And they can use magic. My gaze met the steel of his. You said it yourself, Azriel—only their desires matter. They could very well decide to erase the reapers just as they have the Aedh.
They would not dare —
Why not? I cut in. Why would they care about reapers or souls being unguided? They don't – their desire to permanently close the gates is evidence enough of that.
It would not be allowed.
I snorted softly. Who wouldn't allow it? The powers that be? They could have stopped this whole mess in its tracks by stopping the Raziq before they got started, but they preferred to let fate have her way. Do you really think their decision would be any different when it came to reapers?
He didn't answer. Maybe he couldn't, simply because there was no real answer.
"If you do not hand us the keys," Yeska said, voice flat, yet somehow filled with venom, "then all those you care about will not only lose their lives in this time, but in all their future times. They will be forever locked in this world, never to know life or love again."
His words chilled me to the core. Yet fury rose, and it was all I could do not to throw Amaya. Threatening my life was one thing. Hell, I could understand them threatening the lives of my friends – even if I didn't like it – but stripping them of all their futures and making them ghosts? That was totally unacceptable.
And it had to stop. Somehow, somewhere, I had to find a way to end all this and make my friends – and the world – safe.
"Fine," I muttered. "Just let me know where the sorcerer's entrance onto the fields is, and we'll take it from there."
"Do not double-cross us," Yeska warned.
"I get it already," I said, voice tight. "Now just get us out of here so we can get on with the business of tracking the key."
"The reaper can get you out," he replied. "Once we retreat, the shield will go down."
"What, don't you trust us?"
But there was no reply. The dark energy that was the Raziq had gone. I sheathed Amaya and let out a slow breath. "Well, that certainly went better than I expected."