Page 28 of Amethyst and Iron
“Yes. Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. He’d do the same for any of us. He has done the same for me.”
“I am aware, yes. As I am also aware just how little time Sylas had left before this even transpired earlier.”
“I see.”
“He told me about your potential cure.” I ground my jaw. “If my power had not been compromised at the time, I could have retrieved Sorin with assistance from Lazriel’s hunting skills, and thrust him into the Valley of the Dead alongside Sylas, carried out your solution to use Sorin’s death as a sacrifice that would have fueled the death energy and necromantic reset for Sylas, essentially restoring him.”
“Sylas wasn’t tethered when he entered the Valley of the Dead to save Velra. He sacrificed his life to return hers. The fact that we pulled him out after he’d done that is already a major violation. Let alone what you’re talking about. Performing that spell to essentialresethim by piggybacking off another would have piled violation upon violation. Moreover, it would have likely corrupted the spell and resulted in failure anyway. And using a sacrifice to return him to his natural state sans sickness would cross into black magic territory—something you are well aware of. If that spell is to ever be performed, it must be at the hands of another learned necromancer.” He shook his head with disbelief. “While it’s nice to see you becoming more emotionally evolved, be careful. Your clear affection and care for Sylas that I’m seeing now is impacting your tactical mind. And your morality. There’s a balance that needs to be struck.”
“We do what we must to protect the downtrodden and those we care for.”
“You know that was my way of doing things for a long time. But I came to learn that there’s a time and place for such actions, a right way and wrong way.” He eyed me. “Don’t you teach Ritual Ethics now?”
“That concerns restraint upon institutions, the dangers of them exerting too much power and control over individuals, of compromising their freedoms.”
“But institutions are not the only ones who can be guilty of that. Draco, for instance? Corvin? Vorzyr’s grandfather,Malrik Titanus? Those who wield seemingly indomitable power can impact individuals, can harm and destroy if they are not checked. If they can’t checkthemselvesand use said power responsibly.”
“You told me that you would hunt downPuritasalone if you did not receive actionable intelligence and remain looped in.”
“Not without authorization. And the hell I would raise would be controlled, rational, and targeted. No violation of natural laws, causing collateral damage, or becoming one of those unchecked megalomaniacs with too much power that I’ve fought against my entire life.”
“I can draw that line, Kai.”
“Make damn sure you can. Especially as you’re evolving emotionally. Or there will be severe consequences. They’ll come for you, Cassius.”
Before another word could be spoken, a rush of power rolled down the corridor, and Ariana’s silver magic erupted as she teleported in.
Her golden waves cascaded down the shoulders of her signature brown suede jacket and she cocked her hip, slapping her hand to her jeans as she caught sight of Kai.
And she wasn’t alone.
As Kai ended the spell and rushed over to her, wrapping her up in his arms, the corridor reverberated as her companion ran at me, forgetting to check his power in his haste.
“Ketheron,” I choked as he crashed into me, rattling my bones.
“I heard all from Ariana,” he breathed, holding me in an overbearing bear hug. “Thank goodness you are well.”
“I am fine, I assure you.”
He eased back, stilling holding my arms tightly. “It was aclose call, as Ariana explained.”
I caught Ariana’s eye and she winced.
It was okay. I knew of her policy to always tell Ketheron the truth, even when it was difficult and upsetting, as was clearly the case for him here when it came to my wellbeing. After him being manipulated and used and abused for so long at the hands of deplorable beings, she was adamant that he not be lied to in any shape or form.
“It was, yes,” I admitted. “However, I stand before you now well and restored.”
He pressed his hand to my Soul Brand. “This is dangerous.” His eyes flicked to Velra inside the facility, before returning to me. “To both of you.”
“I do not want it gone.”
He eased his hand down. “Of course not. It links you deeply and that connection is important to you and your sweetheart.”
“Hissweetheart.That’s adorable,” Ariana commented, coming over to us, now that Ketheron had calmed and gotten that much-needed embrace out of the way.
Kai joined her. He went to tuck her into his side, but she shifted so that she was actually wrapping her arm around him, essentially supporting him in his depleted state with angelic strength without drawing overt attention to it. She definitely knew him well. Much like Sylas, Kai did not do well with demonstrating any sort of weakness—even temporarily.
