Page 84 of Sanctifier

“You mean you don’t know?”

His mouth curved in a half-smile, as if he couldn’t help it. “Absolutely no idea. Why?”

Ru made a sound of frustration. “But you said it had limitations.”

“Well, yes, but I don’t knowwhy. I’ve found my power to be something like a well. The more I draw from it, the faster it empties. If I use it all up too quickly, I have to wait a week or so before I’m able to travel again. But—”

“Taryel,” Ru interrupted, sitting up straight, eyes wide. “What are Lady Bellenet’s limitations?”

“Exactly the question we’ve been asking this whole time.”

“No, I mean… not a counter-spell. Not a way to stop her altogether. Herlimitations. Is there a way to empty her well and keep it empty? We might not save those who are already turned, but… it could slow her down.”

Taryel nodded slowly. “Possibly. But if she’s dropped any hints as to what her limitations might be, I haven’t seen them.”

“If it’s a similar sort of power to yours,” Ru mused, her mind working to form hypotheses even as she spoke, “I could run experiments on you. Some of the ones I ran in my paper butwith an actualmagicaltest subject. I wonder, could your powers be cellular, biological? She alters the brain, while you alter… the fabric of space in some way. No, maybe not biological… butdefinitelyphysical. The effect of Lady Bellenet’s power is emotional, but the cause must be physical. I might be off track; I’m an archaeologist,after all. But if her power is drawn from within, then…” she trailed off, recognizing Taryel’s expression. He was humoring her in listening but hardly following at all. “My paper,” she said. “You read it. Any ideas?”

“It’s ingenious,” he said. “I wasn’t lying when I told you that. The theories are complex yet sound. But whateverthisis,” he gestured to himself, “and whatever Lady Bellenet’s working with, I couldn’t begin to explain within the context of your paper.”

Ru chewed her lip, staring past Taryel, her eyes unfocused.

“Ru.”

She blinked. He was watching her, one dark eyebrow raised. “Taryel?”

“You may have to accept that some things can’t be explained by science.”

“Then how…” she persisted, angry with herself for wanting to cry again, “how are we supposed to stop Lady Bellenet?”

“We will go to Prayer, and obtain more information, and eventually find a way to stop her,” Taryel said, “I’m certain of it. If anyone can put an end to all of this, it’s you. But not tonight. You’re in no state to be scheming.”

“I’m in a perfect state for—”

But he interrupted by pulling her to him, silencing her with a kiss. She melted readily into him. She needed this, solace in his strength and calm. When she pulled away for a moment, breathless, she saw that his eyes were dark and hungry. He kissed her again, deeper this time, his fingers making deliberate circles against her skin, his mouth unyielding. The knowledge ofhis desire made Ru shiver, an ache already forming between her thighs.

They spent the rest of the night in each other’s arms, in various states of undress, all hands and skin and sighs. Ru didn’t tell him she had tried to coax the artifact to life in the cavern, that she had spoken to it, that she was being pushed closer and closer to some unknown limit, the edge of a chasm.

But he knew. She felt it in the tenderness of his caresses, the slow warmth of his mouth on her breasts. This was how he would try to heal her.

And when Taryel had brought her to the luxurious peak of her pleasure not once but three times, her fingers laced in his hair, legs wrapped around him as she gasped his name, she found peace. A brief respite, but sorely needed.

Taryel was, in that moment, enough.

CHAPTER 31

The opportunity to attend Prayer came the next day, exactly two weeks before the winter solstice.Lord D’Luc had sent a note in the morning that he was unable to attend their demonstration, and with no other parties or dinners to attend, Ru had a whole day that was hers for the taking.

She did not tell Taryel about her plan to attend Prayer without him. He would only worry or demand to come with her, and Simon had only given her three robes. They were exactly like the ones the Children wore, including the gold sashes and white hats. He’d left them with Pearl, who had been terribly reluctant to hand the folded garments over to Ru, pleading with her to be careful.

Ru didn’t need telling twice.

That afternoon, as Ru prepared to go, Pearl gave her a roughly drawn map of the relevant servants’ passages with a look of disapproval. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said.

“Of course it’s not,” Ru said, smoothing her robes and tucking the white cap under her arm. “But it’s all I’ve got at the moment.” She smiled, hoping it would mask her anxiety. “Wish us luck.”

“Good luck,” the maid grumbled. “You’ll need it.”

The walk to Gwyneth and Archie’s rooms was quick enough. Ru passed servants in those narrow hallways, but nobody stopped her or asked where she was going. Nor did any of them react as if she were one of the Children. Pearl must have warned them what she was up to. By the time she came to the door that led into Gwyneth’s room, Ru found that she was shaking — with fear or eagerness, she couldn’t tell.

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