Page 8 of Dark Reckoning
“Yeah, but I want to know why you're so invested?”
“Yeah, I'm curious to know why too,” Sage added. “What benefits will you get out of two immortal mages linking themselves to you?”
Kakashi smiled. “We don't know. Never has there ever been a shifter—vampire—mage like yourself on the Council.” He turned to me. “And after what you told us, whatever is going on with you is also unique. On top of that, never has the Council inducted two mages who were linked by the same magical lineage bond. We each have our own line, our own grimoire, but with the two of you, one cannot exist without the other and be at full potential. And if one is gone, then so is half of the magic you're capable of. We have no idea what will happen to us once we complete the link. But that isn't anything that will deter us, because we know what is at stake.”
“Do you need to know if I'm immortal before we do it?” I asked, because I didn't want anything going wrong.
Kakashi shook his head. “Not really, but if you want to know... Xirsi.” He turned to the Somalian mage. “Please.”
Xirsi walked over to me. “Stand still. This won't hurt, but you will feel my magic working inside of you.”
I nodded, because I had to start trusting them at some point. Might as well do it now. “Okay.”
Sage was watching intently as Xirsi pressed his hand to my chest and began to chant something that wasn't in a language I was familiar with, but it sounded Somalian. I felt heat flowing into me from where his palm rested on my body and that heat began to spread as it tingled, making me giggle like a fool. He removed his hand.
“Oh, he's immortal,” Xirsi said. “He is also part vampire linked to Salino.”
Well, I was glad to know the truth.
“Does that mean if Salino dies, we both die?” Sage asked.
Xirsi nodded. “It does. It also means that Adrian must continue to feed off Salino and him only. Your blood won't do, nor anyone else's.”
“You could sense all of that when you touched me?” I asked.
He nodded. “I was able to read your aura.”
“Intrusive, but it got the job done, I guess.” I didn't know he was going to discover all of that about me, but I was glad to know. I wasn't all that thrilled that the only blood I could drink to survive was Salino's.
“Fuck,” Sage groaned.
I turned to him. “What's wrong? Isn't this a good thing that I'm immortal? Now we can always be together.”
“Oh, that part makes me very happy. I'm just pissed at the fact that not only are you bound to Salino like I am, but you can only feed from him. You know what an asshole he is,” Sage said.
I nodded, understanding. “Yeah, I figured that would annoy you, but it's another issue for another time.” I wasn't going to worry about that. Besides, I didn't think Salino would refuse to feed me. If nothing else, he needed me.
Kakashi cleared his throat, drawing both Sage's and my attention. “Now, if we've gotten all of the chit-chat and questions out of the way, I will ask you once more... are you ready for the ritual?”
Again, I looked at Sage and he looked at me. I raised up to kiss him. “Are you ready?” I asked him.
“As ready as I'll ever be,” he said, then kissed me one more time before turning to face Kakashi. “Okay, so... let's do this.”
Chapter two
Kakashinoddedatus,then motioned to a door. “First, you must purify yourselves.”
“Purify ourselves?” I asked, wanting clarification.
“You must both submerge yourself in the anointing bath from head to toe. Then once you are done, you will don your Imperial robes,” Kakashi said.
I looked at the black robe he was wearing, and he wasn't the only one. All of the other mages were also wearing black robes with gold sigils on the back and on the front. “Will the robes be like yours?”
Kakashi nodded. “Yes. These robes are vital to us when we work spells.”
“What about that tattoo on your neck?” I asked, because I'd noticed how each member had one that matched the sigils on their robes.
“Yes, you will get one, but it is more of a brand than a tattoo. It will help channel our magic as well as increase your own,” Kakashi explained.
