Fortunately, we land just outside the walls of Castle Black. My stomach lurches and the bile rises in my throat.
Remiel peers at me and squeezes my hand. “Are you sure we have to be here?” he asks with a moue of distaste.
“Yes,” I say determinedly.
“You know that I am not him, don’t you? I only have his memories and whatever power boost he gave me,” he asks worriedly, and it makes my heart melt. I can’t help it. He has never shown me such a vulnerable side to him before.
I smile at him reassuringly. “I do know,” I say, tilting my head up for a kiss, which he takes full advantage of.
“I love you,” he murmurs against my lips. “I hope you know that too. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“I know that too,” I reply, but fail to tell him that I love him. They are just words that won’t come out even if I think I feel them, right now, I just can’t separate real feelings from lust and desire. It’s a dreadful feeling and one that I hope I will get over very soon. “Can you get us through the wards?”
“Obviously, but perhaps we should do this the right way, seeing as we are asking a favor?” he reprimands me gently and pushes the buzzer to the intercom that I hadn’t even noticed has been installed. Okay, at least they are open to visitors, which Lance never was.
“Aefre?” Tatiana calls through the intercom.
“Yes,” I call back. “May we come in.”
She buzzes us through, and it all feels really normal. No Astralling or barging in in any other way.
She engulfs me in a big hug, and I am encouraged by this. Hopefully she will be inclined to help.
“I didn’t think I would see you again,” she admits, leading us into the castle after I introduce her to Remiel. She gives him the stink-eye, but he doesn’t smite her on the spot, so I ignore it.
“I need your help,” I get straight to the point.
“Of course,” Tatiana replies. “Anything.”
“Do you know of a spell that strips powers?” I ask her without hesitation.
She frowns at me. “A Romani one?”
I stop myself from saying “obviously”, I just nod quickly.
“Yes,” she says slowly, tapping
her chin. “There is a spell. It is messy and dark. Aefre, you don’t want to mess with magick like that.”
“Well, actually it’s the reversal to that spell that I need,” I explain.
Her face pales and she turns on her heel to head into the kitchens. Remiel and I exchange a look and then follow her.
“Can you help us?” I press.
“I cannot,” she says stiffly.
“You said you would do anything,” I remind her. “And I really need it. My family has been affected by a Hunter’s attack. They need their magick back.”
“Anything, but that,” she says with pursed lips. “You don’t want any part of it.”
“Let me worry about that,” I say to her.
“I am not powerful enough to cast it,” she tries again.
“Then use Remiel to boost your power.” I offer up my sire, hoping he won’t smite me on the spot. He gives me a look but remains silent. Good. He is on board.
Tatiana knows I have backed her into a corner, but she tries one last ditch effort to dissuade me. “Dark, evil almost,” she stammers. “You don’t want to take that on.”