"What do you have on hand that I can use to ward off hellhounds and other possible nasties?"
She blinked. "And why would you be needing that?"
"Because I’m off to Mount Macedon to track down the witch who possibly raised the Maniae. The Brindle warned me that she might use dark magic to protect herself."
This time her surprise was more evident. "The Brindle helped you?"
"Yes. Kiandra herself gave me the information."
"That’s one way of dealing with a problem without getting a threefold backlash."
I raised my eyebrows. "It was more than just a grab at a golden opportunity. They were actually helpful."
"Wow." Ilianna thrust a hand through her blond mane. "The Brindle actually helping an outsider? Things have changed. However, back to the problem at hand. Azriel’s armed with a super-duper shiny sword. Why can’t he take care of any potential threat?"
"Because I may not be able to get inside the sacred site in which the witch shelters. Have you made any progress on creating this void the Aedh spoke of?"
Ilianna’s gaze ran past me, and her green eyes glinted with sudden amusement. "You just can’t say his name, can you?"
"I could, if I wanted to, and if he was important enough." Even I was surprised at that. His voice might have been even, but there was definitely an undertone of antagonism. He added, "But that is neither here nor there. The void?"
"Is a work in progress. Unfortunately, there’s no way to test its working without actually using it."
Azriel glanced at me. "Then the witch’s solution could prove to be perfect."
"What solution?" Ilianna asked, before I could say anything.
"Kiandra basically gave us permission to use the old Mount Macedon site as a bolt-hole."