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The trail they rode on opened to a wide field near the bottom of the mountain. It might have been a quarry of sorts, although with the trees growing everywhere it was hard to discern. “Here we are,” Ellie said, jumping off her mare. “We will have to leave the horses here, as they spook easily as we approach the mines. If yours are prone to wandering, you can tie them, but I recommend you let them lose. There are wild wolves that might make a snack out of them.”
Heading for the entrance by foot slowed them down. And yet, having beasts near an area where Neems haunted the grounds wasn’t a good idea either.
They followed the clear path humans had carved out of the wilderness to allow them easy access to the mouth of the cave. The road was overgrown, like the mountain had been trying to reclaim it since the Society of Crows incident.
Empty carriages lay everywhere, broken into pieces of sun-bleached wood and rusted axles. Their remains were the only thing that was left of the mine. Well, not the only thing. Violet’s skin pebbled with the magic that lay dormant in this place, buzzing with a fierce energy.
“The main entrance was over there.” Ellie pointed to where evergreen bushes hid it from view. “The second one is around that outcropping of the mountain. They were both blocked when we tried to get the miners out.”
“This is all cursed.” Gavin shook his head with a growing frown. “I doubt we would even make it inside. Even if we could go in, it doesn’t mean we should. I feel like my magic is dulled—the stones are probably underneath this very mountain, making it so we can’t use our magic fully.”
His words rang true for her as well. It wasn’t like she couldn’t feel her power, but it wasn’t as vibrant as it should be.
But Violet had to try, or getting away from Dargan would be impossible. She hated to agree with Gavin. He was right, though—going into the cave without the full power of her magic would be suicide. “So what, then? We just turn around and leave?”
Maybe she could stuff her pockets with dirt and hope for the best.
Mios popped a handful of nuts in his mouth and chewed slowly as he peered over the tall shrubs. “If there is an opening, I vote we check it out. Maybe we will find a few stones within easy reach.”
How cute. She wouldn’t have expected him to be a dreamer.
“Whatever.” She grunted and strolled toward the bushes that hid the cave. “Gavin and I can inspect the one over here. You two can check the other around the back. We reconvene in this spot by midday. We don’t want to camp in this place, as Neems tend to come out more at nighttime.”
Not waiting for their answer, Violet headed down the path, only vaguely listening to the sound of Gavin and Mios’ voices as they ironed out the details of her half-baked plan. Her heart drummed in her ears, a perfect companion to the twisting of her gut.
Gavin caught up with her by the bushes that separated the main road from the meadow where the cavern’s entrance was. When he crouched next to her, the soft earth squelched underneath his feet. “Ellie said it will be best if we meet in the town’s inn, just in case they don’t make it back here in time.”
The air was warmer this far down the mountain, no longer burning her nostrils with each breath she took. However, the coldness in her body remained. She moved the branches aside, and thorns pricked her fingers. A wide entrance appeared behind the greenery, exposing a tunnel blocked by enormous boulders that must have come down as the ceiling of the mine collapsed.
The anger that bubbled in her gut mixed with sorrow. What had the Crows done? They’d killed innocent people, buried them inside a cave with no chance of escape. And all because they’d wanted to keep stealing their children, unchallenged.
She would do anything in her power to get justice… She’d bury the Society under the weight of their own broken laws.
The shape of a man lingered at the bottom of the tunnel, standing still in front of the boulders, as if waiting for them to open. A haunted moan echoed through the meadow, and all the warmth inside her left Violet at once.
One lonely Neem shouldn’t be too difficult to dispel, even if their magic was dull at best. The spell was simple. The angry spirits were pure energy which hung around the remains of their corpse. Like magic-wielders, they borrowed more energy and matter from their surroundings to create their physical form and to avoid fading away in exhaustion. She only had to borrow enough energy herself so that the spirit would vanish. A complication would only arise if there were too many Neems to handle.
Dry branches cracked under her clumsy feet, calling to the Neem that hovered inside the cave. Its head jolted up, and it moved toward them, floating over the ground in a way that turned her blood to ice. It had once been a dark-skinned male with tightly cropped hair. A burgundy trail of blood was smeared across its forehead and over its thick brows, pooling in its wide, empty gaze.
Her breath escaped her all at once, and the magic that hovered over her extended hand stuttered into nothingness. She knew his face well. She’d dreamed about him for years, longing for the day she would see him again. Her father’s spirit stood perfectly still, as if listening out for anything that would show him his prey was nearby. Then, when nothing happened, he moved back to the boulders.
She waited in quiet horror, trying to regain her breath. Neems were the souls and bodies of those who’d died in horrible ways over sacred magical lands. Those who’d been murdered. While he was still hovering close enough, she could make out the curve of his wide nose—but his jovial smile and sharp mind were gone.
“Why is this one outside the cave?” Gavin’s words barely registered, and she couldn’t speak around the prickling in the back of her throat. “Do you think he was patrolling the mines, and the Crows killed him before they closed the entrance?”
Tears clouded her vision. Her parents had provided for their family for years with what the sea brought them. He’d prided himself on that and taught her gold was a fleeting thing. That knowledge was the truest kind of wealth someone could possess.
“We won’t be able to investigate further with him blocking the way,” Gavin said, and readied himself to strike. Magic pricked her nose with its spicy scent. She wanted to tell him to stop, but found herself paralyzed by her distress.
A sob escaped her dry throat in a noise that was only too similar to the moans of the spirit. From the corner of her eye, she saw Gavin stiffen beside her, his face twisting with worry. “What’s going on?”
“That’s my—”
Her father cried out, his mouth wide, a horrid sound that made the hair on the nape of her neck stand on edge. He turned their way, called by their voices, and a snarl left his pale lips. The image of his large teeth, broken with decay, and his hollow expression would forever haunt her if she survived this entire mess. Her heart stopped as he rushed at them, hungry for a revenge that would never be satiated.
There was no sign of recognition in his eyes. He was angry and very dead. Maybe this was her punishment for trying to defy a god’s will. Or for seeking vengeance and leaving Julius to die a slow death, when she could have made it a quick one.
Gavin’s dissipating spell hit the spirit before a word could leave her lips. Her father’s body collapsed onto the ground in a pile of skin and bones that evaporated into nothing.
