The Blessed Curse (The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 4)(77)

“And what should we offer her, then?” Kali demanded. She was staring at him fully now with both hands on her hips. Her lips were drawn in a tight line and her eyes narrowed. In his experience in dealing with her, the combination of that expression and posture had never been a good thing.

“What if we tell her the truth about what we have been doing?” Hemlock offered quietly. Her expression grew more stormy and he tensed in his chair, every muscle ready to spring if he needed to move quickly. Kali was an incredibly powerful mage with a very volatile temper.

“I will not have the Fionaveir mucking up what I have been working on for centuries. There are certain lines that must be crossed to accomplish what we have to do and they will not cross them. I will not allow them to f*ck it up!” Kali hissed and the air around her surged with magic.

“If they knew what you truly are, though,” Hemlock pressed. The air around him filled with magic and he barely moved before the chair he had been seated in burst into flames. Thick smoke choked the small room as he pressed himself flat against a wall and moved quickly to the other side of the room. “Kali, please be reasonable,” he growled as he ducked another burst of flames that had been aimed at his head.

“No! No! Bloody no! I will not work with those lily white pansy bastards!” Kali screeched, flames dancing from her fingers with each word she spoke.

“Fine!” Hemlock bellowed back in response as he ducked and weaved his way through her magical temper tantrum. When the Barrier had gone up, Kali had been slightly off in the head. Over the year, she had gradually gotten worse. Now, the only term he could use to describe her was a flaming nutter. She was a powerful nutter, though, and the only one he could count on for help when he needed it. If he phrased his request well, which apparently he hadn’t this time. “Calm down, and let’s sort this out, Kali. We have enough enemies without fighting each other. Remember?”

The flames died abruptly and Hemlock stood upright, slowly gazing around at what remained of the small sitting room. Most of the furniture was destroyed and parts of the walls were still in flame. Kali, however, seemed calm once more. He raised an eyebrow at her and carefully watched the expression on her face for any sign of anger. Her moods shifted so quickly that she was nearly impossible to predict.

“We could kill Symphony and replace her with a clone that I have manipulated the mind of,” Kali mused, her tone peaceful once more.

There was no sign whatsoever of the fury that had held her moments before and Hemlock had to force back the desire to choke the woman. Kali was likely the strongest reason that he never allowed himself to form attachment to women. He was certain at some point the crazy bitch had been sweet and alluring like Jala. Kali was simply the advanced version. She was living proof of what other Immortal women would become, given enough time and power, and that single thought had kept Hemlock free of attachment for years.

“I don’t think that is an option this time, Kali,” Hemlock replied cautiously. The last thing he wanted to do was set off another tantrum, but from what he had seen of the Fionaveir her idea simply wasn’t plausible.

“Probably not,” Kali sighed with disappointment. “It is so much easier when I can just clone someone and tell them what to do rather than having to deal with actual people,” she added wistfully.

“We need something Symphony truly wants or cares about. Remedy or Lex would work, but I can’t locate them. This is the first thing we must deal with, and quickly before the Fionaveir come down on us. Soon after, though, we must determine how to keep the Veyetta at rest. If the Shadow Walkers reawaken they will continue their plans to bring down the Barrier and then we are all dead, regardless.” Hemlock sighed and rubbed his face again. It was a habit of his when stressed, and with the way things were going his face was going to be raw before the week was over.

His eyes landed on the chair he had been sitting in minutes before, and he pulled gently on his magic as he waved a hand in its direction. The air shimmered around it as he reversed time just enough to return it to its former condition. Crossing the room once more, he dropped into the chair and eyed the rest of the damage in the room. It would be a simple matter for him to repair everything as he had the chair, but as far as he saw it, Kali had created the mess, and she could clean it up.

“Perhaps you should tell me what you have seen in regards to the Veyetta while I think about the matter with Symphony,” Kali said. Her hand flicked out behind her and she dropped back to sit balanced neatly on the empty air behind her. He had known countless mages in his life and all but Kali hoarded their magic. Kali threw magic around as if it were nothing, and it often left him wondering exactly how large her reserves were. He had never seen her run low on power, no matter what the situation.