“Gladly,” he said, climbing up beside her. “But why? Vann Jeger’s almost done for.”
“It’s not Vann Jeger I’m worried about,” Marci said grimly as she dropped to her knees, digging through the pile of priceless magical artifacts until she found a large leather Viking shield that her casting marker would write on. “I’d pull magic out of these, but I still haven’t figured out how to get magic out of enchanted weapons, and I don’t think it would be a popular move right now.”
Julius didn’t need her pointed glance at the ghosts to understand that last part. Even if the ghosts had no intention of using them again, sucking magic out of the weapons they’d just reclaimed from Vann Jeger would most definitelynotgo over well. “Here,” he said, offering her his hand. “All yours.”
She grabbed his fingers tight, and Julius sighed in relief as the heavy coating of magic Amelia had painted over him drained away. But while he was feeling immeasurably better, Marci looked grimmer than ever.
“It’s not enough,” she said, scowling down at the spellwork she was writing on the shield. “I need more.”
He shoved his hand at her again. “Then take more.”
“No way!” she cried, smacking it away. “I just pulled off you this morning.”
“I’m not giving up when we’re this close,” Julius said, sticking his hand out again. “Just—”
He cut off with a yelp as Chelsie grabbed his wrist. “You’ve given too much already,” she growled as she forced his arm back. “You don’t even have that much to give.” She turned to Marci, putting out her own hand where Julius’s had been. “Use me.”
Marci looked uncomfortable. “Uh, are you sure? Not that I’m complaining, but—”
Chelsie cut her off with a stern look. “I don’t know what dark pact you struck with whatever-it-is down there to pull this off, but you’ve made more progress against Vann Jeger in the last five minutes than we’ve made all night. That’s proof enough for me.” She grabbed Marci’s hand. “Just do it.”
Marci shot Julius a terrified look, but he just shrugged. If Chelsie wanted to help, who was he to stop her?
“Okay,” she said, turning to face his sister. “This might feel a little strange.”
Having been Marci’s battery before, Julius could feel the moment she started pulling. Chelsie, being Chelsie, didn’t even wince. She knelt there still as a statue as the mage took and took and took. By the time Marci finally let go, she was glowing even brighter than the time she’d nearly sucked Julius dry, and her expression was one of wonder.
“Wow,” she whispered, eyes round. “That wasamazing.And here I thought Julius was high grade, butthat—”
“Is it enough?” Chelsie interrupted, her face pale and strained.
Marci jumped and looked down again, reprimanded back into seriousness. “It’ll have to be,” she said, writing the final lines of spellwork onto the shield. “We’re almost out of water.”
She was right. In the time it had taken her to drain Chelsie, the water—both the rising tide and the walls that had penned them in—had drained away almost completely, and so had Vann Jeger. The once giant spirit was now little taller than Julius. He collapsed as they watched, falling to his knees as the last of the ghosts finally retreated, leaving only the Empty Wind.
Blue eyes gleaming, the ghostly soldier stepped forward to face his defeated foe. He bent down as he walked, picking up the ax he’d caught earlier out of the pile. He was raising the cracked blade to take Vann Jeger’s head when Marci ordered, “Stop.”
The word was full of magic, and the Empty Wind froze.
“I told you to bring him to his knees,” Marci said, clutching the round shield she’d covered with her spellwork. “He’s there. Mission accomplished.”
The Empty Wind looked over his shoulder, and Julius flinched as the glowing blue eyes floating in the empty helmet slid over them. “He has stolen from us,” the spirit growled. “He must pay.”
“And he will,” Marci said, standing up. “But I think being at the mercy of dragons is the worst punishment Vann Jeger could receive.”
The soldier’s glowing eyes narrowed. “Then you do not know mine.”
“And I’m not going to,” she said stubbornly, holding out her hand. “Your part in this is done, Ghost. You’re still my spirit, and I say it’s time to come home.”
Julius cringed down into the wet weapons. He’d guessed the truth already, but hearing Marci say the spirit’s name somehow made it all real. But though she’d clearly given her order, the Empty Wind just tilted his head.
“And what if I say you’re my human?”
Marci’s scowl turned dangerous, but the Empty Wind didn’t seem to care. “Do you know how many dead this city has forgotten?” he asked, looking across the once again open field toward the glowing wall of the skyways on the horizon. “They call to me, begging for justice. What would you have me tell them? That mymasterwas too busy working for dragons to hear their voices? That she would rather stay a servant than embrace what we could become?”
He turned back to Marci and held out his gloved hand, which was no longer transparent, but real as Julius’s. “We are bonded, you and I,” he said. “I am more like you than those cold blooded snakes could ever be. Leave them to their fate and come with me, and we shall do great things together.”
Fear began to curl in Julius’s stomach, but when he saw Marci’s stubborn expression, he didn’t know why he worried. “Wewilldo great things,” she said, lifting her chin haughtily. “But you above all others should know by now that I amno one’sservant.”
