Page 144 of Rose and Shadows
Kai gestured at the vines. “When the core is returned to you, these will be decimated by your reactivated power. But they need to hit your system first because they’ll lock onto that infection that is only not impacting you because of the three cores of other necromancers in your system counteracting it.”
“You’re essentially using the infection against itself?” I asked.
“Pretty much.”
Highly impressive. Although, Kai most definitely didn’t need to hear that. His ego would already be communicating what a feat it truly was.
“As soon as this portion of your core locks onto the rest within, the three cores from the transplant will dissolve, your greater power transcending them. It will be all you, brother.”
Sylas gave a nod of understand and shifted his weight into a reinforced stance.
“Ready?” Kai asked.
“Ready.”
Kai’s power flamed on his left hand and he grasped Sylas’ shoulder with it.
With Sylas’ magic sparking, but my shield protecting Kai, there was no harm done, but there was some strain for Kai to maintain physical contact through it.
He grunted, then brought his other hand into play, guiding the core toward Sylas’ chest, his rose-gold magic flaming on his palm.
And then he thrust it forward, and it phased through into Sylas like liquid light, dissolving into him, sinking past skin and bone without leaving a mark.
Sylas lurched and grasped Kai’s shoulder.
And that was where my shield came into play, because Sylas’ power flared, sparking from his body, while Kai’s rose-gold glow pushed against his chest, directing the core within him.
He shuddered as he uttered an incantation the two of them had written together months ago when they’d still held hope that they’d be able to get their hands on the portion of the core and Corvin’s magic. Latin fused with an ancient tongue filled my ears, a complex construction that I would certainly tell Ketheron all about, as he delighted in that sort of thing.
“I can’t… sorry,” Sylas rasped to Kai. “Can’t… let go…”
“I know. It’s okay,” he managed, as he pushed harder so the core could reset within Sylas properly and then have the infection rooted out with the very magic of Corvin’s that had first inflicted it upon him.
I felt a wave of emotional pain through the Soul Brand and looked out at Velra who was clutching Lazriel as he fought against his clear overwhelming need to go to Sylas. She was right there in that need with him. Yet, of course she was holding it together—for both of them, for all of us. It was what she did. Bound us beautifully as a foursome, as former lone wanderers into a family, a rather curious and rambunctious one also.
“Stay back, son,” Remnant called over, while shifting his weight in preparation, feeling the escalation coming.
Ambrose held his power steady, his laser-focused gaze on Sylas.
A curse from Kai flipped my full focus back to him and Sylas.
Sylas fisted his shirt and jerked him against him. “Hurry… you need to… break contact.”
Kai let out a pained laugh. “Things really have… changed for you. Never missed a chance before… to…”
“Know where… my heart lies. And so… do you.”
Kai’s hand trembled as he ripped it from Sylas, then reared back and thrust forward with a formidable blast of power that rushed into Sylas.
In the next second, Sylas blew him back with an explosion of his crimson magic, just a moment before he let out an orgasmic cry, clearly wanting to spare Kai from sharing in it, both for Kai’s sake, and Sylas’ love for the three of us.
He staggered and I was there in the next moment, grasping his arms and holding him steady as he panted. His eyes, both blazing and hooded met mine.
His magic was burning into me as he struggled to contain the storm within him as the spell worked its will to recalibrate what should have never become unbalanced and damaged in the first place.
My Immortal physiology stood against the volatility, absorbing the damage, as he clutched at me.
“You know… I do… right?”
