Em rose from his crouch, murmuring under his breath, his fingers dancing in intricate patterns. Blue light pulsed from his fingertips leaving traces of those patterns in the air. Once he was satisfied the room was clear of dark magical energies Em helped Theo to his feet. "Steady, my boy. Let's get you in a chair."
Hawke stumbled a bit but managed to sit upright once he sank onto the chair. He ran a hand over his dark hair. "Gods, but I feel awful."
"A two-hundred-year-dead powerful spirit, followed by the lashing spells of a dark wizard?" Em grinned, affecting his haughtiest accent. "However could you let such things affect you?"
Hawke chuckled, then he put a hand to his ribs. Em's brows drew together and he pulled the hand aside, giving his partner a more careful check. Hawke tried to push him away. "I'm fine. We need to attend to Lady Thiereliel."
Liel had risen from where they had been crouched on the floor, looking around the room. Black marks were scored into the desk, wall, and even the chair she had been sitting in earlier. Dark, ugly marks that twisted and scored the wood like lightning.
Em sketched a brief bow. "Are you alright m'lady?"
Liel nodded. She was noticeably pale. "What happened?"
Em looked over at Hawke then back to the young lady. "We got perhaps more of a demonstration than expected."
Hawke nodded. "Your grandmother, well technically great-great-grandmother I suppose, didn't have to come, but she heard the call of your blood and curiosity compelled her even if you are," Hawke paused, "impure."
"You mean my human blood?"
"Oh yes. She still hasn't fully forgiven your great-grandmother for taking a human as her mate."
Liel straightened with a look of surprise. "Then this was a generation further than I was expecting. I was thinking of my great-grandmother Varioliel. I don't even know her mother's name."
Hawke shrugged. "I have no explanation for you. There can be unexpected results from opening such a broad gate to the other side. But hers was the only response that I received, there wasn't a struggle of competing spirits trying to come through."
"What of..." Liel swallowed. "What of my father?"
Hawke shook his head. "She has some very intense power. The way your father is bound we wouldn't have been able to contact him ourselves. The best I can describe it is that she slashed the magical bindings free long enough for us to talk to him."
Liel nodded. Her voice wavered. "I see. What do we do now?"
Hawke looked at Johnson then back to Lady Thiereliel. "I think we need to go to your house."
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