"I can't believe anyone would willing go to war with you and your men."
"The Mage have just enough magic to even the odds. Their magic and their damned superior attitude."
"What do you mean?"
"Most of them consider all other creatures inferior to them. Greatly inferior. In their eyes, Therians are little better than the animals we can, or could, shift into. Humans are no account at all."
"Are there only the three immortal races? The Therians, Mage, and Daemons?"
"There were others, but we're the only ones who survived."
"Are the Mage as strong as you are?"
"Physically, no. But they have their weapons. Mostly they're just pains in our butts. Unfortunately, we have to be very careful not to kill them with the freedom we might like. While we tap into the Earth's energy through our Radiant, the Mage are part of nature itself. At least they used to be. Before the mortgaging of their power to imprison the Daemons, the Mage could affect, and often control, many of nature's functions. The weather, the growth of plants and trees, the reproduction of many of the Earth's species."
"They sound like gods."
Lyon grunted as he turned onto the same residential street Hawke had earlier. "They think they are. But since the loss of their power, they've been reduced to doing little more than small spells and charms. The greatest danger they pose to us is their ability to mess with our minds."
"What do you mean?"
"Beguilement. Bewitchment. It's generally how they get the upper hand before we know they've declared war on us again. They can't maintain the beguilement long and generally have to be touching the Therian to do so. If a Therian goes missing, we always assume a Mage attack." He made a sound deep in his throat. "We quickly end the wars they start." There was something dark in his tone that told her the Mage involved generally didn't survive.
Lyon parked the Land Rover, and they both got out. The day was fully overcast, now, the clouds darker and the wind stronger than before. Kara zipped her jacket and joined Lyon as they started toward the woods they had to walk through to reach the falls.
"So they've enchanted Ferals to try to steal the Daemon blade?" she asked, glancing at him. The breeze had blown his tawny hair back, revealing the strong lines of his ruggedly handsome face.
"That's usually their goal."
"Why do they want it?"
"Because we're the only ones who can free the High Daemon and his horde."
"I have to admit, I can see their logic."
He scowled at her. "We would never free him. And we're not giving up control of that knife."
"What danger is there in letting the Mage have it if they can't free the Daemons?"
"The Mage have always been more vulnerable to Daemon manipulation than we are. And while the High Daemon is safely locked in the blade, there is evil still in the world that craves his return. We who cannot be turned to evil keep the blade."
"Do Mage look like us? Like humans?"
"For the most part. The only real difference is their eyes. True Mage have copper rings around their irises. Distinctive." He glanced at her sharply. "If you ever see someone with eyes like that, get away from them and tell one of the Ferals immediately."
"Would you kill them?"
"Depends. If they threaten you, then yes. I'll kill them."
Kara shoved her hands into her jacket pockets, lifting her shoulders against the chill of his words. There was something both heady and horrifying about his simply stated declaration. A vow she had no doubt he meant. Once again, she was reminded of how important she was to them.
The Radiant.
As they entered the woods, Lyon lifted a low-hanging branch for her to pass beneath. "In the old days, there was a second way to tell a Mage. The cantric. Occasionally you'll still find someone with one, so you should know what they look like, as well."
"What's a cantric?"
"A braided copper circle that takes a Mage's natural magic and magnifies it. All Mage are implanted with a cantric upon maturity. Without them, they'd have almost no magic at all anymore."
"So both the Mages' eyes and their power magnifiers are copper circles?"
"Not a coincidence. Copper is one of their elements."
"Where do they implant the cantrics?"
"Beneath the skin. Where depends on the person and the century in which he or she was born. In the old' days, Mage wore the cantrics in their faces, usually on the cheek. You could see the outline of it clearly beneath the cheekbone, and they often tattooed the skin over it so none would miss it. Humans knew to be wary of these creatures whom they considered witches. The hysteria against witches in the seventeenth century put an end to visible cantrics after half a dozen Mages were captured and burned at the stake. Most of the Mage cut the cantrics out of their faces and implanted them in other parts of their bodies. Unseen places."
The rocks became more numerous, until the path through the trees became little more than a rocky climb. The wind flipped her ponytail against her cheek, and she raked it back.. "There's a painting in my room of a lion with a head beneath its paw. The face has a circle on the cheek. A shiny copper circle."
Lyon nodded. "It was painted by a Therian artist to commemorate my victory over the Supreme Mage in 1738. The supreme is their leader."
She gaped at him, holding her ponytail so it wouldn't flick her in the face again. "So it's a painting of you?"
He met her gaze, a hint of pride gleaming in his eyes. "It is."
Seventeen thirty-eight. A painting of a victory of a lion over a man who was essentially king of the witches. It was real. Not only real, but the victor, the lion, walked beside her now. A man. How was she ever going to get used to this stuff?
"Have you really been alive seven hundred years?"
"I have."
Together, they started down the rocky path to the goddess stone, Lyon's long strides making her hurry to keep up. He grabbed her hand, his warm fingers curling around hers, and tugged her with him. "Are you ready to pull the power again?"
"Out of the rock?"
"Out of the Earth, yes. It's coming from far more than just the rock."
"Then why do we have to come here? Why not do this in the backyard?" A car alarm went off in the distance, a bizarre counterpoint to her strange new reality.
"The goddess stone is sacred. A place where the Earth's energies are focused most strongly. It's where you will connect to the Earth. Once you've connected, you'll potentially be able to access the energy anywhere you can access the Earth. Every Radiant is different."
"Isn't the Earth everywhere?"
"Let me put it another way. Anywhere you can touch dirt or rock."
"Oh. No pulling the energies in the house, then."
"No. Not usually. I knew of one Radiant who was able to pull through other materials in an emergency, but she was old and powerful. It's been known to happen, but it's rare."
Lyon squeezed her hand, his touch almost affectionate, then released her.
Answering affection welled inside her. Strong and confident, he was as gentle and patient with her as anyone had ever been. And his simplest touch consumed her with fire. A fire she was almost certain he shared.
She was falling for him. In a big way. Which, unfortunately, was not a good thing. Not when the Pairing had chosen another for her. As if some game of kiss-the-immortal-shape-shifters could honestly choose her husband. How ridiculous. And awful. Yet she couldn't deny the blue glowing from Vhyper's fingertips. There'd definitely been something mystical at work. But whatever that mysticism was, it hadn't been her friend. If it had been, she'd be marrying Lyon, with only a token grumble at having the choice taken away from her.
The way things stood now, as soon as he got her ascended, he'd walk away. But really, what made her think he wouldn't have anyway if there hadn't been a Pairing? If her husband wasn't some preordained mystic thing? A man like Lyon could have any woman he wanted. He would never, in a million years, need to settle for average.
Kara crossed her arms, shielding herself from the brisk wind as much as the disheartening thoughts.
Lyon jumped down onto the goddess stone, then held out his hand to her again. "I'll invoke the Feral Circle, then we'll get started."
She tucked her hand in his and let him help her down. "What's the Feral Circle?"
"A blind of sorts. If any humans pass by, they won't see us. If anything happens, they won't hear."
She gave him a skeptical look. "What's going to happen that's going to make that kind of noise?"
The look he gave her was almost amused. "Nothing bad. Come have a seat."
He led her to the center of the stone where she'd sat facing Hawke that morning. While she sat cross-legged in the middle of the stone, Lyon raised his hands and face to the sky, looking as wild and exciting as the wind tossing his mane of golden hair. A rush of pleasure pressed against the insides of her chest as she watched him. He was gorgeous. Thrilling.
But the pleasure slowly turned bittersweet. If only he could be hers. Even just for a little while.
After a few moments of murmuring incantations, he lowered his arms.
"Why didn't Hawke do that earlier?" she asked.
"It's not needed the first time, when all you're doing is letting the Earth learn you. It's usually not needed for the first two to three days, but Hawke said he was able to pull a surprising surge through your hands earlier, and I don't want to take any chances."
"Chances of what?"
"Your raising fire when a human's watching."
"Oh."
He squatted in front of her. "I want you to try to pull the energy yourself this time."
"I don't know the words."
"The Radiant needs no words. You are the conduit, the channel for the energies. They'll seek you and be ready at your command once they become accustomed to you."
"And that's what we're doing?"
"Yes. Close your eyes and think about the power rushing into you through your hands. In your mind, imagine you're pulling the power from the Earth."
"Like a vacuum cleaner?"
A flicker of amusement softened his features. "Like a vacuum cleaner. Try it, Kara."
She closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was sucking the rock up through her hands. But imagining had nothing to do with reality. Except, she wasn't human, was she? And she needed to start opening her mind to the possibility she could do things humans couldn't. Other than heal quickly.
Concentrate, she told herself. Be the vacuum.
The rock began to tremble under her, heating beneath her hands. Her eyes snapped open, her gaze jerking to Lyon's. "Is this supposed to be happening."
"Yes." But he was clearly surprised. "Keep going. Keep pulling."
"O-kay." She closed her eyes and concentrated harder. This time she imagined herself a bigger vacuum. Industrial-strength. The trembling increased until she started to worry that the rock would break apart and tumble them into the raging river far below.
"Lyon?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed.
"Keep going, Kara." His voiced was laced with excitement. "You're doing well."
The rock beneath her hands began to feel hot, nearly too hot to touch, but she didn't move, telling herself to just keep vacuuming. If she sucked too hard, could she turn the world inside out?
And suddenly it wasn't heat going into her palms, but a jolt of hard-charging electricity that rushed into her body. Kara yelped and jerked her hands back, staring at Lyon with disbelief.
"Are you okay?" He grabbed her hands, turning them over in his. A different kind of energy surged through her at his touch. His voice roughened as if he felt it, too. "New power can hurt until you get used to it."
"It only hurt for a second. It just… startled me."
Lyon inspected her palms, running his thumbs over her flesh, as if he didn't believe her. Each stroke sent shivers rippling over her skin.
"Did it burn you?" he asked.
"Kind of. Could you feel the heat?"
He nodded. "I was having trouble crediting it. That's what I was hoping would happen eventually, but I didn't expect you to be able to do it for a few days at least. And not without help." Approval lit his eyes, warming her from the inside out. "Good job, little Radiant."
Kara smiled, the buzz of happiness so rare these past few days, she almost didn't recognize it. "Thanks. That was actually kind of fun in an oh-my-God-what's-happening way. Not nearly as creepy as this morning."
A smile glimmered in his eyes. "What happened this morning?"
"The power felt like worms under my skin."
"I've heard of that before. It'll get easier as you get stronger."
"Just how much stronger can I get? It felt like I caused an earthquake."
His lips tilted. "You didn't. With the Feral Circle in place, the quaking never extended beyond the rock."
"That's good. I'd hate to be responsible for a natural disaster."
The smile that had slowly been forming on his face finally found its way out and spread, widening his strong mouth, blossoming inside her, filling her with a pleasure so raw, so pure, it nearly brought tears to her eyes.
And made something move in his own. Their gazes locked in a way they never quite had before, and she felt herself falling. Tumbling into those warm, liquid-amber depths. Only the grip of his strong hands on hers kept her tethered to the ground.