Page 25 of Lady of Starfire
“Doesn’t that hurt?” Cyrus asked, tipping his head back against the wall. Sometimes he could get her to talk for quite some time. It gave him a much needed reprieve.
“Not as much as nightstone,” she answered.
“What’s the difference?”
“The Legacy created shirastone to contain Fae. Nightstone was created to contain those more powerful. It drains one’s power instead of simply subduing it.”
“Interesting.”
“Quite.”
“Is there anything worse than nightstone?”
“That is a matter of perspective.”
“That seems to be a favorite phrase of yours.”
The Sorceress smiled at him. “But it is true, yes?”
“Is there anything thatyoufind worse than nightstone?” Cyrus amended.
“There is not much worse than nightstone,” she answered, a finger beginning to trace one of the bars. “But deathstone does more than drain one’s power. After it takes your magic, it drains your life-force. It is a specialty of the Firsts.”
“Sounds like a painful way to die.”
Her violet eyes brightened with the madness of being locked up for centuries. “Who said anything about death? It drains you to the very precipice of death, but never lets you cross into the After. Much can happen in the in-between.”
“That is…horrific.”
“Isn’t it, though?” she sighed wistfully. Then her eyes narrowed on him, as if she had suddenly recalled who she was speaking with. “Are you ready to make a bargain?”
“No,” he answered quickly.
“You know there are worse things than my bargains.”
“I am aware,” he muttered, trying to mentally prepare himself for the next memory she was going to taint.
“Many unnecessary sacrifices have been made in efforts to avoid bargains with me.”
“Can’t imagine why.”
“Me either,” the Sorceress said with a shrug. Her hand dropped to her side, fingers slipping into a pocket where she kept the vial of his blood.
“Wait!”
“Yes?”
“A story,” he said, scrambling to hold on to this moment of peace a little longer. “You have not told me a story in a while. I quite enjoy your stories.”
“You do?” she asked eagerly, hands coming back to the bars as she pressed herself as close as she could to them.
“Yes, of course,” he answered quickly.
“I can tell you one of betrayal.”
“That sounds…nice,” Cyrus said, debating whether this was indeed a good idea.
“In all things there must be balance,” she started, and he loosed a breath of relief when the story started the same way the others had. “When the balance tips, who must pay the price? She was supposed to be his, but she chose another.”