Page 48 of Dark Reckoning
He shook his head. “Not Magic, mine.”
“Oh?” I was equally intrigued and apprehensive.
He nodded. “The spell we will perform tonight will make you the sole emperor of all vampires. You will gain in strength to match a vampire that is as old as the original emperors. With a bargain like that, would you not acquiesce to whatever I demand in return?”
Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say that wasn't just the sweetest deal. “And what is it that you demand?”
Kakashi smiled. “Nothing that you won't enjoy. See, I plan on sweetening the pot. But, in doing so, I will link myself and Aldéric to you. Therefore, we will also gain some powers of a vampire...” And then he smirked. “Without the dependency for blood.”
“Holy shit, you can do that?” Sage asked and stepped closer.
I was still trying to process what I was hearing to be shocked.
Kakashi nodded. “Very much so. But it will take the power of three dark mages and one being a vampire as well.”
“Ahh, I see.” Sage frowned as if he was struggling to put two-and-two together. “Wait a minute, what do you mean a dark mage who is also a vampire?”
It was a question I wanted answered also.
“Exactly what I said.” Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. “As you know, there was no way before for a mage to become a vampire and keep their powers. During the transformation, the link to magical elements is severed. Same with shifters or griezels. Once a mage became one, they were no longer a mage. You, Sage, defied the odds being born a shifter and a mage. An anomaly indeed. I searched my grimoire for every spell there was to make me immortal and the most I could do was extend my life. I am still very much human and what little resilience I have pales in comparison. That is our price for the magic power that we possess.”
“Why wait till now to act?” Sage asked.
Kakashi shrugged. “The pieces of the puzzle weren't in place before.”
“Meaning?” I asked because I couldn't help but feel like I'd been manipulated. And by the glare on Sage's face, he may have been feeling the same way.
“You should just be grateful,” Aldéric stated, then sauntered over to my sofa and sat down as if he owned the place.
“I want only to hear from Kakashi because he's the one I'm dealing with,” I snapped. Aldéric's lip curled in agitation, but he remained silent. I turned from Aldéric back to the mage in question.
Kakashi looked past me to Aldéric, then back to me. “Let's just say that I had a hand in why Sage is linked to you. As I've stated, not all magic has a price. The spell Adrian did to save Sage's life using your blood was an opportunity that I could not pass up. Not if I wanted to achieve my goals.”
“You son of a bitch,” Sage growled, his fangs bared.
Kakashi snorted. “Oh, spare me the fake outrage. You've been living it up as a hybrid since the day you were turned. You love being a vampire, shifter, and mage. So, put the fangs away.”
“Motherfucker,” Sage retorted, but he did retract his fangs.
“So, you made it so that Sage was turned by my blood. What about Adrian?” I asked.
Kakashi shook his head. “Everything that happened that night, I had nothing to do with. At that time, your actions had been blocked by me.” He winked at Sage. “Very smart, I might add. I was impressed. The sigils tattooed on your flesh, is that how?”
“Yeah, because you fuckers were too damn nosy,” Sage said.
Kakashi chuckled. “The moment you both came into your powers, we felt it. Everyone on the Council. It was then that I started to watch what you did next. I saw when you were shot, and the spell Adrian was going to use. I prepared a spell of my own to link you to him because I needed a dark mage who was also a vampire to do the spell I want to do. I took a chance, not knowing if it would actually work. But considering you were already a shifter and mage, I had high hopes. “
“How come you didn't just do the spell Adrian did yourself?” Sage asked.
“I couldn't. It's a light mage spell that Adrian used, not to mention, it was a spell only known to him. Some magic is quite universal. And some, as you know... is specific to that particular mage,” Kakashi stated. “I needed my spell to corrupt his in order to link you to Salino.”
Sage snorted and shook his head. “You're a real piece of work.”
“You're not the only one with aspirations,” Kakashi said.
“How come you didn't try to stop other mages from destroying our line?” Sage asked. “I mean, you almost missed your opportunity had I been killed.”
I didn't interrupt, because I was just as intrigued and wanted answers to questions I didn't even know existed. I let them talk.
