Page 92 of Transfiguration
“I hate being a fucking witch. Now I’ve gotta be Pillar? Can’t I opt out?” Sam complained.
Con snorted. “Sorry, babe. Unless someone comes along with a greater affinity to fire than you, you’re stuck with it. And honestly, the idea of someone being stronger than you out there is terrifying.”
“Fuck,” Sam growled.
“I’m a witch…” Luca muttered. “But I don’t have an element?” He reached out and pulled strands of different elements from the surrounding environment. Sam felt a gentle tug on fire. “I can see them all? I thought that would fade when I was back in my physical body, but it’s still there. My vision is jacked. Like a really good trip.”
“Had a lot of good trips in your life?” Sam asked.
“I’m old. Not much I’ve not tried,” Luca said.
“Weavers can control all elements,” Page said. Jamie patched up a cut on his head before he and Kelly left. Page gripped the book he’d been using in his hands. “You’ll have to train with all elements to master your abilities.” His gaze went to the plot where Luca had gone to ground and where Hart should have been, but nothing stirred. “Max was light. Probably strong enough to be a Pillar if he hadn’t been corrupted decades ago with added magic. The Ascendance did stuff that really messed with his power. He’s been locking it down ever since.”
“Will he come back?” Luca asked, his voice hitching a little.
“He’s powerful. I suspect he’ll be back soon,” Gabe said. “Hopefully not the mess he was before we forced him to ground. It’s only the very young that would struggle to return.”
“I’m tired of this ‘when you’re older’ bullshit,” Sam muttered. “Luca is our familiar now? And a vampire? How does that work? Can he be a familiar to both Con and me?”
“How did that even happen? He was already bound to you,” Con said. “All I could think of was adding my bond on top of it. Is it a Focus thing?”
“He’s a familiar. I can sense that,” Gabe said. “To both of you. It comes from wishing for protection and the spirit accepting that bond.”
“I wished for protection when I was in the ring,” Sam said. “I thought that was a dream. But I was dying and Luca was there…”
“Have you seen the superpowers of the spider? I’m all in for that,” Luca said. “Sign me up to be Super Dick any day.” He groaned. “Maybe after a week of sleep. Will this eye thing go away? Everyone is rainbows. Which is legit Pride flag waving, but really messing with my head.”
“We will figure it out,” Con said.
“Wouldn’t Nate have needed the Pillars for light and dark too?” Luca asked.
“Did anyone catch when he told the demon that they would take the four main Pillars and hunt the others later?” Con asked. “That means there are light and dark Pillars but they don’t have them yet? Or maybe don’t know who they are?”
“Why did the demon need Matthew?” Sam wondered.
“He’s a null. What’s the easiest way to capture a Pillar?” Gabe said.
“Nullify their magic. It’s why they cut him into pieces. They have been trying to catch Pillars for years,” Seiran said.
“And you specifically,” Gabe agreed. “How long has the demon been out? When was it summoned? How have they contained it before?”
“The group outside isn’t talking,” Mike said. “There were about two dozen. All dead. Broken. The wind hurled them like rag dolls into the ground and side of the house. I suspect there are more and this was just a faction of the Kresnik as I know the fire backlash killed many. I have vampires digging to find more of these assholes, but they’ve had a long time to hide their tracks.”
“Sorry, not sorry,” Con said. “If I could rip those assholes apart, I would. They hurt Luca.” He flinched as he looked down at Bella. “Sorry. Swearing is bad. We are terrible at the swearing thing.”
Luca kissed the side of Con’s face. “I love you, too, babe.”
“Wearebad at the swearing thing. Do as we say and not as we do. Okay, Bella?” Sam said.
She smiled at him and petted Molly.
“Did Kaine talk to you?” Con wondered.
“In my dreams sometimes,” Bella said.
Seiran rocked Kaine, holding him tight.
“He said he would make sure the Pillars were in one place, so we would be safe, no matter how scary it got,” Bella said.