kill so they can eat death magic and stay . . . I guess alive isn’t the right word. So they can continue. And they can’t be killed.”
A puff of feeling arrived, almost like a contemptuous mental snort. The priest is not right about everything. In the past it has taken an Old One to create any form of the undying. I do not believe abysmally ignorant spellcasters of a backwater realm succeeded in doing so.
“That’s telling all of us,” Lily said dryly. “I’m not about to get a big head now. But these dopplegängers may be hard to kill.”
Possibly. If so, Sam suggests you obtain possession of the focus.
“You’ve told all this to Sam and the other dragons?”
Of course. We have informed most of the Shadow Unit, also.
“By focus,” Cullen said, “are you talking about the artifact used to make the dopplegängers?”
Yes. You will need to destroy it. Ah. Sam has reminded me of something.
“Is Sam listening to us now?” Rule asked.
Sam is monitoring several situations. Be quiet while I speak with Lily Yu. Lily Yu, you will be unable to absorb power from the dopplegängers or the amulet. Sam believes it is best you are aware of this so you can plan your tactics properly.
“I wouldn’t want to try. It’s death magic, isn’t it? Ugh.”
Your understanding is as dangerously inadequate as Sam suspected. Absorbing death magic would turn you into a creature we would have to hunt down and kill. Sam believes that under sufficient stress—to save Rule Turner, perhaps, or the lives of young children—you would violate this ban. To ensure you do not, during our recent session I created a barrier.
“You did what?”
Do not be alarmed. I am young for such advanced and delicate work, but I did an excellent job. I am unusually skilled at perceiving and manipulating the . . . bah. Your language lacks a word for this. I refer to the interface between power and physicality. I cannot manipulate your Gift directly without destroying you, but I was able to place a barrier in this interface. You are still able to use your Gift in the way normal for you, but you will not be able to pull power from others.
Lily was on her feet. “This was Sam’s idea?” she demanded. “Sam wanted you to do this? Without asking me—you deceived me, tricked me—”
It is unlikely you would give permission without a great many explanations we were and remain unable to offer. I tell you now so you can plan accordingly. Oh, and I will need to remove it later, or your Gift will burn itself out attempting to override the barrier. Now I must go. I have a great deal of distance to cover by dawn.
“What? What do you mean, you’re going?”
Neither I nor any of the dragons in North America will be available to pass on messages for two or three days.
“Mika!” Rule was on his feet, too. And furious. “You’re leaving at a critical time, and without notice or explanation! Is this the way allies support each other?”
The mental voice was fainter. I regret the lack of notice. I have trouble differentiating threads in . . . from the not-now. I had intended to give you more . . . as well, perhaps. You would have . . . quite annoying. I am nearly out of range, so . . .
And that was it. Mika was gone.
“Son of a bitch.” Rule spat out the last word.
“Has everyone been messing with my head?” Lily was so angry she was shaking. “The Lady, the dragons—is there a sign on my head that says ‘please tamper with my brain?’ ”
Cullen leaned back in his chair, frowning. “Once the two of you are done cursing the damned know-all, see-all, tell-nothing dragons, we might try to figure out why they’re taking off so suddenly. It isn’t for one of their sing-alongs. They wouldn’t have kept that a secret until the last moment.”
Lily drew a shaky breath. She was okay. At least she thought she was. How could she tell anymore? “What’s to figure? We don’t have anything to go on.”
“We know Mika’s traveling a long way, but expects to get there by dawn.”
“Do you know how fast a dragon can fly? I sure don’t.”
“There were fighter jets pacing the dragons when we returned from Dis.”
She remembered. In retrospect, it didn’t make sense. How could wings carry dragons anywhere near as fast as a jet? Even if those jets were intentionally going well below their