She sat at the table and carefully opened the blanket, covering her lap with the warm fabric even though the chill in the room didn’t bother her. After a while, she just got used to it. Even in summer, the temperature barely rose above sixty-five. Someday, Gem planned to renovate a room in the house specifically for her collection, one where she could regulate the temperature and humidity, which would require Viktor’s consent. He wasn’t fond of electricity, and since most of these books were her personal collection, she wasn’t sure if he’d go for setting up another room in the house with electricity.
After setting aside her notes, she placed the book in front of her to begin the grueling task of decoding a dead language. The smaller book she’d acquired from the pawnshop was still on her desk, so she pulled it closer then grabbed two reference books from the shelf behind her.
Every job Viktor assigned her was vitally important. Some translations led to the conviction of hardened criminals, some who had risen to power. Other translations saved lives or exonerated the wrongfully convicted. But this was unlike any task she’d ever done. It was personal, and despite her being an immortal, time wasn’t on her side.
Chapter 5
Gem sped down the long hallway on her pink skates, wind in her hair and the windows zooming by.
What a rush!
Skating was the quickest way to get around the mansion without expending all her energy. Flashing was fun, but Gem had to be careful about tapping into her light too much. It wore her down and made her tired, and Gem had no time for idleness. Plus she loved the thrill that skating gave her. It was one of the best stress relievers, and the exercise released endorphins.
An entire month had passed since Keystone had returned. Niko still hadn’t woken up from the spell. No talking in his sleep, no turn of the head, not even a sneeze. But Gem wasn’t deterred. She continued her work and held out hope that the Relic would discover a cure.
“Slow down, Rollergirl!” Wyatt shouted from behind her.
Gem ignored him. She always did, but especially now. She had spent weeks translating the mysterious red book with the ouroboros symbol. Exerting all her focus into that project had uncovered mistakes on her part regarding some of the translated text. The more she learned, the more information she absorbed into her Relic DNA.
In the first week, she had barely come out of her study to eat. Viktor expressed concern, and afraid he might pull her from the project, she’d forced herself to take more breaks and socialize with the team. No one had any idea what she was up to. They just assumed she was still traumatized from the kidnapping or working on a special project.
Lost in her daydreams, Gem got too close to the wide staircase before she realized how fast she was going. She tried to brake, but the rubber stopper on her skate skidded against the stone flooring without slowing her momentum. Gem prepared to throw herself on the floor to keep from tumbling down the stairs.
Just before she went down, Christian appeared out of nowhere and caught her around the waist. Gem’s legs kept going until she was horizontal in his arms. His grip was iron, and she squeaked like a mouse when her wheels finally hit the floor again.
“Jaysus, lass. You’ll break your neck one of these days on those infernal contraptions.”
She clutched a handful of his shirt and used it to right herself.
Christian stepped back and clucked his tongue. “And where are you off to in such a hurry?”
Gem caught her breath and tugged her pink shirt away from her body to circulate the air. “Viktor has news about Niko.”
“Does he now?”
Excitement rippled through her. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s got to be good if he’s calling me down to his office. The Relic must have found something.”
“While you’re down there, tell the old man that Raven and I are still waiting for our next assignment. A man can only sit idle for so long.”
She twirled in a circle before slowly rolling to the steps. “Will do!”
After carefully descending the steps with her hands on the rail, Gem reached the first floor and glided to Viktor’s office near the main entryway. It was his favorite room, the one where he often held private meetings and made important phone calls. He also used another room, but that one had a lot of creepy winged statues.
“Messenger girl!” she announced, rolling into the room.
Viktor was facing the unlit fireplace, hands in his pockets. Lanterns on the right side of the room added a warm incandescence.
She skidded to a stop. “Christian says that he and Raven want an assignment.”
Viktor crossed the room and sat at the small table tucked against the right-hand wall. “Close the door.”
After executing his order, she rolled over to the table and sat across from him. While catching her breath, Gem anxiously tapped her blue fingernails against the table as if there were an invisible typewriter below them. When Viktor noticed her nervous energy, she quickly put her hands in her lap.
By the looks of the open bottle of vodka on the table and the empty glass, Viktor must have helped himself prior to her arrival. Gem had always disliked alcohol, and her Creator emphasized that alcohol displayed a person’s inability to cope with emotions, people, and uncomfortable situations. So Gem was a little nervous that Viktor had kicked off their meeting with a drink.
“Miss Rothchild called me this morning with some news. She told me about another Mage who fell under the same spell. The Relics could not determine the cause, but you and I both know.”
Gem nodded. “She mentioned him during our meeting. I hadn’t thought about how many Learners Artemon created, but I guess there are probably others. Did they find a cure? Marilyn said it might be bad circuitry. She also suggested having a Stealer pull his light and then getting an Infuser to put it back in. Did they try it on the other Mage? I didn’t think that you—”
“He is dead.”
She hugged her middle.
Viktor lifted the vodka bottle and filled the glass halfway. After a swallow, he poured another.
“What happened?” she managed.
“With permission from their local Mageri, they tried many things. There are Mage gifts out there beyond comprehension, and countries like Turkey have fewer restrictions on how they are used. None worked. As a last resort, a Stealer took his light so they could put it back in. As soon as his core light left his body, so did his last breath. They tried to revive him, but they could not. They did not dare attempt sealing light to a dead body. I’m afraid if we attempted such a risky procedure on Niko, he will not survive the procedure.”
Her vision shimmered from the tears in her eyes. “That wasn’t the news you were supposed to tell me. I was supposed to come in here, and you were going to give me good news.” Gem’s emotions bubbled to the surface, but she suppressed them as best she could. “Aren’t there more like Niko? There have to be more. Ask them to call everyone they know. Maybe they waited too long after taking that Mage’s light to give it back. Maybe…”
With a grave look, Viktor folded his arms on the table. “I must now make a difficult decision.”
Gem felt the blood escape her head, and she grew dizzy. “What do you mean?”
Viktor’s pale-grey eyes lowered as he stared into his glass. “I think you know what I mean.”