Fortune Favors the Cruel - Kel Carpenter Page 0,69
of the Norcastan state for several years. A decade or more, I cannot be sure,” he replied. “I think it might have impeded her ascension.”
Thorne sucked in a breath and scowled. “I do not approve of the slave trade, much less the trading of females, Lazarus.”
Lazarus nodded. “I know. Nor do I. She is no longer one, obviously. She is under my employment of her own volition. I assure you.”
Red eyes narrowed for a moment, his thick brows furrowed in disapproval. Lazarus said nothing more as he waited for the Cisean leader to respond.
Finally, Thorne nodded and answered his question. “Several things will happen at once that should help you. First, if the water darkens or begins to churn on its own, it means her power is above average. I have no doubts this will happen, but actual strength is often measured by the stone.”
“How?” Lazarus prompted.
“The Servalis stone is clear. When the water darkens the stone will absorb it. The darker the stone, the stronger the Maji,” Thorne explained. Lazarus nodded. He’d heard rumors of it but wasn’t sure how exactly it worked.
“Anything else?” he asked, already drained and the process hadn’t even begun.
Thorne turned his gaze away, once again looking out to his kin and countrymen. “There will be pain.”
Lazarus frowned. “Explain,” he commanded.
Thorne shot him a dark look, but Lazarus did not back down. He stared back, daring Thorne to test him. Thorne’s lips curled, and he turned fully to face the other man.
“It is clear that your vassal”—he lifted a brow as he spoke the last word before continuing—“is more than an average Maji. First, she is dark. Second, she is a fear twister. Regardless of the spring, she’s survived into adulthood and still hasn’t reached the ascension. That’s unprecedented and should give you great pause in handling her.”
The judgement in his expression had Lazarus gritting his teeth, but he refused to respond to Thorne’s quips about how he was with her. “Her aura leads me to believe she is second to none that reside in this village when it comes to power—even I. Despite what she is, that isn’t why she would feel pain. It’s because the sheer amount of magic she holds inside of her. When the stone leeches her of her power, it will be crippling. She will feel as though she is dying, as if all her life force is being sucked right out of her. In a few instances…” Thorne’s words trailed away as his eyes grew unfocused and his throat tightened.
“In a few instances, in the distant past,” he continued after a moment, “there have been recordings of the stone and the ceremony actually doing so. But if you are careful, that shouldn’t be the case. However, the stronger a Maji is, the more reliant they are on their magic. They often don’t realize it until the ascension, but the stone has a similar effect. Just as the ascension kills half of those that undergo it, not all Maji make it through the waters. Both of these drain the holder of their magic entirely, and only those who are strong enough to survive see it returned. The more powerful the Maji that enters the water, the more pain they will feel when it is gone.”
Lazarus turned his face away from Thorne, frowning as he considered his options. He did not want to cause her pain, but the Cisean spring was one of the easiest ways to do this, and at the moment, the most accessible way of getting what he wanted. She had handled the removal of her brands rather easily, though. Perhaps, it would not be so bad.
And if she could survive this, he would have no doubts about her surviving the ascension.
“Alright,” Lazarus said finally. “Thank you for this. We will leave this afternoon. I came to retrieve the stone, and then I’ll inform my second of my departure.”
Thorne turned, leading Lazarus back into the tree hut. He moved to the entrance of a small room and held his arm out, stopping Lazarus from entering. “Wait here,” he ordered, disappearing inside. Lazarus waited patiently and when Thorne returned, he held a heavy leather satchel.
“The stone is inside,” he said. “But before I hand it over, I desire one more thing.”
Lazarus narrowed his eyes and waited.
“When you leave, I insist you take Vaughn with you. He will lead you out of the mountains and act as an emissary of the Cisean people in your future court.”