Power Words

## Introduction

Power words are magical commands that are ancient, potent, and dangerous.

"Nobody knew how many of them there were, where they came from, or why they held such enormous hold over magic. Even people who had never used magic recognized their meaning and were subject to their power, as if the words were a part of some ancient racial memory we all carried.
It wasn't enough to merely know them; one had to own them. When it came to acquiring power words, there were no second chances. You either conquered them or you died trying, which explained why so few among the magic workers could wield them. Once you made them yours, they belonged to you forever. They had to be wielded with great precision and using them took a chunk of power that left the caster near exhaustion."
- Kate Daniels, *Magic Bites*

## The Words

* *Aarh*: "Stop"
	+ Kate learned this word from Atsany.
* *Ahissa*: "Flee"
	+ Kate learned this word from a magical reenactment of the Steel Mary*.*
* *Amehe*: "Obey"
	+ Greg left this word for Kate in a letter she found after his death.
* *Dair*: "Release"
	+ Voron taught this word to Kate when she was twelve years old.
* *Hesaad/Hessaad/Hessad*: "Mine"
	+ The spelling of this word varies throughout the series.
	+ Voron taught this word to Kate when she was twelve years old.
	+ Kate uses this word to claim other power words.
* *Karsaran*: "Break"?
	+ Julie learned this word from Roland, but it is not defined.
* *Osanda*: "Kneel"
	+ Kate read this word tattooed on the monster Ugad's head.
* *Senehe*: "Protect"
	+ Greg left this word for Kate in a letter she found after his death.
* *Tervan*: "Kill"
	+ Greg left this word for Kate in a letter she found after his death.
* *Ud*: "Die"
	+ Greg left this word for Kate in a letter she found after his death.

## Occurrences

### Magic Bites

* Kate used *Amehe* against Derek the first time she visited the Keep. Later she used *Dair* to remove the compulsion.
* Kate used *Hesaad* to gain control of flames, which destroyed the undead dragon when she used *Amehe*.
* Kate killed Bono with *Ud*.

### Magic Burns

* Kate used *Amehe* against a reeve.
* Kate used *Osanda* against Ugad.
* Kate tried to use *Osanda* against Curran, but he was able to resist the command.
* Kate disabled hundreds of Fomorians with *Osanda.*

### Magic Strikes

* Kate used *Dair* to break a ward.
* Kate used *Hesaad* to take control of one of Roland's swords during the Midnight Games, then she destroyed it with *Ud.*

### Magic Bleeds

* The Steel Mary used *Hesaad* to extract a person's magical essence.
* *Amehe* was written on one of the walls of the Temple.
* Kate used *Dair* to rid herself of the influence of Darkness.

### Magic Slays

* Kate used *Osanda* against Leslie when she attacked Cutting Edge.
* Kate used *Amehe* on one of the Lighthouse Keepers in Palmetto, then used *Ahissa* on their ringleader, and finally used *Dair* to relinquish control.
* Kate used *Hesaad* to break a ward at MSDU headquarters.
* Kate used *Amehe* in the ritual to cleanse Julie's blood.

### Magic Rises

* Atsany used *Aarh* against a water serpent.
* Hugh used an unspecified power word to break a boulder.
* Hugh conjured a vision of Kate using an unspecified power word in battle.
* Kate used *Aarh* against an unknown lamassu and later against Radomil.
* Kate used *Osanda* against three Iron Dogs attacking Aunt B.

### Magic Breaks

* Kate used *Hesaad* to seize vampires.
* Kate used *Amehe* to force her sword Sarrat to withstand Roland's claiming magic.
* Kate used *Hesaad* to claim Atlanta.

### Magic Shifts

* Kate used *Osanda* against a large pack of ghouls.
* Kate tried to use *Aarh* against a giant troll, but it was immune.
* Kate used *Amehe* to make her blood convert a ghoul into an ifrit.

### Magic Stars

* Julie used *Karsaran* against Caleb Adams.

### Magic Binds

* Adora used an unspecified power word against Kate.
* Kate used *Dair* to release Adora from Roland's control and *Hesaad* to claim her.
* Julie revealed that Roland had been teaching her power words.
* Kate used *Aarh* against Irene.
* Adora used a power word against a werehyena.

## Sentences

Most characters in the series only use individual words, but they can be strung together like a language.

### Magic Bites

* *Estene aleera hesaad de viren aneda*: "And now, you are forever mine."
	+ Spoken by Bono to Kate.
* *Ar ner tervan estene*: "I'll kill you first."
	+ Kate's response to Bono.

### Magic Breaks

* Roland told Kate that teleportation could be prevented by saying *Aar natale* ("stop water").

### Magic Binds

* *Estene kari la amt-am*: "You're no longer a slave."
	+ Spoken by Kate to Adora.