Page 83 of Fate Unchained
“I know the runes are back.” Morana’s gaze was intent. “But why for the vulk? And why are runes a weakness for the vulk?” She didn’t seem to be talking to Lilah any longer, it was more like she was talking to herself.
Lilah shrugged. “No one can understand runes.”
Morana drew herself up and gave her small smile again. “Why would a rune bind you to a vulk when the vulk don’t take mates?”
Lilah remained silent.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with mates,” Morana continued. “I think the runes are here to cause the downfall of the vulk.” She waved her hand. “Herskala saw it. He used runes in a spell to bring forth the fatal weakness for all vulk-kind.”
Looking down at her cooling tea, Lilah remembered what the grimoire said about the zorzye affecting the vulk. She was both a zorzye and a wyrdstaave. A double weakness. Not someone Kyril would want to keep around him. Pain shot through her chest.
“So why not make the rune your strength,” Morana whispered. “Having the gifts of a wyrdstaave, you want the rune. You need it. Tame it. Control it. Take its power for your own.” She waved her hand again. “We have your rune for you. All you need to do is finish the spell.”
Lilah’s head jerked up. “What spell?”
Morana smiled. “The next page of the spell you started when you first trapped the vulk. Boris didn’t give you that part, and it isn’t in the grimoire because Boris still has it. I want you to finish the spell.”
“But Boris bound the rune to a leshak. I saw it.”
“In an hour, the full moons will rise. You can determine the final destination for your half of the rune.”
Lilah’s brow furrowed. None of this made sense. “I want to see the rest of the spell.”
Morana’s smile widened. “I thought you might.”
A far door opened, and heavy steps echoed through the room. Boris charged forward but slowed when he saw Lilah. “Ah, she’s joined us.”
Boris. Thank the heavens above. Kyril would be able to find her now.
She bit her lip. What would happen when he did though? They’d destroy the rune and part. Maybe she should take the rune for herself. Not to partner with Morana, but to make sure no one could manipulate her or force her down a path she didn’t choose ever again. Morana did have a good point about that.
Morana waved her hand at Boris without sparing him a glance. “Boris and I met when I was down in Peklo, and he helped me survive. He could have easily killed me, but he recognized we could help each other. Does he really seem like someone who belongs in the underworld?”
Lilah raised a brow. “He did cause an explosion which might have killed me.”
“Naughty boy. I knew I should have come to talk to you myself.”
“He tried to kill me twice. Once with a shade, and once at his warehouse.”
Morana frowned at him. “A shade? I told you I wanted Lilah unharmed.”
Boris scratched his head. “Both attacks were aimed at the vulk. The shade had instructions not to harm her, and the silver I used at the warehouse wouldn’t bother her at all.”
Morana’s gaze grew glacial. “I told you what I wanted.”
Boris walked over to Lilah and stared down at her. “And I wanted something else. The vulk was in the way.”
Was he saying he wanted her? Lilah’s skin crawled, and she almost gagged.
“We’ll deal with this later.” Morana stood and, turning her back to Boris, she showed her teeth in a slight smile. “Let me show you what I can offer if you join us.” She waved her hand, and the chair under Lilah jerked, catapulting Lilah forward and onto her feet.
A small pit formed in her stomach, but she kept her face expressionless. “By all means.”
They walked through the sitting room and into a formal parlor, then Morana turned down a narrow hall and stood at a door trimmed with light wood. She nodded at it. “Go ahead and open it.”
Boris stood so close behind her that his breath fanned the hair at the nape of her neck. She swallowed hard. They might be taking her somewhere to kill her. Or toss her in a dungeon.
No way was she going to let her hand shake. Raising her arm slowly, she pushed the door open.