Page 30 of Kingdom of Spirits
Tahlia grinned over her shoulder. “I think that’s what the head toss means.”
Fara rolled her eyes. “She could be saying she is about to dump us and go home.”
Tahlia laughed even though fatigue pulled at her. It had been a very long day.
The cold air bit at Tahlia’s cheeks. The temperature had dropped since sundown. She lifted the cowl she wore over her leathers and fastened her cloak’s three extra clasps, drawing the wool tightly around her chest and shoulders. Fara gave her a hand and offered a pair of leather gloves. Tahlia accepted them gratefully and held the reins in her teeth as she tugged them on. Fara cursed the entire time.
Vodolija dove suddenly, Tahlia sucked a breath, and Fara shrieked.
Wings spread wide, the dragon soared toward the ground or whatever was below. The mist and the night continued to hinder Tahlia’s view. Would they be far enough behind Marius and Ragewing to keep their presence a secret? If the wind blew the other direction, Ragewing would surely scent Vodolija. Tahlia gripped the saddle’s pommel and tightened the muscles in her legs and stomach to prepare for a rough landing. The Seabreak hit the ground even harder than Tahlia had guessed she would and she nearly lost her seat. Fara did. She went tumbling over a wing and landed with a wet smack on the ground.
“Fara! Are you all right?” Tahlia hissed in a whisper as she dismounted.
Fara’s chest moved in three quick breaths, then one steadier one. “Yes, I’m well. Thank you so much. Please remind me to absolutely never, ever get on a dragon again. That experiencewill fill my nightmares until the end of my days.” She cursed creatively. “I forgot about the ride home. Kill me.”
Ignoring Fara now that she knew she was well enough to whine, Tahlia squinted into the distance.
Beyond two dark hills, a large shape and a smaller one walked side by side toward that glowing light. It was Ragewing and Marius. Had to be, right?
Tahlia untied her bow and full quiver from the back of the saddle, her boots squelching in the mud. “Let’s go.”
Fara got up and straightened her belt and dagger. “Lead on.”
Tahlia strapped the quiver of blue-fletched arrows to her back and started forward, Vodolija beside her with scaled head low and wings tucked. Tahlia nocked an arrow just in case it wasn’t Marius and Ragewing, but the closer they got, the more sure she was about her guess.
Fara was pale, or as pale as someone with purple skin could be, and she was too quiet.
“Please whisper a warning of impending doom now and then so I know you’re all right,” Tahlia said quietly.
“We will all leave here with foot rot.”
“There’s the Fara I know and love.”
What would Marius do if he saw her here? Would he demand she return? Probably. Would she follow that order? She’d pretend to, but no. Marius wasn’t like this, someone who just flew off recklessly into dangerous scenarios. He thought things out. He made plans and followed the rules. This secret trip to a region known for its deadly spirits made no sense whatsoever. Marius had lost his handsome mind and Tahlia was going to get to the bottom of this. Besides, she wouldn’t abandon him here. Even with Ragewing, the spirits in this forlorn kingdom of old might be too much for him. She wasn’t going to leave him just to follow his rules or anyone else’s. If she managed to save Mariusor solve this problem he was having, it would be worth the consequences.
Vodolija, Fara, and Tahlia walked between the two hills. Marius and Ragewing stood at the bottom of a slope. A break of rowans hid most of Ragewing; only his head stood out above one of the smaller trees.
Like the gruesome teeth of a buried giant, five standing stones set into a rough circle marked the entry to the kingdom. Even though the Kingdom of Spirits was technically in the Realm of Lights and held by King Lysanael and Queen Revna, the old boundary markers had been left in place for safety. No one wanted to stumble into this haunted place. Well, no one but Tahlia’s possibly less-than-wise adventurous side.
So for the thousandth time, Tahlia wondered why in the name of all that was holy Marius, a notorious by-the-book type, was calmly strolling up like he’d been planning this reckless excursion for ages.
Ragewing and Marius passed by the standing stones and the mist spun around them, hiding them completely.
“Come on, Vodolija. It’ll do no good to sit here and chew our nails over the HC.”
Vodolija bunched the scales that served as her eyebrows and huffed smoke into Tahlia’s face.
“Okay, maybe you aren’t chewing nails, but I do not like how he is acting. I really, really don’t.”
“That makes two of us,” Fara said.
As they made their way to the standing stones, a sound rose on the breeze.
Chapter 13
Tahlia
Fara grabbed Tahlia’s sleeve. “No. Nooooo. Please make it stop, Tahlia.”