Night Rune (Prof Croft Book 8) Brad Magnarella (the red fox clan TXT) š
- Author: Brad Magnarella
Book online Ā«Night Rune (Prof Croft Book 8) Brad Magnarella (the red fox clan TXT) šĀ». Author Brad Magnarella
āElemental expressions of our darkest urges,ā I replied.
āWhich makes all demonkind elemental beings,ā Arnaud said. āIāve been thinking deeply on our conversation in the cave. We concluded that Malphas chose the mer, half-fae, and druid races for their āparticular propertiesā is how you put it, yes? Well what if those properties were elemental?ā
āElemental,ā I repeated.
A memory struck me. The Met. The frigging Met.
I was ten when Nana first took me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sheād known I was fascinated with ancient mythology, and the museum was featuring an exhibit on the Greeks and Romans. The pottery and sculptures all ran together in my memory, but in a section on philosophy, one drawing stood out: a depiction of Aristotleās five elements, also known as the Aristotelean Set. Iād become lost in it, the alchemy-like symbol speaking to some as-yet-awakened aspect of my bloodline.
Is that why Gretchen transported me there?
I pulled another book from my shelf and flipped it open until I was looking at the same depictionāa cross-like arrangement of the elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, with Aether in the center.
And with it came a vision Iād had twice now, of lying in a cross-like formation with four others, a dark energy building around us.
Arnaud stood and peered at the image too. āYes, I was thinking of something similar.ā
I tapped the Water symbol and said, āMerfolk essence.ā From there I traced my finger to the Earth symbol. āThe basis for druidic magic.ā I moved my finger to the symbol for Air. āThe original fae were said to be Sylphs or air spirits.ā
Arnaud nodded. āI believe Malphas is using their essences in some form of elemental magic.ā
I looked at the remaining symbols. āThat leaves Fire and Aether.ā
āMalphas can manifest Infernal Fire himself,ā Arnaud said. āHeāll no doubt use his mystery demon as a focal point.ā
āLeaving Aether, which is synonymous with Spirit.ā
āAnd there, I believe, is your holy man,ā Arnaud said. āMalachi.ā
More understanding hit me. Thatās why the soulless mobs appeared when they did. To claim Malachi before we could. It also explained why the mystery demon was staying away. With the power Malachi wielded, my teammate could easily destroy the demon, and thus Malphasās plan to use them in his final elements.
āIām now inclined to believe that my former master didnāt mean āNight Runeā at all,ā Arnaud said with a grim smile. āBut rather āNight Ruin.ā A conflation of the terms āeternal nightā and āmortal ruin.āā
The elements of the Night Ruin gather.
I looked over the Aristotelean Set again. The races-as-elements theory worked, but the pattern was meant to induce balance. It could amp up the energy at the St. Martinās site, sure, give it shape, but I wasnāt seeing a demonic portal.
āWeāre making progress, I believe,ā Arnaud said. āBut any further help I lend will require a formal agreement.ā
I turned toward him. āAn agreement?ā
āIn exchange for my assistance, youāll release me from my bondage. In addition, youāll forego any and all acts of retributionāby you, your Order, or anyone you can think to contract. I, in turn, will pledge to leave you and your loved ones in peace. Iām proposing a permanent truce, Mr. Croft.ā
āYouāre proposing a lot more than that, and you can forget it.ā
āNot even for your family?ā he asked, affecting surprise. āIāll fashion the agreement anyway. In case you have a change of heart.ā
āDonāt bother.ā But I could already feel the demonic agreement taking shape in the psychic space between us.
āYou have but to accept it,ā Arnaud purred.
I was telling him to get rid of it when the door opened downstairs.
I went silent and froze in place. Oh, please donāt let that beā
āIām home,ā someone called.
Shit. It was me.
38
I waved Arnaud toward a slot under the table, next to the bookcase. The demon-vampire gave me a withering look, but still under Carolineās enchantment, he obeyed, folding his slender form into the small space.
Downstairs, Tabitha murmured, āAgain?ā
I held my breath, but her remark didnāt give the time-catch me pause. I could hear him cycling through my homecoming routines: hanging coat and cane, dropping a clutch of mail onto the table, rooting through the fridge. Heād be coming up here shortly to check the hologram. If only my damn stealth potioned was ready.
āYou hungry?ā I heard the time-catch me call.
āAre you really asking me that?ā Tabitha said.
āLetās see, Iāve got swordfish or flat iron steak.ā
āCan you stop pestering me with questions and just prepare both?ā
āWe have to save the other one for tomorrow.ā
āLike a concentration camp in here,ā she muttered.
āI can always start serving cat food, you know.ā
āFish,ā she said.
As he began pulling out pans, I quietly slid the books Iād selected back into their slots, arranged the desk as it had been, and retrieved my cane from the table. I stood over the steaming pots. If he could give me about ten minutes, I could bottle the potions, get a stealth potion into Arnaud and me, and slip out.
Sure, it would have been fascinating to meet myself from five years earlier, but there wasnāt time to convince him I was from the future. Also, I didnāt want to have to tell him he was just an artifact and would cease to exist when the time catch collapsed, which could be in, oh, a few hours. I knew myself well enough to know heād be skeptical of the first and super depressed about the second.
Cāmon, cāmon, cāmon, I thought at the cooking potions.
āWhat happened to your friend?ā Tabitha murmured.
Oh, crap.
āWhat friend?ā he asked.
āThe one with the hideous face and stench.ā
Arnaud glared at me from under the table. Downstairs, sizzling sounded as the fish landed in the pan.
āI donāt know what youāre talking about,ā time-catch me replied.
I peeked over the railing. Tabitha was still curled in a mound facing the window.
āOh, stop being an ass,ā she continued in
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