“It is in all our interest to aid you in whatever way we can.” She paused, her gaze suddenly unfocusing. Power shivered through the air, its touch as sharp and as electric as the power that protected this place.
“You must trust your instincts, Risa,” she said, voice soft. “No matter how incredible it might seem at the time. And remember, safety lies in four.”
Safety lies in four? What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Kiandra blinked, and life came back into her eyes. She smiled, but there was concern in her expression. “I told you once before there was someone in your life who was not what they seemed. That impression has grown stronger. Watch your back.” She paused, her gaze flickering to Azriel. “And you, reaper, had better watch yours.”
Azriel bowed slightly. “I thank you for the warning.”
Kiandra half smiled. “I shall leave Ilianna to explain the intricacies of the bracelets. I will be in contact if I find someone willing to help you with the cuff link.”
With that, she left. I looked at Ilianna. “I don’t suppose you can explain that somewhat cryptic message?”
“The ‘safety lies in four’ bit, you mean? Not a chance. Kiandra’s visions are often less than informative, unfortunately.”
Great. Though it wasn’t like I could bitch given all the help she was giving me otherwise. “So, these bracelets.” I carefully hooked a finger around one of them and plucked it from Ilianna’s hand. Energy tingled across my fingertips, and the Dušan reacted immediately, spinning around to glare at it.
Ilianna blinked. “That thing just moved again.”
“Yeah, it does fairly regularly these days.”
“Huh. I would love to know how.”
“So would I,” Azriel commented. “The Dušan are not supposed to be active on this plane of existence.”
Ilianna raised an eyebrow, amusement creasing the corners of her green eyes. “So it’s like its owner, and keeps doing the unexpected?”
“Definitely,” Azriel commented, voice dry. “But it does make for a more interesting existence.”
“Undoubtedly.” Ilianna’s amusement grew stronger. “But to get back to the point, these will protect their wearers from most incantations and spells. Given you’re somewhat more sensitive to magic than most nonpractitioners, I imagine you will probably still feel any attack on you, but it will not be enough to influence you—or anyone else who wears them—in any way. It will not protect you from the darker forces, however.”
“Darker forces meaning demon attack and the like, rather than actual spells and incantations?”
She hesitated. “I’m not sure it will protect you against a spell with the full backing of blood magic behind it, but it should withstand most other magic.”
Which was a damn sight better than nothing.
“We’ve only managed to make three of these things,” she continued. “For safety’s sake, Mirri and I are going to stay here at the Brindle, so you might want to give one to Tao and the other to Stane.”
“Not Tao,” I said immediately. “Aside from the fact that if we can’t find him, it’s doubtful the sorcerer or even Hunter could, he at least has the elemental for protection. That thing seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to attack.”
Or even being touched. I shivered, and pain ghosted through my hand as I remembered my attempt to stop the elemental reaching Macedon. If Azriel hadn’t been able to heal me, I would have been left with a useless limb.
“You’re right.” Her expression was thoughtful. “And it’s probably the only real protection he needs, when I think about it.”
I frowned. “How so?”
“It’s obvious the fire that gave birth to the elementals still burns within the Macedon sacred site, and as long as it does, the elemental cannot be controlled by other forces of magic.”
“But it can be destroyed by them—can’t it?”
“Yes, but it would take a lot of energy and strength. The elementals are a force of being as much as magic.”
“Our dark sorceress has the strength, though.”
“Yes, but it would drain her. With you so close on her tail, I don’t think she’d risk it.”
Neither did I. Then what she’d said earlier actually hit me. “Ilianna, if destroying the fire will destroy the elemental, why don’t we just do that to free Tao?”