Shadow walked forward, slowly, drawing more windows for them to see different times and places.
“You grew up here?”
He glanced at her over his shoulder. “Not as romantic or spectacular as your voice makes it sound. For all the beauty, it’s fraught with nightmares.”
A howling sounded off in the distance.
Shadow leaned his head back and answered with a chilling, bloodcurdling battle cry.
Medea started to summon a god-bolt, but Falcyn caught her hand and stayed it. “It’s a skatos.”
She scowled at a term she’d never heard before. “A what?”
“Guardians,” Shadow breathed. “To make sure you belong here. If you’re an intruder with no business in this realm, they unleash the Fringe-Hunters on you.”
“You’re not alone, Shadow.…”
Brogan let out a squeak at the dark, hooded figure who appeared beside them and uttered those disappointed words.
“Leave off, Mairee.”
She tsked. “You dare to flout the rules? Even a prince must answer when he crosses the line.”
“Then bringthem. I dare you.”
The woman floated over to Medea and it wasn’t until she was even with her that Medea realized why Brogan had gasped out loud. Half the woman’s face was missing. What remained was twisted into a garish nightmare.
“You’re not afraid of me?”
Medea snorted. “Something a lot scarier than you tucks me into bed at night.”
Mairee moved to hover near Shadow. She studied him intently for several minutes. “Where are you off to?”
He kept moving forward. “I’ve no time for you. So find another to annoy.”
She leaned in to whisper, but her voice carried plainly. “Fear the shadow of the hawk when he flies, for his talons bite deep.”
Shadow shoved her away. But she didn’t go far before she began to sing a haunting ditty. “Into your life, the hawk will creep… sing, my child, sing. Let your voice to the heavens fly.… But remember there’s no one to save you when you die.”
“Enough!” Shadow roared. And when he did, his eyes turned bloodred. They glowed an unholy fire in the darkness.
And still she tsked. “The Shadow Hawk bellows and all the world kneels.… For bow you must or your life will he steal.”
“I swear on my rotted and damned soul, if you don’t leave, Mairee, I will finish what the Sakers started!”
“Temper, temper, Lord of Shadows and Dark. There was a time when you begged for my smile.”
“That was before you betrayed me.”
“Do your friends know what they follow? How quick you are to turn?”
Shadow let out a bitter laugh. He started for her, then stopped. He turned toward them then and cursed. “Brogan!”
Medea looked over to see that the howling wind was masking the sounds of the Crom’s horse as he rushed toward them.
And he wasn’t alone.
What appeared to be a hundred shadow dogs followed in his wake, with yellow eyes glowing.
