Page 66 of Immortal Burden

He drew back, holding it out of my reach. “It’s not just a piece of jewelry.” His face lit up with excitement. Clutching the pendant tightly, he uttered, “Subitis.”

“Emergency?” I asked. My Latin was rusty, to say the least. Outside of magic-wielders, it was widely considered a dead language, after all.

As the pendant emitted a strong glow, he nodded. “Basically, an SOS.” He shifted his weight and revealed, “When you activate it, circling its circumference, it will shield you from the sun.”

At my astonishment, he cut in quickly, “A sun-walker pendant. In an emergency situation, like what happened that day. It can’t be used as an everyday thing. It takes a potent boost of power to uphold the shield.”

“Where does it draw from?”

He didn’t acknowledge my question.

Instead, he deactivated it, the glow subsiding.

He held it out to me again. “It will burn a little the first time you wear it. It needs to acclimate to you. That’s why I pulled it away earlier. I didn’t want to shock you.”

“Ryker?” I pressed, as I took it from him, swallowing down the searing burn to my fingers, then my clavicle as I clasped it around my neck.

He shifted his weight uneasily. “Me. It channels me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Look, your major weakness is the sun. When Draco finally descends, it’ll be the first thing he’ll go for. The way I’ve heard it, he can turn night into day in a matter of seconds. You’d burn before you could even summon your vamp speed.” He stepped up close and caressed the collar of my shirt. “I’m not gonna let that happen when I can do something about it.”

“How did you create this?” I asked, fingering the pendant, careful not to activate it. “To allow a vampire to walk in the sun is a violation of supernatural law. When I became a Guardian, I asked Cornelius for such a gift, but he denied me. He then went on to inform me that I should not seek it out elsewhere, for Immortals were the only beings capable of doing such a thing.”

“It’s not an outright violation to allow it on a temporary basis. It’s merely bending the law a little.” At my look, his gaze hardened. “Cornelius is so adamant about doing what he must to survive the coming threat. I’m just doing the same.”

“So, you located his spell at the Guardian Compound, is that it?”

“Please,” he scoffed. “I already know the spell and I reworked it for our purposes.”

“You truly are a prodigy, aren’t you?”

He grinned. “Of course.” He stared proudly at the pendant. “All I needed was the old bastard’s magic.” Looking up at me reverently, he said, “He may think me a fool, but I’m far from it. Best to have your enemies underestimate you sometimes.”

“You consider the Immortal your enemy?” I asked, concerned where that sentiment could lead.

“I don’t trust him. If he didn’t need me, I have little doubt that he would’ve ended me a long time ago.”

Hmm. “Fair enough.”

“It was actually you who enabled me to do this.”

I cocked an eyebrow.

“Your comment about him being so cocky that he rarely has his guard up. While he was unbinding my magic, he was wide open.” He smirked. “So, I took a little bit of his magic.”

At my shock, he held up his hands. “I know how dangerous it was, and that’s the last of my reckless behavior, I swear. But, this was worth one last risk. You’ve got to admit that.”

I stepped up close, looming over him.

I smiled inwardly when, instead of showing signs of being intimidated, his eyes hooded with undisguised arousal.

“You misunderstand my reaction. I am moved that you would do such a thing for me. It’s the greatest gift I have ever received. And, I thank you.”

“I just want you safe.”

“As I do, you. So, please refrain from crossing Cornelius again, yes?”

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