Page 46 of Kingdom of Spirits

Ragewing says Marius knows Ophelia cursed him. Marius felt called to travel here.

Called?Tahlia asked Lija.

That is how it feels to Ragewing. As if some power has reached out to the High Captain and is luring him to this foul, barren land.

“Marius, we have to find Fara. Something took her or… I don’t know. But she’s gone and she isn’t exactly an adventurer. If you can handle setting whatever you’re dealing with aside for a bit, we should go look for her. Can you do that? Can you promise me you won’t go back to that caldera and mess with those scary as hells bones again?”

“I don’t know. I can’t, I cannot seem to really… I can’t talk.”

“I know. Vodolija told me.” He needed the same ability with Ragewing. It might make it possible for him to speak to Ragewing about the problem, at least. Tahlia searched the ground for that blood-red plant and came up empty. “I have a solution to some of this, but I can’t take the time for that at the moment. I have to find Fara.”

“Agreed.” Marius’s face was back to its stormy self and, gods, but she was happy to see it. “But then you must leave. You’ll go once we find her.”

“Of course,” Tahlia lied.

They mounted and began to fly back toward the place where Fara had disappeared.

As they traveled, the dragons staying low, their bellies nearly scraping the clusters of scrubby trees here and there, the sound started again—a quiet howling and humming that grew in volume.

Chapter 20

Tahlia

Agolden light flickered below them, beside what looked like the ruins of an old castle. Marius looked to Tahlia and motioned to the light. She nodded and their dragons began to dive. Ragewing came to a stop on what had once been a rutted cart path. The two lines of expertly laid rock were now mostly covered with the greenish-black moss that seemed to grow everywhere here. Lija perched on a tumble of rounded building stones. Both riders remained on their mounts as the strange light approached. The illumination morphed into an outline of a Fae male.

The ethereal Fae had large ram horns that curled away from his pleasant-looking face. He had cheekbones like Fara’s, sharp but not long. His hair and his skin were fashioned of that same golden light, as was his cloak and the simple leather boots that stuck out at the bottom of the woolen wrap. A thick torc shimmered around his neck, a traditional accessory that the Fae of the king’s city still wore today.

“A ghost?” Tahlia suggested out loud to Lija. Speaking through minds was difficult. She’d had to get used to it.

Marius glanced her way, a mix of sadness, hope, and wonder crossing his features and clouding his eyes. He looked like hewanted to grab her and leave here without helping anyone do anything. Her heart surged, pushing her from her saddle and off Lija’s back. But he, like Tahlia, had to know that wasn’t possible.

“I think so,” he said.

Tahlia found her footing off the pile of stones. Marius must have thought she was talking to him, of course, because he didn’t know about the plant and all of that madness.

The ghost is quite old, Lija said into Tahlia’s mind,but his spirit is bright and full of life.

“Vodolija says he is bright, which I’d guess means he’s not a kidnapper of friends.”Fara, please be all right,she prayed silently.

Marius dismounted and paused, hands still holding the reins. “Your dragon says?”

“Yes. That’s a story for another time.” Tahlia pointed at the spirit.

“Right.” Marius cleared his throat and gave the ghost a shallow bow. “Spirit, we are searching for our friend, a female named Fara.”

“She has purple skin, and dark hair, and is afraid of life in general. Have you seen her? Please say you have. She can’t handle things like this.”

Marius lifted an eyebrow at Tahlia.

The ghost floated farther away, his body partially obscured by the age-blackened remains of a gatehouse and wall. Vines grew over the stones and hung across the entrance like a curtain. The dragons flew over the old castle wall while Marius and Tahlia walked under the portcullis.

“That is why I have come to you,” the spirit said. “Your friend is trapped below with the varjuline. They haven’t drained her blood yet, but a portion of her spirit has been siphoned. Their feeding is accomplished through a dark, wordless magic. They glean blood and spirit from their victims and the wisps of energyand blood crawl through the very air and soak into the varjuline. They also save a portion of their victims’ blood in bowls for Katk.” The ghost pressed his eyes shut as if he’d seen the act and wished he hadn’t.

Fear cut Tahlia again and again. “What are the varjuline?” Her voice had gone shrill. “Is that what those shadows are? We dealt with them once already. Is my friend alive?”

The ghost studied Tahlia, then Marius. “Oh, a whip. Fascinating.” He raised a glowing eyebrow at Marius’s favored weapon and grinned naughtily.

Tahlia waved both hands, impatient. “Please, focus. Tell us what to do.”