Page 61 of Joined By Magic

“Really?”’ The king sounded curious. “Even if it meant doing something well outside the bounds of normal morality?”

“Of course.” Leo projected absolute certainty. “Who wouldn’t?”

The king’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded. “I’ve made a discovery. I need your assistance to make it a reality.”

“Make what a reality?”

“My new treatment plan.” The king gestured to himself. “Can’t you see the difference?”

Leo let out an exasperated breath. “Can you get to the point?”

The king shrugged. “Everyone thought Adante was the only genius in this family, but I’ve surpassed him in this. I’ve long heard rumors of your healing mages, but this is the first chance I’ve had to get hold of one. They’re a myth over here. People don’t believe they exist.”

He leaned back in his seat and studied Leo’s face.

“So where’s Doctor Hanna?”

The king took on a regretful tone, fake and syrupy. “Oh, I’m afraid he had a bad turn. Such a shame.”

“What do you mean?”

The king picked up a drink from a spindly side table and sipped. The amber liquid swirled in the glass, leaving tracks in its wake. “Like any mage, your healers are limited by their natural strength. They can perform wonders, but only in small doses. But”—he gestured with his glass—“I had an idea. There’s a technique known as siphoning. You can connect to another mage, attach yourself like a leech and draw out all their power. Unfortunately, it’s useless.”

The king’s words were weaving a spell around me, drawing me in. I had to force myself to breathe.

“Siphoning is often fatal to the victim and gives little benefit to the aggressor. The boost in power is temporary and carries with it the risk of burnout. Not worth it. It’s banned from the curriculum in every schoolhouse in the world. Almost no one knows about it, and if they did, why would they risk it?”

“I’ve heard of it.”

The king smiled and looked even younger. His skin, which had been thin and papery, had regained some elasticity.

“Now you start to see the possibilities, Son.” He sounded almost friendly. “Imagine if the power you were drawing in was pure healing. Unadulterated elixir of health, a dose a thousand times greater than a mage could use through normal means. Can you imagine how it would feel? The benefits to your body?”

He drew in a deep breath, and his smile became beatific. “I hadn’t taken a lungful of air like that in ten years. My vision is bright, my thoughts clear.” He stretched out a hand to study the skin. “I even have color. I’m waiting on results, but I’m sure it’s set my body, and my illness, back years. I might even be free of the sickness. So, now you understand why I had to dispose of a few doctors.”

He turned sharp eyes on Leo. “You’re young, strong, and handsome, but you’re also past thirty. How long until things start to degrade? We’ve got an opportunity here. If we work quietly and gather what we need, the possibilities are endless. We could cheat death itself!”

“You use them up.” Leo’s voice was surprisingly calm, almost neutral. “You burn through their life to gain ten or so more years, but you’re not seeing the problem. They’re rare. They live in isolated communities to preserve their bloodline. How do you propose we get enough of them for this to be worthwhile?”

The king’s grin was reptilian. “We bring the army to bear on them, collect them, and breed them.” The light of obsession shone from the king’s eyes. “I’ve got it all planned out. We harvest the males and keep the females. Like a farm, but producing life and youth for us to take.”

Cold suffused my body. He was so detached, speaking about humans as if they were animals. A foul monster.

“Very clever.” Leo’s words rattled me, even though I knew he was acting. “I’d never have imagined such a thing. Can you detail the process for me?”

“Of course! We’ve got a lot to discuss.” An air of satisfaction hung over him.

Leo leaned toward the king. “Tell me everything.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Talia

Theprinceteleportedusas far away from the house as he could manage, in a series of nauseating jumps toward a large industrial town. By the time we stopped outside a dirty flophouse he’d found using his link-up, my stomach roiled, and he was white-faced, shaking with fatigue. He lurked by the door as I plastered on a fake grin and simpered at the desk clerk. “A room, please.” I brandished the money and winked. “Off the record.”

Hopefully, he’d take me for a call girl with a married client. The man grunted, eyes glued to a sports match on a small vid screen behind the counter. “How long?”

“All night. Late check out.”

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