Page 62 of Blood Feast

Lyros nodded. “Let our smith’s weapon be known as the Star of Orthros.”

Mak met Lyros’s gaze. “Thank you. Not just for the name. For supporting me in this mad endeavor.”

“Always, my Grace.”

Lio turned to Cassia with his staff. “And for an unlikely warrior’s weapon?”

She arched a brow at him and smiled. “Yours should have a name fitting for a diplomat. ’Final Word,’ for violence is always your last resort, and even in battle, you negotiate your victory on Hespera’s terms.”

He reached out and caressed her face. “Thank you for helping me keep sight of my true path.”

She held out her dagger. “What will our bloodborn call my blade?”

He traced the place on her palm where the sharp edge of her gardening tool had once left a scar. Now smooth skin, thanks to her Gifting, but she felt as if those blood rituals had left an eternal, arcane mark on her.

“Rosethorn,” he said simply. “There is no truer Rose of Hespera than our Hesperine Silvicultrix. And you know how I love your thorns.”

Her cheeks warmed. “I told them you’re a poet.”

“Worthy names for soon-to-be-legendary artifacts,” Mak approved. “Now you need a practical way to carry them.”

He retrieved scabbards for them from another shelf. When he handed Cassia a dark metal dagger sheath attached to amatching belt chain, she was surprised to find how heavy they were.

“Are these forged of adamas as well?” she asked.

“There is some adamas in the alloy,” Mak confirmed. “Nothing else would bear the weight. They’ll dampen the weapons’ magical auras, too, once we finish enchanting them.”

“We?” Cassia asked.

“If you’re willing, I’d be honored for all of you add your magic to our weapons.” Mak set his morning star on the table in front of Cassia. “Starting with you.”

“Me?” She took a step back from the spiked club. “You know how uncontrollable my magic is! What if I break the weapons?”

“They’re made of adamas,” Mak said cheerfully. “Nothing can break them. They’re the perfect, indestructible artifacts for you to experiment with.”

“What could my magic possibly add?”

“Think what happened when you channeled your Lustra magic at the Queens’ ward. Your power has a defensive instinct, especially in combination with Hesperine protection spells.”

Lyros put his spear on the table as well. “You’ve watched me enchant jewelry. You know the technique. You can imbue our weapons with your dual magic.”

Cassia turned doubtfully to Lio.

He laid his staff before her.You know I am always your willing test subject. And you did promise me another magical experiment. I cannot wait to test the results.

You and your insatiable appetite for research.

For researching you, certainly.

She looked around at all three of them. “Do you think there will come a time when having my magic in our weapons could mean the different between victory and defeat? If I enchant them, could it save lives?”

“Yes,” Lyros said. “Especially against the Collector. He told you himself that your magic is the most difficult of all paradigms for him to deal with.”

If Mak or Lio had said it, she might have thought they were being too generous. But Lyros was their military strategist, who would never risk the outcome of the battle by mincing words.

She nodded to him. “Very well. I’ll give them all the power I can. Let me try my dagger first, since it already has Lustra magic in it.”

“Good idea,” Lio agreed.

---