Chapter 15
Someone with a knowledge of Summoning may be able to open a closed door between realms. In some cases, an item or pair of items has been spelled to open doorways, acting as lock and key.
If used correctly, these items can transport a living creature through a spirit path that leads from one realm to another.
Of course, these are lost arts, and perhaps that is best.
—A SEER’S GUIDE
Clouds covered the moon as the patrols spread out from Scarhamm’s gates.
Thea and her group, which included Enora, Cassia, and Burke, headed north along the banks of the Scar River.
Burke and Enora carried lanterns, the glow illuminating the expanse of water to their right and nearby trees to the left, while Thea carried a satchel with some dried fruit in case they needed food over the long night.
A path along the riverbank allowed them to move quickly and quietly.
They’d walked for a few minutes when Cassia shot a grin back at the rest of them. “Zeru is up ahead.”
“How do you—?” Thea hadn’t heard, seen, or scented anything. Then she remembered that her sister’s ring was connected to an amulet Zeru wore around his neck, the mystical bond made stronger by the emotional bond they shared.
Thea shivered at the idea. She wouldn’t like someone knowing where she was at all times. She enjoyed her freedom too much.
The lantern light picked up movement as Zeru emerged from the trees, his bat-like wings tucked to his back.
Average height with a lean, wiry build, his sharp features had always seemed rather shifty to Thea.
But when he smiled at Cassia, something blossomed in his face, something that made him…
intriguing. He embraced Cassia without a single regard for three sets of watching eyes, though Cassia used her own wings to screen them from view.
Their kiss was longer than it needed to be, in Thea’s opinion.
But then her mind went to the way she’d felt around Damon, reliving the sweep of heat she felt when she looked at him or when he touched her.
“If you’re done slobbering on her,” Burke said, his voice twanging with impatience, “can we finally be on the move?”
After several more tauntingly long seconds, Zeru pulled away from Cassia, his green eyes glowing with mirth as he looked toward Burke. “We haven’t seen each other in a few days. Some catching up was in order.”
“Catch up on your cloud,” Burke all but snarled.
Enora ignored this byplay, regarding the Dracu with an assessing look. “Can you move as quietly as you claim?”
Zeru nodded once, then disappeared. There had been a blur of wings but no sound, only a slight breeze and shift of leaves. He was almost invisible but for the glowing green eyes.
“You’re going to watch my sister’s back?” Thea asked, staring hard at him.
“Always,” Zeru said. It sounded like a vow.
Cassia grinned, her happiness so clear it made Thea’s chest ache. She had to admit, it was possible the Dracu was good for her sister.
“You two scout by air and meet us north of the gorge—the dry riverbed that branches off the Scar,” Enora said. “If we don’t see anything by then, we should head east. Azpians have been known to come up in that area.”
Though Zeru lifted a brow at Enora’s reference to his people, he and Cassia made use of their wings, lifting to the treetops and out of sight.
For the first hour’s walk, Thea’s senses were on full alert.
But she was aware she was distracted, her mind in two places.
She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of dress was sitting in front of her fireplace.
After a while, the river curved east and they kept to a former tributary that had been dammed up and left to dry. Enora and Burke were moving faster while Thea let herself fall behind, hoping her ears would pick up any signs of scuccas or Skrattis.
A scream sounded ahead. Enora! Thea dropped her satchel and sprinted in the direction of her sister. Her first thought was that Enora had lost her footing and fallen into the riverbed. The cliff was a good twenty feet high in that spot.
What she didn’t expect was to see her sister floating in midair, being held in the talons of some massive creature.
Its dark silhouette stood at least twelve feet tall.
The thing had arms and legs and a head, but no facial features.
At first glance, it reminded her of a scucca.
Sticks formed a sort of skeleton, but instead of moss and vines holding it together, this creature’s body writhed with snakelike shadowy forms. They look like Damon’s shadows, Thea realized, but so many more, all moving as one being, connected and coordinated into this monstrous thing.
Drawing her sword, Thea sliced at the creature’s legs.
As the steel made contact, it sank in and stuck, as it had when she’d tried to hurt Damon.
She heaved back but could not pull it free.
With wrenching force, the blade was yanked from her hands.
Cold air brushed against her skin, raising hairs on the back of her neck.
Enora twisted madly, but her arms were held, her blades out of reach. Her legs were no longer visible. It looked like the creature was devouring her.
Thea searched for Burke. He was on the opposite side of the gorge, scrambling down to get back to them.
He must have crossed to scout the other side and not seen the creature until it had Enora.
Cassia and Zeru were nowhere in sight. Thea thrust her arm at the shadow creature, her hand feeling wet leaves and twigs.
She gripped whatever she could and pulled, trying to yank the thing apart.
A stick broke free and she stumbled back with it in her hand.
The creature gave a wordless roar, swiping an appendage at her.
Thea dodged, trying to draw it toward the trees.
It took a lumbering step in her direction.
“There’s water at the bottom of the gorge!” Enora cried. “Maybe—” Her speech was cut off as she grunted in pain, her arm disappearing up to her shoulder.
Thea understood. If the thing was made of sticks and rocks, maybe it would come apart in water despite its shadows. As the creature leaned toward her, she kicked the rock under its foot. The problem was, if the thing went down, it would take Enora with it.
“Grab on to me,” Thea shouted, wishing for wings. Enora was at least three feet out of reach.
Burke’s long-legged stride slowed as he caught sight of the thing. “What—”
“Help us!” Thea ordered, dislodging another rock from under the creature’s shadowy feet.
Burke flung the lantern aside, rushing to help. As much as it looked insubstantial, the scucca or monster or whatever it was seemed to be standing on the ground. As the rocks shifted, its body started to sway.
“Don’t stop!” Enora cried.
But she was at least twelve feet off the ground, and the gorge would add another twenty feet to her fall. As the stick legs lost their footing, Enora struggled to free herself, but vines and twigs still held her. Her eyes widened as the creature careened toward the edge.
“Enna!” Thea shrieked, her stomach dropping to her boots. All she could do was watch as the creature went over the cliff, taking her older sister with it.