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It made sense that Corian would want to purchase that particular spell from Phineas. They didn’t have the siphoning spell itself, that was still safely tucked away in the Kotova grimoire where it belonged. That was the spell Donika had been desperate to get her hands on. Corian had probably gone searching for a siphoning reversal spell from Phineas knowing he could twist it and use it as a jumping off point to create his own twisted Noctani spell.

As Alastir had implied.

He might have created the Noctani out of that exact spell.

I released a frustrated exhale as I gripped the back of one of the dining chairs tightly enough that my knuckles turned white.

“We can’t get that spell.” I muttered, my gaze on the floor.

“Alastir?” It was Kenna’s small voice that drew our attention back towards the table.

I lifted my head, glancing at Alastir only to see that his eyes were white, completely glazed over. No iris or cornea was visible at all, only the milky shade that now stared back at us blankly. Was he having a vision?

Phineas moved to his side, gripping his shoulder as he gently shook him.

“Alastir, Alastir! What do you see?”

“He’s having a vision?” I asked, moving to his side.

Phineas nodded in confirmation, his mouth taut in a thin line.

Alastir was somewhere far, far away as the vision took him. His hand twitched and his head nodded absently. It only lasted a matter of seconds before the milky white mask of his eyes cleared and his hazel gaze coming back into view.

“I remember,” he spoke, his voice brittle has he re-adjusted to his surroundings, his gaze sweeping the room. He cleared his throat, his hand on his chest before he spoke again. “I might not have the spell in my possession, but I remember. The Mother… she showed me.”

He stood from his chair and it pushed back with a screech against the concrete floor. He hurried to the counter wherehe grabbed a pen and parchment, scribbling down all that he remembered from the vision. His hand moved quickly across the paper, and a silence fell across the room. As if we all held our breath collectively.

Why would the Mother choose to show him the spell? Was it because he had already seen it, he simply needed his memory refreshed? The Motherdidn’tchoose sides, and a vision such as this was a rarity, indeed.

When Alastir finished scribbling down the spell on the paper, he said nothing. He went to the shelves and searched for ingredients, pulling them off the shelves and placing them on the countertop.

Saanvi stirred, her eyes opening.

“What’s going on?” Her voice was weak. She pulled the bandage away from her chest wound to find it mostly healed, only the last of the scab still visible beneath. “What the—” but her words were cut off by Alastir.

“You’ll need to rest. You can’t travel with the spell that I used. It might be outwardly healed, but the body is fast at work draining your own energy and magic to do the healing. You’ll need to stay here for a few days until your magic can replenish and the wound can finish repairing itself.”

Saanvi met Kenna’s gaze. Tears pricked her eyes as she pulled her to her chest, holding her tight against her. A soft smile graced my lips at the sight. I couldn’t be more thankful to Alastir for saving her.

“And the antidote?” Saanvi asked, her eyes searching the room for me.

“We don’t have the spell,” I explained, “but Alastir might still be able to replicate it.”

“I make no promises,” his voice was stern, his concentration on the shelves before him as he stroked his beard. “I need bloodroot… there isn’t any here.”

His gaze flitted to Phineas. “Fetch me some.”

“Me?” he asked, surprised. “Why me?”

“You, son, are the most familiar with The Shadow. Not only do they not know how to find the exit to this disastrous place, but I cannot send one of them out to fetch something that they don’t even know what it is. Nowgo.”Alastir’s voice was commanding as he continued to study the shelves.

Phineas silently grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on. As Alastir’s son, he had to be well versed in charms and potions himself, knowing exactly what ingredient it was Alastir needed. He silently left the shop, slamming the door behind him and rattling the windows. His men followed him as he set off down the cobblestone street, out of sight.

The moment the door closed between us Alastir moved to the counter where I was perched, his eyes bright with excitement. “Listen to me carefully, it won’t take him long to find the bloodroot. We only have a matter of minutes.”

My brow furrowed in confusion. “What is going on? What aren’t you telling us?”

Alastir shook his head, as if he didn’t want to speak the words he was about to say. “Siphoning isdarkmagic. Blood magic. To reverse it, we need the same. Magic is all about balance. Give and take. Is this a price you are willing to pay?”