“I’m more than a little aware of what is at stake,” I said, voice grim. “And more than willing to kill both women at the heart of this mess. I just need help to do it.”
“I know, and I do not mean to chastise you in any way. It is more a warning. The fights that approach—” She hesitated and half shrugged. “It will, in the end, fall to you alone to end all this, no matter what outside help you might have.”
Which was both what I expected and what I feared. That, in the end, it would be just me and Hunter and the fate of the world hanging on the outcome.
Ilianna appeared at the top of the steps, athame in one hand. As she ran toward us, Kiandra added, “I wish you luck, young Risa. Leave the stone where it is—it can hurt no one when separated from its twin. We’ll deal with it when all this is over and done, one way or another.”
She turned and walked gracefully away. I had an odd feeling I wouldn’t see her again, even if I did survive the next nine hours.
Zaira stepped forward and kissed my cheeks. “Good luck,” she said softly. “Not that I think you will need it. You have grown in so many ways over these last few weeks, Risa. I truly believe neither Hunter nor the sorceress really understands the force they now face.”
I smiled, though it felt tight. “I’d like to think that’s true, but I’m afraid they both know altogether too much about me. They certainly know all about my weakness.”
“But your weaknesses are also your strengths. Had they realized that, I doubt they would have taken the paths they now have.”
I frowned. The paths they now have? “Does that mean Hunter has a kidnap plot up and running as we speak?”
Because if that were the case, then I had better warn Rhoan as soon as I could. He might not be happy about me harping on about the risk he was under, but he was the only one she had any hope of getting her grubby little mitts on right now.
Zaira hesitated. “I cannot tell you that for sure. I just know both evils are on very similar paths.”
“Fabulous.” Not, as Amaya would say.
Zaira hugged me briefly again, then turned and followed Kiandra back to the Brindle. Ilianna stopped in front of me and gestured toward the sword shoved through my T-shirt. “Is that Valdis?”
“Yes.” I pulled her free and held her out.
Ilianna reached out but didn’t immediately take her. “Will she mind?”
“I doubt it. Not if it helps find Azriel.”
“Oh. Good.” She somewhat tentatively wrapped her fingers around Valdis’s hilt. Flames flickered briefly down her bright blade, but otherwise there was little reaction.
Ilianna moved several feet away and placed Valdis at her feet. She raised the athame, holding it forward and slightly to the right of shoulder height. Facing east, she drew a pentacle in the air, then said, “Masters of the Watchtowers of the East, Masters of the Air; I wake and summon you to witness my works and to guard the Circle.”
She turned to the south, then west and north, repeating the pentacles and beseeching the masters of fire, water, and earth for their protection. A light wind sprung up, teasing the ends of her hair and tugging lightly at her clothes. Then it died, replaced by a sense of watchfulness.
She sat cross-legged on the ground, placed Valdis across her lap, and began the finding incantation.
I paced. I simply couldn’t stand still. I needed to be moving, to be doing something, and pacing was better than nothing. It was certainly better than worrying over the fact that I couldn’t ring Rhoan right away because the phone was in bits or over what might be happening to Azriel . . . I shoved the thought away. He was alive. For now, that was all that mattered.
I have no idea how much time passed, because I wasn’t wearing a watch, but it seemed like hours rather than the ten minutes or so it probably was before Ilianna made a move.
She rose, made a motion with her athame to remove the protection circle, then walked toward me. The night’s shadows played across her face and made her look tired and worn; my requests were taking a toll on her, and guilt slithered through me. No more, I promised mentally. She’d done enough for me, and so had the Brindle witches. As Kiandra had said, the fights from now on were mine, and mine alone. It was time to acknowledge that and just get on with it.
Though that didn’t mean I would walk into any fight unprepared. I wasn’t that stupid.
“Any success?” I asked, even as I feared the worst.
She smiled and handed me Valdis. “Yes, although he’s protected by some very fierce barriers.”
“That’s not exactly unexpected.”
“No.” She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it away from her face. It just made the tiredness more evident. “He’s at that second warehouse you and Jak found.”
Surprise ran through me. I thought they’d be somewhere new rather than someplace we’d been before. But then, I guess it was situated on a ley line, which enabled the sorceress to tap into that magic and use it to power her own. She might even be able to siphon the force of the ley-line intersection near Stane’s through it.
I shoved Valdis back through the tear in my shirt. “Then that’s where we’ll head.”