"Did you feel it coming off the other one?"
"Yes."
I glanced at him. "Then why didn't you say something?"
"Because you wished to explore the option."
Against my advice. He might not have said the words, but they swam through my mind nevertheless. The link between us was definitely getting stronger.
"So what sort of energy has this one actually got?"
"It is Aedh, and therefore neither light nor dark."
My gaze returned to the stone. It sat there, all shiny and harmless-looking. Yet I suspected there was nothing harmless about the magic that went into the creation of this thing, whatever Azriel might think. "Does the Raziq magic also sit between the two?"
It certainly hadn't felt like it, but after what they'd done to me every time they'd used it, it was probably fair to say I was a somewhat biased judge.
"Their magic is darker, but it is not powered from the dark path; rather it springs from darker desires." I felt his gaze on me. "Trust me, even if you do not trust your father. You will not be harmed if you pick it up."
I took a deep breath, then reached inside and gingerly picked up the stone. It was a little too warm against my palm, suggesting that it was more than mere stone. But I knew that already.
"There is a piece of paper with it." Azriel reached in and took it out. "It says, The ward will be activated by a drop of the blood we share. Use it in a secure place."
"If this thing is activated by blood magic, how can that not be a bad thing?" Misgivings filled me as I stared at the stone in my hand. I didn't like it and I didn't trust the magic within it. It came from the hands of my father, after all, and he was one of the bastards responsible for the evil that was the keys.
"The ward is not created from blood magic," Azriel said. "Using a drop of blood to activate it would merely be a precaution to ensure that if it fell into the wrong hands, they could do nothing with it."
I guess that made sense—except for the fact I had a body filled with blood and absolutely no doubt that the Raziq would use every last drop if they felt it would be in their best interests.