Ghost in the Ring (Ghost Night Book 1)

by Jonathan Moeller

  “Do you know what he wanted to find?” said Seb.

  A calculation flashed through her mind. She didn’t know if she could trust Seb or not, and she didn’t know if she could trust Sophia. Neither one of them, she suspected, could sense the power of the ring while Caina carried it, its presence hidden by her nature as a valikarion. Seb’s story made sense, but it could have been a carefully constructed lie…and even if it was true, the temptation of the ring’s power might override his sense.

  Caina’s mother would have murdered anyone to possess a sorcerous relic of such power.

  “He said he was looking for a ring,” said Caina. “I know he didn’t get the ring because I killed him.”

  Seb blinked in surprise. “Morett was a powerful magus. How did you kill him?”

  “She is an Arvaltyr,” said Sophia.

  “Arvaltyr?” said Kylon.

  “I think it is the Ulkaari word for a valikarion,” said Caina.

  “It is,” said Seb, “but there are no valikarion. They all died out long ago. Lord Kylon might possess a valikon, but…”

  “The girl is right,” said Kylon. “She is a valikarion.”

  Seb stared at them for a long moment.

  “Impossible,” he said at last. “The valikarion were the knights of Iramis, and they perished with the city.”

  “They did,” said Caina, “and you’re not going to believe me, but Iramis has returned. Grand Master Callatas didn’t destroy it. He banished it to the netherworld, and I brought it back. I brought the loremasters and the valikarion back to this world.”

  Seb laughed. “You are correct. I do not believe you.”

  “And I can prove that I’m a valikarion,” said Caina. “You’re holding your power ready, not for any specific reason, but to be ready for trouble. You have one spell on you now, one to make yourself faster, but it will likely wear off soon. You aren’t carrying any enspelled objects.” She smiled and held out her right hand. “Also, there’s this.”

  Her valikon assembled itself out of shards of silver light and appeared in her hand.

  Seb didn’t say anything.

  Caina watched him, wondering how he would react. Based on what Nasser and Annarah had told her, the magi of the Magisterium had always hated and feared the valikarion. No defensive spell could stop a valikon’s blade, and no illusion spell could deceive the vision of a valikarion, and the magi had lived in fear that their misdeeds might draw the fatal attention of the valikarion.

  But to her surprise, Seb smiled.

  “Truly?” he said. “A living valikarion? I never thought to see one. Legends and myths walk among us.”

  “She is truly an Arvaltyr,” said Sophia. “She called her silver sword and slew a Temnoti with it. Who else could do that but one of the Arvaltyri?”

  “Gods of the Empire,” said Seb, shaking his head. “I always loved the tales of the Arvaltyri when I was a child. If you ever have the misfortune to meet Aunt Talmania, you’ll understand why the thought of a noble knight with a sword immune to sorcery is an appealing one.” He laughed.

  “What?” said Caina, baffled.

  “It is a pleasing thought, madam,” said Seb. “One of Laeria Scorneus’s daughters became a valikarion? The thought of her displeasure is most entertaining.”

  Caina blinked, and then to her surprise, she burst out laughing. “She would have been furious.”

  “I suspect you two have a great deal to discuss,” said Kylon, “but we should turn our attention back to survival.”

  “Yes, yes, of course,” said Seb. “I suppose our first priority is to establish where we are. Northeastern Ulkaar, I think. Those are the Shield Mountains to the east, and…”

  “Kostiv,” said Sophia in a quiet voice, pulling her coat tighter around herself.

  “Pardon?” said Seb.

  “We’re about a day northeast of the town of Kostiv,” said Sophia.

  “Where would that place us in Ulkaar?” said Caina. “I am afraid I know very little about Ulkaar.” Not even the language, which could prove a problem.

  “That would put us on the far northeastern edge of Ulkaar,” said Seb, “and to be blunt, the somewhat less civilized region of Ulkaar.”

  Sophia started to bristle, and then the fear went over her face again, and she fell silent.

  “Less civilized?” said Caina.

  “Ulkaar is rather a harsh and dangerous land,” said Seb. “The chief city of the southern half of Ulkaar is Risiviri, a port on the Inner Sea. Imperial influence is quite strong there, and the Ulkaari have cast off many of their more barbarous customs.”

  “What kind of customs?” said Kylon with bemusement. “The Empire of Nighmar tends to have a wide definition of barbarism.”

  Seb smiled. “I am afraid, my Kyracian friend, that in this our definitions of barbarism overlap.” His smile faded. “In the northern hinterlands of Ulkaar, many of the old ways linger. The cult of Temnuzash,” Sophia shivered at the name, “is outlawed, but it still flourishes in the shadows. And the Ulkaari themselves have a strong tradition of demon-worship, conjuration spells, and necromancy. Near Risiviri and the towns of the south, these practices have mostly been stamped out. Here in northern Ulkaar, though…the old ways are still strong, and the villagers sometimes come to shrines of Temnuzash in the dark of the night, and every village likely has a necromancer who knows how to speak to the dead, possibly two.”

  Caina frowned. “I’m surprised the Magisterium didn’t stamp them out. If there’s one thing the Magisterium was good at, it was destroying rival wielders of arcane force.”

  “The Magisterium was good at forcing them to go underground,” said Seb. “But Ulkaar is something of a hinterland, and the Magisterium did not pay as much attention here as it should have. I also suspect the Umbarians made sure the magi looked the other way quite often. And now that the Order has declared itself openly and civil war rends the Empire…likely the Temnoti and the followers of the old ways are comfortable coming into the open.”

  “Yes,” said Sophia in a quiet voice.

  She did not elaborate further.

  “I think,” said Caina, looking at Kylon, “that my husband and I wish to return to Iramis. We have friends and obligations there. I suppose you will want to rejoin the Legions near Artifel?”

  Seb nodded. “I have my duty.” He sighed. “It is a long journey to Artifel from here, and an even longer journey to Iramis. If, as you say, Iramis has truly returned. But our first step must be to journey to Risiviri and hire a ship to take us to Artifel. I think it is about three hundred miles from Kostiv to Risiviri.”

  “We had best get started, then,” said Caina.

  “I think our best course of action is to visit the town of Kostiv first,” said Seb. “We can obtain supplies there, and…”

  “No!” said Sophia.

  They all looked at her.

  “What’s wrong with Kostiv?” said Caina.

  “I…I can’t go back to Kostiv,” said Sophia. “I just can’t. Not ever.”

  “Why not?” said Caina.

  Sophia seemed to shrink a little, and Caina wondered what had happened to her. Perhaps her sorcerous powers had manifested, and the townsmen had tried to kill her. Then again, if the Ulkaari were as familiar with necromancy as Seb claimed, it seemed unlikely the villagers would care. Or Sophia would have been recruited by the Umbarians or the Magisterium.

  “The boyar will kill me if I return to Kostiv,” said Sophia at last.

  “Boyar?” said Caina, frowning at the strange word.

  “Local nobleman,” said Seb. “I believe the current boyar of Kostiv is a man named Vlad Nagrach. Thoroughly unpleasant fellow. He was brutal even by the standards of Ulkaari northerners.”

  “That is true,” said Sophia, “but he died two years ago. His son Razdan is now the boyar of Kostiv.” She shivered. “He is worse than his father ever was. Boyar Vlad was a hard man, but he only punished criminals. Boyar Razdan does what he wishes, and there is no
one strong enough to stop him.”

  “So why does he want to kill you?” said Caina.

  Sophia stared at her, stricken, and Caina could tell that the girl was at a loss for words. Then an idea seemed to come to Sophia, and she reached into her belt pouch and drew out the pale crystal of her sunstone.

  “Because,” she said, “I stole this from him.”

  “What is that?” said Kylon. “A gemstone?”

  “No,” said Caina. “It’s her sunstone. Or the boyar’s sunstone.”

  “What is a sunstone?” said Kylon.

  “The Warmaiden taught the Ulkaari to make them in ancient days,” said Seb. “A minor tool of sorcery and they are quite easy to grow. When exposed to sunlight, they soak it up like a sponge. The user then can release the sunlight at will. It is useful for keeping minor undead and some of the malevolent spirits of the forest at bay.”

  “Like…a waterskin for sunlight?” said Kylon.

  Seb smiled. “Yes. The metaphor is precisely apt, Lord Kylon.”

  “So, you stole this sunstone,” said Caina, “and the boyar will kill you for it?”

  “Yes,” said Sophia, shivering.

  “That seems an overreaction,” said Kylon, “if these sunstones are as common as Seb says.”

  “It is. If the boyar wants a new sunstone, the Temple can grow one for him in two or three weeks at minimal cost,” said Seb. “But Vlad Nagrach was the kind of man to have a servant flogged to death for stealing a heel of bread. I imagine his son is no less brutal. Why on earth did you steal a sunstone, though? They are quite common, and the Temple gives them freely to anyone who asks.”

  Sophia blinked. “Because…because I wanted it. Because I knew I would need it when I went outside of the town’s walls.”

  Caina shared a look with Kylon. Sophia had said she had stolen the sunstone because she knew she was leaving Kostiv. That meant that whatever had driven her from the town had happened before she had stolen the sunstone. And whatever had driven her from the town must have been dire. For the most part, pretty fifteen-year-old girls did not flee alone into the wilderness.

  Not unless they had a very good reason.

  “All right,” said Caina. “We won’t go to Kostiv.” Sophia brightened. “We’ll get supplies somewhere else.”

  “It is likely,” said Seb, “that we have no choice in the matter. Kostiv is the northernmost frontier of Ulkaar. West and north are the demon-haunted forests of Iazn. East are the Shield Mountains. We must go southwest to Kostiv since there is no other place to find food. Additionally, we must also consider the weather. Blizzards are common in Ulkaar this time of year, and if we are caught in the woods by a blizzard, we will probably freeze to death or wander in circles until we starve.”

  “All right,” said Caina, thinking it over. “We do need to go to Kostiv to get supplies, but there’s no need for Sophia to return there. I’ll wait outside with her. You and Kylon will go into the town and get food, and once we’re ready, we’ll head south.”

  “But I can’t go anywhere near Kostiv,” said Sophia.

  Seb frowned. “Will the boyar be looking for you?”

  Sophia hesitated. “He…might be. I don’t know. He is a very vengeful man. He won’t forgive that I…that I stole from him.”

  “Do you have any food in your pack?” said Caina.

  “Just some loaves of bread and cheese,” said Sophia. “Enough for three or four days. I had to flee in haste. I thought to head south to Vagraastrad, but I got lost and the…I had to take shelter. I ran towards some light, and I didn’t realize where I was until it was too late.”

  The girl was a terrible liar.

  “There is another problem,” said Seb. “I suspect none of us have any money.”

  “No,” said Kylon.

  Caina shrugged. “I took some from Morett’s corpse. If need be, I can steal some more from the boyar. It sounds like he’s the sort of man who would deserve it.”

  Sophia’s eyes went wide. “You wouldn’t dare to steal from the boyar.”

  Caina smiled. She had robbed half the slave traders in Istarinmul and Grand Master Callatas himself. “I’ve had some experience in the matter.”

  Seb snorted. “No doubt, if half the stories about the Balarigar are true.”

  “Most of them aren’t,” said Caina. “Sophia, how long would it take to get to Kostiv?”

  The girl hesitated. “About a day, maybe a little longer. But I can’t go to Kostiv. I can’t!” She looked on the verge of tears.

  “I’m afraid our options are limited,” said Caina. “We can stay out here and freeze or starve to death, or we can take our chances at Kostiv. If you don’t want to come with us, I won’t force you to do to anything…but what else will you do?”

  Sophia stared at her, the fear playing over her face. “Are you...I need to ask something.”

  “Ask,” said Caina.

  Sophia took a deep breath. “Are you truly an Arvaltyr? Really and truly?”

  “I am,” said Caina. “I didn’t want to be, but I am.”

  Sophia shivered. “All right. All right. I’ll go with you to Kostiv. But it is a bad place. You shouldn’t go there.”

  Caina inclined her head, wondering what had frightened Sophia Zomanek so badly.

  “We ought to set off while we still have daylight,” said Seb. “Which way to Kostiv?”

  Sophia sighed and pointed with a finger.

  “I’ll take the lead,” said Kylon. Seb nodded and fell in behind him, and Caina and Sophia brought up the back. She wondered at Sophia’s warning. The girl had said that Kostiv was a bad place. Was it because of the brutal Boyar Razdan Nagrach?

  Or had something else driven her from the town?

  Unfortunately, Caina thought she had no choice but to find out.

  Chapter 7: Cold Forests

  The forests of Ulkaar put Kylon on edge.

  The cold itself did not trouble him, though he didn’t enjoy it. When he had sailed with the fleets of New Kyre, he had visited the colder northern ports, had helped clean the ice off the ship’s oars and rigging. He had learned quickly that a mild effort of water sorcery could keep him warm, and he used that spell now. It was just as well that both he and Caina had found heavy clothing inside the twisted castle of Sigilsoara. Kylon’s water sorcery could help keep him warm, but that would not have helped him and Caina if they had emerged naked into the forest.

  The silence bothered him, but he conceded that it had its uses. Between the uneven ground of the forest and the layer of snow on the ground, it was almost impossible to move without making noise. If anyone approached, Kylon would hear them before he sensed their emotional auras.

  He admitted the countryside was bleak. The combination of the looming Shield Mountains, the overcast sky, the frozen, leafless forest, and the chill created a sense of foreboding, but that was unimportant. Kylon had been in a lot of dangerous places, and the wild forest in Ulkaar was certainly better than the undead-haunted corridors of Sigilsoara. For that matter, it was better than Pyramid Isle, or the Inferno, or the ruins of Caer Magia.

  Come to think of it, he and Caina had gone to a lot of dangerous places together.

  No, what really bothered Kylon was the things he sensed in the forest around them.

  The weaknesses he sensed.

  Because the Surge had given him the ability to senses cracks in the walls between the world, ways that malevolent spirits could use to leave the netherworld and enter the material world to prey upon mortals.

  “It’s like,” said Kylon when Caina asked what was wrong, “the forest is riddled with cracks.”

  Her face turned solemn.

  “Cracks?” said Seb.

  Sophia looked at the ground dubiously.

  “No, not that kind of crack,” said Kylon. “Caina, can you explain?”

  They were walking along a deer trail in the forest. The barren trees rose over them, stark and bleak against the gray sky. Patches of snow lay scattered across
the ground, and frozen leaves crackled beneath their boots as they walked.

  “Kylon has the ability to sense weaknesses in the walls of the world,” said Caina. “Places that spirits can use to enter the material world from the netherworld.”

  “Is that a useful ability?” said Seb.

  “You might be surprised,” said Caina.

  Kylon shook his head. “The entire forest, as far as I can sense in all directions, is like a pane of glass with cracks in it.”

  “That makes a great deal of sense,” said Seb.

  “Does it?” said Kylon.

  “I fear so,” said Seb. “The properties of sorcery are altered in the boundaries of Ulkaar. Spells of necromancy and summoning are considerably more effective within this land.”

  “Necromancy?” said Caina. “Just as well the ancient Maatish never found out about this place.”

  “The Ulkaari tradition of necromancy is notably different than the Maatish one,” said Seb. He kicked aside a branch, and it bounced away into the trees. “Rather cruder and less…refined, let’s say. Among the magi who study such things, the necromancy of the Maatish is referred to as high necromancy, while the necromancy of the Ulkaari is called low necromancy.”

  Caina frowned. “You know a lot about necromancy.”

  Seb smiled and raised his black eyebrows, the blue eyes glinting in the gray winter light. By the Divine, he looked a lot like Caina’s mother. Which, Caina supposed, meant that he looked a great deal like Caina. “Worried that I’m a necromancer, I presume? Do not fear. I chose my side, and it was not the Umbarian Order. And if you are a valikarion, you can see my sorcerous aura, which ought to be free of necromancy.”

  “It is,” said Caina.

  For a moment Caina and Seb stared each other, faces blank. Caina had a gift for keeping her emotions and thoughts off her expression, and it seemed Seb had the same ability. The battle magus’s emotional sense was wary, but there was no alarm in it. Not yet.

  “How did Ulkaar get this way?” said Kylon as the silence dragged on.

  “It is the Iron King’s curse, Lord Kylon,” said Sophia. “I learned it from Brother Valexis in the Temple. The Iron King freed us from the Kagari khans, but he turned to necromancy and the worship of the Great Master Temnuzash. The Warmaiden came with the Arvaltyri to destroy him, but both the Iron King and the Warmaiden slew one another. In his dying throes, the Iron King laid his curse upon Ulkaar. Devils haunt the forest and the unsanctified dead rise to slay the living. But the Warmaiden taught us the lore of the Temple to defend ourselves, and of old the Arvaltyri hunted demons here. But then Iramis burned, and the Arvaltyri came to Ulkaar no more.” Her eyes strayed to Caina. “Until today, perhaps.”