Page 23 of Wolf of Ashes
I’m not surprised by this. According to my mother, each of the four keepers of magic was a supernatural with a life and even families before they became a keeper.
He peers at me before I can ask him more. “What about you?”
He knows nothing about me. Not where I came from before I met him in his realm, or what my life was like, or what food I may or may not have eaten. He seems to be able to discern some aspects of my feelings and needs, which he indicates by tapping his chest. I’m not sure of the extent to which that also gives him the power to see my memories.
“How much does my heart tell you?” I ask.
“It tells me what you’re feeling in the present moment,” he replies. “Your physical and emotional state.”
“Does it allow you to see my memories?”
His eyes twinkle. “If it did, do you think I would have asked if you’d ever eaten corn?”
I snort. “You might’ve. Just to throw me off.”
He arches his eyebrows at me. “Remember, I have no deceit when it comes to you.”
“So you say.”
He sighs, as if my disbelief pains him. “Then let me answer your question more clearly: I can’t see your memories.”
I study him for a moment. If he’s lying, I can’t tell. “I’ve never eaten corn.”
“Do you like it?”
I tip my head, an ambiguous response. “It’s mushy.”
He grunts. “It’s better on the cob.”
“On the cob?”
“I believe it grows on a thing called a ‘cob.’ Apparently, it tastes great with butter.”
On the other side of the table, the women continue to ignore us, and the longer they do, the more curious I am about the power the keeper used on them.
When he channels the essence of a wolf or a dragon, or even the electrical currents of a warlock’s power, he takes on the physical attributes of that same power. I’m curious now about whether or not the power he used to make the angels obey him was connected to his devilish appearance.
“What magic did you use on these women?”
“Demon power,” he says, confirming my theory. “Demons have the strongest powers of persuasion, although it usually requires physical contact with the target to make it work. Over time, I’ve accumulated the dark magic of many demons, so it seems the combination of my voice and dark light is power enough.”
I narrow my eyes at him, contemplating his choice of words. “Itseems? You mean you didn’t know for sure if it would work?”
“I don’t know for certain how any of this magic will work,” the keeper replies, studying his hands. “Not until I try it. Next time, I’ll make the dark light move more quickly toward its target. I’m grateful you hesitated before spilling their blood.”
I grimace since it wasn’t hesitation but exhaustion that stopped me from leaping across the table at them.
Aside from that, I’m a little alarmed by his admission that he doesn’t know how his magic will work until he tries it.
So many things could go wrong…
I shake off my misgivings since the dark light seems to have turned out okay.
Or… maybe not.
My attention is suddenly drawn to the younger of the angels.
She twitches and her blue eyes focus on me.
