Page 55

~Kai~

“This is impressive work,” Cornelius mused.

“To have managed to use this Primal Celestial Resonance as a binding agent, a magical element that has never existed before… and to then have fused it with the rest of the ingredients also… it’s astounding,” he went on as he walked around my Aetherbound Scepter that was levitating in the middle of his lab, while he studied it with great intrigue.

“It’s not my first time working with magical elements that largely remain a mystery to most,” I told him.

“Yes,” he said, his eyes flicking to mine.

“That has already been made clear with this triumph you were able to see to here. It couldn’t have come from nothing.

And it couldn’t have come from rash or dangerous handling of such things either.

” He walked to me. “You approach these experiments and research of yours with great care, intelligence, and reverence. Despite touching power of this magnitude, you haven’t allowed it to corrupt you, or influence you in undue ways.

Not all magic-wielders can resist the call of that.

It is also rare of one so young to be able to operate at this lofty level at all.

” The corner of his mouth turned up. “You have a gift. And you possess the right temperament and the correct approach to excel with said gift.”

I frowned up at him. “You’re not known for doling out praise or compliments.”

“Ah, you believe I have an angle.” His lips quirked. “You are certainly astute.”

“So, you do?”

“Yes. However, it is anything but nefarious.” He folded his arms across his chest and settled in, as he told me, “I’ve been watching you for a while now. And, no, not in the way that Lucian had been. I’ve been observing you for a completely different reason, not tied to my granddaughter.”

“Color me intrigued.” For once, there was no sarcasm that came along for the ride there.

The way he was talking, he was clearly building to something—something that may just be worth him watching me .

I didn’t like that. Who the fuck did? But, for me, it was more than that.

I knew my parents were doing it—it was yet another infringement on my freedom.

Although, I had discovered a way to subvert that as soon as I’d realized what they’d been doing a couple of months into my first year at Maven Academy.

Let’s just say that what they’d been observing of me since then had been exactly what I’d wanted them to see—something I’d achieved through a mixture of manipulation and illusion-based magics.

“Most magic-wielders only learn their Coven or Academy curriculum, and there are also those who are only taught by family, but very few ever go beyond this, or even have the inkling to. They believe they have mastered their craft merely by completely these curriculums and achieving control of their power. The outliers to this most often consist of those who are driven by the dark need to obtain more power, the very same who end up incarcerated in The Void. However, you are a rare breed, one of the very few who doesn’t seek additional knowledge for the pursuit of power out of greed, ego, or megalomania.

Your quest there is driven by protection—protection of yourself and those whom you care about. ”

“All very true,” I confirmed.

“I am aware that you were groomed to become Head of the Maven Coven, to follow in your parents’ footsteps and continue on that legacy.

However, I believe you are decidedly unsuited to such a role.

It is far too limited for the likes of you.

You possess potential that completely eclipses that supposed duty. ”

“You’re continuing to hit the nail on the head.”

He nodded, then went on, “As such, I would like to offer you an alternative path. I am looking to grow a small, elite cabal of the greatest magical minds. Supernatural threats are becoming more specialized and powerful, there is much that remains unexplored as a result of this and the existence of more and more hybrids. You require a connection to a new, smarter power structure, one that values knowledge and intends to wield that to solve magical puzzles, complications, and provide answers to rising threats that transcend what has come before, that continue to evolve faster than any curriculum can prepare for. This elite sect is known as Arcanum Order.”

I sucked in a breath.

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 research because of 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 even I hadn’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, and as 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?”

“That and something 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.

“How’s the extraction coming?” Cornelius asked me, and I turned to see him making his way back into the vault.

He’d had to leave ten minutes ago to welcome Warlow home, wherein the two of them had then checked in on their houseguest, Velra Nox, to see how she was doing and if she was comfortable.

He’d also been using a holoscreen to keep an eye on his love until he’d arrived home.

He was being extremely protective after what had happened up at the Guardian Compound. No fucking wonder.

Before I left here, I aimed to have a word with Velra about that piece of shit, Sorin Tenebris.

I also had a few questions about Cassius.

I knew Ariana was trusting him more so now with their every passing training session, but his very presence on this plane was still concerning even if he actively wasn’t trying to harm her or force her submission.

It was a concern that V and I shared in equal measure.

As Cornelius joined me opposite the marble worktable that was rather similar to mine, aside from its elemental makeup, I gestured at the fragments of True Celestial magic—gold and white sparks—floating in a field of my rose-gold magic. “We’re almost there.”

“Excellent,” he said, as he called his magic and hovered that silver glow over the gauntlet, preparing it and infusing the blood that we’d dripped over it.

He was halfway done when he suddenly jolted, his magic sputtering out.

He cursed and stumbled back.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, stilling my hand movements and leaving my magic and the Celestial sparks levitating in a motionless state.

He clutched at his chest. “Something is wrong.” He grimaced, before a grave look played on his features. “There’s… I felt a disturbance to the balance.”

“What sort of—”

I hissed as my left wrist burned like a bitch all of a sudden.

I hastily shoved up the sleeve of my leather trench coat and looked to see the spelled band I’d created recently blazing with a mixture of my power and Vorzyr’s.

Before Vorzyr had left, I’d quietly created a Nexus Band, linking his wellbeing to me, so that I could detect if he was in danger.

While we did have the mind-link, there were times when that wouldn’t be practical to employ—like if he was in significant physical pain, where mental clarity would be compromised.

Or if he was in battle or embroiled in a mentally taxing situation.

“I… fuck, I have to go,” I told Cornelius.

I grunted as the band burned deeper and harsher.

“ Now,” I uttered, a moment before I teleported out.

Vorzyr was in horrific danger.

Hold on! Just hold on!