A fact that will not stop you lechering after the man.
Lechering?I retorted.Is that even a fucking word?
I know not; I care not.
I snorted softly and returned my attention to René. “If your father bled this man of power and life, how can he possibly be alive and walking around today?”
“It is possible he managed to make a deal with a demon as he crossed over, promising him fresh souls in return for a new body and assistance in gaining revenge.”
A man without a soul in cahoots with a demon is a dangerous thing indeed, Atticus said.
A body can’t live without a soul, I replied, frowning.
Generally, that is true, but it is possible his demon—most dark mages in their later years have them due to their descent into madness and their driving need for ever more power—holds his soul in stasis rather than having wholly consumed it.
I had no idea that was possible.
You have no idea about far too many things.
Ass.To René, I said, “When did all this happen?”
“Orion was killed by my father just before his death, nearly years ago.”
I blinked. “Then why has it taken so long for Orion to exact his revenge?”
René shrugged. “It is never an easy thing to find a new body to take over, especially when his requirements would involve a good degree of witch power. The resident souls in such bodies rarely want to give up their accommodation easily.”
There was a brief but odd catch of anger in his voice that suggested he spoke from some degree of experience. Did that mean his father had attempted to take over someone as he’d slid down into the dark madness?
Once again, I didn’t ask the questions buzzing in my mind. “What about the second thread of magic found in the shard? Was that Lanie’s, by chance?”
“No, Luke’s, and I have his current location.”
“Then we really need to get over there.” I reached into my handbag and removed my phone from the nulling box, but the minute I did, it rang, the tone telling me it was Ginny.
I hit the answer button. “Did you find out why Mark was in the apartment?”
“Mark Marlowe?” René asked softly.
I glanced at him and nodded. Ginny said, “He was there to do a little thievery.”
I raised my eyebrows. “He didn’t seem to be carrying anything out in that video.”
“Because what he took could fit in his pocket.”
“I’m guessing it was one of the runes Monica wrangled out of his family while he was overseas,” I said. “But why was he looking there rather than her apartment in Canberra? That would be the more logical place to keep it, surely.”
“Apparently he had family doing that while he came up here.”
“And did he find said rune?”
“He found one. Apparently that’s another reason Lanie went off her tree—she wanted the rune back, and Mark refused to cooperate.”
“Maybe that’s why they kept him alive—they wanted him to stew in his own excrement for a few days to weaken his will.”
“Yes, which is why, when he gets out of the hospital, he will be placed in a safe house until this matter is sorted. You have any luck with the dark mage?”
“Yes and no.” I quickly explained what René had uncovered. “We’re about to head over to Luke’s place now.”
