Dawn Study (Soulfinders #3)(88)
Same here.
She smiled. All right, now you know how to knock on another magician’s shield. Now I want you to reach out to Irys and tell me when you’ve hit your limit.
He sent his awareness to the northeast, toward Irys in the Featherstone garrison. A few people traveled on the road outside the Citadel. Then he picked up on the thoughts of those living in Owl’s Hill before he was unable to go farther—although he was shocked he had managed to even reach that far. I’m at the end.
Zitora placed the messenger in his hands. Use the magic inside to propel you further.
It was like a concentrated piece of the power blanket. As the extra magic infused him, he flew over the miles, seeking Irys. Then he slammed into a stone barrier. Dazed, he needed a moment to collect his wits before knocking. Irys?
Valek? What are you doing here?
Long story, but I can access the power blanket now, and Zitora’s teaching me how to use your super messenger.
A pause. Ah, good. Contact me again when I’m needed. Remember those messengers have a limited amount of magic. Once used up, it can only be recharged by Quinn.
How can I tell how much has been used?
I could send a dozen messages before it’s depleted. Since you aren’t as strong, it would be less for you. Maybe eight total.
He calculated. It’d been used three times—twice by Zitora, who was stronger than Irys. Six left?
Yes. That’s probably right. Good luck. Give Yelena my love.
He retreated, returning to the Keep’s library. Not that he’d ever left. Odd. Both Yelena and Zitora stared at him expectantly.
“Irys sends her love,” he said.
They both grinned.
Yelena gestured to the messenger. “That’s a game-changer for our side. I told you your magic would come in handy.”
“Yes, love, you were right.”
Zitora slapped him on the back. “If you keep using those words, you’re going to have a long, happy marriage.” Then she sobered. “I’d better head back before Bruns gets too suspicious. Good luck with the big breakout.” She turned, then stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She pulled a locked wooden box from her pocket. It was about six inches long and two inches wide. Zitora handed it to Yelena. “Give this to Opal when you see her.”
“What is it?” Yelena asked.
“Opal will know what to do with it.”
*
They spent the rest of the daylight hours reading. Valek quickly realized that his knowledge of magic and all things magical was rather limited, despite his years countering it, so they swapped tasks. Now he scanned pages of text and botanical drawings, seeking any sign of the Harman tree.
At one point, Yelena glanced up and said, “Ellis was a genius, but he had a warped way of thinking. Now I know where Owen Moon gets his crazy ideas. Owen must have read through these when he was a student at the Keep.” She tapped a page with her fingernail. “Ellis believed that only the very strong and master-level magicians should be able to keep their powers. He thought all the others were just a danger to themselves and others. He wanted to start a magicians’ guild to keep track of everyone.”
“That sounds like Bruns’s philosophy.” And Bruns was close to Owen’s age. “I wonder if Owen and Bruns knew each other before—” A thought popped into his head. While the Commander had financed most of Owen’s glass hothouses in order for the man to produce Curare, Owen would have needed funds prior to that endeavor. Money to pay for his failed effort to recover the Ice Moon from the Commander. Had Owen and Bruns been planning this takeover all along?
“Before?” Yelena prompted.
He explained his theory. “The Ice Moon would have accomplished their goal of limiting who has access to magic.” Once activated, the huge blue diamond could have stored the entire power blanket within its depths. But that would be too much power for one person to wield, so the Master Magicians sent the Ice Moon to the Commander for safekeeping. Believing it was a dangerous weapon, he had sliced it into thin sheets and incorporated them into the stained glass windows of his war room. Had he known what it had been capable of, the Commander might have been tempted to use it. He’d never trusted magicians and would have been happy to strip them of their powers.
Yelena fingered the edges of a book as her forehead crinkled in thought. “When the attempt to retrieve the Ice Moon failed, they came up with a plan B to control the magicians.”
“For now. The Theobroma is just a short-term solution. Eventually they will need to weed out the magicians who are not dedicated to their cause.”
“By killing them all?” she asked with a horrified tone.
“I doubt they would risk upsetting Sitians with such an extreme action. They need another way to neutralize them.”
“Like me?”
He considered. “If they had succeeded in blocking your magic, I’d think they would have used that substance on the other magicians by now. Perhaps they’re experimenting with null shields. They can be attached to objects. Maybe they found a way to inject a shield into a person’s body or bloodstream.”
Color leaked from her face. “Do you really think...?”
“I’ve no idea if it’s possible. But I’m pretty certain they’re working on something. Bruns and Owen want control of who keeps their powers and who doesn’t. Since the magicians are all in Sitia, the Cartel must be leading the efforts. Maybe the answer is in Ellis Moon’s notes.”