“Sammael would not be in their rights to do that,” Alise argued indignantly.
“Yes, well, they can include that in the epitaph of House Phel: once again removed from the Convocation roster, unjustly, and no doubt permanently this time.”
Nic made whatplans she could for the confrontation and set as much to rights as possible, in case the worst happened.A still-exhausted but willing Rat arrived and spirited Han and Iliana into the depths of the marshes, promising he knew of a safe haven.Alise sent a spirit with them to keep an eye on the group and assure those back at the house of their continued safety.
With the Sammael carriage no more than half an hour out, Nic visited Gabriel.
Asa glanced up with considerable irritation when she entered his outer offices.“Lady Phel, I told you that I—”
“I’m just visiting,” she snapped.“And House Sammael is due to arrive in half an hour.Forgive me for wanting to see my husband before that.”She didn’t want to think of it as saying goodbye, but a creeping foreboding made her certain it would be exactly that.The Hanneil blood from her mother’s side wasn’t an active psychic magic in her, naturally, but she sometimes wondered if it didn’t passively warn her of danger, much as Iliana sensed the swamp monster’s emotions.
“Sammael?”Asa replied, getting up from his desk where he’d apparently been recording notes.“Why would House Sammael come here?”
“I have a few guesses,” Nic replied drily.Clearly Alise hadn’t attempted to recruit Asa in her defense plan, which made sense, as his House Refoel vows prohibited him from using his healing magic to harm anyone, even if gentle Asa could bring himself to do it.“I’m going inside.”She gestured to the infirmary unnecessarily.
“Fine.”Asa sighed.“Just don’t… upset him.”
How she could upset an unconscious man, Nic didn’t know, but she agreed.Once inside the infirmary, she was surprised to see Narlis seated at Gabriel’s bedside.She was stroking his hands, which were folded over his breast as he lay on his back, talking to him quietly.As Nic drew near, she heard Narlis telling Gabriel that he was a good boy, her usual mantra with him.The aged familiar beamed as Nic came into her line of sight.“He’s a good boy,” she confided to Nic.
“He is,” she agreed, worried that Gabriel looked worse than he had that morning.More… sunken.She edged a hip onto the edge of the bed, the one she’d slept in beside him long since removed, and laid her hand over his heart.It beat steadily, but no sense of his silvery-bright magic greeted her touch.
“He’s lost,” Narlis said, bobbing her head when Nic’s startled gaze flew to hers.“Can’t find his way back.”
“How do you know?”Nic stretched her senses, trying to feel what Narlis did.Unless, of course the older woman was suffering from some sort of delusion, which was far more likely.It was a mark of Nic’s hope—and despair—that she was willing to grab onto any shred of possibility.
“I know.”Narlis nodded wisely and tapped her temple.She returned her gaze to Gabriel and patted his hands.“He’s a good boy.”
Nic choked back the tears that had been wanting to spill all morning.She didn’t feel like iron-willed Lady Veronica Phel.Losing Gabriel had hollowed her out in some essential way.Lost.Gabriel was lost.She was lost.They were all lost.
“Well, help him find his way home, would you?”she asked Narlis, managing a wobbly smile.
Narlis nodded gravely.“He’s a good boy.”
“Why don’t you take a little break?”Nic suggested.“I’ll sit with him.”
“You’re a good girl,” Narlis replied, pushing slowly to her feet and going toward the relief room.
Nic scooted closer, then simply repositioned herself and lay down on the narrow edge beside Gabriel.Keeping her hand over his heart, she nuzzled into the side of his neck, kissing the soft spot under his ear that always made him light up with desire.Not this time.His skin remained cool to the touch, no answering flare of magic.Brushing her lips against his ear, she began whispering.
She didn’t mention Sammael’s approach.If Gabriel could hear her at all, she didn’t want him worrying.“I love you,” she told him, though he should know that by now.“If you really are lost, all you have to do is follow that thread.You and I are joined forever, and no matter what they do, they can’t destroy our bond.I’m right here.All you have to do is open your eyes.”
Nothing.She was absurdly disappointed, as if she’d truly expected him to simply follow instructions.
“Gabriel,” she whispered more urgently.“You have to wake up.Even for a moment.Just for a little bit, so you can have some of my magic.You know I want you to have it.I’d push it into you if I could, but I… can’t.”Her voice broke, tears following.“Idiot wizard—just take it.Please.”
She tried again to open that channel between them, to replicate how it felt when he drew magic from her.Water flowed downhill without help; why not magic?She’d replenished, and she wanted, more than anything, for him to have it.Over and over, she tried to push the magic into him, with no result.She simply couldn’t do it.Never, not even in those early days of crashing denial when the oracle head spoke those dreaded words, had she hated being a familiar more.
It simply wasn’t fair.
“Lady Phel.”Asa spoke softly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.“Wizard Alise is here.She says it’s time.”
Nic nodded, surreptitiously wiping her tears on Gabriel’s shirt.He wouldn’t mind.If he were awake, he’d use the shirt to dry her tears himself.She sat, then stood.One step at a time.She eyed Asa, watching her with professional concern.“Why can’tyoutake my magic and put it into Gabriel?”
Asa shook his head in slow-moving regret.“It doesn’t work that way.”
“Why not?”she demanded, as if he’d made the rule.
“Magic doesn’t work that way.I could put it in him, but it would disperse again.He has to actively take it in for it to do any good.”