one Tool by itself is powerful enough to pull most people from the Akasha, a member of the Court is beyond its power. Two Tools, however, should do the trick."
"Are you saying that the Tools can work together?" I asked. "That they can . . . what, chain power or something?"
"That is a very apt way of phrasing it."
"So if two of the Tools together are enough to yank Diamond from the Akasha, what would all three be like?" Pia asked.
Terrin shuddered and closed his eyes. "The three Tools wielded by one person would rock the mortal world. They could cause irreparable damage to any being, mortal or immortal. It would, in short, have a devastating effect the likes of which have not been seen by this world since the creation of Abaddon."
Pia looked at me as if I were a walking time bomb. I knew just how she felt. I looked down at my hands, panic and fear swamping me.
I will let no harm befall you, mi querida. No one will use you in such a way - that, I swear.
But they could, Alec. I could be part of something seriously, unimaginably bad.
I would not allow it, he reassured me, but there was a shadow in his mind that made me feel sick to my stomach.
"So you need us to summon Ulfur in order to get Diamond out, yes?" Pia asked as I was trying to come to grips with my emotions. She glanced at Kristoff. "We'll have to find another lichmaster."
"There is one in France. We will contact her," he answered.
"Won't it be dangerous for Ulfur and me to be together?" I said slowly, leaning into Alec when he sat on the arm of the couch next to me.
"Normally I would agree that it would not be in any way ideal for you to be within close proximity of another Tool, but this is an extraordinary situation." Terrin glanced at his watch again. "The time of acclimation is almost upon her, and that would be most tragic."
What's an acclimation?
I have no idea.
I hate to always be the one asking questions. Your turn.