Page 324 of Alchemised
“We’ve all been recalled from combat. Effective immediately. The thralls and Aspirants will continue to fight, but the Undying have all been withdrawn from the front lines.”
“Someone killed a lich with the obsidian,” Helena said. “Do you think maybe he—the lich—died? That Morrough can’t bring him back anymore?”
Kaine was silent for a few moments.
“Seems you’ve found a weapon to kill us,” he finally said.
She couldn’t read the emotion in his voice. All the exhilaration drained from her.
She’d spent so much time afraid of Kaine’s immortality, knowing that his discovery or apprehension would be without means of escape; he could be tortured forever, without even the hope of death. Now it was very likely that he could die.
She had made this possible. She had not saved him; she had created a new way to lose him instead.
“Be careful,” she said.
He was studying her. “Did they let you recover before they set you back to work?”
She managed a smile. “Yes. Moved me out of the casualty ward. My duties are less rigorous now.”
He nodded. “Well, that’s something.”
There was a pause. She had so much she wanted to say, to tell him, but she knew he was already lingering too long.
“If the obsidian does what we think, the Eternal Flame will be a real threat to Morrough now. He’s sure to respond accordingly,” he finally said. “You should prepare for that.”
She nodded wordlessly, and he relaxed on the reins, Amaris immediately moving to spring, the wind rushing around her wings.
“Don’t die.”
She must have said it too quietly, because he didn’t answer.
CHAPTER 61
Julius 1787
WHEN HELENA HAD NO RITES TO PERFORM, Crowther still kept her busy.
Since she’d proven her usefulness with Mandl, he saw no reason not to continue utilising her to increase his influence and control in the Council. She refused to use her vivimancy for torture, experimenting with her animancy instead, trying to perfect the methods for extracting information. She could not afford to fail.
The Helena of two years ago would not recognise the person she was becoming.
Every line she’d once believed herself incapable of crossing, she passed over without hesitation now.
Sometimes, she pushed too far, until it felt as though she were crawling beneath a prisoner’s skin, their consciousness and her own briefly occupying the same mind-space. They’d grow sick with fevers afterwards, as if suffering from some kind of poisoning, but it was effective, so she overlooked the side effects, believing them manageable until Crowther told her that two of her “subjects” had died.
She had never caused a death before. Not like that. She became very careful, even though Crowther considered it a waste of time and mercy. She found that brief, repeated sessions were safer than long ones, the fevers milder, as if tolerance could be developed. And once that happened, it was even easier for her to extract what she wanted.
“I think I might be able to heal Titus Bayard,” she said late one night to Shiseo.
The Eternal Flame had selected a new general for the Council. They’d lost so many in the bombing, the line of succession had been convoluted. Hutchens had a good record, but he was too awed by Luc.
Shiseo paused, looking up from an obsidian knife he was making.
Helena drew a deep breath. “When General Bayard was injured, I didn’t understand what needed to be done—I didn’t realise that an injury like his wasn’t the same as other wounds. I had an idea earlier this year, but when I tried to test it, Titus reacted badly. Still.” She looked down. “With my work lately, I realised the trick is working in increments and building a tolerance. Once I do that, I think it could work.”
Shiseo tilted his head. “How?”
She wet her lips. “There are paths the mind follows, thoughts and memories. When I healed Titus, I didn’t know, and I trapped him. It might be too late, but if I could get in, maybe I could make a way back out for him.” She swallowed awkwardly. “I do something like that to myself sometimes. Use my resonance to alter how I think, where my mind goes.”
