Page 147

I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing.

To be immersed in a specialized group of like-minded individuals, all geared toward what I’d been fighting for alone over so many years… it was honestly the sweetest music to my ears.

“The fact that you’re telling me the name and revealing its existence means you already knew what my answer would be. The secretive nature of it would be at risk otherwise.”

“Not with you. You value the acquisition of magical knowledge too much to allow it to be risked in any way whatsoever. Besides, the existence is known to the members’significant others, but not beyond that. Nor do their loved ones know of any details pertaining to any number of things that we are working on at present.”

“I’m assuming this is off the Guardian Movement’s radar, then? With the whole clandestine nature of it?”

“Correct. Certain veins of research would be considered too risky or dangerous, however, Arcanum Order views those as being more pertinent to researchbecauseof their dangerous nature. People are practicing dangerous magics, yet the understanding of such, or how to counter such hybrid creations is known very little about. Arcanum Order won’t accept that disadvantage.”

“Nor should they. Nor should anyone.”

He smiled. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“I’m very interested.”

“Then let us begin.”

“Begin?”

“Yes. Our work that you came here for today to develop a failsafe against all True Celestials will count as your initiation. But first…” I watched as he walked to a particular shelf that I remembered from the last time I’d set foot inside this incredible space. And then he reached up, his power sparking, and a True Celestial feather materialized in his hand.

He brought it to my levitating scepter.

He uttered an ancient incantation that evenIhadn’t heard of, and couldn’t recognize, winking at me, knowing where my limitations were, the wink both an acknowledgement and a promise to help me change that.

As he continued the incantation, his magic sparked on his free hand and I watched as it enveloped the feather, which he then thrust at the scepter, a moment before a burst of white, near-blinding light erupted all over it.

When he drew back and the light waned, my Aetherbound Scepter was glimmering, and I choked as I felt it emanating so much raw power.

“I’ve used the feather to infuse the perpetual sustainment of a True Celestial into this weapon that is functioning as a failsafe against my granddaughter’s magic,andas a means to force back a True Celestial, should that become necessary. I’ve also bound it to only be used by you, so we no longer have to concern ourselves with it being used against her.” He eyed me pointedly. “Given that you are immune to magical mind-meddling and influence, you cannot be influenced unduly to wield it either.” At my look of shock that he knew that about me, he simply said, “I did tell you that I’ve been keeping an eye on you. An ability that profound and special would not escape my notice.”

“It’s an ability that’s not wildly known.”

“Understood.” He came back to me. “Now, I assume you have brought the essence of Vorzyr’s Primal Celestial Resonance with you?”

“Thatandsomething a little extra to hasten the process of creating this failsafe that will be able to endure combat with any True Celestial outside of Ariana.”

With a wave of his hand, a golden gauntlet appeared, levitating before us.

“This is what we will imbue this new failsafe within. We will also add a marker of blood magic so that it can only be called by those who’ve been appended to it via a blood link.”

I couldn’t help grinning. “I love the devious way in which your mind works.”

The corner of his mouth turned up. “I have no doubt that this partnership will be a match made in heaven, sorcerer.”

Highly ironic, considering the situation at hand.

The Bastion Gauntlet.

That was what we were calling our new failsafe.

When we’d gotten down to work and I’d revealed that I’d acquired both samples of Cassius’ blood and magic, to say that Cornelius had been shocked hadn’t really covered it.

Thankfully, that had given way to him being impressed and excited that we now had the means to create the Bastion Gauntlet a whole lot faster.

The time-consuming aspect was extracting True Celestial properties independent of Cassius’ magical signature so that the Bastion Gauntlet wouldn’t just impact him, but any True Celestial. Well, except for Ariana. Cornelius had her magical essence marker sealed away in one of his vault safes.