Page 79 of Twist of Fate

“The pressure Connal and Luke experienced was part of the restraint,” Balthazar said. “The more power a captive used against the structure, the more force it returned.”

That explained why the attack had focused so quickly on Connal. He had reacted first and fought hardest, giving the structure more of his magic to seize.

“The spell that remained attached to me,” Connal said. “What do we know of it?”

“A binding strand,” Igneous confirmed. “You escaped before it completed its hold, but part of the structure had already fastened itself to your power. Had the healer not removed it, the strand would have continued draining you.”

Anger moved through Luke’s expression. “Could it have killed him?”

“Yes.”

The single word settled heavily over the chamber.

Connal turned toward Luke. His mate’s face had gone pale, but Connal felt the fear beneath Luke’s control through the unfinished bond.

“I survived,” Connal said quietly.

“That doesn’t make it less dangerous.”

“No,” Connal agreed.

Silenus allowed the exchange before returning to Igneous. “Was the structure intended for Connal and his brothers?”

“The residue cannot identify a particular target,” Igneous said. “It was designed to contain any sufficiently powerful magical being who entered.”

“Then we cannot assume whoever prepared it knew Connal and his brothers would accompany Luke,” Silenus said.

Tyson stepped closer to the center of the room. “But they expected someone magical to enter the warehouse.”

Cosmo’s expression sobered. “A human warehouse. Whoever prepared it anticipated that the drive would attract attention from beyond the human world.”

“Or intended to capture whatever came looking for it,” Keir added.

Connal looked toward Luke. His mate had entered the trap because his employer redirected him there after the original exchange failed. The attackers had wanted the drive, but the warehouse had also been prepared to restrain any magical being drawn into the conflict.

Those two purposes could be connected without being identical.

Luke appeared to reach the same conclusion. “Whoever prepared the warehouse might have known I wasn’t alone. Or they could have prepared the trap because they knew the drive would attract magical attention, even if they didn’t know whose.”

“Correct,” Silenus said. “We have evidence of intent, not identity.”

Silenus looked toward the gargoyles. “Could you determine where the magic originated?”

“No,” Igneous answered. “The residue was too degraded to identify its source.”

The answer disappointed Connal but did not surprise him. Their sigils had given no reaction at the warehouse. Nothing connected the structure to the stolen staff or the secret mission that had brought them into the human realm.

Not yet.

“Then we will not assign an identity the evidence does not support,” Silenus said.

Luke looked toward the king. “Hale sent me to that warehouse after the original exchange was compromised.”

“You believe he selected the location?” Silenus asked.

“I know the instruction came through his office. I don’t know whether Hale chose the warehouse himself, someone told him where to send me, or the message was manipulated before it reached me.”

“And the drive?” Silenus asked.