“I don’t understand,” Addison said. “How can Luke and Lia become like us if they were born mortal?”
“Through mingling our blood,” Samael said. “Ours with theirs.”
How could it be?
None of her ancestors had ever spoken about it.
“Did my grandmother know this kind of thing was possible?” Addison asked.
“She did.”
“Why would she keep this information from me?”
Samael leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in front of him. “Your grandmother is and has always been an old soul, bound by the old ways. She would never have approved of such a thing.”
“Why not?”
“Forming a bond with mortals in this way has always been forbidden, except in unique circumstances. And even then, special permission must be granted.”
“Have you ever seen it done before?” Addison asked.
“In a way … once.”
“When?”
Samael crossed his arms in front of him and stared out the window as if recalling an old memory. “Centuries ago, my sister, Beatrice, fell in love with a mortal. One day while they were out riding, William fell from his horse, breaking multiple bones during the fall. When Beatrice rushed to his side, she realized he’d also suffered several lacerations to his head. He was losing blood, a lot of it. She knew she’d never be able to get him the help he needed in time. He was dying.”
“What did she do?”
“She used her power to summon me.”
“And then?” Addison asked.
“When I arrived, he was unconscious, not breathing. Fearing he had little time left, Beatrice sliced her arm open with a knife and began dripping the blood from her wound into his. She begged me to do the same, thinking our combined power would have a better chance of healing him. Mingling our blood with that of a mortal can have grave consequences.”
“Did you help her?” Addison asked.
He shook his head. “Though I understood my sister’s urgency, and it pained me to see her in such distress, she did not perform the ritual the way it needed to be done.”
“What do you mean?”
“Permission must first be asked of Aryanna. If consideration is given, she subjects the mortal to a test. A drop of blood is taken, placed into a vial along with a drop of her own blood. When combined, if the blood boils, the mortal is either impure or incapable of transforming. If the blood pools together, becoming one, the mortal is found to be worthy, a willing vessel, and the ritual can be performed.”
“Addison’s only a sorcerer through you,” Lia interjected. “She’s also a necromancer, the most powerful to have ever lived, which means she doesn’t require Aryanna’s permission for anything.”
“Perhaps not,” Samael said. “But she would be wise to seek it.”
“What happened to William?” Addison asked. “Did he survive?”
“He did, and his wounds healed. For a time, it seemed like my sister’s efforts had saved him. But as the newfound power he possessed found life within him, William began to change. He became violent and reckless. Beatrice did her best to support him through it, but it didn’t take long before Aryanna intervened. One look into William’s eyes, and she saw in him the same thing she saw in Aamon—death and destruction—a man who would never be able to bring his power under control.”
“What caused the change in him?”
“You cannot rob death of a life, you see. Beatrice offered her blood seconds after William was already dead. She reversed time to serve her own will, and William paid the price because of it.”
“What happened to him?” Addison asked.
“Aryanna altered the timeline, taking William back to his final moment in this life, and then she offered him over to death.”
Addison paced the room, pondering about what Samael had just said and about Luke and Lia’s wish to become more than what they were, and whether she thought it necessary to seek Aryanna’s blessing. “If I seek Aryanna’s blessing, and it is granted, what becomes of Luke and Lia?”
“They become one of us,” Samael said.
“You mean they become one of you, right?”
“You are part of me, so yes.”
“I’m also part of my mother.”
“Luke cannot become a necromancer, Addison. You know that.”
“But Lia can,” Addison said.
Samael nodded.
Addison turned toward Luke. “I know so little of my father’s side, of his people, of their magic. If you decide to do this, I want it to be your choice.”
Luke reached out, taking Addison’s hand in his. “I choose this because I choose you. It’s the right thing to do and the right time to do it. Trust me.”
Trust me.
It wasn’t Luke she doubted.
Seconds passed by in silence as Addison pondered the choice before her. Then she turned toward Samael and said, “What makes you so sure Aryanna will grant Luke’s request?”
“Because he’s your husband, Addison, and because she’s been waiting for your return for a very long time.”
“My … return?”
“As a baby you were blessed by her. So was your brother.”
It came as a surprise. “My mother allowed it?”
“I … no. I knew she’d never sanction the idea, so I took you both myself. I believe when Aryanna blessed you, she knew of your worth, of who you were meant to become.”
“Did she say anything to you about me?”
“She said you were special, and that one day I’d understand why.”
“Did my mother find out about Aryanna’s blessing?”
“I told her upon my return. She was so angry. It was then I knew our relationship was over.”
“If I allow this and if Aryanna agrees … if anything should go wrong, if anything happens to Luke, if he’s harmed in any way … no one will be safe from the wrath that follows.”
Samael nodded. “I understand.”
Lia tapped Addison on the shoulder. “Now that he’s sorted, what about me?”
Addison turned toward her. “I think you should take some time, think it over. We’ll go to Gaia, and when we get back, we can talk more about—”
“I don’t need time. The idea of becoming like you is something I’ve always thought about. And now that I know it’s a possibility, there’s nothing left to consider. This is what I want.”
Addison nodded. “All right, then. Come with me.”