Morgan stepped into the central chamber and sighed. “Come here, little sister.”

Michalea practically rushed to him, her anticipation palpable.

“You are so looking forward to this, aren’t you?”

She nodded eagerly.

“Okay, slow down, because like I said before, this is a black idea generated from a gray mind involving not only the white side but that of a mortal and a rare ancient race that must be sacrificed in the end. This whole thing scares me beyond words.”

“I’ll never ask for a price.”

“Hush.”

“I’ll pay any price needed,” Raz voiced.

Morgan shot him a look. “Stay out of this, gray mage, I don’t need you involved any more than you already are. I’m tempted not to let you do any of your part as it is. Now let me concentrate.” He held the back of Michaela’s head and pressed their foreheads together, then placed his hand over her heart. He gently drew Dodger’s every minute physical detail from her mind and generated the clone.

Although the clone was a black spell, giving it life required teleporting one’s self into it or much more. The first step was Raz transferring the soul. That was thankfully a gray spell, and he didn’t have to be part of the gray magic. At the same time, Michaela would cast the life’s breath spell into the Mystalic, wait for it to return, and then send that powerhouse white spell into him. The trick was that he had to cast permanent immortality and simultaneously send both spells into the clone as the Mystalic was sacrificed so her blood sealed the spells to the clone. The idea of his sister’s magic passing through him earned his frown. In the end, it was going to hurt, but it would be worth it. For her.

Morgan stepped back. “It will become Dodger when we do the final spells. Once we do this, it’s permanent and cannot be undone. Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

Michaela nodded. “Very sure. Now we just have to ask Dodger if he wants to.”

He stared at her. “You haven’t even talked to him about it?” When her gaze went everywhere but his face, he raised a brow, folded his arms over his chest, and cleared his throat. “Michaela?”

“No.”

“Oh you’re good at the sheepish look, little sister. Don’t you think you should have asked him before we reached this point?”

Michaela grabbed his hand and clutched it to her chest. “I thought having the clone here, showing him we can do it, and then explaining it might be more persuasive than just the idea itself.”

Morgan sighed as the desperation in her eyes won. “He’s currently relaxing, so now would be a good time.” He snapped his fingers and Dodger appeared before him.

Dodger grimaced. “You magic-ing yourself around is one thing, but magic-ing me around is not allowed.”

“Your charming little wife has something to explain, and I thought it best you hear it sooner rather than later.”

“We have an idea.” Michaela motioned to the clone. “It involves moving you into a physical body that can take what your real body can’t from being in the citadel. This way you can live with me, and we’d be able to either live together until we both let go, or my brother dies, or he ends you.”

Dodger looked from one to the other, his brow raised. “Ends me? As in un-magics me from existence if he gets in a mood or has a tantrum?”

Morgan rolled his eyes. “I’m not a toddler.”

Dodger grinned. “Me, alive as long as the black master wishes, disbursed by his whim. That’s a real offer with some serious consequences I’d have to think about.”

Morgan crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot. “Really.”

Raz burst into laughter.

Morgan scowled. “You’re not helping.”

Raz waved him off and brushed a tear from his face. “It is funny.”

Morgan leveled his gaze on his sister. “And neither are you.”

Michaela patted his arm. “Elves.” Dodger and Raz looked at her, their faces straight. “Stop tormenting my brother.”

Both elves winked at each other, then raised their hands in surrender.

Dodger lifted the sheet, then pulled the waistband of his clone’s pants out long enough to peek down, dropped the covering, then looked at Morgan. “Do I want to know how you knew?”

“Do not look at me that way.” He raised a hand to ward him off, then pointed. “I drew everything, including it, from her mind.”

Dodger nodded. “In all seriousness, it’s a damn good replica. Looks a lot younger than I am now. The only thing missing is seeing what it acts like.”

“Physically and age-wise, I made it the you from back when you and Michaela first hooked up. It will carry that which makes you who you are—your mind, your memories, your soul, compliments of Raz’s transfer part. All that is not physically you right now will end up in that clone and bring it to life. It will behave in the manner you do because it will be you. Because it is a clone in every way, you won’t even realize you’re not as you are right now. This ancient spell has only ever been used one other time.” He walked over and looked down at the clone. “A long time ago I gave you extra life via a spell that cannot be recast. When that spell ends, you will die all five deaths the spell delayed over a period of as many days. There’s nothing any of us can do to save the body you’re in right now, but we can save you and your mind. Those deaths are going to be excruciating. Your mind will warp, twisting and winding deeper and deeper into the abyss of insanity until there is no you for the fifth and final death.”

Dodger raised a brow. “So this is not only a second chance at more time with my wife, but it’s also going to prevent me from going insane and suffering horribly. Does it do anything for your guilt?”

Morgan cocked his head. The leviathan had showed him the punishment Anna’s father and friend went through and then brought him her mother. Both now waited at the bottom of the citadel’s mountain. Their return made him slowly smile as he focused on Dodger and the others again. “I don’t feel guilt for anything I do.” His family’s expressions made it his turn to laugh. “Let me know when you decide. I must attend to something pressing.” He vanished.