Page 16 of Amethyst and Iron
“In essence. And it won’t be taken kindly to. The Valley of the Dead—the souls, spirits, and the general nature of that metaphysical plane—will not tolerate a being lingering between life and death.”
“You mean it will… pull her in?”
“That’s already happening as we speak.” He gestured at the black line, how it had shortened, some of it disappearing.
“Then we pull from the other side, right? Or you do?”
“Exactly.”
He moved to call his power, but something occurred to me, something I hoped I wasn’t right about, and I snagged his arm, stilling him. “Wait. How was Cassius going to bring her back? He was going to pull too?”
“Yes.”
“Wait—then that means—no.”
“What?”
“I know what you’re trying so hard not to tell me, and hoping like hell I don’t figure out. Cassius was going to do that by sacrificing himself, by giving his life for hers. So that meanspullingcan only occur through a death offering in return for her being brought back to the land of the living.”
“She’s not dead yet.”
“Part of her is—her Dark Fae side. And the other is stuck.”
“That’s not exactly—”
“You’re not doing this.”
“No… you’re certainly… not,” Cassius’ voice sounded weakly, and I looked to see his eyes fluttering open.
“How do you feel?” Sylas asked, taking him in as he carefully eased from me and sat up on his own, looking weary, but not deathly anymore, thank fuck.
“I am breathing. But you will not be if you do this.”
Sylas gritted his teeth. “I’m not going to trade my life for hers. I’m not you. I’m a necromancer. There are different rules for me.”
“I am well aware. But the risk is not merely in the trading of lives.”
“What are you—”
“You will not survive the spell.”
“How do you—”
“I knowyou.I suspect you plan to useAuctoritas Mortis.”
“What’s that?” I asked. I knew my fair share about the magical arts, but I’d never heard of that.
“Something nobody should be invoking.Authority Over Death.”
“It’s illegal?”
“Illegal in the eyes of supernatural authorities is the least of it. It is a violation of the balance, one that will come with severeconsequences, no doubt.” He glared at Sylas. “And it requires enormous power—a necromancer to give their all.”
“I am familiar with the spell and fully aware of what I can and can’t handle.”
“You are not. Because you are operating as though you are not ill at all. We have discussed this and I thought I’d managed to—”
“She’s dying! And she willactuallyfucking die if I don’t act. The longer we sit here arguing, the more my chances of being able to pull this off are slipping the fuck away!” He gestured angrily between Velra and Cassius and me. “She dies and you shatter, Cassius. I can tether you to this plane so you don’t perish, separate you from her, but you’ll only be here physically with her gone. You’ll be a shell. And Lazriel… the devastation of losing her will break you as well.”
