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“That doesn’t entirely answer the question.”
No. But it was the only answer I could honestly give.
“Then I guess I have no choice but to trust your judgment.” He hesitated, then added softly, “And another warrior would make things easier.”
I smiled, recognizing an olive branch when I saw it. How long that offer of peace lasted was another matter entirely. “I’m able to fight, but I don’t think any of my weapons will actually work against the Aedh, especially if they don’t take human form in the attack.”
“Which is why I bought you Amaya.”
“And what the hell is an Amaya?” I said.
“This,” he said, drawing a sword from the sheath at his back, “is Amaya.”
The sword was shorter than Valdis, and much finer. Its steel was an inky black, and in the shadowed confines of the room it seemed little more than a threatening shadow. Yet with every movement, energy dripped from her like lilac rain—a rain that matched the color of my eyes and the Dušan on my arm. I doubted it was a coincidence.
“It isn’t,” he agreed. “I am attuned deeply enough to you now that I was able to uncover a weapon that would accept you as her master.”
“Accept me?” I said, studying the sword a little warily. Did I really want a weapon that had a life and a mind of its own?
“Amaya, like Valdis, was forged during the death of a demon.” He stopped several feet away from me. The sword’s energy rolled across my skin—a dark and dangerous caress that had goose bumps rising. My gaze met his. His expression was neutral and—for some reason—that scared me. “It breathes life into the steel, and gives it the power to destroy the dark ones. They do not submit to a master easily, but once accepted they will serve you well.”
“What’s the catch?” Because there had to be one. The seriousness of his expression told me that, if nothing else.
“You must offer them blood.”
“Naturally,” I muttered sarcastically, but with more than a trace of fear. “It couldn’t be something easy, could it?”
No smile touched his lips, and his bright eyes remained as ungiving as his expression. Fear sharpened, sweeping through me, making me tremble like a leaf in a storm. “Just how much blood are we talking about?”
“You must bury the sword in your flesh. She must become a part of you to serve you fully.”
Oh, fuck. I gulped down my beer, but it did little to ease the dryness in my throat. I thumped it down on a nearby table and crossed my arms. “You know, I really don’t think I’m that desperate for a weapon.”
“If the Raziq attack, and if the Aedh and I fall, then all you will have is your wits and your strength. Against the Raziq, that will not be enough.”
As had already been proven when they’d kidnapped and tortured me. I swallowed heavily, my gaze sinking to the sword held so lightly in his hand. It still dripped lilac rain, and I had an odd sense it was waiting.
I licked my lips. “I have the Dušan. If I fled to the gray fields—”
“If the Raziq attack en masse, even the Dušan will not be enough.”
If the Raziq attacked en masse and both he and Lucian were killed, I seriously doubted if even a demon sword would make a difference.
“Do not doubt her capabilities,” he said softly. “Swords forged in demon fire are stronger—and more dangerous—than you could ever imagine.”
And it would only work if I plunged it into my flesh. I rubbed my arms and said, “How can you know for certain that Amaya will accept me?”
“As I said, I am attuned to you enough to sense her willingness. All you have to do is make the sacrifice.”
“But won’t burying a sword in my flesh kill me?”
“She will heal you as a gift for your sacrifice. From that point, she will be yours until your life’s en
d.”
Oh great, I was going to have a fire-dripping sword constantly strapped to my back. And wouldn’t that please the customers?
A small smile broke the seriousness of his expression, and it felt like sunshine breaking through a storm—warm and welcome. “Amaya belongs to the shadows. You can see her, and I can see her because of our connection, but no one else will. Nor will anyone feel her—not unless you bury her in their flesh. And you do not have to wear her all the time. She can be put aside when you sleep.” He hesitated, then added, “Or when you have sex.”
