Page 175 of Rose and Shadows
Shit,his expression was absolutely wretched.
Because Morien had lured him into another sort of trap not that dissimilar to Glasswake. Even though Sylas hadn’t fallen for the illusion aspect this time, him being here and coming to liberate the hybrids was now essentially the reason that Morien would actually be able to invoke Risen Reckoning again—and this time on a mass fucking scale.
Oh, fuck,it was horrific… disgusting that he was putting that on Sylas.
As if he didn’t already bear enough fucking burdens as it was.
My dad spun around, calling out orders, bursting out into the battlefield to assist, and take out two more of the Dark Fae in quick succession by appearing behind them as they were distracted by his agents, and ripping their hearts from their chests, before returning to us, and telling Sylas, “We’ve completed three quarters of the evacuation.”
“And you’re telling me to stand down, stop using my magic?”
“Yes. You need to leave.”
“I do that and you’ll have no protection against necromancy. Even without Risen Reckoning, he can puppet all vampires here, and even those who aren’t dead with the perversion of Undead Domination that he’s forged with black magic in play.”
“Myself and my agents will see to the situation.”
“The risk is—”
“There is always risk. It is how you manage said risk.” My dad gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Go with him. Leave this place.”
“So, you do think you could die then?” I snapped.
“What I think is that with the stakes raised, my concern for your wellbeing skyrockets and impacts my focus, my son.”
Oh.Well… I understood that. A fuck of a lot.
“I’ll take him out,” Sylas seethed. “I’ll put that perversion of necromancy down right here and now.” He finished sweeping his magic with another load of hostages who he’d encircled with his red power, then turned and started forward.
My dad did what I’d been about to do, snatching Sylas’ arm and stilling him in his tracks. “He’s been absorbing your magic, he’s wielding Celestial power and black magic. We need to wait until those are siphoned from him.”
He flinched, which had me tensing, knowing his Ancient Vampire senses had picked up on something before anybody else.
He snatched our arms and then he was bursting us several feet away by the side of the mansion, As he stilled, I spun around and saw a mammoth concentrated blast of Celestial power shooting by—the remaining living twenty-five Dark Fae wielding it were pouring it all into one stream.
I jolted as I watched it rip right through the fabric of the pocket dimension, tearing a massive hole in it, and darkness from the world outside became visible.
The Dark Fae shifted and zeroed in on us.
And then Sylas growled and bolted forward, thrusting his palms out, his red fire raging.
The stream hit and he staggered, but held his magic steady as he shielded us from it.
Lightning sparked, as he swept his palms into an arc, forming an oval shimmering crimson shield. Flash lightning intensified all over it as he uttered through gritted teeth,"Mors omnes tangit.”
Death touches us all.
It was the same high-level necromancy he’d used before to hurt Cassius once, to make a Celestial being bleed.
But Cassius was an Immortal, a Fallen. This power… some of it had been drawn from True Celestials.
Shit,there was no way he could hold it.
I heard a pleasurable cry from Morien and looked to see his palms upturned and held out either side of him, wisps of crimson magic now visibly being pulled from around Sylas, as he fed off it.
He was pulling on Sylas at maximum power.
Morien grinned out at Sylas, who hissed at him.
