Page 92 of Soulbound
"He's studied Drake's wards for years," Verity replied. "With time he could get through Morgana's, but we don't have time. The demon's not inside the house, but it might return at any moment."
There was one solution. Sebastian scraped a hand over his mouth. "I might be able to get inside."
Both women blinked at him, but it was Cleo who shook her head. "No," she said, her dark eyes softening. "You can't face Morgana. You know you're not ready for that."
"If they're the same wards she's been using for years, then I can get through them," he argued. "It's tied to aura, or blood, which means it might still recognize mine. And there's one problem with harnessing your will, and using ritual to power spell craft; it's very difficult to change the ritual, or the runes, or the charms you use after so many years of using the same ones. She might not have been able to change the wards."
"You can't go alone," Cleo argued.
"Yet nobody else can get in," he pointed out.
"What about me? Our auras are linked. There's a chance that if you can get inside, then I can too. It might work."
Like hell. "If I go in alone, then she has no one to use against me. Bringing you is like gift-wrapping my weakness."
"That's very touching." Cleo crossed her arms. "I can ward better than you can. I also have this rather convenient innate detection guide. If something's about to go wrong, then I'll know it."
Her Premonition.
"Besides, perhaps I can lead us straight to the Blade. I've held it before in my hands. I know what it feels like, and my gift of psychometry might help me find it. You don't even know where she might be keeping it."
True. His nostrils flared. "Cleo, she might kill you."
He couldn't quite say the words—that Morgana knew exactly what his wife meant to him, and if she thought she could cripple him by killing Cleo... she wouldn't hesitate.
Cleo arched a brow. "She might kill you. She did threaten revenge. Link with me. We're stronger together."
"I work better alone," he snapped.
She actually rolled her eyes at him. "Tick, tock, Sebastian. You're not going to win this argument. If you want to sneak inside before the demon returns—if it is staying with her—then I suggest you save your breath."
He shut his mouth. She was— He could just about— He turned to Verity, but she was frowning, staring into the distance as if she listened to some private conversation. And chances were, she wouldn't take his side anyway.
It would be a cold day in hell before Ver agreed that a lady's place was waiting at home for her husband.
"Fine," he said curtly.
"Bishop doesn't like it," Verity said, blinking back into the here and now. "He doesn't think you're ready."
Sebastian arched a brow. "Bishop doesn't have to like it. It's time he cut the apron strings. Tell him he can either let me try, or we might have to fall back on the alternative. I need that watch. If Morgana recognizes me, she'll attack instantly."
"He's coming."
"What's the alternative?” Cleo asked, helping him shrug out of his jacket.
"Drake has to die."
Cleo froze, her fingers on his lapels.
He met Verity's eyes, and saw the distress in them. Verity slowly nodded, and clearly passed the message along. "Fine. You have this one chance. Don't fail."
Chapter 20
THE WARD SHIVERED over his skin as Sebastian slipped the window on the second floor up, and slowly edged over the sill. The ward quivered a little bit, plucking at him as if it didn't quite recognize him, and so he cut his finger and pressed the bloody pad of it to the wall.
His aura might be slightly different, thanks to Cleo, but it definitely recognized his blood. The prickling sensation vanished. First success.
The house was quiet, and he couldn't sense any sign of alarm. Morgana could have altered the wards, but these particular ones were ingrained in her memory. Changing the template would have required a lot of time, effort, and meditation.
