Page 24 of The Unseen Hour

“Not too much farther. Come along, then!” The man up front continued to coax us all away from wherever we’d arrived.

Everyone—the crying, the calm, and those who looked lost—followed the soothing voice.

“Don’t worry, the memories will fade soon. You won’t be scared in a moment. You just need to follow me this way.”

The others moved toward the voice, drifting like the very ghosts they were.

I checked my own feet, but they were still firmly planted on the ground.

“Hurry now!” the voice called, more urgent but no less musical.

With no better plan, and not wanting to draw any undue attention to myself, I fell in line with the others. My legs shook as I walked, probably helping me blend in. I tottered, partially out of terror and partially because of a leaden feeling in my limbs. Could the Thipp’s still be having an effect?

Another glowing orb floated by, and I managed not to jump this time. Aside from the moon, these orbs were the only thing lighting the way. Spherical lanterns. The next time one passed, I reached out to tap it and discovered the casing wasn’t hard like glass, but soft like a flower petal. I was too shocked to try to see what the light source was inside.

As we continued forward, the bluish grass was broken up by clusters of flowers, in shades of violet, ivory, and soft champagne.

It was the middle of winter in Emrys. Even though all the clues pointed to us no longer being anywhere near my home country, let alone any country in all of Rayus … the whole setting was a bit too comfortable for how I’d always envisioned death.

“No time to waste! Line up!” the voice from before barked again. Even when he sounded impatient, I felt an urge to listen instead of run.

One of the floating souls, if that is what they were, moved past me. I reached out and grabbed the arm of his coat, which had more color than his sallow skin.

“Excuse me, but do you know where we are?” I questioned, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

As he turned toward me, I took a step back. His eyes were void of any emotion or recognition. Though he was staring straight at me, I felt as if he were looking right through me.

After a moment, without answering, he turned and moved toward the voice that instructed us all.

With nothing to do then but follow the orders being yelled at us, I fell into a row forming as hazy men and women took their places. The initial wailing had stopped, and all of the others seemed almost eerily calm. Their faces expressionless, they formed precise rows, everyone’s spacing even. I took a place in one of the lines. Clutching at my riding jacket—Temple’s riding jacket—I realized as my shock wore off that I was dreadfully cold, in spite of the springtime surroundings. In Emrys it had been a mild night, but here it was frigid even with the flowers and lush grass. I shivered.

“All right then, I believe we’ve got everyone.”

I craned my neck, finally getting a look at the cloaked leader of this horrible parade. His hood prevented me from seeing him clearly, and it was a stony gray.

The souls around me continued to sway like leaves in a breeze. I did my best to imitate them, smoothly swaying to and fro as if the slightest breeze might shift me.

The number of people around me had swelled.

Some wore fashions popular in Emrys, but I also spotted the loose and baggy clothing worn in Mejje, said to keep people cool in the heat. Having never been, I had to make do with what I’d learned from books, but I recognized the fashion just the same. Another man wore thick furs I recognized as being from Tang. They were known to hunt the wolves and elk in their lands and used the hides to keep themselves warm on the icy tundra. There were a few people holding weapons, small daggers and knives, and I was shocked to see even the women in pants. They had to be from Sez.

For a single moment, curiosity overrode my concern and I snapped my head around, trying to discern whether anyone from the lost country was here.

The cloaked man at the front yelled again, and I turned my attention forward.

Goosebumps rose on my arms and I willed them to stand down lest even that small detail come to the attention of the figure that stalked in front of our rows. It wasn’t like he could see them under my sleeves, I mused, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe he could.

What if he was Death?

If the god was real—and the fact that I was standing in an entirely different realm was quickly making a true believer of me—there was no telling how he would react to my intrusion. He might be impressed at my ingenuity, or he might be offended by my trickery.

Whether because of the goosebumps, or my breath that clouded the air in front of me, I caught his attention somehow. Of all the rotten luck.

The cloaked figure froze, his stillness even more disconcerting against the background of shifting souls. He, too, kept his feet firmly on the ground.

He lifted his head, and I saw the gleam of his eyes under the hood. Eyes more vibrant than that of any of the souls before me. They were grey, but even from a distance I saw small flecks of blue. They locked onto me, and he began moving toward me, shoving the other souls aside.

My fear ordered me to run, and my traitorous, hammering heart set the speed at which I ought to escape, but I held my feet firm. After all, I had nowhere to go. I didn’t even know where I was. Perhaps I might still fool him.