The Rebel Queen (Outlaw #1) - Lexi Blake Page 0,57

complacent,” Neil admitted. “We had to be on the run in the beginning, but he hasn’t been on the offensive for a while. Now that you’re back he’ll be scared again. He’ll also think you might have his grimoire. He’ll be looking, so I have to hope either Daniel’s blood fixes Zack or the new wizardling can. You think Dean’s the baby Myrddin sent off plane?”

“From what we can tell. We have a whole bunch of prophecies on several planes that say yes. From what I’ve seen him do here on this plane, I’m a believer.” We’d talked endlessly about this during the days we’d spent with Summer. She’d believed Dean had a destiny, too. “It’s kind of confusing, but this is what we’ve been able to piece together. Kelsey believes that Dean and Lee are at the heart of the prophecy about taking down Myrddin. And when I say Lee, I mean Lee’s soul. Originally it would have been Lee Owens and Dean, who would have been thirty plus years younger than Lee.”

“But Myrddin manipulated things so Lee died,” Neil mused. “And then he was given the choice to have his soul rebooted, so to speak.”

I nodded. “Yes. And honestly, his plan might have worked if he hadn’t tried to use that stupid painting. Time moves differently on the outer planes. When we met Dean he was in his early twenties and Lee was here on the Earth plane.”

“So if Dean had managed to somehow find his way here, there would still have been an age difference between them.” Neil chuckled. “If Myrddin hadn’t interfered, they wouldn’t be the same age.”

“Yes, and that seems to mean something. According to Kelsey, for Lee and Dean to be effective they have to be equals.”

Of course she also thought that there was some magical third component to Dean and Lee’s destiny. Some weapon we hadn’t found yet. A weapon only the two of them could wield. Prime. That was the word she’d used. Only they could prime this mysterious weapon.

If the weapon needed youth and sexual chemistry, they were ready.

“It’s certainly an interesting thought. He killed Lee. I guess he thought a fully grown werewolf was more dangerous than an unborn child,” Neil mused. “It’s kind of surprising he would leave that to chance though. He’s ruthless, and he hasn’t minded killing our children when it suits him.”

“I don’t know. He’s ruthless, but he’s also the kind of man who hedges his bets. If he thought there was any way he could use Dean down the line, turn him in some way, he would risk it. It certainly wasn’t done out of kindness. I think a lot about the fact that Nimue could have put him back in his crystal coffin if I hadn’t let him put those thrall stones in. I should have been more careful.”

“Don’t take that on yourself. You were up against a powerful supernatural being who had several thousand years on you. No one could have solved that problem. But you’re the nexus point, so you have been placed right in the middle of the situation, and your decisions will make all the difference. You were so smart to steal that book. Do you have any idea what could have happened if you hadn’t?”

I’d made the choice to steal the book that day, and I’d stolen Gladys on impulse. Not stolen. Taken her back. She was ours, mine and Kelsey’s. She belonged to the companions. The Sword of Light had been given to us. It was a celestial battle weapon that soaked up the strength and power of whoever’s blood it drew in. It then could unleash that power to the one who wielded it. The right one.

“Oh, shit. I know why he was studying Gladys.”

Neil gave me his “duh” look. “He wants to close off the Heaven plane. I assumed he was studying Gladys’s heavenly properties.”

But he wasn’t thinking of what had happened recently. Well, recently for me. “Neil, Gladys soaks up the power of those she kills. It was how Kelsey won her last battle in the arena. You know, the one against Jude.”

Neil’s eyes went wide. “Gladys soaked up the power of an angel. She’s got celestial power inside her right now. That could work. He might actually be able to do it if he has the right spell. But he can’t wield that sword. It never worked for Daniel.”

“Myrddin’s had years to solve that problem. Though he’ll need a queen to call her.” I’d