He didn’t answer. Maybe he couldn’t, simply because there was no real answer.

“If you do not hand us the keys,” Yeska said, voice flat, yet somehow filled with venom, “then all those you care about will not only lose their lives in this time, but in all their future times. They will be forever locked in this world, never to know life or love again.”

His words chilled me to the core. Yet fury rose, and it was all I could do not to throw Amaya. Threatening my life was one thing. Hell, I could understand them threatening the lives of my friends – even if I didn’t like it – but stripping them of all their futures and making them ghosts? That was totally unacceptable.

And it had to stop. Somehow, somewhere, I had to find a way to end all this and make my friends – and the world – safe.

“Fine,” I muttered. “Just let me know where the sorcerer’s entrance onto the fields is, and we’ll take it from there.”

“Do not double-cross us,” Yeska warned.

“I get it already,” I said, voice tight. “Now just get us out of here so we can get on with the business of tracking the key.”

“The reaper can get you out,” he replied. “Once we retreat, the shield will go down.”

“What, don’t you trust us?”

But there was no reply. The dark energy that was the Raziq had gone. I sheathed Amaya and let out a slow breath. “Well, that certainly went better than I expected.”

“Yes.” Azriel pulled me into his embrace and wrapped his arms around me. “I fear, however, you have only delayed the inevitable.”

“I know.” I closed my eyes and listened to the steady beat of his heart, feeling so safe it had tears stinging my eyes. But it was an illusion. None of us were safe. Not even a Mijai warrior with centuries of fighting behind him. But I’m hoping that by the time they realize I have no intention of giving them the key, we’ll have figured out a way of stopping them from hurting anyone.

It is possible. Though more than likely impossible. He didn’t add that last bit, but the words hovered between us nevertheless. Shall we go get Ilianna, and see if she can create a doorway through those stones in the warehouse?

Yes. There wasn’t much else we could do right now.

A second later we were standing outside the Brindle. It was a white four-story building that had been built in the Victorian era – a grand old lady from a bygone time that was a whole lot more than she seemed. It was the home of all witch knowledge, and was protected by a veil of power so strong that there were very few in this world – or the next – who would dare test its boundaries. Though I’d never considered myself overly sensitive to magic, I’d always been aware of its presence here. But the sensation I got from the place now was weirdly different. It wasn’t just awareness – it felt like the power was alive. Energy crawled across my skin, its touch sharp, electric. Probing. The Brindle didn’t suffer evil to enter, but it had never reacted to me like this before Azriel’s presence in my life.

“It happens because you are now Mijai in waiting.” Azriel pressed his fingers against my spine, lightly guiding me toward the steps.

“But this was happening before you pulled me back from death.”

“Possibly because I was linked to your chi.”

It was more than that, and we both knew it. He’d been linked to my chi – or life energy, as Ilianna called it – from the beginning of this mess, and it was only very recently that the Brindle had begun reacting to me.

But I let the matter drop – at least for now – and took the steps two at a time. The huge, medieval-looking, wood and wrought-iron doors were open, and a slender, brown-haired, tunic-clad figure waited to the left of them – for us, I suspected.

“Risa, Azriel,” she said softly, as I approached. “Please follow me.”

We obeyed, our footsteps echoing softly on the marble tiles. The energy of this place was so strong that every step was accompanied by a spray of golden sparks. The Brindle’s interior tended to be somewhat austere, though the foyer’s brickwork had been painted a rich gold that added a warmth that the entrance otherwise lacked. We were led to the end of the hall and down some stairs, then into a wide hall that was lined with darkly stained timber and filled with shadows, despite the morning light. Sconces flickered on as we approached, then went dark once we’d passed, fueled by magic rather than electricity.

We turned right at the end of this hall, and went down a second set of stairs. After traversing another hallway, we reached the end and two large, intricately carved wooden doors. The slender witch opened one of these, ushered us through, then closed it. The room beyond reminded me somewhat of a medieval hall, with its gabled wooden roof and walls lined with tapestries. But it was the large protection circle that caught my eye – that, and the four women standing within it. Ilianna, Mirri, Kiandra, and Ilianna’s mom, Zaira.

I stopped immediately. Magic eddied around us – tides of power that itched at my skin – and I didn’t want to risk getting any closer in case my presence disturbed it in some way. For several minutes, no one moved; then Ilianna sighed and glanced my way.

“Are you having any luck unravelling the cord?” I said.

“Not yet.” Ilianna stepped carefully from the circle, then walked toward me. Her face was pale, strained. “Neither Mom nor Kiandra have come across anything like this before now, but I guess that’s natural, given the source. They’re relying on my limited knowledge in their attempts to unpick the various layers.”

“Well, you did reroute the magic in the warding stones my father left at Mom’s.”

And I had to wonder if that had been deliberate. After it, those stones were all that was stopping the Raziq from entering our home – the thought stalled, and I blinked as excitement surged. Maybe the damn answer to the Raziq problem had been sitting right in front of my nose all the time!

“Rerouting the magic of the stones was easy compared to this,” Ilianna said. “This collar is interlaced and complicated. I just don’t know if we’re going to have the time to dismantle it.”

Tears briefly shone in her eyes, but were rapidly blinked away. No time for tears. Not yet.

I looked at Mirri. Her expression was stoic, but fear lurked in the depth of her eyes. “You will. Have faith.”

“Faith is something I’m rapidly losing.” Ilianna paused, and glanced at Azriel. “Sorry, but it’s hard to keep believing when your bosses are doing squat to help the situation as far as I can see.”

“They tend not to interfere unless absolutely necessary.”

“Seems to me the opening of hell and the possible destruction of both Earth and the gray fields would make interference a necessity.”

“Hence the reason I am here,” he replied. “More Mijai are not practical in this situation.”

“Meaning if it was warranted, more would come?”

“If necessary, then yes.”

“I guess that’s something.” She returned her gaze to me. “I’m gathering you’re not just here for a progress report.”

“No.” I hesitated. “But I have a question about the warding stones before I get into that. Are you able to replicate the spell on the stones? And if so, would it be possible to make some sort of personal protection circle using it?”

She frowned. “I could repeat the spell, no problem, but I don’t know —”

“It’s possible,” Kiandra cut in.

I glanced past Ilianna. Kiandra’s attention was still on the cord wrapped around Mirri’s neck, but she’d obviously been keeping tabs on our conversation, despite the fact we’d been speaking softly.

“But,” she continued, “the spell would need to be fed into the energy of the wearer to have any long-lasting benefit.”

“That sounds like we’d be stepping into blood magic territory.”

“No, we would not,” Kiandra said. “Tapping into the wearer’s aura or life force is no different from drawing strength from the elements or from the earth.”

“But,” I said, “drawing power from the elements or the earth has its cost – it saps the witch’s strength and leaves her vulnerable to attack from darker forces if the drawing isn’t done within a protection circle. You can hardly employ a protection circle in the case of a portable warding device.”

“Who’d have thought you knew so much about magic,” Ilianna murmured, a smile touching her lips.

“I have been hanging around a witch for most of my life,” I said dryly. “Some stuff rubs off, even on someone as thickheaded as me.”

Azriel’s amusement rolled through the back of my thoughts, soft and enticing. If I had said that, you would be very annoyed.

You may not have said it, reaper, but you certainly thought it.

That, he replied, amusement stronger, is undoubtedly true.

“The difference in this case,” Kiandra said, “is that the wearer would be performing no magic, so there is no need for a protection spell of any sort.”

Which didn’t mean it wouldn’t still drain the energy of the wearer. “How would it work?”

“It would be similar to the micro cells you wear. Four stones would need to be worn on four points of the body, which would then create a self-sustaining continuous circuit of energy and provide protection against any force they were set to.”

“In other words, if they were set to protect against the Raziq, the Raziq would not be able to either physically or mentally harm them?”

“In theory, yes.”

Right now, theory was all we had. “How soon could you start making half a dozen sets of these stones?”

Kiandra blew out a breath. “Mirri is our priority —”

“I know,” I cut in. “I meant once Mirri is safe.”

“A few days, at the very least. And only if Ilianna is willing to be involved in their creation.”