Page 42 of Claimed By Night

“We could lend Cambion our magic as well, liege,” Thoradin says. He’s clearly a proponent of this plan, as well. Apparently, I’m not the only one who doubts the girl.

Dragan is quiet for a few seconds but then nods without saying anything more.

***

DRAGAN

I don’t believe this is a good idea. Eilish is exhausted and her body is weak. After what she’s been through, the idea of putting her through something as taxing as this enchantment seemswrong, malicious. But now that she’s asked to be subjected to it, I’m not sure what more I can do to stop it from happening.

“If she shows signs of pain or increased weakness, we stop immediately,” I warn them. Thoradin nods his agreement but Cambion just stares at me. I’m not sure what his problem is; it seems like he’s trying to discredit her. I believe he wants nothing more than to prove she’s not what she appears to be, but I’m not sure why. He must recognize that if she’s an intact angel, she’s the answer to defeating Variant? Then it dawns on me: maybe that’s the exact reason why he hopes she’s a fraud. Maybe he’s that afraid of rebelling against Variant?

Regardless, I believe in her. I can’t explain why, because she’s shown me nothing more than she’s shown the others, but I believe in her all the same. Maybe I’m a fool. I suppose time will tell.

“Join hands,” Cambion says as we circle Eilish. She lies in the center of our circle, facing the starless, black sky.

“Sprite, you must place both hands on her,” Cambion continues.

“Why I gotta do that?”

“Learn how to follow directions without asking questions,” I bark at him. He glares up at me but does as he’s told. His light energy will help balance the loss of Eilish’s.

“One of us must touch her,” Cambion explains.

No one is going to touch her but me. I reach out, placing my hand on her shoulder, and she glances up at me with wide, nervous eyes. She’s scared. I smile down at her as consolingly as I’m able. She takes a deep breath and breaks my gaze, staring up at the sky again.

Cambion begins reciting the words of the enchantment in the old language ofElvish. I watch as Eilish’s breathing picks up, her chest rising and falling more obviously. She closes her eyes.

“Activate your Shadow Magic,” Cambion instructs and I close my eyes, calling my shadows forth. I feel them immediately. Opening my eyes, I witness a bluish glow building from beneath Cambion’s hands. It spreads to Thoradin’s, where it morphs to a red glow, then carries through to me. Fairly soon, our circle of arms is lit with fae and shadow magic, blue and red fluorescence that dances along our hands and arms, highlighting the circle surrounding Eilish.

She opens her mouth and inhales deeply, her breathing coming even faster now.

“I call forth the powers of theEnchantment of True Seeing,” Cambion intones. Almost immediately, the glow linking us begins to arch inwards, toward Eilish. The glow empties from our skin and swallows her entire body, cocooning her in a white, radiant embrace. She jerks slightly and opens her mouth as a slight moan echoes from her lips. It’s a doleful sound.

“Hurry,” I growl at Cambion.

“Are you angel or are you otherwise?” Cambion demands, staring down at her with an expression devoid of empathy.

Eilish opens her mouth to speak, but another small moan escapes and her jaw tightens. Cambion repeats his question, this time with more urgency.

“I am… angel,” she says this time, in a small, wilted tone. “But I am more.”

“More?” Cambion studies her pensively. I’m surprised, as well. “What more are you?” he asks.

“I… I am not… sure.”

“Do you still possess your wings?” he insists.

“I… I don’t know.” She takes another deep breath and clenches her eyes shut. A tremor suddenly seizes her, shaking her from her shoulders to her feet. Her eyes pop open and the whites are clearly visible. She’s afraid.

“Who placed the marks on your back?” Cambion asks.

“I…”

“Who placed the marks on your back?” he asks again, this time louder, more impatient.

“Cambion,” I growl at him in warning. I hate the way he’s treating her—as if she’s not an angelic being, as if she doesn’t deserve his respect. I’ve forgotten how much I fucking hate him.

“I… I don’t know.”

---