I looked up and over Xae's shoulder to see several Wraith Lords standing there, including Keltyr and Finn, who had just spoken. “All of you came? You came to find me?”
Finn's wings rustled as he bent down. “Of course, Ember. You're one of us.”
“Thank you.” I laid my head on Xae's shoulder. “I want to go home now. My real home.”
“I've got you, love,” Xae said as he took me from Rath and tucked me in close to his broad chest.
“Meet us back at the citadel,” Rath said to the other Lords.
“I'll replant the flowers for you, Ember,” Keltyr said. “Before I fade back, I'll see to them.”
“Kel,” I whispered. “Thank you.”
“It will be my honor.”
I closed my eyes as Xae's Spirit Magic took us, fading us from Fress to the arrival chamber of the Wraith Lord Citadel. We reformed in the same position, on the ground with me on Xae's lap. But Xae quickly stood, scooping me up as he did, and carried me out of the chamber.
“Thank the Goddess,” someone said.
I lifted my head to see the entry hall full of Wraith Lords. “He took them,” I said, my voice still rough, as broken as I felt.
A few of the men frowned at that.
Before anyone could ask what I meant, General Ranor pushed to the front of the group and asked Xae, “What the fuck happened to him? Is he all right?”
Rath answered the question as he came out of the arrival chamber with several other Wraith Lords. “We found him in Fress. In the village graveyard. The graves were empty. Nearly all of them.”
“What?” The Wraith Lord General went still, his silver eyes rounding. “What the fuck did you say?”
“You heard him,” Nex said. “The fucker took the bodies. He's robbing graves now. The sick fuck.”
“Why?” someone asked.
Voices rose, and a discussion ensued. I laid my head back on Xae's chest.
“Hey!” someone yelled over the din. “Can't you see Ember's had a shock? Take the talk into the dining hall. He doesn't need to hear this shit.”
I blinked and shifted my head to see who had spoken.
Jath.
Jathalion met my stare and only twitched a little. Then he stepped forward, through the dispersing men, and stopped before us. “Are you all right, Ember?”
“No, he's not,” Xae answered for me. “Thank you for speaking up and for your concern, but we'll take care of him.”
Xae carried me past Jath. I couldn't bring myself to speak to him, but I hoped he saw how grateful I was in my eyes. He seemed to, his expression softening before he nodded. Then he was blocked by Rath and Nex, who hurried after us.
“Maybe,” I whispered.
“What was that, love?” Xae asked.
I tried again, “Maybe we should be in the meeting.”
“We'll hear about what's said later,” Rath said. “Right now, we need to get you warm. You're shivering.”
“Am I?” I laid my head down again.
Safe in Xae's arms, I was starting to feel silly. Seeing those empty graves had been a shock, and it was terrible, but it wasn't as tragic as when my parents had been killed by some Ladrin of the Wolf Clan. Now that had been horrific. And I had gotten past it enough to love a wolf. If I could do that, I could get over this. Who the fuck cared about their bodies? My parents didn't. Corpses were just bits of rotting flesh and bone. It was what the Corrupter would do with those bodies that was the true terror. But that should have enraged me, not sent me into a catatonic state. I was being foolish. Weak.
