My head tilted as I studied the wraithbefore me. It was either a new spirit, or it hadn’t been fed fromoften judging by the lack of distortion to its face and its obviousvitality. Some wraiths managed to evade discovery by the demons forextended periods of time, but the longest time I’d ever heard ofwas twenty years. That wraith had been made to pay dearly when itwas discovered.
I could feel power in this creature, morethan any other spirit I’d encountered before it. I didn’t know whatmade this wraith so different, but I would find out as its strengthcalled to me. Hunger seared through my veins; it had been almost aweek since I’d last fed. However, I wouldn’t do it with Rivernearby, not again.
“It looks to be young,” Bale said.
“Yes,” I agreed.
“Andverypowerful,” Magnusmurmured.
From its fathomless black eyes, I sensed thecreature studying us and trying to plot a way to escape me. Eventhough it had rarely been fed from before, if at all, its featureswere indistinguishable as a human. Its jaw, nose, and cheeks hadall lengthened and darkened into the beginnings of a wraith untilthey could barely be seen behind its mask of death.
“Somehow powerful enough to bring down aseal,” I said, and I felt a rumble of what could only be laughterin the wraith’s chest.
“That’s impossible,” Magnus said.
“I would have said the same thing too,before,” I replied.
“Before what?” Bale asked.
“Before I held it.”
“How could it possibly be strong enough tobreak a seal?” Hawk demanded.
“Some of the stronger spirits can retainparts of their human selves, and there are humans who have theirown special abilities,” I answered. “Depending on how much of theirhuman abilities they maintain when they pass into the realm ofbeing a wraith, their power could be significant.”
“Significant enough to bring down a sealthough?” Magnus asked. “That can’t be possible.”
“Somehow, it can,” I said.
They all followed my gaze to where Corsonhad backed further away with River. My jaw locked when I saw hishands running over her arms.He’s only trying to warm her,Itold myself, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to break hishands off at the wrist.
I focused my attention back on the wraithwhen it tried to jerk free of my hold. My hands tightened on itsthroat. A sneer curved my lip as I drew it toward me. Around myheels, the hounds circled, snapping at the creature within mygrasp, but they didn’t have the means to seize the spirit. If theydid, they would have shredded it before it ever could have broughtdown the first seal. Now their jaws simply snapped together throughthe black tails flowing behind the wraith.
“And now we know why the hounds couldn’tstop the seals from coming down,” I murmured.
My eyes narrowed on the creature; part of myability slid out to lock into it, but I didn’t start to feed fromit, only kept it secured in place. Fear slithered out from thewraith as it realized what I’d done. There would be no way for itto escape me, not without me feasting on it and draining much ofits vitality.
Deep within its soul, I felt pulsating wavesof power. “I’ve never felt one this strong before,” Icommented.
Bale, Magnus, and Hawk all moved closer,surrounding the creature in my grasp. “Can they talk?” Hawkinquired.
“They can, but not in this form,” I toldhim.
As I dug deeper within the creature, itreleased a low wail that caused River to slap her hands over herears and Hawk to wince in obvious discomfort. The others allremained unmoving, but the hounds circled faster, their excitementbuilding with every step they took. The creature’s head whippedback and forth so fast that none of its features were discernible,but its wraith façade faded away to reveal what lay beneath.
I found myself staring into the face of ahandsome man with ebony hair and blue eyes. His full mouth quirkedinto a smug smile. “There are some questions you never want theanswers to,” he said.
A feeling of dread settled into the pit ofmy stomach when River gasped. Corson held her close while shesquirmed in his grasp. “Put me down!” she ordered.
Her distress beat against me as she foughtto get away from him. “Let her go,” I commanded, and Corson set heron her feet.
She teetered there for a second beforetaking a hesitant step forward. “Stay back, River,” I told her.
The man’s forehead creased at her name. Shestopped ten feet away from us with her trembling fingers pressingagainst her mouth. The color faded from her face so rapidly thatCorson grabbed her elbow when she swayed on her feet. The freckleson her nose stood out starkly against the sudden pallor of herskin.
“Kobal.” Her voice was choked with emotionas her haunted eyes slid toward mine. “That’s my father.”
My eyes shot back to the creature in mygrasp as the man’s smug smile grew.
