And then the picture was swept away by a tidalwave of anger from Delos.
I am not a weapon.
I know that,Maggie told him.
I can choose what I am from now on. I can choose what path to follow.
Yes,Maggie said.
Delos said simply, Ichoose to go with you.
His anger was gone. Just briefly, she got theflicker of another image from him, as she had once before seeing herself through his eyes.
He didn't see her as a slave girl with dusty hairand a smudged face and coarse sacking for clothes.He saw her as the girl with autumn-colored hairand endlessly deep sorrel eyes-the kind of eyesthat never wavered, but looked straight into his soul. He saw her as warm and real and vibrant,melting the black ice of his heart and setting him free.
And then this image was gone, too, and they weresimply holding on to each other, lapped in peace.
They stayed like that for a while, their spiritsflowing in and out of each other. Delos didn't seeminclined to move.
And Maggie wanted it to last, too. She wanted tostay here for a long time, exploring all the deepestand most secret places of the mind that was nowopen to her. To touch him in ways he'd never beentouched before, this person who, beyond all logic,was the other half of her. Who belonged to her.Who was her soulmate.
But there was something nagging at her consciousness. She couldn't ignore it, and when shefinally allowed herself to look at it, she remembered everything.
And she was swept with a wave of alarm sostrong it snapped her right out of Delos's mind.
She could feel the shock of separation reverberate in him as she sat up, aware of her own bodyagain. They were still linked enough that ithurther just as it hurt him. But she was too frightenedto care.
"Delos," she said urgently. "We've got to do something. There's going to be trouble."
He blinked at her,asif he were coming fromvery far away. "It will be all right," he said.
"No. It won't. You don't understand."
He sighed, very nearly his old exasperated snort."If it's Hunter Redfern you're worried about-"
"It's him-and Sylvia. Delos, I heard them talkingwhen I was in the wardrobe. You don't know what they've got planned."
"It doesn't matter what they've got planned. I cantake care of them." He straightened a little, looked down at his left arm.
"No, you can't,"Maggie said fiercely. "And that'sthe problem. Sylvia put a spell on you, a bindingspell, she called it. You can't use your power."
Chapter 17
He stared at her for an instant, his golden eyeswide.
"Don't you believe me?"
"I wouldn't put it past Sylvia to try," he said. "ButI don't think she's strong enough."
"She said she got special ingredients. And shesaid that nobody else could take the spell off."When he still looked doubtful, although a bit more grim, Maggie added, "Why don't youtry it?"
He reached down with long, strong fingers to pullat the fastenings of his brace. It came off easily,and Maggie's eyebrows went up. She blinked.
He extended his arm, pointing it at the wall, anddrew a dagger from his belt.
Maggie had forgotten about the blood part. Shebit the inside of her cheek and didn't say anythingashe opened a small cut on his wrist. Blood welled up red, then flowed in a trickle.
"Just a little blast," Delos said, and looked calmlyat the wall.
Nothing happened.
He frowned, his golden eyes flaring dangerously.
Maggie could see the concentration in his face. Hespread his fingers.
Still nothing happened.
Maggie let out her breath. I guess spells are invisible, she thought. The brace was just for show.Delos was looking at his armasif it didn't belong to him.
"We're in trouble," Maggie said, trying not tomake it sound like I told you so. "While they thought they were alone in here, they were talkingabout all kinds of things. All Hunter cares about is getting you to help him destroy the humans. Butthere's been some big split in the Night World, and the witches have seceded from it."
Delos went very still, and his eyes were distant."That means war. Open war between witches and vampires."
"Probably," Maggie said, waving a hand vaguely."But, listen, Delos, the witches sent somebody here,an ambassador, to talk to you. To try to get you on their side. Hunter said they've got one of the Wild Powers on their side already-the witches, I mean.Are you getting this?"
"Of course," Delos said. But now his voice wasoddly distant, too. He was looking at something Maggie couldn't see. "But one out of four doesn'tmatter. Two out of four, three out of four-it's notgood enough."
"What are you talkingabout?" Maggie didn't waitfor him to answer. "But, look. I know the girl whocame to talk to you. It's the girl I was with on therocks, the other one you saved from Bern. She'sAradia, and she's Maiden of all the witches. And,Delos, they're looking for her right now. They wantto kill her to stop her from getting to you. And she's my friend."
"That's too bad."
"We've got to stopthem," Maggie said, exasperated.
"Wecan't."
That brought Maggie up short. She stared at him."What are you talking about?"
"I'm saying we can't stop them. They're toostrong. Maggie, listen to me," he said calmly and clearly, when she began an incoherent protest.
That's the first time he's said my name out loud, she thought dizzily, and then she focused on hiswords.
"It's not just the spell they've put on me. And it'snot just that they control the castle. Oh, yes, theydo," he said with a bitter laugh, cutting her off again. "You haven't been here very long; you don'tunderstand. The nobles here are centuries old,most of them. They don't like being ruled by a precocious child with uncanny powers. As soon asHunter showed up, they transferred their loyalty to him."