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Scarlett did not move, and Sorin knew by the look on her face that she was about to say something both brilliant and terrifying.
“What if the power is freely given?” Scarlett asked.
“What?” Saylah said in confusion.
“What if the powerful being offered their power up freely? Death would not be required,” Scarlett pushed.
“Transferring power from one being to another is not done for a multitude of reasons,” Saylah said slowly.
“Like when it fits your own needs?” Scarlett asked, her head tilting. “Eliné’s gifts were transferred to me. Those gifts are stronger than Sorin’s were. Take them from me, and give them to him.”
“No,” Sorin, Saylah, and Cethin all said simultaneously.
“What do you mean no?” Scarlett seethed. “They are my gifts now, which would make them mine to give away.”
“You need them to find the lock. You know this,” Saylah admonished.
“Fuck your godsdamn lock,” Scarlett said. “You will do this, Saylah.”
The goddess took a step towards her, and the shadow panthers immediately snapped at her. The Guardians in the room all growled low warnings.
“If I do this,” Saylah said, “you will not be able to uphold your end of the deal.”
“I will find another way,” Scarlett insisted.
“There is no other way,” Saylah spat. “If there were, do you think I would have sacrificed my time with you? Do you think I would have made you carry this burden? If there were another way, this would have been finished centuries ago. This world would be at peace, your father would still live, and you and Cethin would know the love of the family you should have had.”
The room went silent as mother and daughter stared at each other, neither of them willing to back down. Saylah’s shadows thickened even more while Scarlett’s shadow panthers stalked forward.
But it was Sorin who broke the stand-off. He moved to Scarlett’s side, cupping her jaw and forcing her to look at him. “Love, I will not take your magic from you. You will need every advantage when you face Alaric. If this is our only option, we will not take it.”
“We will find a way,” Scarlett ground out, determination filling her eyes.
“And if we do not, it will be fine,” he replied. “We will still be together. All the way through the darkness.”
“I do not accept this,” she whispered. “I will not.”
“Would it work?”
Everyone turned to the person who had spoken.
Talwyn.
Luan was beside her. Sorin had forgotten they were even in the room with the Sutara family dramatics playing out in front of him.
Talwyn lifted her chin as the attention of the room settled on her. “Would it work?” she repeated. “To transfer power willingly given?”
“It is ancient magic of the gods, of those who can create new beings,” Saylah answered. “The power must be as strong as or stronger than the original power. It can be forced, but the cost is much greater and comes with death.”
“But if freely given? You could do it?” Talwyn pressed.
“Talwyn…” Luan started, but she stepped forward.
“You could take my magic—that is stronger than his was—and give it to him?” Talwyn asked.
“No,” Sorin breathed.
“He could not rule the Fire Court with wind and earth magic,” Scarlett cut in. “He would need to learn and master entirely new elements.”
