LISA
I am a precision instrunt.
Or, well, my wrist brace is.
Okay—the word precision might be stretching it a bit. If I'm within fifty yards of my target, I might be able to get a single hit off in a real fight.
But the real point here is, if I hit my target, their head is going to explode. The power I hold in a single wrist brace might be getting to my head a little.
"Timber!" I shout cheerfully, though no one's near the tree now falling.
The Grand Sage's pen scratches across his notepad with manic energy. His white hair sticks up in every direction, like he's been electrocuted. Which, knowing him, is entirely possible.
"Excellent work today, Lisa. The trajectory calculations are spot on." He peers at over his glasses. "Your aim has improved significantly, and we've even increased the economy of power consumption."
Pride swells in my chest. "Thanks to your adjustnts on the brace." I flex my wrist, admiring how the tal catches the weak winter sunlight. "Though I still need to work on my stamina."
"Nonsense." He waves his pen at . "The amount of magical energy required to power these devices is substantial. Your body needs ti to adjust."
"But what if I need to use it in an ergency?" The tree I felled lies in the snow, its branches spread like fallen soldiers. "I can't ask the bad guys to wait while I catch my breath."
"Which is precisely why we're developing alternative power sources." He flips through his notes. "The blood activation is rely temporary. I have so promising theories about crystalline batteries."
My eyebrows shoot up. "Crystals? Like the ones Ava uses?"
"Similar principle, different application." He scribbles sothing else, muttering under his breath. "We could potentially store excess magical energy for later use."
The concept makes my head spin. "So I wouldn't need to use my own energy every ti?"
"Precisely!" His eyes light up with that mad scientist gleam I've co to both love and fear. "Think of it as a magical battery pack. Pre-charged and ready for deploynt. It would allow more than just a Fae-blessed owner to use this magitech."
I rub my arms, trying to warm up. The cold has seeped through my workout clothes, and my sweat is starting to freeze. "But you'd need to use Ava's power for that, right? She's already stretching herself too thin."
"In a sense, yes."
The Grand Sage's shoulders slump at my ntion of Ava. "That girl works herself to exhaustion. No concept of pacing."
"She's just desperate to keep everyone safe." My throat tightens. The mories of that party flash through my mind—blood and screams and death. Bodies of wolves who died protecting us. Protecting . "She blas herself for every injury, every death. She takes her role as Luna seriously."
I can't bla her. There's a silent debt on my soul, even though no one's said a word to about the lives Westwood lost at that ill-fated party so long ago.
"Much like soone else I know." The Grand Sage's keen eyes pierce through .
I busy myself with adjusting my brace. "At least I'm doing sothing useful now. These weapons you're creating could save lives."
"Well, never you fear. I have no interest in adding to your burdens." He shuffles through his papers with renewed vigor. "I've been developing a theory about creating a magic siphon that would require minimal input from Ava."
"How would that work?"
"Picture a self-sustaining magical engine." His hands wave through the air, sketching invisible diagrams. "Once initiated with a small spark of power, it would generate its own energy through a continuous feedback loop. The applications would be revolutionary! We could power entire cities, create defensive barriers that never falter, develop weapons that—" He stops mid-gesture, his enthusiasm deflating. "Well, that's assuming it's even possible. Right now it's just theoretical."
"It still sounds incredible." The concept of unlimited magical power makes my head spin. "Like sothing out of science fiction."
"Actually..." He adjusts his glasses, peering at his notes. "According to ancient records, such technology once existed. In ancient cities, the ability to harness and perpetuate magical energy was commonplace. But like so many other wonders of the past, that knowledge was lost to ti."
I wonder if Grimoire knows anything about this.
"Tell more about these ancient cities." Entertaining myself by puffing out clouds of my breath, I keep pace with the trudging elderly gno as we head back to Wolf's Landing. My bodyguards follow behind, as usual. "Where were they supposed to be?"
"Ah." He shuffles through the snow. "According to legend, they existed in a space between realms. Neither fully in our world nor in the Fae realm. The stories speak of crystal spires that touched the clouds, streets paved with precious tals that conducted magical energy."
"That sounds..." My nose wrinkles. "Unreal? Like a fairy tale."
"Indeed. The texts describe gods walking among mortals, sharing their knowledge freely. Magical fountains that could cure any ailnt. Buildings that floated in the sky." He chuckles, closing the journal. "Pure fantasy, most likely. Though the principles behind these stories intrigue more than their historical accuracy."
"What do you an?"
"Consider the concept of the floating buildings. While the story itself may be fiction, it suggests our ancestors understood principles of magical levitation that we've lost." He taps his notepad. "The sa applies to their supposed mastery of magical energy. The idea that they could create self-sustaining magical circuits..."
"And that's where your siphon cos in?"
"Precisely." He beams at like a proud teacher. "Whether or not these cities existed is irrelevant. The theoretical frawork they present—the possibility of creating a perpetual magical energy source—that's what fascinates ."
"But how would it actually work? I an, even basic spells need so kind of power source, right?"
"Think of it like a waterwheel." His hands move through the air, sketching invisible diagrams. "The initial push of water starts the wheel turning. Once in motion, the wheel's movent draws more water, which keeps the wheel spinning. A perfect cycle."
That sounds too easy. "You think it'll work?"
"I have no idea." He adjusts his glasses. "But that's why we experint. We learn. We improve. Speaking of which, I think it's ti to bring the brace into so sparring, but there's a problem."
My lips twitch. "You an the one where I might accidentally blow soone's head off when we're just trying to practice?"
"Yes. I failed to activate any sort of safety asure for testing purposes. I suppose I should work on that. Your efficacy will co with practice, and you can't aim at trees forever. We need moving targets, real-ti danger."
The enthusiasm in his words gives an uneasy sense of deja vu. Like a certain grizzled wolf shifter who loved to throw two girls into intense marathon sessions of running and other calisthenic workouts.
"That sounds… Dangerous."
"It should be, yes. Otherwise how can we trust you will be able to act in a real ergency? You need training. You need to think while hurt and stunned. Think while on the run. You need to be able to access its power under any circumstance, without faltering."
Jesus. He's going to be worse than Jericho.
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