Chapter 10 #2
The light brightened. For a moment, all of us glowed. Then the magic settled beneath our skin and vanished in a shower of tiny silver sparks.
Then it was gone. But I could feel it, lingering. It was as though the light had settled on my skin.
Arielle stepped forward next and lifted both hands. "Vareth."
A thin crack appeared in the air. Then another. The space between them stretched wider and wider until it resembled a tear in reality itself.
Darkness swirled beyond the opening.
The Ghost Roads.
A chill ran down my spine. I’d travelled on these roads twice before with Bastian and Arielle to get to and from the mortal lands, but I’d been wrapped in a protection cocoon. This was the first time I’d be aware of my surroundings.
I didn’t need that protection or secrecy now because we were moving through the magical realm. Still, it was frightening.
The portal widened enough for us to pass through to the gray expanse waiting on the other side. Pale mist drifted through the endless ghostly gloom.
Bastian moved first. Arielle followed.
The rest of us exchanged one final look. Then together, we stepped onto the Ghost Roads.
I expected my foot to sink into nothingness. Instead, it struck solid ground.
I looked down. A narrow path seemed to stretch ahead, mottled gray against the drifting mist. Though it appeared insubstantial, almost dreamlike, the surface beneath my boots felt as real as stone.
But that appeared to be the only solid thing. Layers upon layers of grayness and drifting mist filled the space around us on all sides.
The sight reminded me of stories the old villagers used to tell children on stormy nights.
Stories about wandering too far into a dream and losing your way. Stories about people who drifted so far from themselves they could never find the path home again.
And… there was an eeriness in the air that made me feel like we were being watched by a million eyes. Except I couldn’t see anyone.
Past experience, however, taught me that wasn’t always the case. The last time I thought I was being watched, I was right.
I was already next to Alaric but found myself moving closer. He glanced down, probably sensing my unease, and gave me a nod.
I nodded back but wondered if breaking into the Citadel was truly the most dangerous thing we would do tonight.
Using the Ghost Roads wasn’t as quick as portaling or phasing, but it could still get you wherever you wanted to be faster. I prayed our journey wouldn’t take too long and would go unnoticed.
A sudden whooshing sound above me made me swallow my plea.
Shapes of ghosts drifted above in a mass of pale shades. I grabbed Alaric’s arm.
“Stay close, and you’ll be fine,” he whispered.
The ghostly figures drifted in and out of the mist above us and around us, but then they turned away, moving. The protective charms… Thank the gods, they seemed to be doing their jobs. Even so, I couldn't shake the feeling that one wrong step would reveal that we shouldn’t be here.
We kept on that path for what felt like forever, but in reality, it was about twenty minutes before Kaem signaled that we’d arrived.
He stepped to the front of the group and lifted both hands.
The same white light flowed from his palms, twisting and stretching into long glowing strands that disappeared into the mist surrounding us.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the strands tightened.
I felt it immediately.
Something had changed. The air seemed lighter somehow.
Less resistant. As though an invisible weight had been lifted from the world.
Kaem's mouth curved into a small smile. "Veyrath kaelor."
The words echoed softly through the grayness, and the white strands flared once before shattering one by one.
Snap, snap, snap.
The sound rippled through the mist. Far ahead, something shimmered and a tear appeared in the darkness. Just enough to reveal the Citadel before us.
The towering black walls rose from the mountainside, silent and watchful, as though they knew we were coming.
Gods. We were practically at the door.
Kaem lowered his hands. "The wards are down."
My pulse jumped. He’d done it. It was my turn now.
All eyes turned to me.
I gathered myself. It was time to be brave and cast my fears and worries aside. I could always be worried and afraid later. Wolfe needed me now.
“Alyumi continuai,” I chanted the spell Grandmother gave me, so the group wouldn’t be affected when I stopped time.
Nothing fancy happened like with Kaem’s magic, but I knew it worked. I could feel the spell settling in place.
I faced the view of the Citadel and spread my hands. My magic answered, knowing what I wanted.
I focused and reached inward.
The threads of time responded like they were extensions of me. Before, if I hadn’t accidentally stumbled over something, I had always chased my magic, and sometimes begged it to answer.
Now it came willingly.
My hands glowed gold and blue and the magic flowed through me like the blood inside my veins. There was no struggle. No resistance. Only certainty.
I understood what Grandmother meant when she said the magic trusted me.
And perhaps, finally, I trusted it, too.
Energy flowed from me, and I could feel the threads of time answering my call without the need to utter a spell. They bent to my will, ceasing to move when I told them to stop.
Unlike the other day, when the air felt tight and uncomfortable, I recognized it for what it was.
I’d stopped time.
“It’s done,” I said, feeling a sense of pride.
Kaem nodded, and with the flick of his wrist, we were inside the Citadel.