Softly, Ven said to Hanna, “Help her. Please.” He pleaded with his eyes—Help me save her, he thought—and at last she sighed again, this time a resigned sigh.
“Spirit memory is partially collective,” Hanna said. “They share thoughts. An event like this—where a spirit tied to Semo ventured into Aratay—would have spread and been dissected. You need to chase it down to where it’s brightest and strongest. I recommend focusing on a single image: the gold in the children’s hair, for instance.”
Ven watched as Hanna guided Naelin’s mind on her search. He’d never liked this part of being a champion, when he couldn’t follow his charge on her journey. He occupied himself with listening as the castle guards discovered the corpses.
Hanna’s four guards had remained in the hallway, and Ven heard them explain what little they knew. He heard their voices rise, as the castle guard threatened to call for the queen.
Not yet,he thought. First find the children. Then deal with the queen.
“Got one,” Naelin whispered.
“Draw it here,” Hanna said. “It will resist, but it may also be curious.”
Ven shifted his attention to the sky, and after a few minutes, he was rewarded: a familiar shape with leathery wings and a sharp beak hurtled toward the window. He didn’t move as the air spirit dived straight inside, aiming for Naelin.
Closer.
Almost...
He then struck, leaping to intercept the spirit, drawing his sword at the same time and striking, flat of the blade first, on the spirit’s neck—with the blade flat, it didn’t cut but the force of the strike drove the spirit down, as Ven intended. He hurled his weight against the spirit’s shoulder. In an instant, he had it down, his foot on its back, his blade pressing against its neck. He pinned it down on the stone floor.
“Search its mind,” Hanna said.
They held their breaths, watching Naelin concentrate.
At last, her eyes snapped open. “Two air spirits—exactly the same kind as before, which can’t be a coincidence—carried them away from the castle. Alive. Merecot did itagain. She stole them away from me a second time, when I was so close I should have been able to stop her and save them!”
Stepping away, Ven released the spirit. With a cry, it reared back.
Naelin froze it in place with one glance.
It glared at her, murder in its eyes, but she didn’t spare it a second look.
“Ask it where it took them,” Ven urged. Maybe if they could follow them...I’d happily fly on spirits again if it means we can catch them.He didn’t know how much of a head start the spirits had. He thought of the bodies in the hallway—if he checked how fresh they were, that would give them some kind of time frame, but he didn’t want to leave Naelin.
“It doesn’t know,” Naelin said. “Its orders were to kill the guards.”
Hanna was frowning. “Why would Merecot want to kill her own guards...?”
Naelin rose to her feet. “Let’s ask her that, as well as where the spirits are taking my children, before we destroy her.”
On this, Ven was in perfect agreement with his new wife.
After the farewell-to-the-newlyweds extravaganza, Merecot gave a nicely rousing speech and then retreated inside to her chambers with Queen Jastra. For a moment, she let herself just rest, with her mind closed to the spirits and eyes closed to the world.
It’s been a... unique week.
She knew she’d have to prepare for the next step soon, but for now... Naelin, Ven, and the children were on their way back to Aratay, taking the troublesome spirits with them.
Opening her mind, she reached out, intending just to check—
What...?
For at that moment, Merecot felt Semoian spirits screaming and immediately jumped to her feet.What is Naelin doing to my spirits?
Queen Jastra laid a hand on her wrist. “Stop.”
“But she’s hurting them!”
