Chapter 24 ~Sylas~ #2
“He would have taken you to Morien. In your current state, Morien would have killed you. He wants to take your form, to wield your power as his, your lifeforce. He cannot remain forever as a resurrected being. He has been stabilizing himself with necromantic cores, tearing them from other necromancers and murdering them in the process. He has failed the last three times due to interference from Remnant. None of those can stabilize him for very long. He needs yours. You are bound in blood, father and son.”
A chill shot down my spine.
This was… beyond twisted.
“What of Corvin? We know he passed something to Morien from the Veil.”
“You are asking me if he can be resurrected using enough black magic to infect the Valley?”
Ketheron startled me as he suddenly grasped my hand.
I stroked his fingers, trying to offer at least some comfort, despite how heavy this was for him, how much it was bringing forth his horrific trauma in so many ways.
“No. He can’t be brought back.”
“He struck a deal with Morien.”
“Yes, to pass that portion of your core through to him. Corvin used black magic to enable that, all so he could hold it over your father, force him to pull him from the Valley. But it can’t be done.
Corvin is learned, but he is not a necromancer.
More than that, the only necromancer he has ever learned from was your father, who told him only what he wanted him to hear.
He skewed the truth of what a necromancer can do.
Also, Morien is severely tainted by black magic, so he cannot touch the Valley for long without it corrupting his spells.
Any time he tries to touch it, he’s poisoning it and himself.
He won’t risk that for Corvin. Especially when Corvin is a rival to him.
Both of them want to be top dog. They won’t share the seat of power. ”
Ketheron released a huge breath of relief.
Ambrose shifted, swinging his head around. “Something is coming on the outside. I cannot remain.”
In the next second, the swirling blackness slipped away and our surroundings of the cove and dark beach returned.
And Ambrose was gone.
Already.
In a fucking blink.
Ketheron spun then, his gold magic flaming on his palms as he scanned the immediate area frantically, searching.
“What is it?” I asked. “What’s coming?”
“Dark Fae. And a vampire.” His eyes narrowed. “Not just any vampire, an—”
Explosions of magical light erupted just feet from us, the Dark Fae materializing. Twenty of them.
And then a violent wind tore through the area.
That wind morphed into a fucking tornado in seconds.
It whipped around the hostiles who fired their magic wildly, but to no avail.
And then they were screaming as the tornado hauled a handful of them into the air.
I jolted as their necks snapped.
The swirling dissipated, and then the tornado became rushes of walls of wind tearing through them all.
Rapid-fire neck snaps happened in quick succession.
Several of them shrieked and lurched, then their hearts were ripped from their bodies.
The last remaining few were decapitated in consecutive bursts of movement.
And then it all ceased as quickly as it had begun, and a hooded figure with a metal mask in a worn leather jacket stood among them—all of them dead.
Ketheron tensed, on high alert, as the guy walked to us.
He tipped his head at us. “Remnant. Commander of the Shadowed.”
Lazriel’s father.
Ketheron scented him and confirmed, “They share blood. There is a scent match. He is telling the truth.”
“We are out of time,” Remnant announced. He looked at me. “We must perform the procedure now.”
“You already tested the viability of it with my blood?”
“We work swiftly,” was his barely-there answer.
“I will go with you,” Ketheron told me. He eyed Remnant. “He requires my safeguarding.”
Remnant stepped forward. “Do you see why I cannot allow that?”
Ketheron thought for a moment. “My presence would be like a beacon to them all. The Guardian Movement is keeping tabs on me. If I leave the apartment for too long, they will come.” He looked up at the sky. “That time is already approaching.”
Remnant nodded. “Power is only an asset when it is deployed efficiently, and with forethought and intelligence.” He added pointedly, “Especially yours. Do not allow them to poison that which you already are, the way that you already guard and approach your power. You understand why I am conveying this warning?”
“My reckless undertaking tonight born from Corvin.”
“Indeed. It was emotional, not strategically sound.” He gestured at me. “Especially not with his current state factored in. And it should have been factored in. Dearly.”
“Yes. It should have been.”
“Morvain is an enemy to The Shadowed. You are not alone in this burden. Take comfort in that.”
“And him?” I asked. Maybe demanded. “Is he an enemy to you who you are just currently placating?”
Remnant’s eyes glinted. “You are perfect for my son, I see. That is undeniably clear.” He held out his hand to Ketheron and assured him as they shook, “We consider you an ally. Like myself, you were battle born by forced circumstances, yet despite the abuse you have endured and all those who make the mistake of fearing what you are, you are gracious, smart, restrained, and you remain uncorrupted. That is a true rarity. The Shadowed recognizes and values that.”
That was… a hell of an answer.
An eruption of white light almost fucking blinded me as Cassius teleported in, materializing holding Velra and Lazriel.
Cassius zeroed in on Ketheron immediately. “You left the apartment and—” His gaze fell on the many fallen hostiles, then rested on Remnant and he growled in warning at him, “What is the meaning of this?”
“Dad?” Lazriel cut in, striding up to him.
“You are late,” Remnant told him. “I believe I said twenty-four hours. It has been fifty-six.”
“Wow, could you be more specific and military-like?”
“You know well that I could be. If need be.”
Lazriel grunted. “I couldn’t just leave after reuniting with them after so long apart.”
Remnant’s eyes softened a little. “Then you are fortunate that things have shifted to allow you more time. Just not with the necromancer. He must be seen to this very night.”
“Then we’ll all go with you.”
“That cannot be accommodated. Not yet.”
“But I—”
“Message your mother. She knows you’re back above ground and she is missing you. Do not venture out to her. Stay within the warded apartment.”
“She contacted you?”
“Yes.”
“That’s more of a regular thing than you’ve made it out to be, isn’t it?”
Remnant averted his gaze. “Now is not the time to delve into that.”
“Of course fucking not. Just like you being tethered to Victor, meaning that you telling me we’d end him together would have meant killing you.”
“There are contingencies in place. It won’t come to that.”
“And you expect me to just believe that?”
“Have I lied to you? Have I steered you wrong so far?”
When Lazriel stared at him, Remnant laid his hands on both Lazriel’s shoulders.
“You are my son. We have finally been reunited. I don’t take that lightly.
I would never be so cavalier as to not value that for all that it is.
” He nuzzled the top of Lazriel’s head. “I will not leave you, Lazriel. Hear my words, hear my vow.”
“Okay,” Lazriel murmured, choked up.
As Remnant released him, Velra stepped up and asked, “When will Sylas be returned home?”
Home? Aww. If I was a softie, that would have melted my heart.
Remnant stared out at Velra, studying her for a moment, before he responded, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Albeit, the circumstances are regrettable, of course.
The procedure will take several hours. Once it’s complete, Sylas will not be able to be contained anyway, so you may take comfort in that. ”
Velra eyed me and I smirked.
“I’ve got it, Dark Beauty. All good.”
Remnant looked out at Cassius who was still standing like a sentry as he regarded him shrewdly. “Immortal? Is there something you wish to convey?”
“Sylas going alone to endure this transplant doesn’t sit well with me.”
“I’ll go,” Velra offered.
“No,” Cassius rumbled.
“Velra, that’s not—” Lazriel started.
“You cannot,” Remnant cut in.
Velra glared at him. “If he will be safe and you don’t intend to hurt us, or Sylas, why the hell not?”
“The procedure will take place in an abandoned Chimera Circle lab. Will you be able to stomach that?”
Velra physically recoiled.
I grimaced.
Cassius went to step forward.
Remnant held up his hand. “I cannot have you near either. For obvious reasons.”
“Excuse me?”
Ketheron went to him and explained, “I’m not the only one the Guardian Movement watches, Cassius.
I’ve felt them numerous times near you, even when I am not with you.
They are extremely well cloaked, and wouldn’t be perceptible to most. But because of what I am, I remain the exception.
I didn’t want to tell you, because I knew you would be upset, and we do not need trouble with them if you were to react, or retaliate. ”
“Fuck,” I muttered.
The layers of bullshit just kept peeling back with every passing day.
Remnant didn’t look surprised in the least, however.
He was so deeply plugged into everything.
I liked that.
I wanted that.
I was connected to the supernatural underworld in my own way, just not his specific underground, nor anyway near as deeply as he was.
He saw me staring, perhaps reading me in the process.
His eyes shone at me.
Interesting.
“I’ll be back soon. Just let me do this,” I told them. “Tonight notwithstanding, know that you can trust in me.”
“Tonight was my doing,” Ketheron said. “All my doing. I dragged him here because of Corvin.”
“Corvin?” Cassius barked.
Velra went to him and laid her hand on his arm. “I’ll fill you in when we get home. Before you sent that SOS to me, I had a nice chat with Cornelius.” Her gaze flicked to Remnant and some sort of look was exchanged.
“All right,” Cassius conceded.
I passed by and patted his shoulder, then gave Velra a kiss on the cheek.
I kissed the top of Lazriel’s head and he breathed me in for a moment.
And then he let me go to Remnant.
“Dad,” he called.
“I know,” he assured him. Then he reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and tossed a phone to Lazriel. “You can keep this permanently. It will only be able to message me, no one else.”
Lazriel’s eyes lit up. “I can message you any time?”
“Yes. Any time you wish.”
He burst forward then, snatched me up, then blurred us away.