light flare, no caress of magic, nothing. The stones were silent. Inert.
I raised a hand and tentatively brushed the stone’s surface. Life pulsed under my fingertips. It was almost as if the rock had life and heart. The magic was there and ready to react. It just hadn’t. Yet it had before . . .
I closed my eyes as the realization of what that meant sunk in. I’d been Aedh when they’d reacted, which meant these stones had been attuned to that form rather than human.
And there was only one being—one man—who had one, if not both, of those forms and who was also involved in the search for the keys.
Lucian.
Fuck! He really had taken me for a ride, and in more ways than one. The bastard had told me—constantly—that he couldn’t take Aedh form, that the ability had been stripped from him by the Raziq when they’d tortured him for information. It seemed that might be yet another lie in a growing list of them.
He was not lying about being tortured, Azriel said. Your father all but confirmed that.
I raised my eyebrows. You’re actually defending him?
In this, yes. And it grieves me greatly.
Amusement spun through me. What about the whole “stripped of his powers” spiel? How much truth was there in that?
I think it was skillfully mixed with untruths. I do not, however, believe he can attain full Aedh form.
So these stones might not be for his use? And did that mean we had another Aedh—someone we didn’t know about—lurking in the background?
Azriel hesitated. I am no expert in magic, but I suspect that if Lucian does use these stones, then they would be attuned to a full Aedh, in whatever form they might be in.
Which might explain why they didn’t react when I was in human form, but not why they did when I was in Aedh.
As I said, I am no expert in magic, but there would be little difference between you and a full Aedh when you take on Aedh form.
I grunted and sheathed Amaya. There was really only one thing I could do now—
Don’t . Azriel’s voice was as fierce as I’d ever heard it. The risk is unnecessary. We can keep watch on this place and uncover whether Lucian—
But even if we do confirm he’s using these things, that won’t tell us where these pillars take him. We need to know, Azriel. We need to start taking the advantage for ourselves.
But this—
Has to be done .
I cannot follow you when you are in Aedh form. The words practically stabbed into my brain. No matter where those stones deposit you, until you take human shape again, I will not be able to help you.
I know. But if I do get stuck, or I’m forced to change shape, I can use Amaya until you get there. She’s more than capable of handling most things. I’d barely even finished the thought when Amaya’s pleased hum began to run through the outer reaches of my mind. I shook my head in amusement. Trust me to get a sword that not only had a bloodthirsty bent, but also liked being complimented.
I am aware of that. I still think this is an unnecessary risk.
It undoubtedly was, but if we really wanted to get ahead of these bastards, we needed to do the unexpected.
I stepped out of the stones and called to the Aedh again. She came, changing me almost instantly, a storm of power whose force seemed even stronger than moments before. It shook me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with whatever Malin had done.
Then I thrust the thought away and drifted closer to the pillars. Once again they came to life, the light pulsing with the same beat I’d sensed when I touched the stone. Meaning I’d been right—they were primed to react to Aedh energy.
How they’d react to me actually entering them was now the question to be answered—and I wasn’t going to get that answer by hovering here staring at the damn things.
I forced myself forward, into the heart of the magic.
Just for a moment, there was no reaction.
Then power surged, tearing through my atoms, a sensation that was similar to and yet
I raised a hand and tentatively brushed the stone’s surface. Life pulsed under my fingertips. It was almost as if the rock had life and heart. The magic was there and ready to react. It just hadn’t. Yet it had before . . .
I closed my eyes as the realization of what that meant sunk in. I’d been Aedh when they’d reacted, which meant these stones had been attuned to that form rather than human.
And there was only one being—one man—who had one, if not both, of those forms and who was also involved in the search for the keys.
Lucian.
Fuck! He really had taken me for a ride, and in more ways than one. The bastard had told me—constantly—that he couldn’t take Aedh form, that the ability had been stripped from him by the Raziq when they’d tortured him for information. It seemed that might be yet another lie in a growing list of them.
He was not lying about being tortured, Azriel said. Your father all but confirmed that.
I raised my eyebrows. You’re actually defending him?
In this, yes. And it grieves me greatly.
Amusement spun through me. What about the whole “stripped of his powers” spiel? How much truth was there in that?
I think it was skillfully mixed with untruths. I do not, however, believe he can attain full Aedh form.
So these stones might not be for his use? And did that mean we had another Aedh—someone we didn’t know about—lurking in the background?
Azriel hesitated. I am no expert in magic, but I suspect that if Lucian does use these stones, then they would be attuned to a full Aedh, in whatever form they might be in.
Which might explain why they didn’t react when I was in human form, but not why they did when I was in Aedh.
As I said, I am no expert in magic, but there would be little difference between you and a full Aedh when you take on Aedh form.
I grunted and sheathed Amaya. There was really only one thing I could do now—
Don’t . Azriel’s voice was as fierce as I’d ever heard it. The risk is unnecessary. We can keep watch on this place and uncover whether Lucian—
But even if we do confirm he’s using these things, that won’t tell us where these pillars take him. We need to know, Azriel. We need to start taking the advantage for ourselves.
But this—
Has to be done .
I cannot follow you when you are in Aedh form. The words practically stabbed into my brain. No matter where those stones deposit you, until you take human shape again, I will not be able to help you.
I know. But if I do get stuck, or I’m forced to change shape, I can use Amaya until you get there. She’s more than capable of handling most things. I’d barely even finished the thought when Amaya’s pleased hum began to run through the outer reaches of my mind. I shook my head in amusement. Trust me to get a sword that not only had a bloodthirsty bent, but also liked being complimented.
I am aware of that. I still think this is an unnecessary risk.
It undoubtedly was, but if we really wanted to get ahead of these bastards, we needed to do the unexpected.
I stepped out of the stones and called to the Aedh again. She came, changing me almost instantly, a storm of power whose force seemed even stronger than moments before. It shook me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with whatever Malin had done.
Then I thrust the thought away and drifted closer to the pillars. Once again they came to life, the light pulsing with the same beat I’d sensed when I touched the stone. Meaning I’d been right—they were primed to react to Aedh energy.
How they’d react to me actually entering them was now the question to be answered—and I wasn’t going to get that answer by hovering here staring at the damn things.
I forced myself forward, into the heart of the magic.
Just for a moment, there was no reaction.
Then power surged, tearing through my atoms, a sensation that was similar to and yet
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