“But your reaper would not be an easy target to contain,” Zaira said. She tucked a hand under Ilianna’s elbow and helped her rise. “Creating a cage capable of such a feat should have weakened her.”
“Should being the operative word there,” Kiandra commented, “Remember, she has had access to Aedh craft and spells, and we have no knowledge of the effects that will have on human flesh and spirit. It may not leave her anywhere near as debilitated as blood magic.”
“True.” Zaira’s expression was pensive. “Perhaps the only safe way to counter any spells designed to capture or otherwise control your actions would be to somehow not be you.”
I frowned. “She knows I’m part Aedh. She’d surely take that into account in any magic she aims my way. And given her connection to Lucian, she undoubtedly knows I’m also a face shifter.”
“Face shifting is not the answer,” Kiandra said. “Any alternate form you may take is still you.”
Join, Amaya said. Then magic not problem.
I blinked. What?
Join, she said again. Become one. Then not flesh or steel but both.
My heart began to race. As solutions went, it was a pretty damn good one. There was just one slight problem, and that was Amaya herself. The last time we became one, you decided you liked being in my body and I had to battle to get you back into the sword.
Weak you were, she said, somewhat huffily. Not so now.
Which isn’t actually a guarantee you’ll leave when asked.
Can’t eat her soul in flesh. The huffy tone was even more pronounced. And eat will.
That’s one promise I sure as hell hope you’ll keep.
Will, she said. Together we strong.
Maybe, but it was yet to be seen whether we were stronger than a dark sorceress. Or, indeed, a mad vampire with the power of a god behind her.
“I may have a solution that will work.” I glanced at Ilianna. “But I need to find Azriel fast, and I don’t want to use the stones to do it.”
“No,” Kiandra said. “A very well-prepared trap would undoubtedly wait at the other end of them.”
“Then I’ll search for him,” Ilianna said. “Wait here while I get my athame.”
She turned and ran back to the Brindle. I returned my gaze to Kiandra. “Would destroying this stone have any rebound effect on the sorceress’s strength?”
Kiandra hesitated. “Possibly, but it is not something I’d wish to do within the grounds of this place, as we could not guarantee that the evil bound within the stone would be deflected by the Brindle’s shields once released.”
I frowned. “But you have my father’s warding stones in place now—shouldn’t they work?”
“Again, possibly, but we are talking about a bastardization of magic from this world and the next. I will not risk the lives of all those within these walls on such uncertainty. Not when there are greater perils to be dealt with first.”
Like keeping the final gate to hell safe and secure. She might not have said it, but she was certainly thinking it.
“Besides,” Zaira added, “it would warn your sorceress that her plans have gone awry. That might not be a wise move if you wish to save your reaper.”
“Which is why I came here rather than charging headfirst through the stones,” I said. “And you have no idea how hard it was to not do that.”
Zaira gripped my arm and lightly squeezed. “It’s not easy to kill a reaper—and the sorceress would be foolish to even attempt it before she gained possession of the key. There is time yet.”
I took another of those deep, shuddery breaths and released it slowly. “I know. It’s just that . . . everything that can go wrong has gone wrong so far. I don’t want Azriel to join that list.”
“That possibility has been there from the beginning,” Kiandra said, “and the reaper was more than aware of that fact.”
I met her gaze. “That may be true, but it’s not exactly comforting right now.”
“You must be prepared to fight hard, regardless of who or what is at risk,” Kiandra said. “Because unless you are, you will lose, and you will take this world down with you.”