Page 12 of Blood of Ancients

Kelvar lost his smile. “The blood Dahlia pumped you full of during your tests did more than weaken you. It turned you into her puppet, easily controlled by the marionette strings of her runeshaping, to use at any time against you.”

“In plain words, please,” I said, curious.

“Dahlia’s concoction would turn you into her pet. Rise up against her, and with a flick of her wrist she could rend your blood much the same way you do, to control you and bring you to your knees.”

I raised my brow, sitting back. This was news to me—the first real bit of information I’d wrestled out of him.

“Tomekeeper Dahlia does not just want to kill you. She wants to torture you.”

“I’m aware.”

“And I”—Kelvar nodded to the dead leech simmering in a half-filled beaker of blue liquid—“am trying to siphon all that bad blood out of you, so she can’t do that. There. Is that plain enough for you?”

“Then aren’t you taking thespecialblood out of me at the same time?” I asked. “Taking out the good with the bad?”

“One would think.” He clicked his tongue again, turning to mess with his vials. Tapping one, he said, “My tests have shown that is not the case. Which I find fascinating.”

My thin brow remained lifted. “What do you mean?”

“The blood you fed from Ravinica Linmyrr has . . . staying power. It refuses to leave your body.”

I stood from the chair, creases of confusion in my face. He was right, thatwasfascinating.

“And clearly,” he finished, “it’s powerful.”

“I never told you Ravinica was the one I fed from.”

“You never needed to. Like I said, it doesn’t take a mindshaper to know.” He drummed the table, tilting his head. “Elven blood, remember? A rarity in these parts.”

He gave me another half-smile, but I was in no mood for levity. He was underplaying the fact elven blood was not just “a rarity.” She was literally the only person in the entire academy that had it. Well, her and apparently me, now.

“It’s the elven part of her blood that makes it so, erm,potent?” I asked, taking a step toward him and his science project.

“I’ve dealt with elven blood before. It works just like ours. No, this is different. This is—”

“The ‘anomaly.’”

A nod. “Now you’re getting it, boy.”

He had mentioned an “anomaly” in my blood during his tense conversation with Tomekeeper Dahlia, when I escaped.

I paced a few steps. With nowhere to go in the small room, I decided to sit and rubbed at my neck, thinking. “What are the qualities of this anomalous blood that make it so special, Hersir?”

“I’m not sure the extent of its power. So far, it appears to . . . regenerate you. It was the essence not only keeping you upright and combating Dahlia’s tainted blood, but making youstronger.”

“Gods above.”

“Aye.” He nodded, moving from the table. “Alarming, yet also groundbreaking. Blood that regenerates its vessel? This could be a runic breakthrough—no, ascientificbreakthrough, if wecan understand it more fully. So, you see, you are correct. My reasons are not altruistic. Ineedto know more about you.”

“Can you not ask Ravinica for her aid?”

He gave me a look that said, “Are you serious?” and then scoffed. “Would she accept?”

I frowned. “Good point.” I would rather go through the unpleasantness of dealing with Kelvar and his leeches than putting my silvermoon through that. “Does the Tomekeeper know what my blood—Ravinica’s, rather—can do?”

“She is aware of the anomaly, yes.”

“Well . . . fuck.”

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