Page 27 of Shadow Master
Did he realize the power he had?
And if he did, would he use it?
“I may not be a shadow knight any longer,” Hyde said. “But I have the skills to keep her safe.”
Orion nodded slowly. “Yes. Our Shadow Master has more chance of survival if you go with her.”
Wait, what? He was okay with this?
Kash leaped off the podium. “I want to help too.”
“You can’t go onto fomorian land,” Hyde said tightly. “You don’t have the gene.”
Was there a flash of triumph in his eyes?
“Maybe not,” Kash said. “Maybe I can’t be there in body, but maybe I can be there in spirit.” He looked to Madam Latrou. “Our threads touched when we battled Rage, and ever since then, we’ve had a connection when we’re with the weave. We can see each other. Communicate.”
Latrou looked surprised. “That’s not possible. No one has ever seen another weaver’s avatar when in the weave.”
“Avatar?” Orion asked.
“It’s a weaver’s energy in a physical representation,” Latrou explained. “It’s been postulated that each weaver has one. It’s how we experience the weave.”
“Well, it’s true,” Kash said. “Can we use that somehow?”
“You think that connection can be enhanced to allow you to communicate across a vast distance?” Latrou clarified.
“Can it?” Kash asked. “Something like the rune we used to amplify the wards?”
“Maybe … Helseth?” Latrou turned to her weaver friend.
Helseth nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes. Yes, we can certainly come up with something. A modification on the amplify rune. It would allow you to communicate with Kash, and thus with us.”
“Like a weaver radio?” Orion looked impressed.
“How long will it take to modify the rune?” Hyde asked. Ever the practical one.
“A few hours,” Helseth replied. “We can have it ready for you by dawn if we work through the night?”
“Do it,” Orion said.
Latrou shot him a reproachful look.
“Please,” he added with a smile that was more a grimace.
“Of course,” Latrou said graciously.
* * *
Latrou orderedthe weavers to get back to training, then vanished with Helseth to work on the rune.
Hyde remained. “I’ll head back to the ruins with you.”
My heart did a little skip, but my tone was businesslike. “Athos is outside. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
Yeah, I was dismissing him, but I needed to speak to Kash alone for a moment. Hyde’s gaze cut to Kash, and a vein ticked in his jaw.
“Don’t be long,” he snapped in his typical tutor tone.
