AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gharek didn’t gave away any of his thoughts as he held Estred close. “And I’ve kept mine,” he said. “The Windcry is where it’s always been, still warded against thieves. It’s only a matter of time before the current puppet or Tovan himself finds the various secret passages and the Windcry itself, but for now it’s undiscovered and undisturbed. I can draw you a map to every secret entrance into the palace as well as those at the city walls your spies may not yet have found.” He gestured to his satchel that a soldier had delivered to the tent and which now lay at Zaredis’s feet. “There’s a grimoire in there that will be of use to your sorcerer for breaking the ward and possibly protecting your brother’s spirit.”
As he spoke, the air next to Siora wavered and turned chilly enough to raise goose flesh on her arms, even in the sweltering tent. A familiar form took shape.
Welcome back, shade speaker,Kalun’s ethereal voice whispered in her mind.
She smiled and returned the thought-greeting.It’s good to see you, Kalun. Has the ghost-eater returned?
Palpable fear wrapped around his misty form in black tendrils.Not yet, but I think it waits and watches. Can you help?
She might have refused to read aloud the foul necromantic spells in Gharek’s book, but she hadn’t discarded his words or the possibility he’d put forth to her—that she might be more than a shade speaker, might possess a dark power that made her shudder with its potential.I don’t know, and if I can, you might not want such help. It comes in the form of a necromancer’s enslavement spell.
Zaredis interrupted their silent conversation, his eyes glittering as his gaze moved from her to the seemingly empty space beside her, and back again. “Is my brother here, shade speaker?” She nodded. “Show me.”
Siora held out her hand, the icy caress of the grave on her fingers and palm where Kalun held her. Her touch made him visible, eliciting a gasp from those in the tent who hadn’t previously witnessed her ability. Estred squeaked in fright, shoving her body harder into Gharek’s, who held her close and whispered assurances in her ear.
It was an arresting sight, one that brought tears to Siora’s eyes and an ache to her heart. It was like watching two spirits battle for possession of one body—the cat’s-paw who’d done Dalvila’s dirty work and killed without remorse and this fiercely devoted father who soothed a child’s fright.
She turned away, unable to look any longer, and settled on the equally distressing sight of Zaredis staring at his brother’s revenant with a kind of despairing affection. His expression wiped clean when he noticed Siora watching him.
He swept a hand in a wide arc to include all who stood in the tent. “Someone find Rurian and send him to me. Clear off one of these tables. Bring parchment, ink, and food.” He pulled the spellbook out of Gharek’s satchel, turning it over in his hands beforeopening it to fan the pages with his fingers. He finally gifted Gharek with a distracted glance. “Put your daughter down so she can go back to her maid. You’ve work to do.”
Gharek’s eyes narrowed to slits, and his mouth thinned to a mutinous line. He made no move to let go of Estred.
Alarmed by what promised to be a battle of wills between cat’s-paw and general, Siora spoke. “She is quiet, lord, and well-behaved. If you don’t mind losing sight of your brother for a short time, I can keep her entertained while Gharek works. They’ve been separated a long time. He’ll be less distracted if she’s in his sight, and I’ll make sure she doesn’t interrupt.”
The two adversaries stared at her before turning to eye each other. It was a standoff in which she held her breath and prayed her argument and assurance would sway Zaredis. She breathed a soundless exhalation when he nodded.
“Very well,” he said. “But the first bit of noise and she goes back to her tent. Now tell me the details of your journey and what you discovered.”
Well done,Kalun told her, fading before all but her as he let go of her hand.You’re a natural diplomat, combining reason with persuasion.
The hard part hasn’t started,she replied.Keeping a small child occupied and quiet is no small task.
They watched as Gharek whispered something to Estred, who first shook her head, refusing whatever offer he made to her, then finally nodded. He set her down, watching with a hawk’s gaze as she made her way toward Siora. The condemnation in the child’s eyes made Siora shrivel inside, but she offered Estred a smile.Gharek mouthed “thank you” and turned his attention to the waiting Zaredis.
Like Gharek, Siora scrutinized Estred from head to toe, noting she looked healthy, clean, and uninjured. Zaredis didn’t lie, at least not in this. He’d seen to it that his young hostage had not come to harm.
She pointed to where servants laid out numerous platters heaped with various foods, including meats and cheeses, fresh fruits, and pastries. “Have you eaten, love? There’s plenty there to tempt the pickiest eater.”
“Don’t call me that,” Estred snapped.
Siora hid her flinch, cursing herself for the inadvertent slip. Though she’d expected her former charge’s anger, Estred’s rejection of her verbal affection stung. “I’m sorry, Estred,” she said, keeping her voice mild. “My mistake. Would you still like to eat? It’s a good way to be quiet and not disturb your father and the general with a lot of chatter, and you can stay in the tent.”
“I’m not hungry,” Estred said in a whisper. Her resentment turned to curiosity. “Can I see the ghost again?”
Siora glanced at Kalun, who grinned and nodded. “You can, but let’s go to the corner there.” She pointed to the far side of the tent. “We can talk without bothering anyone. Just keep your voice low.”
The spot they occupied held an array of Zaredis’s weapons as well as his armor. Estred showed no interest in those, waiting instead with wide eyes and an eagerness free of fear at the chance to meet the phantom who’d appeared before them earlier.
“Ooh,” she said on a slow exhale when Siora held Kalun’s hand once more and he materialized in front of her. “It’s magic!”
Fear sizzled through Siora’s veins at the word, and Kalun’s face assumed a contemplative expression tinged with a wariness that hadn’t been there before. “No, Estred. Not magic. Shade-speaking isn’t magic. It’s like fortune-telling, that’s all. Those people read the bones, the cards, or the leaves to gain information. I just talk to the dead.”
Estred wasn’t put off. “But how did you make him appear so we can see him?”
That is more than chatting with the dead, Siora,Kalun said.Fortune-telling and second sight don’t make us visible. Necromancy does.
Was that accusation in his words? Siora scowled at him.I’m not a necromancer.
