Page 58 of Claws for Celebration
Lucien processed the implications. "It's saying that our mate bond might allow us to use your bloodline magic to strengthen Seraphina's binding rather than break it."
"But how do we know this isn't another manipulation?" Moira asked with justified skepticism. "The grimoire has been lying to me since day one. Why would it suddenly start offering helpful solutions?"
"Because it's not offering anything," Lucien realized, studying the text more carefully. "It's just stating facts about how mate-bonded magic works. The choice of what to do with that information is still ours."
Before Moira could respond, the rebuilt front door opened to admit Elder Varric carrying an armload of ancient texts that looked like they'd been pulled from the Council's most secure archives.
"I brought research materials," the elder announced without preamble. "Historical accounts of blood magic practitioners who achieved stability through supernatural partnerships. If you're going to attempt magical working of this magnitude, you need to understand the precedents."
They spent the next several hours poring over accounts that painted a picture of mate-bonded couples whose combined abilities had reshaped magical history. Blood witches who'd used shifter bonds to channel continent-spanning protective barriers. Fae enchanters whose dragon mates had allowed them to permanently seal dimensional breaches. Even a necromancer who'd worked with her vampire mate to establish peaceful coexistence between living and undead communities.
"The pattern is consistent," Varric observed as they compared different historical accounts. "When blood magic is channeled through a stabilizing supernatural bond, the practitioner can achieve levels of control and precision that would be impossible alone."
"But the risks are also amplified," Lucien noted, reading about a Celtic witch whose failed attempt at continent-wide warding had killed both her and her selkie mate. "If there is an issue during the major magical working, both partners can be lost to magical feedback."
"The alternative is watching ancient evil break free during the Convergence," Moira said pragmatically. "I'd rather risk both our lives trying to prevent apocalypse than guarantee supernatural catastrophe by doing nothing."
As afternoon stretched toward evening and they continued researching precedents for their situation, Lucien found himself marveling at how naturally they'd fallen into partnership. Where he approached problems with tactical analysis, Moira brought scholarly methodology that ensured they didn't miss crucial details. Where her academic background provided historical context, his Council training offered practical application of supernatural theory.
"Look at this," Moira said suddenly, pointing to a passage in one of the oldest texts. "A Roman blood witch named Livia used her mate bond with a Germanic shifter to permanently banish a shadow entity that had been terrorizing trade routes. The ritual required both their life forces, but the banishment was so complete that the entity never found a way back to the mortal realm."
"Permanent banishment rather than imprisonment," Lucien mused. "That would solve the problem of future Shadowheart descendants being manipulated into releasing whatever Seraphina trapped."
"But it also means using enough magical energy to tear open dimensional barriers," Varric warned. "Miss Marsh, your power is considerable, but attempting something of that magnitude could easily consume you entirely."
"Not if she's channeling it through our mate bond," Lucien said with growing conviction. "The historical accounts show that bonded partners can share the magical load, preventing any one person from being overwhelmed by the energy requirements."
"Here," Varric said suddenly, pulling a particularly ancient scroll from his collection. "This is exactly what you need to see. An account from the Archivum Mysticum about dimensional banishment techniques."
He spread the scroll carefully across the table, revealing text written in multiple hands across several centuries. "Look at this section, documented by a Council observer during the Third Realm War."
Lucien leaned closer to read the faded text. "The Convergence approaches when dimensional barriers grow thin. Ancient binding weakens whether Shadowheart magic reinforces or abandons it. But mated power offers third option: complete dissolution of prison through controlled dimensional breach. Entity banished beyond all realms, never to return."
"A controlled dimensional breach," Moira repeated slowly. "Using our combined magical signatures to open a permanent doorway that banishes the entity to... where exactly?"
Varric pointed to another section of the scroll. "According to this scholar's notes: Beyond the Void. Where consciousness cannot exist and power dissolves into nothingness. No return possible from such banishment."
"It's offering us a way to end this permanently," Lucien said, though his protective instincts recoiled at the magical risks such a working would entail. "No more imprisoned entity waiting for future manipulation. No more Shadowheart descendants bearing the burden of maintaining ancient binding spells."
"But potentially killing both of us in the process," Moira added with the kind of unflinching honesty he'd grown to love about her. "Are we brave enough to risk everything onthe chance that our mate bond is strong enough to survive dimensional magic?"
"Are we brave enough not to?" he countered, the question hanging between them as they contemplated choices not only about her own fate but the future of the supernatural world.
As evening light faded outside the damaged bookstore and they continued planning for magical working that could either save everyone or destroy them both, Lucien found himself grateful that whatever came next, they would face it as true partners united by bonds that went deeper than duty or obligation.
The mate who sat beside him, her golden magic intertwining with his darker energy in perfect harmony, was worth any risk the future might demand. And if their love proved strong enough to banish ancient evil permanently, their story would become the kind of legend that gave hope to supernatural couples for generations to come.
34
MOIRA
Three days of intensive magical training with Lucien had transformed Moira's understanding of what her blood magic could accomplish when properly channeled. Instead of the chaotic surges that had characterized her early awakening, she now worked with precision that amazed even the local witches who'd been practicing for decades.
"Focus on the foundation layer first," Lucien instructed from his position behind her, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders as they worked to create protective barriers around the rebuilt bookstore. "Draw the energy up slowly, let it flow through our bond before directing it outward."
The technique he'd developed allowed her to tap into his panther's natural magical resistance, using that stability as an anchor while she wove increasingly complex spellwork. What had once felt like trying to control a wildfire now felt manageable, purposeful.
"Like this?" she asked, watching as golden threads of magic emerged from her fingertips in controlled streams rather than explosive bursts.
