In the witch world, they were mostly used by dark or blood mages as a container for their magic if death approached their doorstep. The theory was, when they rose again into this world, they would find their rune, reconsume their magic, and all the knowledge bound within it, thereby becoming as powerful and as knowledgeable as they once were.
I had no idea how many actually achieved that, but given the title of the book, you’d have to presume a fair few did.
“So is the book a simple list of runestones, or is it more detailed than that?”
“It’sfarmore detailed.” His voice was dry. “It not only lists the most significant runes to be found throughout the ages, but what their power is and what royal family now holds it. Or, at least, held it at the time of publication, which was about a hundred years ago.”
I frowned. “No one but the mage who created the runestone can unleash the power it holds within, so what good is the book to someone like Luke? He hasn’t the power to break the protections that no doubt ring such runestones.”
“No, but dark mages are an unpredictable lot, and there are some more interested in chaos than rebirth.”
“Suggesting some of the runestones hold no protections?”
“Indeed.”
Well, fuck. “Were you able to retrieve the pages he photocopied?”
“Aye, and he swore black and blue this was his first and only attempt at photocopying any book held within the library’s vaults.”
“Did you believe him?”
“He did offer to take a polygraph.”
Polygraph tests were not foolproof. Aside from the host of medications that could influence readings by affecting blood pressure and heart rate, there were the myriad of illegal substances that could change results. And then there were the rogue telepaths who, for a large fee, could make you temporarily believe whatever you needed to pass the test.
“Did he?”
“There was little point. We stopped him and sacked him.”
And I was betting it was likely Luke had, by that stage, already found what he’d been looking for. Runestones that didn’t need to be unlocked could be worth a fortune on the black market.
“Would you be able to search through the book and give me a list of any and all runestones held by Tane Ashworth’s family?”
“I could, but not without official approval or a warrant. The book is not available to the public; only certain persons are allowed to view it by law.”
“I’ll get a warrant then. Thank you for your help.”
“Welcome,” he said, and hung up.
I glanced at my watch and realized it was the middle of the afternoon and I hadn’t eaten anything. I did a quick search for the best rib joints that did loaded fries and thickshakes. I didn’t find the latter, but ordered the rest and asked for it to be delivered. Twenty minutes, they said.
I bounced off the bed, winced at the many complaints from bruised muscles, and dug into my handbag for the prescribed painkillers. Which meant I wouldn’t be able to imbibe alcohol this evening, but that was probably a good thing, given I very much suspected I needed to keep a cool, calm, and very collected demeanor around René.
I went back into the kitchen, flicked on the kettle again, then raided the cupboard for the stash of Snakes I kept there.
“But sure, you’re not addicted,” Ginny commented with a roll of her eyes. “How’d you go with the National Archives? Any luck?”
She was sitting on the couch, the computer on her lap. Her hair was damp, and she’d changed her clothes, so she’d obviously had a shower while I was talking to Luke’s boss.
“Plenty.” I bit off the head of a red snake and quickly updated her. “Luke, it seems, has been lying to Monica from the get-go.”
“I’m surprised neither she nor her father fact-checked him.”
“Well, he’s a relative, however distant, and it’s not like Tane was aware they were making like bunnies.”
She grunted. “Are we thinking that these people took Monica to steal whatever runestone the Ashworths might be holding?”
“We are. I’ll ring Michael tonight and arrange a warrant for the book.”
