Page 48 of Kingdom of Spirits
Trevain nodded. “I know that type. The whip also says a lot.”
Marius’s eyes were lightning. “Will you please remain on task?”
Tahlia studied Fara, her chest caving at the color of her skin. “Fara, we will get you out of here.”
Fara coughed and a spot of blood showed on her bottom lip. “Dark shadows…” More coughing interrupted her and she crumbled to the chamber’s stone floor.
“Fara,” Marius said, his voice stern but somehow incredibly comforting, “Lady Tahlia speaks the truth. We will free you. Have no doubt.”
Tahlia melted inside. If only they could be back at the keep, feasting or flying or both. She hated seeing her two favorite people in such agony.
Fara only nodded, seemingly unable to say anything else.
“Duck your head down,” Marius ordered her. He faced Tahlia. “Take my sword. It will strike a wider path. Once you cut the flames, I will lunge for her.”
“You can touch her?” Tahlia asked.
Marius’s eyes shuttered for a second like her words had struck him a mortal blow.
“He is only cursed to never touch you,” Trevain said.
Tahlia whirled. “What do you mean? You know what’s wrong with him?”
“It’s insulting that your knee-jerk reaction is to think I’m an idiot just because I’m not quite alive.”
“That’s not,” Tahlia started to say, “that’s not what I meant, I?—”
The ghost waved her apology away. “I know some things. For instance, Katk is trying to rise. A new champion has awakened him from his long slumber, as evidenced by the activity of the varjuline.”
“I’m so confused,” Tahlia said. “Let’s put a pin in that for now. How can we get Fara out?”
“You’ll need a really big pin for that one…” Trevain exhaled, clearly annoyed. “I have never witnessed anyone escaping a varjuline’s cage.”
Tahlia’s heart sank.
“Then ready yourself, Lady Tahlia.” Marius set his sword on the ground.
She picked it up. The hilt was still warm from his hand. She bit her lip, praying and wishing and begging all of the Old Ones to come to their aid with this whole mess.
Tahlia swung Marius’s longer, wider sword along the middle of the cage. The flames sputtered and cut out and Marius moved in a blur of astounding speed, his arms reaching down for Fara. He grunted in pain and drew back just as quickly as the flames reignited themselves.
“I can’t do it. They’re too quick to reform.”
“If they’re too fast for you, they’re too quick for anything in any realm. You are so incredibly fast, Marius. I mean, High Captain.”
Marius’s stone face gave none of his thoughts away.
“Do the creatures fear any force or being?” he asked Trevain, even though his gaze was on Tahlia. She felt his look like a hand on her cheek, and to steady herself, she took a deep breath.
“Only their master, Katk.”
Marius made a quiet humming noise like he was thinking. “What does he wield?”
“Plague, of course.” Trevain gestured to Fara.
“Well, I don’t have experience wielding illness,” Tahlia said, “aside from sneezing on folks when I have an ague.”
“It’s a bit more serious than that, I’m afraid,” Trevain said.