Page 43 of Rose and Shadows
“Fuck. Me.”
“Indeed. It’s a lot to absorb. It was for me also when we first managed to forge such a thing.”
“Something like that… the regenerating aspects being that extreme… yeah, it could certainly heal the Valley.”
“I’ll show it to you in a moment. However, that’s not the reason you’re searching for, the reason behind me being concerned with your mental and magical stability, ensuring black magic infection is an impossibility for you, bringing you to the Shadow Tunnels when I could have protected you above ground.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Then what is it?”
He stepped up to me and laid his hand on my shoulder. “I want you to join me.”
“You… what?”
“I wish for you to become Commander of The Shadowed.”
Mystic Heart.
That was what they were aptly calling the Celestial powered magical organ.
Able to infuse with life and to revitalize from death state… it was absolutely revolutionary.
I scrubbed my hand over my jaw as I studied it protected withinInvestigative Sanctum,deep in the depths of this site of the Shadow Tunnels.
A living golden heart pulsing energy and contained within a white magical field.
My attention flitted between it and the rest of the magical research area. The place was empty right now because Remnant had afforded me some alone time with it to examine everything within—full disclosure.
He was really confident that I’d take on the role of Commander like he’d offered.
My words to Lazriel and Cassius weeks ago played on my mind as I assessed the situation.
“But there has to be a line. And you all need me to walk it, whether you’re willing to admit that or not. Because… fuck… the world we live in…. To survive and to not be subjugated by others, you need to be willing to do the unthinkable. And I am. I always have been.”
If I became Commander, not only could I continue to live up to that, but I’d be able to do it a whole lot easier without so much constraint, or others trying to force my fucking hand. And I’d also be able to do it on a much grander scale. The resources and reach of The Shadowed was unparallelled.
Lazriel, Velra, and Cassius, though… how would they view this? How would we work with this?
A rush of wind whipped through the area.
I spun, surprised to see Remnant bursting on in.
It had been his suggestion to give me space after the Stone of Recollection intensity and upset, followed by the weight of both the existence of the heart and then his shocking job offer.
As soon as he slowed enough for me to take in his eyes, the rest of his face hidden behind the metal mask again, I stilled, a nasty chill rolling down my spine.
He looked… terrified.
That didn’t compute where he was concerned.
As he neared me and our gazes clashed, pain set in as well.
I swallowed hard. “What’s happened?”
“It’s Lazriel.” He snagged a nearby beaker and clenched his fingers, crushing it to pieces, glass exploding. “He’s been taken.” He slammed his fist down on the long workbench and it utterly decimated under the wrath of his supreme strength, as he snarled, “Victor has him.”
8
~Lazriel~
