Chapter 10
Eleni
The next two days proved the most restless of my life.
My mind kept replaying a million different scenarios as to what might await us on the moonless night.
What if we ended up discovering something far bigger than anything we could have imagined?
What if we were overwhelmed? Granted, with a demigod by my side, my chances were exponentially better, but I still felt uneasy about the whole thing.
Sadly, after informing the Curia of the upcoming raid, they told me that I had too little evidence to justify them sending reinforcement. Although I had expected that outcome, it didn’t alleviate my concerns.
On the more positive side, Sienna and Vivian were mending.
Ewan confirmed that they didn’t detect any other incident or infiltration at the Sanctum.
As I had reviewed their increased protections, I felt confident that his report was accurate.
However, they would also not provide us with additional backup as our trail was indeed extremely flimsy.
Chances were that nothing would come of this, in which case we would hit a dead end with no other trails to follow.
As we prepared to head out, I peered at Lyall and shook my head again upon seeing his pleased expression.
“How can you be so relaxed and confident as we’re possibly heading into a trap?” I asked, still bewildered that he loved the idea that we wouldn’t be ‘stuck’ with additional Inquisitors or Templars.
“The question is more why are you so worried?” he retorted teasingly.
“There’s only two of us against possibly dozens of powerful arcanists!” I exclaimed in a self-evident tone.
“Yes, that’s a possibility,” he replied with a shrug.
“But you seem to forget that I am one of the most powerful mystifiers you will ever meet. Using my powers does not drain or tire me. I can generate multiple realities simultaneously with barely any effort. So I’m not worried about an army of arcanists. ”
I pursed my lips while giving him an assessing look. “But what if they put mage shackles on you?”
He waved a dismissive hand. “They don’t work on me.”
My brow shot up. “Nothing works on you?” I challenged, surprised.
He almost said no then hesitated. “There are a couple of things that might block my abilities, but they’re magic circles that are insanely hard to set up.
More importantly, you would need to get me inside that circle to begin with.
The only other two artifacts that could dampen or maybe even block my mystifying powers would be the Manacles of Oblivion or the Collar of Silence, both of which are extremely hard to come by. ”
“What if they do put them on you?” I insisted, still dubious.
He gave me an amused look laced with a hint of arrogance. “They will never get close enough to me to do so.”
I harrumphed then nodded in concession. “Hopefully, you are correct. But wearing hooded robes and masks will allow us to mingle with little risk of being detected.”
Lyall recoiled and gave me a confused look. “Why a mask?”
“Based on your vision, the Oni was clearly wearing a traditional ritual robe,” I said pensively.
“There was also a shadow at the edge of the eyes typical of seeing the world while wearing a mask. And if you pay attention, you could see his reflection in the water of the swamp. That outfit totally makes sense if they are attending some sort of ceremony. And judging by Elliot’s words, they were going to hold his final ritual.
It sounded like a major undertaking that would involve many cultists. ”
Lyall’s eyes first went out of focus before widening as he emerged from whatever vision he’d been peering at. I didn’t doubt he had recalled the Oni’s memories to compare them against my words. I couldn’t help puffing out my chest when he stared at me with admiration.
“You are correct. It appears they truly were wearing black masks and black robes. Nice observation skills,” he said.
I lifted my chin with a hint of arrogance as I preened under his compliment. “It is part of our training to gather these types of clues from any evidence at our disposal.”
“But why do they wear masks if they’re part of the same cult?” Lyall asked.
“For anonymity,” I said without hesitation.
“Every successful cult has very powerful people among their members. And I’m not speaking of arcane powers, but political, social, or economic influence.
They’re the type of people who couldn’t risk being seen for fear of being exposed during a raid, by a traitor within the cult, or being subjected to blackmail. ”
“I see,” Lyall said with a frown, his wheels spinning. “That explains some of the visions from your early memories.”
I nodded. “During large gatherings and rituals, Mother, the Elders and those who were to be sacrificed showed their faces. Everyone else wore masks and robes. We witnessed similar behavior in the majority of other cults we either raided or interacted with.”
“Perfect! That will allow us to enter, scope the place out, and then decide how to act. But now we need to hurry and go get something that will match,” he said with a hint of tension.
“No need,” I said with a smug grin. “I had Ewan get us a set. That’s what was in the bag I got from him when I last went to inspect their additional protections.”
“I thought they were reagents!” he exclaimed, surprised.
“There were also reagents in it,” I teased.
“A woman on top of things… I approve,” Lyall replied, impressed.
That reaction had me tingling in all the right places. While I was never one to seek anyone’s validation, earning his admiration did funny things to me.
“Let’s go,” I said before fetching our disguises.
Once more, I hopped onto my Galadia, to Lyall’s dismay. But it made sense for me to have my own mount if we needed to escape at any point. Pasha was well-trained and would seek a safe place if things got hairy. But first, she would try to assist me—if it made sense—unless I ordered her otherwise.
We left a little early, before the sun was completely down so that we could find a good observation post to watch potential cultists arriving once the Sanguine Crocus began glowing.
As soon as we landed, Lyall led me a short distance away to a slightly elevated area that gave us a perfect view of the waypoint pentagram while also giving us good enough cover that we wouldn’t be detected.
We sat down on the massive roots of a tree surrounded by a few large rocks and bushes.
To my shock, no sooner did we settle down than our surroundings turned into the illusion of a cozy little cave—although alcove would be a more adequate description.
The hard root I was sitting on transformed into a plush cushion, and a sconce appeared on the left stone wall of the alcove, with mage fire burning.
It both provided lighting and a very pleasant heat.
“By the Gods!” I exclaimed. “This feels so real!”
Lyall puffed out his chest as he smiled at me. “Because, to your body, it is real.”
“Really?!” I exclaimed, stunned.
He nodded. “Your brain will regulate your body’s physiological responses based on this illusion.”
“Wow! How long can it be fooled like this?” I asked, fascinated.
“For a few days, maybe longer depending on the setting,” he explained. “While your brain can be convinced to slow down your physiological functions based on what the illusion convinces it is happening, you will eventually wither and die from lack of food or prolonged exposure to the elements.”
“That’s incredible! But what about you? Do you also benefit from this?”
He nodded again. “Yes. Although I remain aware of the real world surrounding us, I am able to enjoy the comfort of this illusion.”
“Damn! I must admit that I’m jealous of your powers,” I said sheepishly.
“Don’t be, my Eleni. They’re yours to also benefit from whenever you wish. That is your privilege as my woman,” he said softly.
Nine Hells! How did he always find a way to make my toes curl by saying things that would normally have me all up in arms about my independence had any other man made a similar statement?
I smiled and melted against him. He caressed my back and placed a soft kiss on my temple.
A part of me wanted to just savor the moment, but a soft light in the distance gradually growing in intensity indicated that the Sanguine Crocuses were finally beginning to glow.
My stomach did a backflip both from apprehension and the pre-battle adrenaline rush I always felt right before starting a potentially dangerous mission.
“Looks like the moment of truth is upon us,” I said, my voice tense as I straightened.
“As a reminder, if someone does show up, we go in and confirm whether some treachery is happening. If all is legal, we’ll just sneak out quietly.
But if we uncover foul play, as I suspect we will, mystify them all while I call the Curia for backup.
With the cultists paralyzed by your powers, I will easily put mage shackles on them.
Then we can free whoever needs to be—which will hopefully include the ten missing clerics. ”
Lyall stared at the waypoint area, his back stiff before turning back to give me a serious look.
“If things go bad, you must promise me that you will leave,” he demanded.
It was my turn to stiffen. “If things go bad, we leave,” I corrected sternly.
“You run, and I’ll follow if I can. But whatever the case I will manage,” he insisted in a tone that brooked no argument.
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling offended. “You cannot expect me to leave you behind. That’s not happening.”
“If it is needed, then you must do it. I’m a demigod,” he ground between his teeth. “You’re not. Whatever happens, I will regenerate through it. I may not be immortal, but it’s close enough. You cannot claim the same thing. I need to know that you’re safe.”