I stepped forward, dropped a kiss on his cheek, then said, “Just be careful. This is one case where I’m more than happy to have instinct proven wrong.”
“As am I. Go. I’ll get the phone information to you the minute I can.”
We went. A heartbeat later we were once more standing within the halls of the Brindle. The magic reacted immediately, crawling across my skin like electric gnats, its feel sharp. Probing. Kiandra might have recently woven some exceptions into the barrier that protected this place to allow for our comings and goings, but the Brindle wasn’t about to let us enter unchallenged any more than it would evil. And while I wasn’t evil, I was no longer flesh and blood, and the magic was always going to react to that, regardless.
“You were never just flesh and blood.” Azriel caught my hand and tugged me forward. Up ahead, near the door that led into the Brindle’s shadowed inner sanctuary, a tunic-clad witch waited. “Your heritage is Aedh just as much as werewolf, and it is that bloodline which has always allowed you to sense the magic in this place.”
“Just this place?” I queried, remembering my reaction to the sacred site where Tao had consumed the fire spirit to save Ilianna’s life.
Azriel glanced at me. “Neither Aedh nor reaper can enter that place. That the magic lets you pass rather than forbid your entry is something I cannot explain.”
“Risa, Azriel,” the brown-haired witch said softly, as we approached. “Please follow me.”
She turned and led us through the door, then down a flight of stairs to a hall that was lined with darkly stained timber and filled with shadows. Sconces flickered on as we approached, then went dark once we’d passed, fueled by magic rather than electricity.
We turned right at the end of this hall and went down a second set of stairs and into another hallway. Our guide stopped about halfway down and knocked on a plain wooden door. Then, without waiting for an answer, she opened it and ushered us in. I realized almost immediately where we were—Zaira’s office. It was a small and sweet-smelling room, with little more than a very large old wooden desk, a leather chair that had seen better days, and shelves that lined all available wall space. Books were everywhere—crowding not only the shelves but much of the floor space, a riot of leather-bound color that lent warmth to the otherwise barren room. The smell within the room was divine, and I took a deep, appreciative breath. There was nothing quite like the scent of old books, even when it was almost overwhelmed by the richer scents of lavender and rose.
Ilianna and Kiandra were both sitting near the old desk, and they looked up as we entered. Ilianna’s gaze skimmed us; then she smiled. “Not only alive, but apparently in one piece. It’s a miracle.”
“You have no idea just how much of a miracle it is.” I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a brief but fierce hug. “I really am sorry I didn’t let you know earlier.”
“Forgiven,” Ilianna said. “I guess you have been kinda busy, what with trying to save the world and all.”
“Yeah.” My gaze went to Kiandra’s. “The Raziq are no longer a problem. There was something of an intervention by both the fates and the Aedh who still haunt that place.”
She nodded, her expression pleased, though I had a suspicion it wasn’t exactly news to her. “And the sorceress?”
“Went to hell—literally. I’m not sure she stayed there, though.”
“Which is the precise reason we made these.” Ilianna held up what looked like a half dozen multicolored ribbons twined together, then looped through several creamy white stones to form a bracelet.
I frowned. “And what might they be, besides pretty?”
She grinned. “Do you remember asking me to create something along the lines of the wards your father gave you, but for personal use?”
I nodded. I’d figured at the time it might be the only way to protect everyone I cared about from the Raziq. It was a shame said stones couldn’t also ward off the crazy that was Hunter.
“Well, when you made the mad dash home and Azriel came back with the wards, Kiandra said that personal wards against the Raziq was no longer the problem, and that wards against magic would be far more beneficial. Hence, pretty bracelets.”
My gaze met Kiandra’s. She smiled. “And I was right, was I not?”
“You certainly were. And thank you.”
She nodded and rose. “Before I leave, is there anything else you wish help with?”
I hesitated, then said, “You wouldn’t be able to recommend someone with psychometry skills, would you? I need to trace the owner of a cuff link I found.”
“And the owner is the sorceress?”
“We think so.”
“Then you will need a practitioner who has some ability to protect both herself and you against the dark magic should there be a spell of some kind infused within the object.”
I frowned. “If there was a spell, wouldn’t I have set it off by now? I’ve had it for a while.”
“Not necessarily. If the object were mine, I’d set the spell to trigger only when someone attempted to use it against me in some way.” She pursed her lips for a moment, her expression thoughtful. “Unfortunately, we have none capable of psychometry here at the Brindle at the moment, but I do know of someone outside these walls who may be able to help. I shall contact her and see if she is willing to see you.”
“That would be fantastic. And again, thank you.”