The anchor. The bridge. The weaver. They were all here.
The sounds of combat drifted into the stone circle then. Grunts. Muffled curses. The thud and scrape of booted feet. Lara’s gaze cut right, alarm blooming under her ribs.Gods.Bree and the others were fighting for their lives out there. She couldn't let the wraiths best them.
The binding needed to take.
The buzzing noise from the rift grew louder then. And as Lara looked on, the gap in the veil seemed to pulse in response to Mor’s voice. Still, her haunting song continued, more strident now.
And then a wind drove in—between the stones.
Dry and sharp, it held a vicious chill that stung her cheeks and caught in the back of her throat. Lara staggered forward before she braced herself against it.
Shapes started whipping past, hurtling toward the tear in the veil, ragged shadows with flailing limbs. They screamed. They fought. But they couldn’t escape.
She watched the rift swallow them, and exhilaration tightened her chest.It’s working.Mor’s wind was pushing the wraiths into The Threshold.
More spirits poured through—a tide of them. Boggarts, their long fingers clawing at the air. Bog wights, hair billowing behind them like floating banks of kelp. Loch-Bhàn, mouths wide as they wailed. And the Slew too. Dark wings beating furiously. Elongated faces twisted with fear.
Still on his knees in the center of the circle, Alar crouched low, watching the spirits tumble past. Blood dripped from his clenched fist. It had formed a dark pool on the center stone now.
Lara winced then. TheOrd-ree sealwas scorching her skin. It hurt.
The wind continued to roar, a storm wielded from moonlight and Shee song. More wraiths streamed in, their wails rending the air. But there was no resisting this. The Raven Queen’s binding was too strong.
Eventually, the spirit flow slowed, then stopped. When it did, Mor ceased her singing.
The wind died as abruptly as it had begun, and an eerie silence swallowed the stone circle.
33: THE BURNING CROWN
ALAR LIFTED HIS head, his gaze shifting to the writhing void. “Is it done?”
“Not yet,” Mor replied, her voice tight. Eager.
Lara gritted her teeth. TheOrd-ree sealhad started to pulse harder now. It was like holding an ember against her skin. She could smell her flesh burning.Shades. She needed to rip it off. “How much longer?” she gasped, her voice catching.
“Just hold on,” Mor barked.
And then Lara jolted, for an arm clamped around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides. Another hand covered her mouth.
“Apologies.” Vyr’s voice rumbled in her ear. “Change of plan.”
Alar’s chin kicked up, his gaze settling upon Lara and Vyr—just as Mor leaped on his back.
Taken by surprise, he grunted a curse, lurching forward.
Steel flashed. Mor drove a blade into his shoulder, just above the harness where his two fighting daggers were still sheathed. She pushed him onto his stomach, one knee pinning his spine. Alar writhed and bucked under her, but she dug the knife in deeper.
And then, with her free hand, she yanked his iron daggers free. She was careful to grab them by their bone hilts, avoiding iron. Nevertheless, she flinched, and her face screwed up as she hurled them away. “That’s better,” she panted. “Your blood will already be attracting the Fuath … and now you won’t give them any trouble.”
Alar snarled another curse, his voice cutting off when she ground the dagger deeper still.
“Behave, Half-blood,” Mor warned. “Keep quiet, or Vyr will cut your beloved wife’s throat.”
A growl rumbled in his throat, yet he obeyed.
“Just to be clear … this isn’t sacrifice.” Mor’s voice held a mocking edge now. “It’smurder.” Her gaze flicked toward Lara. “We both know the only reason you’re here is for her. Love makes idiots of us all.”
Panicking now, Lara fought against Vyr, but it was like trying to escape a steel cage. The Shee were fearsomely strong.
