Page 45 of Fallen Angels

“No man will be able to deny her,” I add.

“It’s too dangerous,” Dragan points out.

“This whole mission is dangerous,” Eilish argues. “But I’ve seen the way the guards looked at me when I was Variant’s prisoner. And I know I can keep them occupied long enough for you to enter and… do what needs to be done.”

I assume she means disposing of the guards.

“As much as I disagree with the part Eilish’s has to play, I’ll let that subject rest for the time being,” Dragan starts. “Instead, I’ll ask you: how the fuck are we getting Eilish into the palace in the first place? Obviously Variant is quite aware that we’ve escaped. That means, he and his soldiers will be on high alert. Whatever wards were or weren’t in place before, I’m sure they are now—doubly so. We’ll likely be killed before we even reach the gate.”

“Leave getting into the palace to me,” Pyre says with authority. “Just get yourselves inside the castle limits, and I will take care of the rest. Travel swiftly and quietly once you’re inside. Eilish can do as she proposed and seduce the guards. Get the keys and get into the Midnight Queen’s tower.”

“Can we get out the way we came in?” Eilish asks.

Pyre exhales deeply. “No. I can get you out as well, but not without significant risk.”

“What do you mean?” Eilish asks.

“Opening a rift in a heavily warded area is no easy feat,” Pyre explains. “Doing so twice can drain my power very quickly. I’ll have to draw upon several strong spirits to do so or come up with an alternative.”

Noni climbs onto the table and places her hands on Pyre’s face. Her bottom lip trembles slightly. “Don’t get hurt, Master. Noni need her master.”

“I won’t get hurt, Noni. Now, off the table. Eat your food.”

She nods and hops down, still looking worried.

“What happens when your power is drained?” I ask.

Pyre appears uncomfortable. The necromancer takes a noisy sip of his tea and clears his throat. “The Veil begins to absorb me. It slowly tears away pieces of my body until nothing is left and I become one with the spirit realm. That’s why drawing on the Veil is very dangerous. It’s not a simple practice, but one that requires a soul sacrifice. If my magic is depleted, there’s nothing to keep me from making that sacrifice much sooner than I bargained.”

“Why use necromancy at all if it risks your life every time you do?” Eilish inquires softly.

“Because the Veil and my own necromantic energy allow me to perform extraordinary acts. And when compared to the good I can do and continue doing with my magic, my life is a price worth paying.”

“Then you sacrificed your soul to the spirit realm for the greater good?” Eilish asks.

“No,” Pyre chuckles. “Would that my reasons were so noble. No,” he continues and his voice changes pitch—as though he’s lost in a memory of a long-ago time. “I sacrificed my soul to save a woman I loved, even as I knew she could never love me in return.” He grows quiet for a moment or two, but then shakes his head, as though shaking away the memories that linger in his mind. “It was long ago. I am much older now. And wiser.”

Eilish chews her bottom lip and casts her eyes to the table, blushing slightly. I admit to my own feeling of surprise. The story was an intimate detail for Pyre to share and I can see each person around the table now holds the necromancer in a different light. Dragan seems to better understand him. Cambion scoffs at him and I pity him. Eilish admires him.

“Eilish is a wild card,” I say.

She frowns as she looks at me, her expression one of surprise and anger.

“What do you mean?” Dragan asks.

I shrug. “We don’t know what she’s capable of. We’ve seen instances of her magic, yes, but they are few and far between. What happens if she finds herself cornered and none of us are there to come to her aid? What happens if the attempted seduction on the soldiers doesn’t go as planned and she faces a situation of rape? What happens if Variant stumbles on her and decides he’s out for blood?”

“All good questions,” Dragan says and nods as he faces Pyre. “I don’t like the idea of endangering Eilish more than she already is.”

“I’m capable,” she starts.

Pyre interrupts. “I can feel the magic inside her and it is strong, yet unlearned, as you say. She needs direction and instruction. Obviously, time is of important essence, but at the least, I can teach her how to draw on her own light and dark magic.”

“I can teach her the art of self-defense with weaponry,” Dragan offers.

Eilish seems to perk up a bit and it irks me.

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