Chapter 7 Snow And Ravens #4
“It also gives them leverage over her,” Blackstone pointed out. “I doubt your father’s goal will be to kill her after this. Not after what he’s seen of that magical connection between the two of you.”
Caelum’s jaw ticked.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to pick apart what Blackstone meant, here, inside the castle, where there were eyes and ears everywhere, but he could feel the dangerous turn their conversation had taken.
Did Blackstone know what was wrong with him?
Did he know the exact nature of his magical affliction?
Caelum still didn’t dare ask him outright, but for the first time in a long time, he wondered, looking at those fathomless eyes.
He definitely seemed to be warning him about something.
Did he know about Leda’s magic, as well?
If so, what did he know?
Leda might have a primal similar to his, but she wasn’t unstable like he was.
Apart from when people were trying to kill her, she wasn’t a danger to anyone.
They wouldn’t label her the same as him, would they?
Guilt by association? Guilt by magical connection?
Whatever was wrong with him, it wasn’t catching, was it?
The thought made him extremely nervous.
“It’s too late,” he growled. “As you helpfully pointed out, she severed his fucking arm. She nearly killed him. He ran from her.” A flicker of pride rose in his chest, in spite of everything.
“Not to mention, he knows I nearly killed myself trying to protect her,” he added, gruff.
“Do you really think anything I do with her now will make the slightest bit of difference? Even if I left her cold, never spoke to her again, I doubt it would convince him.”
He swallowed, feeling the truth of his own words.
That heat began growing in his chest, despite the talisman’s magic.
“She’s already in danger,” he growled. “Right now. My only chance of protecting her is by stopping my father and whatever he and his sick cult are planning to do with these rituals.” When the older mage continued to stare at him, a harder note crept into Caelum’s voice.
“As for Dark Cathedral using me as leverage over her, you’d have to ask her about that, Professor.
If you’re right, there’s not a lot I can do about that, either. ”
He swallowed as the words left his mouth, as he let their meaning reach him in a way they hadn’t. He only looked up when he felt the other mage move.
Caelum watched, half in annoyance, half in bewilderment, as Blackstone turned away from him.
Blackstone’s talisman kept his annoyance from tipping into genuine rage, but he still struggled to keep his temper.
He watched Blackstone walk to a shelf and pull down a small potion bottle from among a large number of them.
He brought it around the table, and set it on top of the low bookshelf between them.
“It is not a magical suppressant,” Blackstone said, matter-of-fact. “It will provide you some calm. Not as much as the talisman, but enough to keep your mind marginally clear. Enough, perhaps, for you to decide if any other methods of magical control you are using are sufficient.”
Blackstone tilted his jaw and chin forward, gazing at Caelum over his long nose.
“It will only work in the short term, Mr. Bones. I will be here, for the entirety of the winter break, if you need additional help from me on this. Do not hesitate to knock on my door. At any hour, if it becomes necessary. You may tell Ms. Shadow-La Fey the same, if she is experiencing similar difficulties with her own magic.”
Caelum stared at him, now truly thrown.
His eyes dropped to the jar of lilac-colored, pearlescent liquid. He watched it swirl behind the glass, then looked back at Blackstone’s staring eyes.
Well, fuck me, is all he could think.
“As for your other immediate concerns,” Blackstone continued, his voice back to that low purr as he straightened.
“Mr. Greythorne’s situation is more urgent, as I said.
But the fact that they only managed to complete one of the rituals on him is very fortunate.
It also means that the bridge begun on him, unlike yours, can still be reversed. ”
“Reversed?” Caelum forgot the calming potion as he stared up at Blackstone. “Is that something the Golden Sun can do?”
Blackstone nodded, half-sitting on the edge of the potion-stained table.
“Yes,” he said. “I cannot give you details at this time, but this is already in motion. We hope to conduct the reversal ritual within the next few days. Forsooth will officiate. I believe he plans to speak with Mr. Greythorne today.”
Bones felt simultaneously like a weight had lifted off him, and like he’d been sucker punched. Still, some of the tightness in his chest loosened.
“Oh,” was all he managed.
“Of course, that doesn’t solve our problem with the Cathedral’s wider aims,” Blackstone cautioned.
“And we still don’t know exactly what these rituals are for.
Forsooth at first believed there might be some connection between this and a spate of missing persons reported in various parts of Magical Britain, but as of now, all of those missing persons have been found.
” He cleared his throat. “Also, there is another issue I could use your help with, Mr. Bones, if you and your partner are amenable.”
Bones’s mouth twitched at the word “partner.”
“Another situation demands our attention,” Blackstone continued.
“Ironically one that a fellow student of yours stumbled upon almost entirely by accident. Nevertheless, if his hypothesis is correct, it will have wide-ranging repercussions for the Magical race, and for Dark Cathedral’s goal of reuniting the human and Magical dimensions.
For that reason, everything connected to this project must remain locked in absolute secrecy. ”
Realizing that was a question of sorts, Caelum nodded.
“Sure,” he said. “I understand. I can’t speak for Leda, but I’ll help.”
Thinking about that, his voice grew a touch more wary.
“Who is the student?” he asked.