Page 3 of Dark Reckoning
“So, you're ready to do the ritual?” he asked.
“I want answers to our questions, too. But I also want to stop this Dark God from destroying our world,” I said.
“And I want to know how combining our powers with theirs can do that.” He looked back at the Council. “But first, you all can keep introducing yourselves,” Sage said.
The chestnut-haired mage, who was pretty handsome, rolled his eyes but went next. “My name is Aldéric Garnier and I'm only forty-two, though I look much younger.”
He did. He looked like he was twenty at the most.
“So, the magic you share, is that what’s giving you a long life?” I asked.
Kakashi shook his head. “Each mage here has used their own spells to extend their lives.”
“But your magic is combined?” Sage asked.
Kakashi nodded. “In a way, yes.”
“So, if we merge our magic with yours, with what Adrian and I are, does that mean you'll become immortal too?” Sage asked, and it was a question that was also on my mind.
Kakashi shrugged. “Not how it works.”
Damn, he was being annoyingly vague.
“Maybe that's only because none of you were immortal to begin,” Sage pointed out.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes as if he were mulling over Sage's words. “Anything is possible. Understand this. We are not stealing your magic. Nor are we binding it. What we are doing is combining the essence of our magic, so when it comes down to handling business as a full Council, we'll be able to do so with even less risk to ourselves because we'll all be that much stronger. Do not think that you are the strongest mages among us. Every mage sitting here is the strongest of their coven. We each have our own grimoires that only we have access to.”
“Not to mention, magic is inherited throughout the generations from those of the Council who came before,” Aldéric said.
“So, what about controlling us?” I asked.
Kakashi shook his head. “The binding process is a unity of trust between mages on this Council. We'll be able to tap into the power shared between us and you will also be able to do the same. It is how we function as one. We are not trying to control you, but we cannot allow you to continue to cast spells without guidance. Spells that violate the rules that we are governed by. You are powerful mages and you must act with impunity. Your actions have consequences.” He waved his hand. “Finish the introductions so I may continue the story.”
Damn, okay, I could see why he was the leader.
The blonde female mage nodded and went next. “My name is Rene Cassidy, the youngest here at thirty-five.”
“And my name is Maryanne Ingham,” said the black, female mage.
Both women were American. Maryanne's accent was midwestern, whereas Rene's was Californian. I took in everything Kakashi had said and I wanted to know more. But I felt a little better about the ritual they wanted us to undergo in order to join the council.
“Thank you forfinallytelling us your names,” Sage said, and my mate didn't bother to hide his annoyance.
“I will continue now,” Kakashi said. “What took place over seventeen hundred years ago will not be found in any history books, though the cities that were destroyed when the Dark God was sent back to his plane were discovered in 2017.” Kakashi rose and walked around the table to stand before us and in his hand, he held a black rock with a bright blue light that glowed in the middle of it. “Do you know what this is?” he asked Sage and me.
“No,” I said, because I'd never seen anything like it before.
“What is it?” Sage asked.
“This is the Eye of Aldeliér,” Kakashi said. “Do you know what this does?”
Both Sage and I shook our heads.
“This is imbued with the essence of the God of Fortune, Aldeliér. It allows us to see the past, what is, and to see the future of what could be,” Kakashi said, then he turned to the other mages. “Let us show them.”
The mages rose from their seats and all joined him in the middle of the room before us. They circled him and placed their right hands on his shoulders and arms and I could feel the magic flowing and knew they were channeling their magic into Kakashi. He closed his eyes and whispered something to the orb he was holding. The bright blue light inside of it began to glow even brighter until it became so intense, both Sage and I had to shield our eyes. When I heard screaming, I opened them immediately, only to see that we were no longer in the room, but had somehow been transported back in time.
“Holy shit,” I exclaimed and looked around to see that Sage was beside me and it was just us two. He took my hand into his own because I didn't know what the fuck was going on, and I was certain he didn't know either. Were we really thrown back into the past, or was this just an encompassing vision?
