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Ignatius’s eyebrows gradually raise up his forehead until they’re nearing his hairline. The genuine surprise in his expression assures me that he wasn’t lying—he hadn’t heard the rumor—but I still have no idea how he’s going to take the bombshell I’m about to drop on him.
“That’s absurd,” he says with a quick shake of his head. “Impossible. Humans can’t survive traveling between realms. Everyone knows that.”
“Right. It’s common knowledge,” I say. “But what if it was a human with very little magic or monster in their blood? That seems more plausible, right?”
Ignatius stares at me for a second before nodding. “Yes, that could be possible. But I still don’t understand what you need from me?”
“I’m getting there, I promise.” I offer a nervous smirk. It’s amazing how after hours of planning what I’m going to say, my thoughts evaporate when it’s finally time to deliver them.
I’ve been spending way too much time with Azarius.
“Would you be able to determine if a human has any sort of magic in them? Or monster?” I ask, fighting to keep my expression cool, despite my nerves. “Is that something warlocks can even do?”
Ignatius adjusts himself on the couch, unfolding and then refolding his hands. His eyes bounce between me and Azarius before landing briefly on Devyn, who still hasn’t lowered her hood.
My throat is tight, and the suspense is killing me.
“There’s a chance,” he says, sounding skeptical. “But this isn’t something I have ever had to deal with before, so there might be some trial and error involved. I’d be willing to take a crack at it though.”
A slight sigh of relief escapes from my lungs. “You would?”
“It’s an unusual request, but I’ve been asked to do much worse things,” he explains. His gaze slowly travels back to Devyn, and he gestures to her with an open hand. “I take it, this is your human.”
At his words, my insides freeze like ice.
Devyn meets my eyes beneath her hood, and I gesture for her to lower it. I can see her hands trembling from where I’m sitting as she reaches toward her face, and I wish desperately that there was something I could do to alleviate her fear. If I were in Azarius’s place I’d wrap her in my arms and whisper comforts in her ear.
He’s doing a shit job in my opinion.
As her blonde hair appears and the fabric falls to her shoulders, I look at Ignatius. His jaw is dropped, his eyes round as saucers. And for a moment, he’s entirely speechless.
“This is Devyn,” I introduce her. “Devyn, this is my friend, Ignatius.”
She says nothing, but offers him a timid wave.
“But…” His voice trails off and he clears his throat to try again. “But I can’t smell her. I can’t even sense anything magical in her blood.”
“She bathed in nesda roots before we left,” Azarius says, holding up his fingers which still cling to the purple color. “That’s why you can’t smell her.”
“Ah, yes, I smell the nesda,” he admits. “I just thought it was a rather offensive cologne.”
“You’re not wrong.” Azarius chuckles.
“As for her blood, we also can’t sense anything,” I say, reigning in the conversation. “Neither can Rafe.”
Ignatius’s gaze whips to me. “Rafe knows? And she’s still alive?”
“Barely,” I admit, pointing a finger at Azarius. “This one claimed her as his mate. That’s the only reason Rafe didn’t kill her.”
Ignatius nods along, seeming unsurprised. “I see. Itiscomplicated.”
“But you can help us?” I ask, still clinging to the hope that inspired this mission. “Can you check her blood for any ounce of magic or monster? Everything we do moving forward depends on that information.”
“I can try,” he says. “I can’t promise anything, but you know I’m always willing to help you, Elio.”
“Likewise. Just say the word.”
Ignatius gets to his feet and shuffles across the room to a shelf of books. “It may take me a bit to find what I’m looking for. In the meantime, make yourselves at home. Any friend of Elio’s is a friend of mine.”
