“There’s more,” Skye promised, continuing to lead Maya across the open space.
They’d reached the middle of the cavern when Maya caught the sweet scent of lilies, and without warning invisible fingers stroked over the scars on her cheek, as if seeking to understand the source of the wounds.
“Magic.” Maya shivered as electric tingles raced over her skin, as if someone was standing directly in front of her. “Arcane magic.”
“Ah.” Skye smiled as Maya stopped to concentrate on the invisible presence that continued to touch her face. “You must mean Adelle.”
Maya shook her head. “This isn’t a demon.”
“Adelle is a spirit.”
Maya sent her friend a worried glance. “A ghost?”
Skye shrugged. “A spirit. A ghost. A restless soul. It’s hard to say. One thing I do know is that she was here long before Micha created this lair. She’s kind enough to let us share her home.”
Maya didn’t have much experience with ghosts. Most were human spirits who avoided demons and vampires. But she knew that there were some that could be dangerous. Especially the ones who had been magic users when they were alive.
“Can you see her?” Maya demanded.
“Sometimes I catch a glimpse out of the corner of my eye, but she’s never more than a misty form who floats through the rooms.”
“She doesn’t bother you?”
“Not usually, although she sometimes tosses books around when she’s not happy,” Skye admitted. “Or leaves behind unpleasant scents.”
“You could probably have her exorcised if she’s bothering you.”
Skye’s eyes widened with a genuine shock at the same time the scent of scorched lilies swirled through the air.
“Don’t say that.” Skye clicked her tongue. “She’s part of our family. And like I said. This swamp was her home first. We’re just visitors.”
Maya’s heart melted. This young mage had every reason to be bitter and jaded after her years of being used and abused by the demons who had held her captive. Instead she was filled with an infectious joy for life. Maya missed spending time with her dear friend.
“Oh, Skye,” she breathed. “You and your odd collection of the lonely and abandoned.”
Skye smiled. “You haven’t seen anything yet. Follow me.”
Maya nodded, allowing herself to be led through an opening in the far wall.
She shivered as she walked through a thick barrier that protected the inner chamber. Skye’s pace never slowed as they passed by cupboards stuffed with magical artifacts that pulsed with a variety of hexes and curses. Maya hissed as the waves of evil washed over her. She understood why Micha took such care to keep the items out of the reach of potential enemies. They had the power to spread disease and plagues if they fell into the wrong hands.
Maya was relieved when they stepped through another opening and another layer of magic. The chamber was smaller and the power from the spellbooks gathered on the wood shelves snapped and sizzled in the air. Like standing in the middle of a lightning storm.
This magic, however, didn’t have the thick tang of evil. This was raw power that strained to be released.
“I’ve searched for any information I could find on dragons and put them in this pile,” Skye said, seemingly indifferent to the vast power raging around her as she strolled to the center of the room.
Maya followed more slowly, her brows pulling together as she studied the two piles on the table.
“That’s it?” Maya counted the meager pile. “Seven books?”
Skye spread her hands. “Unfortunately there’s only three books that directly refer to dragons.”
“And the other four?”
“They contain magic that can transform into a sentient being.”
Maya moved to stand next to the table, thumbing through the top few books. “These are all about the miasma,” she said, referring to the evil magic that had attacked Peri a couple years before.
