The Council (Darkness #5)(38)

Which was not great for defense.

Everyone now changed their position, protecting me from what was coming, leaving me to deal with the old guy with wandering thoughts.

“Someone killed the guards?” I asked, aghast. “Well, where’s Rudy?”

“Rudy has disappeared. Well, he thinks he has, anyway. It was him that killed the guards, of course. And while I do not have proof, they met their end shortly after he visited Andris. He has never been cunning or effective when under pressure. It is his greatest weakness. And one must always understand their enemy’s greatest weaknesses.”

I was waving my hand at him, trying to drag the words out a little faster. “Your enemy? Didn’t you let him have the run of the place?”

“Oh yes. He and my mage. You see, I have been around long enough to know how power corrupts. I have witnessed it firsthand on many occasions. It is only a matter of time. The issue has always been ferreting out the guilty parties. Using a man such as Rudy—young, ambitious, charming—and pitting him against someone like June, who is organized, logical and hyper-moral, one can really see the cracks that form within the ranks during the struggle for control. Especially when the master is at rest.”

“Great. Super. Except now my life is falling apart because of your stupid reindeer games. And if Rudy thinks he disappeared, that means you know where he went.”

A grin lit up Cato’s face as shouting started from the doorway. “Are you okay, sir? Shall we cut these males down?”

“Do you not see the merits in my methods?” Cato spoke to me. “Now, let’s notice you, shall we? A human within the upper reaches of the black magical power slide. A human trained by one of the great magic workers we know, even though his magic is nearing only the middle of the white slide. You are linked to a god-like specimen—he has power, strength, command, inspires loyalty, and even has a heightened appearance. Your new father is the most brutal, vicious warrior I have ever seen in action. And no, I have not seen your future mate in action, so maybe Dominicous has a rival—”

“What is your damn point?” I interjected. My wrist was tingling where my imaginary watch ticked away.

“Impatience. A trait of the young. My point is just this—Fate has gathered the most essential of players to open a door to our past. In doing so, it will secure our future. Through you we will establish a link all but lost. We will rebuild what has been destroyed. We will reform what has been torn apart. And we will live on into the next generations to come as a united species.”

I started pacing. “Well that is just f**king awesome. God damn Fate. But here’s an issue you might be able to help me with—I’m just kind of rounding back to square one, here. Where the hell is Rudy?”

More shouts came from the hallways. Swords clashed. A zip of red magic beamed past the hole in the wall. Cato’s men streamed into the room. My guys backed up so they could.

A new threat had shown up.

“Ah. So. It has begun.” Cato stood from his chair. “I had no idea Andris would be so effective—he was the enemy I should have been watching closely. I misjudged. And now it will be up to you to set my folly to rights. But first, you need another lesson. Toa has been too easy on you.”

A blast of white hot magic slammed into me, throwing me back and plastering me to the wall. “I have magic to equal yours. We are on par, you and I.”

My lungs squeezed. Swirls started to block my vision. I grappled with the spell, just as intricate and fine as the one on that door. Sound cut out. My senses started shutting down. Air escaped my lungs and wouldn’t work its way back in.

“Embrace your magic. Don’t hide from it. Don’t struggle with it. Embody it,” I heard through the din. Almost like it was said directly in my head. Those words were the only sound I heard.

Panic griped me as the air ran out. The pain from his spell set off alarms just as my vision started to fade.

He was killing me!

I sucked in more magic, filled to the brim, working at that spell. Trying to find the chink in the chain.

“Embody it.”

What the hell does that mean? I wanted to scream. I couldn’t though—I had no air.

My lungs burned. My body tingled fire. The magic threatened to overrun me, which wouldn’t kill me as fast as Cato planned to.

Black flog encased my brain. My eyes bulged.

Just need air. Just one gulp of air.

My consciousness started drifting. I reached out with magic, feeling for help. Touching on Charles and Jonas who were trying to work past a spell to get to me. To the strange but fascinating magic of Tim and his guys, sparkling green and earthy. I felt the jagged edges of someone bursting into the room looking for a link. I grabbed on.

My power flowed through me and into the person immediately. Joy dripped into me even as my life force dwindled away, my body and brain both starved for oxygen, while my blood pumped with the sweet elixir of magic.

That link cut out. Ripped away.

No. Transferred, somehow.

Suddenly I was on the precipice of a rolling, surging, flowing power exactly polarized to mine.

Another magical conductor!

Cato.

Of course it was. No one else would last this long without some sort of crazy-ass power. It was both great to know it could be done by me, and horrible to realize I had no way to overpower him. Not even with a link.