by K. A. Linde
Kerrigan didn’t know what to say to that. Helly was having her own master teach Kerrigan. It must have taken a great deal to get Zina back here. No matter what Vox had said about the stars.
“Anyway, we should go, dear,” Zina said.
She climbed onto Vox’s back with ease, and Kerrigan followed her without question. To ride such a dragon was a great privilege. Many people didn’t even like to carry guests on their dragon’s back. They weren’t pack mules after all. They were sentient beings.
Kerrigan didn’t ask where they were going. It didn’t really matter after all. She needed to learn to control her spirit magic or else the spiritcasting would consume her. She hadn’t had a prophetic vision since the tournament, but they used to wait years between visions. The only thing she’d seen at all lately was Mei putting up the barrier, and she didn’t know how much of that was her connection to the wall. Either way, she wanted to stay sane.
Vox didn’t fly far before landing in an open lane inside the city. No one even seemed to care that a dragon had landed on the road. A giant at that. But that was the way of Kinkadia. Dragons were as common as horses.
Kerrigan slid off of Vox’s back and then balked when she saw where the dragon had brought them. “Black House?” she gasped, whirling on Zina.
“Yes, yes, I know the stories people tell of the place. It’s abandoned, haunted, a home for orphans who were drowned.” She waved her hand, hauling a large bag onto her shoulder. “All that. It is still the best place to practice on this night.”
Kerrigan shuddered, remembering the last time she’d stepped into Black House. She’d been with Fordham, investigating the weapons that Basem Nix was selling with illegal magical artifacts. Her spirit magic was erratic, and the spirits of the dead swarmed her. Fordham didn’t feel a thing, and Kerrigan was overwhelmed with their presence. And that had been in the middle of the summer. Not on the actual Night of the Dead.
“Come, girl. Nothing is going to reach you with me beside you,” Zina said.
A healthy lot of Fae children prowled around the house, stepping close to it and then screaming at some bump in the night. It was tradition to try to touch the door to prove your mettle to your friends.
Everyone gaped as Zina strode right past the entire lot, up the stairs, and yanked the door open without even a backward glance. The kids all screamed and ran away. Kerrigan bit her lip, her stomach twisting, but she didn’t want Zina to look back for her. It was just a house. A haunted house on the Night of the Dead. But just a house. How many times could she say it to convince herself?
She pushed her shoulders back and strode inside after Zina. The house was musty with signs of disuse everywhere. The old staircase was rickety with missing boards. Cobwebs littered the corners. Dust covered the creaky hardwood floor. The Red Masks had been using the abandoned house to store weapons, so it hadn’t been entirely abandoned, but it looked worse than the last time she’d been in here.
“Help me with this,” Zina said.
She dropped her bag onto the ground, and Kerrigan helped her extract a few dozen candles from inside. Zina directed her to put them in a circle large enough for them both to sit in. Even before she was finished, Kerrigan could feel the house come alive.
She closed her eyes as she felt the brush of little fingers on her hair. She shuddered.
“Leave her be,” Zina commanded. “She’s here with me.”
“You know the spirits?”
“Know them? No. No one can really know the spirits that still inhabit this land, but I can feel them, and they’ve come to respect my presence. They’re not used to you. They’re inquisitive. The circle will keep them at bay.”
Kerrigan gulped and hurriedly put the rest of the candles in the circle. Zina settled into a seated cross-legged position and gestured for Kerrigan to sit, facing her, which she did.
“Now, light the candles,” Zina said.
Kerrigan didn’t even have to snap her fingers anymore, and flames burst from all of the candles at once. Her fire training had really taken off. She’d never had this level of control.
“Dimmer,” Zina said. Kerrigan put her hand down, and all the candles burned low so only their faces were illuminated in the space. “Better.”
Zina put her hands on her knees, palms up, and closed her eyes. Kerrigan mirrored the position and waited for something to happen. When nothing did, she opened her eyes and looked around the haunted house.
“Not a fan of meditating?” Zina asked.
“I don’t dislike it. It’s hard to forget where I’m at though.”
“That seems reasonable.” Her eyes opened to stare at Kerrigan. “Today, we’re going to work on guiding you into the spirit plane. Helly said that you’ve done it before with Gelryn, but it came with risks. I want you to very easily be able to flow between the two.”
“Okay.”
“But it’s not easy, even for me, and I’ve been doing it for nearly a thousand years,” Zina informed her. “The spirit is the realm of the dragons. The bond should link you deeper into the spiritual world, but because we each have spirit magic of our own, we can cross without them. Though that bond is a useful tether. We can reach for it and pull ourselves back out.”
Kerrigan flushed in the dying light. Even here, that stupid bond was ruining everything. “I understand.”
“You don’t understand anything,” Zina chided. “You just wait. The reason that I wanted to do this on the Night of the Dead is because crossing the spiritual plane is easiest at those times when we’re closest to that liminal space. The summer and winter solstice, the Night of the Dead, midnight of the full moon, for instance. Witching hour is a good place to begin practicing on your own.
“First, take my hands.”
Kerrigan scooted closer and reached for Zina’s hands. They were cold to the touch, and Kerrigan realized that she could see her breath fog up in the house. It wasn’t even that cold outside. Perhaps Zina had been doing something other than meditating.
“Now, close your eyes and reach down past your other magic to the center of yourself. Grasp on to the seam of your spirit magic, and I’m going to guide you into the spiritual plane once you have ahold of it.”
Kerrigan did as instructed. She found her spirit magic much quicker than when she’d had to find it for her air-magic test. It came to her almost giddy with excitement. That must have been the liminal space. It never hit this easily.
“I have it,” she told her.
Then, Zina had connected them, and the world disappeared all around them. They shot out of their bodies and up into the spiritual plane. They were still within Black House. In fact, she felt almost trapped within the bounds.
“You won’t be able to leave. That is another reason for choosing this space. It already contains so many spirits that its purpose has shifted to containment, and I didn’t want us to get too far away,” Zina told her.
Kerrigan looked down at her body, just a wisp of what she had been down below. “I can’t believe I did it.”
“I did it,” Zina corrected her. “But we will get you there. The important point is that you should feel safe in these confines. The last time you did this with Gelryn, you were out of control, and I want a safe learning environment. Now, we’re going to push back down into our bodies and let you try.”
Kerrigan nodded, and before she finished doing so, she was rushed back to the surface. She blinked awake in shock. “Whoa.”
“Your turn.”
She gulped and then reached back for her spirit magic. It jumped to her as if it had a life force of its own. She didn’t know what she was doing, but she fumbled for Zina as well. Nothing happened the first few times as she slipped around her teacher. Then, with a jump of force, she jerked them both upward.
“Slow down,” Zina commanded.
Kerrigan stopped and found them a floor up. She’d pulled them straight through the floorboards and nearly out of the house. Something Zina had said was impossible.
“That wasn’t too bad. How did it feel?”
“Good,” Kerrigan admitted. It had felt powerful. Like she had been meant for this.
“Excellent. Now, put us back.”
That was harder. Her magic didn’t want to release. It was so happy to be flexed that the return took a full half hour before it relaxed enough to let them soar back through the floor and into their bodies.
Kerrigan didn’t even feel tired. Normally, spirit magic of any kind drained her reserves. Visions made her pass out. The Night of the Dead must have had such a profound impact that it wasn’t even hurting her. No wonder Zina had waited.
They did it a dozen more times. Each one with more accuracy and control. It was still hard to pull herself back into her body, but by the final time, she was doing it in a matter of minutes.
Zina nodded at her once. “Good. That will be all for tonight. We’ll meet back at the winter solstice.”
“Wait,” Kerrigan gasped, grasping her hands harder. “Please. I’m not ready. This is so necessary.”
“I don’t want to drain you, dear.”
“I’m not. I feel like it’s refilling my magic rather than draining it. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
Zina considered. “I am being drained.”
Kerrigan startled. She hadn’t even realized. Zina did look wan, as if the life were being sucked out of her.
“Using too much all at once drags on you. It’s why I only use my spirit magic in bursts throughout the classroom. Plus, I have trained it for hundreds of years to obey me.” Zina tilted her head. “But you do not look drained, as you said.”
A flush came to her cheeks. She honestly felt like she was glowing. Everything was heady and exciting. So close to the surface. Like she could reach out and grasp what had been claiming her for so long.
“We’ll try one more thing. Though I will not participate. I will guide you through it.”
Kerrigan breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Close your eyes.”
Kerrigan did as she had been told.
“Grasp your spirit magic and feel for the plane. Pull yourself into it but do not go far.”
She exited her body onto the plane with wide-eyed excitement. It was the first time that she’d ever been here by herself. First with Gelryn for her test to get into the tournament. Second with Fordham as they’d crossed Alandria by the help of a raven. And then finally, with Zina tonight. But this was the first time she was in complete control to do as she pleased.
Zina was still speaking, and Kerrigan could hear her as if she were underwater. “I want you to feel the spirits all around you. Each one has a unique signature. You also have that unique signature. I have one as well. You should be able to feel the shape of each person and locate them by that signature. You have surely felt mine since we have been on the plane together.”
Kerrigan realized that she had without even knowing it. Zina felt like the first freeze in the mountains and the smell of purple wildflowers that grew on the northern side of the mountain. If she concentrated, she could feel the other spirits in Black House. They all left her alone. She was in control on this plane, and even though they were residents, they had no body to return to. But each had their own smell and feel and sense. It was like a stamp of who they had once been.
“I want you to stretch as far away from me as the house permits. Then, I want you to find my signature and pull me into the spirit plane from a distance.”
Kerrigan frowned at that thought. She could tug Zina in when she was touching her, but could she do it from across the house? How was that even possible?
“I can still sense you. Go,” Zina told her.
So, Kerrigan left her teacher behind and found the farthest corner of the house. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Zina’s signature. The frost that hit so hard and beautiful. And those purple flowers that bloomed right after the first snow, as if they only came out of adversity.
She gasped as she felt her, even two stories away. She tugged on the signature and pulled.
Zina came into the spirit plane with ease. But something else reached for her. Kerrigan gasped. Her eyes flying open. She’d never felt another presence in the spirit plane like this. They were supposed to be safe in the circle, contained in this house.
“Kerrigan?” Zina called, concern in her voice.
Then, something touched her hand, and she disappeared from Black House.
30
The Camp
Mei tramped through a dirty war camp. She was in mud up to her ankles and wanted nothing more than to rid herself of this place. Nothing had gone as planned. No one would listen. Ten long years, they’d been at war with no end in sight until tonight. Tonight, the war could end.
She brushed a hand back through her hair. She wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for her daughter. She had joined up like the rest of the youth who thought they could make a difference and had no idea of what war was actually like. So self-righteous and certain that they were going to change the world.
Fae should have been slow to go to war and quick to retreat. The long lives afforded them space to see reason. But no one would see reason.
The tent flap shoved open before Mei could do so. Her daughter stepped out. They were nearly the same height with the same black hair and dark brown eyes. She had none of her father in her. Only twenty turns of the sun and dragon bound. How had she failed her so completely?
“What do you want, Mother?” her daughter sneered.
“You know why I’m here.”
“I won’t go with you. You’re a coward.”
Mei winced. The words hit hard despite the youth in them.
“You have no idea what you speak of.”
“I’m here to help us win this war against those barbarians. What are you doing, Mother?”
Mei clenched her hands into fists. “Please, come with me.”
“Where? Where are you running off to? How dare you run away from your obligation to the Society.”
“I have no obligation to the Society,” she snarled. “The Society only cares for itself.”
Her daughter took a step backward. “You include me in that assessment.”
“Yes,” she bit out.
“Then we’re done. Trulian will never leave either. How does he not see you for what you are?”
“Your father has nothing to do with this.”
Her daughter narrowed her eyes. “He is not my father.”
“We don’t have to go through this again.”
“I have no parents.”
“Please,” Mei whispered, broken.
She knew what she had to do. She had to go to Cavour. She had to put up the wall that would end this war. She didn’t know what would happen when she did it, if it was even possible. But she knew what would happen if she didn’t try.
She had seen it.
Everyone would die.
“Please,” she repeated.
“Good-bye, Mother.” The girl turned away from her and flipped the tent flap back open.
“Zahina, please …”
But she was already gone.
And Mei had to save the world.
Kerrigan jolted back into her body full force. She rocketed forward, pushing Zina over and breaking their protective circle. The spirits zoomed in all around them. The wind picked up, and the spirits grabbed at both of them. The energy was so erratic that Kerrigan couldn’t help the scream that ripped from her throat.
Zina jumped to her feet and threw her hands out. “Cease.”
The spirits popped out of the space, leaving everything suddenly empty. She smothered the skittering flames and spilled candle wax before turning back to Kerrigan, who was huddled on the floor in a ball, shaking.
“What happened?” Zina asked, calm but firm.
“I don’t know.” She squeezed her eyes shut.
“One minute, you pulled me into the spirit world, and the next minute, you disappeared.”
“I was
… I was pulled into a vision.”
Zina sat back on her heels. “A vision? Have you had one before?”
Kerrigan nodded.
“Helly didn’t tell me.”
“She’s been protecting me,” Kerrigan said, slowly coming up to a sitting position. She wiped the stray tears from her cheeks. “I’ve had a few visions of the future in the last couple years.”
“Harbinger,” Zina whispered.
“That’s what Gelryn said. And recently, I had visions of the past.”
“What have you seen?”
Kerrigan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I saw your mother.”
Because it was clear that was what she had witnessed. The night that Mei had put up the magical barrier around the House of Shadows, she had gone to her daughter. A daughter named Zahina with black hair and dark brown eyes. The woman sitting right before her.
“My mother?” Zahina whispered, coming back to a seated position.
“Mei.”
Zina exhaled. “I haven’t heard that name in a thousand years.”
“I saw you arguing in a war camp during the Great War. She asked you to leave.”
Zina held up her hand. A tear welled in her eye. “I have relived that night more times than I care to recount. She disappeared that night. The Society… they said she was killed in the war. But I know my mother… and she was already leaving.”
“She put up the magical barrier around the House of Shadows.”
Zina’s head snapped up. “What?”
“She left that night with Trulian and put up the barrier. It was the first vision I saw. When I went to the House of Shadows before I began training, I connected with the wall, and it showed me Mei doing it, but I had no idea who she was. I’ve been researching it.”
Zina came to her feet again. “My mother had spirit magic but not… she couldn’t have done that alone.”
“I believe she was like me,” Kerrigan said. “You didn’t know that she was a spiritcaster?”
Zina’s eyes shot to her. “What did you say?”