Page 51 of Amethyst and Iron
“He had Kelsana assist him.”
“Kelsana? Oh my God, is she okay? I managed to get her out ofVantiqein time, but—”
“She is well. Shaken up. Mostly for you. She tried to visit you here but security was too tight… given the situation. However, in my bid to find Lazriel, I paid her a visit at Wraeven Academy and assured her that you would make a full recovery.”
“You did?”
“Of course. I understand that your developing friendship with her is important to you.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Cassius.”
He smiled back, then went on, “About the help she gave Lazriel… he told her that, to help you, he needed access to the results of the Blood Trace that Sylas performed on him. So she created a tracking spell and infused it into a crystal. Because of The Shadowed’s nature, she couldn’t pinpoint a location directly. The crystal could onlyguidethe way. And only Lazriel could use it, since he’s the one with the blood connection toRemnant, the one being tracked.” He drew in a breath before continuing. “Lazriel also had my blood in his system when he left, so I tried tracking him through my own magical signature. It failed. There was nothing to latch onto.”
“He flushed your blood out of his system?”
“Ketheron and I determined that it was actually the tonic that Lazriel consumed which contained Ryker Morgan’s defensive magic that annihilated the magical properties of my blood.”
“A tonic?”
“To combat blood poisoning. When he was trying to heal you with his blood, yours entered his system.”
My gut twisted. “Oh my God.”
“He is well. Healed. He was careless. Do not aspire to carry more guilt that isn’t yours to bear.”
It took me a few moments, but I managed a nod. “And scent-tracking him?”
“There was nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“I had Vorzyr Titanus, the dragon love of Kai, Nyx, and Ariana, attempt it, even partnered with Lucian Black—two of the most talented trackers across the supernatural world—and they could not find a trace of him.”
“I don’t… no. That… that can’t be. Lazriel isn’t… I mean… he’s not…”
“He is not dead,” he said quickly, before my full panic could set in. “He is being hidden. By The Shadowed, I believe. Thewaythe tracking became impossible for Lucian and Vorzyr wasn’t natural. There was a scent barrier. A most prominent one. It is similar to the Death Seal that Remnant had employed when Lazriel tried to perform a Blood Trace to find him, which misrepresented his father as being dead.”
“The Blood Trace… wait… then—”
“My thought exactly. Attempt to locate Lazriel through another. Using his mother.”
“And if a Death Seal is in place? Do you think Sylas will be well enough to attempt a spell of that magnitude?”
He noticeably avoided looking at Sylas as he answered, “A Death Seal is necromantic at its root, but it can be overcome by any being who operates on the same twilight resonance as a necromancer—like you with your Wraith abilities. Or even through other methods.”
Theother methodsI knew meant black magic.
That wasn’t an option.
“Cassius, I don’t know the spell or how to—”
“I do. I will teach you. If you so wish. And if you feel comfortable enough to try.”
I studied him. “You think I need to do something magically forceful to help me recover from what Sorin did… his latest violation.”
“Yes. I do. He undercut your power, violated you despicably. He tried to inject terror and revitalize trauma you had come so far in dealing with and finding some peace with.”
A shudder rolled through me and I felt Cassius’ hold tighten around me.
