Page 167 of Amethyst and Iron
A shudder rolled through me as I noted the cages at the far end of the space.
Fluorescent lights pulsing unsteadily and aggravatingly.
I took in some research tables to my right where four of Remnant’s magical scientists were gathered, mixing and preparing, while eyeing monitors above all concerning my condition and the operation that loomed all too heavily.
I sucked in a breath as I shrugged off my leather hooded coat, rested it on a bench by the far left wall near the entrance, then pulled off my long sleeve black tee also as Remnant had instructed.
He was outside commanding three dozen of his members—half sorcerers and sorceresses, half vampires. They would be patrolling and guarding the immediate area during the operation.
A lot of people didn’t want this happening.
They didn’t want me back at full power.
Now that we’d determined that the portion of my necromantic core Corvin had stolen from me was on this plane and technically accessible, the key to a permanent cure now existed. But that key was in my father’s possession, my father who was also bolstered byPuritas.Without me undergoing this procedure, there wouldn’t be the means to procure it, or to put the cure into effect. It needed a necromancer, and that motherfucker was murdering them all across the supernatural world.
“Are you prepared?”
I spun as Remnant was suddenly right in front of me.
I literally hadn’t even seen him blur in through the door.
“Coat and shirt off. Good to go,” I told him.
“I am referring to mental preparation.”
I scoffed. “I’m good. Thanks, though.”
He stepped closer, emanating old authority and power. I could almost taste it, it was so potent.
And I was a big fan.
As such, if he thought it could be used as an intimidation tactic, he had another thing coming. I couldn’t be affected in that way. It wasn’t how I was wired.
“Thank you for helping my son.”
Not what I’d been expecting out of his mouth.
The utter surprise of it obviously showed, because he went on, “You provided grounded and gentle guidance through a vulnerable shift and heavy realization for him. You are the first man he has felt comfortable revealing that facet of himself to and you protected it well, even nurtured it. That has even paved the way for him to open himself to his vampirism and transcend his repression of that.”
“It was his bravery more than anything I did. I just… facilitated it, tried to take some of the edge off in ways I would have wished for myself back when I was in the same boat.”
“Yet, with the added burden of being an orphan.”
I ground my jaw. “Yeah.”
“I am so very sorry that’s the way things transpired. No child deserves to suffer through that.” He regarded me shrewdly. “It shapes them, wouldn’t you agree?”
“To an extent.”
“Only to an extent?” he questioned. Well, more like, challenged.
“My mind is clear. My goal is clear when it comes to Morien. You don’t need to worry. I know there’s a price to pay for this operation, for you going to these lengths for me. And I’ll pay it. I’ll put that motherfucker down.”
“Gabriel Morgan was consumed by black magic.”
“Ryker’s father? I know. I heard.”
“I very much doubt that Ryker conveyed it to you. Considering he’d marked your father for death because even one as benevolent as Mr. Morgan had recognized that Morien Morgrave was beyond salvaging.”
