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An orb of fire flared to life in Solia’s hand. “Well, let’s send him a little message. This is what I think of his strategy.”
“Wait,” Lio said, before she could destroy what remained of the undead. “Let us try a strategy of our own.”
“I know what you’re thinking.” Mak’s aura lit with eagerness.
That made Lio wonder if he had thought his suggestion through. But it had worked for the Blood Errant. “If we let the damaged bloodless go, it should return to its master to be repaired.”
“And we can follow it.” Lyros did not sound displeased by the idea, either.
“Excellent,” Kella said. “Why wait for your enemy to ambush you again when you can confront him?”
“Do you think this will actually lead us to the Collector himself?” Solia asked.
Cassia shook her head. “Doubtful, don’t you think, Lio? He has never appeared in person… I must confess, I shudder to imagine his true form.”
After feeling his power, Lio could scarcely envision the mage at the center of that void. “I think the undead will lead us to whatever necromancer he is currently using as his Overseer.”
“Overseer?” Kella asked.
“One of his commanders,” Lio explained. “Hypnos is the god of death and dreams in this part of the world. Mortals who are to be punished in the afterlife are sent to his realm, where his Overseers are the taskmasters of the unfortunate dead. In life, the Collector’s commanders call themselves his Overseers. We battled one, a Gift Collector called Skleros.”
A shiver went through Cassia’s aura, her thoughts buried too deep for Lio to read without effort. But he could guess. She was remembering when the Collector had offered to make her one of his Overseers.
“That’s what the kitchen knife means,” she said suddenly. “Gift Collectors have to obey the Mage Orders’ rules against mages wielding weapons. So they improvise. Kitchen knives are one of their favorites. Perhaps it belongs to this creature’s master.”
Lio tried not to think of how many painful ways a Gift Collector could harm someone with a dull kitchen knife. “Of course. We should expect this bloodless to lead us to a Gift Collector. We’ll take you back to the keep now. You can stay with Hoyefe, Karege, and Tuura while we—”
“No,” Cassia said before he finished. “I have to come with you.”
Lio turned to face her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “We have no idea what we’re heading into, or how far out of the perimeter it will take us. It would be madness to bring you along.”
“All of that is true,” she said, “but Knight is the only one who can track the undead with it covered in Lustra magic.”
Lio’s magic rose, demanding an outlet for his fury. Cassia was right. And Lio was willing to wager, in this twisted game, that the Collector had planned it this way. “This could be a trap, luring you to follow the undead back to whomever the Collector has sent to capture you.”
“That’s likely, but I agree with Kella. Better to face it than wait for it to find me.”
“She has fought in battles in the Maaqul,” Kella said, “and even against this very foe. Any member of the Ashes, even an honorary one, need not be treated as a non-combatant.”
Solia took a step nearer to Lio. “I think that tucking a woman away from danger does not actually keep her safe. I am in favor of bringing her with us, and you know how much that costs me.”
Lio looked down at his Grace and stroked her cheek. “You know what this costs me, too. But it is Cassia’s decision.”
“Decide quickly,” Lyros advised, “before dawn makes all of us Hesperines useless against the enemy.”
Cassia covered Lio’s hand with hers. “Hear out my precautions and tell me if you are not reassured.”
“I doubt any precautions will reassure me,” he said, but listened.
“Mak and Lyros can cover me in wards, taking heart hunter arrows into consideration this time. If we encounter any enemies, I’ll keep Knight on guard at my side instead of sending him on the offensive. Assuming any enemies survive a few minutes with Solia and Kella.”
“We’ll go under veils,” Solia said. “Patrols might be allowed, but an undead hunting party is the last thing we want the mortals in the camp to witness.”
Lyros nodded. “Lio, your thelemantic veils could conceal our minds and auras from the Collector. This time, we could hope to take him by surprise and protect any innocent bystanders.”
“We can cast thelemantic wards, too,” Mak said. “That will take time, but you can prevent the Collector from possessing anyone while Lyros and I prepare the wards. Then you can infuse our spell with mind magic.”
But it would not be a Sanctuary ward. Could the spells of three youngbloods hold against the full force of the Collector’s attacks? Lio seldom had cause to doubt the great magic he, Mak, and Lyros had inherited from the elder firstbloods. But he had felt how much magic the Collector had to throw at them.
