I need your help.
Aidane shook her head. I can’t, not tonight. I’ve already had one… client. I don’t know which of the vayash moru you’ve come for—
None. Please, I have a message for Jolie, and a warning for Lord Vahanian. You’re all in terrible danger.
Tired as she was, something about the urgency in the ghost’s voice woke Aidane like a hot cup of kerif. How do you know Jolie, and Lord Vahanian?
The ghost held out a hand to Aidane, and grudgingly, Aidane left the warmth of her spot on the pine boughs to join the ghost near the banked fire. My name is Thaine. I used to be a whore in Eastmark. It’s a long story, but one night, I got into a lot of trouble and my handler sold me to a traveling merchant, who abused me and then sold me for a gallon of brandy to a Nargi general. That was ten years ago. The general bought me as a present for his fight slave. The fighter was winning a lot of money for the general, and since slaves have no need of coin, the general rewarded him with money and brandy. A lot of brandy.
Did he kill you?
Thaine shook her head. Oh, no, he didn’t want me.
He preferred men?
Again, Thaine shook her head. No, he grieved his dead wife, and he hated his life as a slave. But he was the best fighter anyone had seen, and although he stayed drunk until it was time to fight, he earned the general enough money and glory that the man would have done anything to make his slave happier. They had a big match coming up, and the general thought I might do the trick.
Did it help?
No, the fight slave made it clear I wasn’t welcome, and he would have sent me away like he did with the others that the general tried to provide, but this time, the general said that if the slave refused me, I’d be given to the soldiers. I’d be killed. The fight slave let me stay, but he kept me from his bed. At least, until he won the match but nearly died from his injuries. I nursed him back to health. And I convinced him that while it wasn’t love, there was something to be said for warmth, and someone to hold on to during the night. He took me to his bed then, but we were never in love, not really. Allies, perhaps.
What happened?
One night, the fight slave won the biggest match in all of Nargi. He made the general a very rich man. The general told him that he could have any prize except his own freedom or the general’s commission. He asked for my safe passage to Margolan.
Truly?
Thaine nodded once more. The general even let him come along, in chains, to see that I was put across the Nu in a sound boat and reached the other side.
And Jolie’s Place was on the other side?
Yes. She took me in. I was mortal then. A year later, a man washed up on the riverbank, nearly drowned. It was the fight slave. He had escaped. Astir almost slit his throat because he wore a Nargi uniform, but I recognized him and begged Jolie for his life. Another patron, a soldier, also recognized him and offered to pay Jolie for his care.
What happened?
When he was well enough, Jolie let him mind the door. We didn’t have any problems that season with drunks. He and I became lovers again. Later, Jolie had him tend bar, and then she put him in charge of provisioning the house and taught him to smuggle on the river. In time, he was gone so much that I took another lover, a wealthy vayash moru who gave me jewelry and fine dresses and turned my head. I thought he loved me, and I left Jolie’s and went with the vayash moru, let him bring me across. But it didn’t last, and for a time, I was passed around as a mistress to wealthy card sharps and thieves, the vayash moru who aren’t welcome in the honorable broods.
That explains Jolie, but why would you warn Lord Vahanian? Why would he listen?
Thaine met her eyes. Jonmarc Vahanian was the Nargi fight slave.
Aidane gasped. I’d heard rumors that he had been a brigand, but I never thought they were true. She paused. How is it that you’re really and truly dead?
Thaine’s ghost sighed. I was captured by Black Robes. Given to them, really, by a lover who’d grown tired of me and wanted rid of the inconvenience. They murdered me to do their magic, but I’ve heard their plans. Please, Aidane, you’ve got to help me. I know Jolie will go to Jonmarc in Dark Haven, and I know he’ll give her sanctuary. He’s like a son to her. But I have to warn him. It’s more than just the Black Robes stealing from tombs. They’re part of something bigger, something from outside the Winter Kingdoms. There’s going to be war, Aidane, and right now, no one knows it. What’s coming makes the Black Robes look like children. Please, please, help me.
Aidane rubbed her eyes. We’re going to Dark Haven. But that’s another two weeks’ travel. I’ve never met a ghost that could go so far from where they’re buried. And I can only hold a spirit in my body for two candlemarks at a time.
Thaine gave a bitter chuckle. I’m not buried. My bones lie in a heap of dust just over that mound, where the Black Robes left me. But I had a patron who dabbled in blood magic, and I learned a few things. As I lay dying, I bound my spirit to the necklace I was wearing. You can carry my spirit with you if you wear the necklace. And it probably wouldn’t hurt if you took some of my dust.
Dust?
Vayash moru crumble. But you should gather the dust from my bones. Just three: my skull, my breastbone, and my right hand. That will help you hold my spirit long enough to travel to Dark Haven.
Show me.
Aidane braced herself, and Thaine’s spirit entered her. It was as gentle as possession ever was, but for Aidane, the wrenching shift of giving over herself to another entity was never completely without pain. Aidane adjusted to the presence that filled her. Thaine seemed determined but unsure as her spirit entered Aidane’s body. And while Aidane could feel Thaine’s willfulness, she did not detect any immediate threat. Thaine opened her memories to Aidane, showing her the truth of her tale. Aidane took all of it in, though only minutes passed.
Now do you see why it’s so important for me to warn Jonmarc?
Yes, I’ll do what I can to help.
Moving carefully to avoid waking the others, Aidane picked her way through the crowded space around the fire toward the large hill not far from their campsite. As they drew closer, Aidane realized that the hill was unusually shaped, too regular to be a natural part of the landscape. It’s a barrow, Thaine’s voice supplied in her mind. A very old burying place. The Black Robes were trying to awaken whatever spirits live inside.
Did they succeed?
I don’t think so. For some reason, I don’t think the barrow held what they expected. But they raised strong magic. I was terrified.
Thaine guided her surely across the uneven land. When they reached the other side of the barrow, Aidane caught her breath. A gibbet hung from a wooden framework. Inside hung a rotting corpse. The stench made Aidane cover her mouth. Runes had been painted onto the wood, and the corpse was festooned with amulets of clay and wood. At the foot of the gallows lay other bones, some animal, and some, Aidane realized as she forced herself to go closer, were human. Behind the gallows, a shallow hole had been dug into the side of the barrow, but even by moonlight, Aidane could see that it stopped before it went very deep.
There, Thaine’s voice directed. What’s left of me lies over there.
Fighting down her own fear, Aidane worked her way through the tall grass, toward where Thaine indicated. A mound of dust, like a scattering of ash, lay in the grass. It had the vague outline of a human form. Where the neck had been lay a necklace of silver with teardrops of amber and emeralds. The stones were favored by the Lover Aspect of the Lady and were popular with whores for their reputed magic to increase the wearer’s sexual attractiveness. It was a beautiful necklace, and would have cost the buyer a small fortune.
It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Thaine sighed. My patrons may have passed me around like a bottle of river rum, but they were wealthy, and when I pleased them, they could be generous. Immortality is a great way to get rich, for some, at least. When I’ve carried my message, you can keep the necklace, as payment for the trouble
I’ve caused you. I won’t need it anymore.
Aidane hesitated, and then knelt by Thaine’s dust. Grimacing, Aidane reached down to take the necklace. She swallowed hard, and then fastened it around her own throat. Immediately, she could feel its magic, and Thaine’s spirit became clearer in her mind. It became easier, less draining, to carry the spirit inside her body.
Now take my bones, Thaine instructed.
Aidane steeled herself and reached for the spot where the body’s right hand would have been. She gathered a handful of the dust and put it into a pouch she made from the cloth of her apron. Thaine guided her to take a handful of dust from the center of the shape’s chest and from where the skull had dissolved. Aidane added those to the heap of ash and tied the apron shut.
I’m sorry to make you do that, but the spirit is strongest in the skull, hand, and heart bone, and since we have to travel far away, it’s the best chance that I’ll be able to make the journey.
In her lifetime of fending for herself as a serroquette, Aidane had done many things to survive that she tried not to think about. She’d traded favors for sustenance, and she’d acquiesced to demands from clients that filled her with revulsion. But never before had she desecrated the dead.
What are you waiting for? I don’t like being back here. Things didn’t go well last time, if you know what I mean. Thaine’s voice held a trace of fear. If you hurry, maybe no one noticed we’re gone.
Aidane paused, staring down at the rest of the dust that lay amid the tall, dry grass. “It seems wrong to leave you like this,” she said softly.
It’s all right. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like leaving an old dress behind, one you won’t ever wear again. But thank you.
Aidane felt the cold before she turned. It was like a frigid wind, but even here, early fall was never that cold.
Aidane! Behind you!
Aidane screamed. Ghosts surrounded her, drawn to her magic from the burying ground on the hill, and another lot long overgrown by trees and scrub. Let us in. Give us your warmth. There’s room for my spirit in your lovely, warm flesh. Please, please, let me feel a heartbeat again. Aidane could see them clearly in her mind. They were old dead, and some had lost the ability to project their image as they had been in life. Aidane saw them as they were now, rotted corpses, and bones draped with the remnants of their filthy shrouds. The spirits came closer and closer, filling the night air around her. Aidane was exhausted from hosting Elsbet’s spirit, drained from the working with Kolin, and now from Thaine’s possession. She cursed her lack of caution. She knew better than to sleep outside. She’d heard tell of serroquettes being consumed by spirits that overtook them when they were too weak to defend themselves. When she returned from trysts in the city, Aidane had always taken care not to pass by crypts or family plots. She’d worn charms to protect herself. But the charms were gone, along with the rest of her possessions. And the spirits were cold and hungry, so hungry.
Let me fill you. I can protect you from them. Thaine sounded sure, but Aidane had doubts.
Her body stiffened as the spirits fell on her, passing through her form, stealing her warmth. She screamed again, but her voice sounded distant. She gasped as another spirit passed through her. Aidane’s control was barely strong enough to keep the ghosts from seizing her mind, but she could not stop the revenants from drawing breath and heat from her with every spectral pass. They were cold, so cold. She was growing cold. But she held on, guarding that last corner of herself. If, or when, her control weakened, whichever spirit was strongest could fully possess her. She’d fought off clients who had wanted to keep her body, but never so many at once. Now, their voices were a jumble in her mind, male and female, a cacophony of accents, all begging for her life, her warmth.
If I’ve filled you, no one else can. Together, we can hold them off.
Terrified, Aidane did as Thaine urged, and felt Thaine’s warmth flow through her, felt the odd shift of another soul fill her body. Immediately, the ghosts drew back. They were angry, robbed of their prize. Aidane was surrounded by a host of spirits, some misty shapes of fog, and others glowing a faint green.
What do we do now? They’re waiting for me to tire. I don’t know how long I can let you possess me. It’s never been more than a few candlemarks. If we run back to the camp, they’ll follow. Aidane felt her fear rise up in her throat. And in the back of her mind, she knew that Thaine was frightened, too.
“Aidane! Aidane, can you hear me?” It was Jolie’s voice, from far away.
“Help me!” Aidane shouted loudly enough to hear herself over the low murmur of the circle of waiting ghosts. She didn’t know whether the spirits would be visible to Jolie or any of the others, but she and Thaine were trapped inside their circle.
“By the Whore!” It was Ed, the peddler, and he continued to curse, fluently switching from Margolense to Dhassonian and then to the river patois.
Jolie started to run toward Aidane, but Ed caught her arm. “Can’t you see? She’s spiritbound. There’re haunts all around her. They want a ghost whore, but they’ll fall on the living if they think they can take you.”
The four minstrels crested the barrow just then, and stopped abruptly. Aidane didn’t know whether or not they could see the spirits, but Astir was with them, and Aidane was certain the vayash moru could see the ghosts.
“I don’t see any ghosts,” Jolie argued.
“He’s right,” Astir shouted. “Stay back.”
“We can’t leave her there.” Jolie did as Astir bid, but even from a distance, Aidane could see that she was angry.
“I’ve got an idea.” Cautiously, Ed worked his way closer. He reached beneath his shirt and pulled out two silver talismans. They glowed in the moonlight against his skin. Mumbling to himself, Ed began to make a wide circle, with one hand in his jacket pocket. The other hand dug something out of a pouch at his belt, and as he made his circle, he sprinkled a powder with his right hand and seemed to flick something small from his left hand into the grass at intervals. Above on the hill, the musicians began to play. The tune was different from the lively tavern songs they had played earlier that night. This song was a dirge, and it sent a shiver down Aidane’s back.
What are they doing?
Magic of some kind. I can feel it. If I weren’t bound to you with the necklace and the bones, it might work on me, too. The music is a charm, and whatever the peddler is sprinkling around us is making some kind of safe area. It may not tear me from you, but it’s making me damned uncomfortable!
The ghosts gave a sudden, startled hiss. Before Ed could complete the circle, the host of revenants vanished as if pulled by an unseen hand. The musicians played a few more measures, and then lowered their instruments. Aidane fell to her knees as Jolie and Astir ran up to her. A few steps behind the minstrels, Aidane could see the rest of Jolie’s girls crowding forward. There was a rush of air, and Kolin and the other vayash moru suddenly appeared in the clearing.
“Dark Lady take my soul,” Kolin murmured, taking in the gibbet and the shattered skeleton. “Black Robes were here not long ago.”
“A fortnight,” Aidane said. For now, Thaine was staying in the background, and Aidane’s voice was her own.
“How do you know?” Astir’s voice was sharp.
“Because one of the ghosts is inside me.”
Ed started forward, holding out his amulets. In Aidane’s mind, Thaine squealed with sudden pain. Make him put those things away!
“It’s all right, Ed. This ghost I invited. Please, you’re hurting her. Put the amulet away.”
Ed looked at Aidane skeptically, but did as he was told. Kolin traced Ed’s path around the circle and bent to touch something in the grass.
“You made a circle of salt and you’ve left a trail of iron coins. How is it that a peddler comes prepared to bespell the dead?” Kolin asked. Aidane heard a wary edge in his voice.
Ed looked chagrined. “I’m a bit of a hedge witch, on the side. One of my many talents. I can’t c
all the dead or hear them, but I can banish them, at least for a while, if they’re not too strong. It’s just a little magic, but it earns me coin for dinner and drink when no one needs their tin mended.”
Jolie had reached Aidane, and he knelt beside her. “What are you doing out here alone at night? Are you mad?”
Aidane leaned forward, holding herself up with her hands. She was exhausted, and fought the urge to collapse. “A ghost came to me. She said she had a message for you, and a warning for Lord Vahanian.”
Jolie looked up sharply. “A ghost, with a message for me?”
Thaine pushed her way to the forefront. Aidane felt the change in her posture and her expression before words in a voice very different from her own spoke from her mouth. “Hello, Jolie. It’s me, Thaine.”
Jolie’s eyes widened, and Astir turned, looking at Aidane with suspicion. “That’s not possible. You’re vayash moru.”
Thaine gave a bitter laugh. “Oh, even vayash moru can die. You were right, Jolie, about Reev. He tired of me after a while, when he’d brought me across and I wasn’t warm anymore. It didn’t go well after that.”
“How did you find me?”
“Sheer luck. I was kidnapped by the Black Robes, and they murdered me here. I didn’t know what to do, so my ghost stayed here. Then I heard you make camp. I couldn’t believe it was really you, but when I saw you, I was sure. And I knew I had to warn you, warn Jonmarc.”
Jolie shook her head. “Jonmarc’s moved on, Thaine. He’s a lord now, happily married, with babies on the way. You’ve no claim on him. Not anymore.”
“You’re not listening. I don’t want Jonmarc. I’m dead, remember? I’d heard that he’d become a lord, and if he found someone to love, I wish him well. It was never going to be me. I know that. I’d also heard that he was Lord of the Undead. That’s why I need to warn him.”
“Warn him about what?”
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