Page 50 of Darkness Births the Stars #1
“They can store magic and release it later?” I asked, my thoughts whirling as I reached out with a thin thread of my own dark power.
The first stone it brushed against shone vividly for an instant before the shadows were drawn within, twirling beneath the surface in an endless dance.
It felt like my magic, yet different. “That is impressive,” I exclaimed.
“What a marvelous discovery. Imagine what a few of those stones could do if we learned to use them.”
Masir gave me a surprised look, followed by a slightly wistful smile.
The praise was well deserved; the possibilities were boundless.
These stones could store additional energy for emergencies or allow others to use power they did not have access to.
The ability to use magic would no longer be something granted solely by the Allfather.
An excited thrill shot through me. The stones might even hold the answer to what I had been searching for for so long: a way to harness the magic of the Other and gain more power. I would never be powerless again.
“I wish everyone saw it that way, my lord,” Masir replied, his expression visibly darkening.
“It’s Belekoroz,” I said absentmindedly, reaching out with my magic to make the intriguing gem float between us, examining it more closely. “No need for formalities between two fellow craftsmen.”
I swore as a shadowy wave exploded out of the stone without warning, nearly hitting me square in the face. “Unfortunately,” Masir chuckled, “I haven’t yet discovered a method to control the release of energy once it’s stored within the stone.”
“Hmm.” A dozen ideas flashed through my mind and were discarded again. “Have you tried a trilliant cut for the gem? It should bundle the light downward, and if the magic follows that flow…”
A spark of excitement lit up in Masir’s eyes. “That’s certainly worth experimenting with. Give me a moment; I have some schematics here…”
For the next hour, we hunched over a table covered in half a dozen plans he had dug out of another chest. While the talented Anima had been a bit cautious in the beginning, he soon challenged my more outrageous ideas with confidence.
It was refreshing to discuss an interesting topic with a like-minded being.
Perhaps Aramaz had a point; I should leave my tower more often.
“No. No. That won’t work, Belekoroz. If the light—”
We were so engrossed in our conversation, the chest of lyr -stones left open on the table before us, that we didn’t notice we had company until a deep voice interrupted from behind.
“Masir! What do you think you are doing?”
M’tar filled the room with the force of his power as he advanced toward us. Broad-shouldered and muscular, the Smith was one of the most physically impressive of my brethren. The ground seemed to grumble and shift beneath us as his aspect reacted to his anger, the very earth trembling in response.
“Master!” Masir quickly rose from his chair, apprehension on his face. “Lord Belekoroz and I were merely discussing—”
“I can see that.” M’tar’s cold golden eyes bored into me, his every harsh move exuding disapproval as he picked up a scroll from the table. “Didn’t I order you to cease all experiments on those stones?” he asked Masir sharply. “And to burn these plans?”
“But why?” I interjected before the chastised Anima could respond, frustrated by my fellow Aurea’s obstinate reaction.
“You must see the potential. Those stones could make life easier for many and help us in the fight against the Kritak, allowing the mortals to defend themselves. We can scarcely fathom their full potential without further experiments.”
M’tar stared at me, genuine surprise in his eyes. “You would entrust the mortals with so much power?” He paused, a dark chuckle escaping him. “But of course you would. You have no concept of risks. Of consequences.”
As if I were a willful child. The reminder of all the things the Allfather had always accused me of made me bristle. “We use magic for everything. Surely you would not begrudge the mortals the same.”
M’tar did not relent, his face hardening. “The mortals bicker all the time even without magic. Do you know how many land disputes your brother has to settle every moon?If the Allfather intended for mortals to possess magic, he would have instructed us to gift it to them.”
Oh, please. Spare me.
“Well,” I said, my voice overly pleasant, “since the Allfather must have also planned the creation of these stones, he surely envisioned a purpose for them too.” I was quite proud of my little argument. However, my fellow Aurea did not share the sentiment.
“Always so clever,” he retorted, the proud lines of his face harsh and unyielding. I could tell it wasn’t meant as a compliment.
“Thank you,” I bit out, the shadows in the room twisting and churning with my frustrated anger at his near-sightedness.
“The stones are dangerous.” M’tar’s voice boomed with the unmoving severity of his aspect. “They won’t be used in my forge. And that is my final word.” A wave of Earth magic crashed against my shadows, tearing them apart. “If you disagree, Belekoroz, you can bring the topic before the king.”
I met the challenge in his golden eyes without flinching. “Believe me, I will.”
Not wasting any more words on my stubborn fellow Aurea, I left, reaching out with my magic one last time. Touching my mind to his second-in-command’s with the soft whisper of a secret shared.
“Do not burn those plans yet, Masir. Your master is not the only smith among the Aurea. And I am not afraid of others wielding power of their own.”
The Anima remained silent, yet I sensed his gaze upon me as I stepped out of the door. It was full of a defiance I knew only too well. I smiled in satisfaction.
Real seduction was not a rushed thing. It was the steady drip-drop of temptation after temptation until giving in to the dark was no longer a decision, but a conclusion.