My mouth hung open.
“The Celestyn Bone can?—”
“Move celestial objects,” Astraeus murmured. “Break worlds.”
“Where is it?” I turned back to the Stone Witch.
“Saros spent much power in binding me here. But I’m stronger than he thought, aren’t I, dear?”
A sharp hammer pounded in my mind, vanishing as quickly as it arrived.
“Stop doing that,” I hissed through my teeth, rubbing the space between my eyes. “I swore no air oath to you.”
“No,” Astraeus breathed beside me. “You bound yourself in another way. With your mind’s voice. Something older, something deeper than even an air oath. There’s no getting outof this. It’s why she can still reach your mind, even through the rubelline cage.”
Fuck.
Could I use my powers to cut this type of bond? What would the risk be? Would the physical blow hit my mind instead of my body, since it was sworn that way? A plunging feeling entered my chest at the thought of risking my mind…
I eyed the star-shaped divot in the center of the cage and cocked my head as I examined the lock. There was something familiar about…
Astraeus placed a white shard in my hand.
I snapped my face at him, and the corner of his lip twitched.
“You took this from Saros’s tower,” I snapped. “This was on top of his staff.” My brows narrowed as I scanned the pirate.
“Seemed like it could be important,” he murmured, his eyes still on the Stone Witch.
“Thief.”
“Bonscaíh.”
His eyes slid to mine before darting to my lips. I ignored the look and heaved an exasperated sigh. Well, fuck. If I tried to ignore the Stone Witch and pretend we’d never found her, she’d simply mangle my brain with whatever mental link our deal had created. And I couldn’t risk damaging my mind…
“Do you need me to—” Astraeus began, his brows tilting up as he lifted a hand.
“No,” I cut him off. No, I could do this without him.
I muttered the rubelline spell beneath my breath before placing the key inside the lock, twisting once as the glowing red light went dark. Soundlessly, the iron, rubelline-laced cage melted into the ground.
The Stone Witch inhaled deeply and blinked as she sat on the floor, waiting for me. Astraeus’s glowing blade was at her throat a moment later, his eyes on me.
This could be a mistake…
The Stone Witch’s violet eyes glowed a soft pink above Astraeus’s rubelline dagger. My gaze drifted to the pirate standing guard, lingering for a moment on his scarred lower lip, before meeting his stare.
His dark eyes dipped in soft confidence as they held my gaze. “I’m with you. You are not alone,” he said, his words escaping in a breath as if they’d waited there for years. The strong column of his neck bobbed as his eyes held mine, their marbled gray illuminated in the rubelline glow.
A distant memory caressed my consciousness, and I blinked, something reluctant inside me softening. I pulled my gaze back to the witch, reaching deep within my well of power and tugging on a note of Transcindiel. It lifted an ear, cocking its head at my call.
My mind drifted to the ashen as I reached out with that little strand of golden power. It floated to the Stone Witch, curving back and forth, examining the creature.
Ever so gently, it landed atop her head. I did my best not to jump as it recoiled, as if disgusted with the result of its power ages ago, but it stayed focused on her. I pushed a little harder as I reached for the amplifier around my neck, its power warming my chest.
The Stone Witch closed her eyes, nodding as I pushed more power into her. I spiraled the Transcindiel around her until she was encased in a web of golden light. The Obscura sat at attention beneath my veins, watching its twin work while preparing to unleash itself should anything go wrong.
My chest sizzled beneath the amplifier as the Transcindiel’s light spun faster and faster before it suddenly retracted. I fell back as the force of the power’s retreat hit me.
Long, gray hair splayed on the dark stone, surrounding the naked women. She blinked, violet eyes darker as she pushed against the floor and stood.
A gasp escaped as I took in her ethereal face, the delicately pointed ears, and the eight-pointed, luminous star shining from the center of her bare chest.
My pulse paused as realization hit me. At whom, exactly, stood before us beneath Mount Telum.
Mystic. Bellator. Queen. Prophet.
Olienna.
