Page 88 of Harbinger

She had me grunting in the next second as her power surged through me, a confusing mixture of pain and pleasure.

“Fuck,” I choked. “You’re… taking the spell?”

“It’s easier formeto hold it,” she said, as her eyes flamed, and then I felt the strain leaving me, bit by bit, before she released me and stepped back. “It’s done.” She eyed Nyx. “I’ll hold it for the rest of the day.”

“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I told you, I need Kai strong for this mission. And I need you not to be distracted controlling your allure.”

“And that’s it? The only reason you helped?” Nyx asked her.

“No, it’s not the only reason,” Vorzyr said, making a show of scenting the air.

Orher.

“Really?” I asked, putting two and two together easily. “You need me, sweetheart?”

A growl rumbled from Vorzyr and he pushed off the door, clearly having a lot to say on the matter.

But before he could, she held up her hands to both of us.

“How do you deal with the both of them, huh?” she asked Nyx.

“It’s not easy, I’ll tell you that,” he said, chuckling.

Ariana moved away from us and leaned against a nearby desk, then told us, “What I need help with is retrieving something from the Unity Council.”

“The… damn… seriously?” Nyx uttered. “Like, stealing?”

She lifted a shoulder. “In essence.”

The Unity Council was second only to the Guardian Movement. Although, unlike the latter, the Unity Council didn’t safeguard the supernatural world and deal with threats to its members, or uphold the balance. They existed for the good of the people. Representatives were appointed through election, by the supernatural populace. They checked the power of the Guardian Movement to ensure it never fell into an autocratic rule like it had been under Cornelius Martel for years before. They made certain that decisions and policies were formed for the benefit of the supernaturaleveryman. Its existence had helped to turn the supernatural world into a close-knit community. They were essentially the voice for the people.

“That’s no small ask,” I pointed out.

“I’m aware.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “What do you want us to help you to retrieve?”

“During my party, unbeknownst to me, members of the Unity Council conducted a test on me to gauge my magical prowess, my stability, among other things. That test is being held on the lab level of their HQ. I need access to it.”

“Why can’t you retrieve it yourself?” Vorzyr asked, obviously thinking she was underusing her abilities again.

But that wasn’t it at all. I explained, “Those tests and everything in that lab are warded and only accessible to members. If she tries to retrieve her own test, it’ll set off alarms. The wards will read her magical signature.”

“We can’t technically steal it either,” she said, telling me, “I need you to replicate it. If we simply take it, they’ll know right away, and suspicion will either fall on me or my family, creating insane political ramifications.”

“And me?” Nyx asked. “You need me to use my stealth skills to get us into the building, find the best access and exit points, yeah?”

“Exactly. We can’t simply teleport inside, not with the magical countermeasures they have in place in that building. I’ll be right outside to receive the copy of the test.”

“Because you don’t trust me having it in my hands for longer than is absolutely necessary just to retrieve it.”

She merely lifted a shoulder at me in response.

“Why the fuck did they test you without your permission?” Vorzyr fumed.

“Me reaching magical maturity unnerved a lot of people.”

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