rumors.”
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Good.”
Sarad Nukpana knew that my dad had escaped the Saghred and whose body he was living in. There was no statute of limitations on Saghred stealing. If anyone discovered that Arlyn Ravide was my father, Eamaliel Anguis, he would be arrested and tried, with execution being a foregone conclusion.
I closed the distance between us and hugged him, tightly. “Be careful.”
“Whenever possible. I know I’m probably wasting my words, but would you please do the same?”
I smiled and glanced at Vegard. “Whenever possible.”
Dad’s expression was stern. “Raine, souls came out of you and went into Reapers; those same Reapers damned near killed you to get more. And Mychael told me what happened with the mage’s specter in the bordello.”
“Nothing happened. I stopped it.”
“Did you? You are strong, incredibly so, but—”
I knew where he was going. Strong, but not strong enough. “Mychael calls me stubborn,” I said to lighten the mood.
“Raine, the Saghred and those Reapers have existed for untold millennia. They know how to get what they want. Have a care, daughter. Please. I didn’t fight my way out of the Saghred to watch you be consumed by it—or by those who hunt it.” He paused, his solemn eyes on mine. “Those Reapers were coming for you. Yes, they took the sorcerer’s specter first. It was easier prey. But what attracted them was you.”
Kalta tactfully cleared his throat. “Miss Benares, if I may ask a question.”
A question from a nachtmagus probably wasn’t a question I wanted to think about, let alone answer. “Go ahead.”
“When the souls came out of you, were they struggling against the Reapers . . . or were they struggling against you?”
Kalta knew the answer just as well as I did.
“They were struggling to get out of me.” I took a deep, steadying breath. “Nothing’s ever hurt me that bad in my life.”
He regarded me somberly. “It is the nature of spirits to cross over. Most not only want to; they need to. Only the most angry or confused spirits refuse to go—they either want revenge, or they won’t admit, or simply don’t know, that they’re dead. Crossing over completes the cycle of life into death. It is the natural way of things.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line. “Pardon me for disputing the natural order, but what happened sure as hell didn’t feel natural to me.”
“No doubt. You are the vessel that holds them prisoner.” He paused. “You and the Saghred are virtually one.”
He didn’t need to spell it out for me. I knew. I knew it to the point that I’d given up trying to deny or forget it. The closer the Saghred and I became, the more often the Reapers would appear. Like Sarad Nukpana, they wouldn’t stop until they got what they wanted.
Death had all the time in the world.
Mine was running out.
Chapter 6
Mychael wanted me to stay in the citadel. I had to leave the citadel, and I had a good reason.
Like Piaras, I had lessons.
I was learning how to kill Sarad Nukpana.
And today those lessons would have the added bonus of giving me a much-needed outlet for my growing fear, frustration, and rage. Yes, I could have taken it out on a Guardian in their gym, but that wasn’t the kind of workout I needed. Well, it was, but I required a specialist. No Guardian was a master swordsman with the long, curved blades favored by goblins.
Tamnais Nathrach was.
So was Sarad Nukpana.
Since Nukpana had oozed his way out of the Saghred, I’d made it my goal to not only know every way that Nukpana, his Khrynsani, or any other goblin could possibly come after me, but have a lethal response ready for each and every one of them.
Tam could help. He’d known Sarad Nukpana at the goblin court, and fenced with him on numerous occasions. Not with deadly intent, but when goblin courtiers crossed blades, blood was spilled. Naturally, it was always an unfortunate accident.
Mychael
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Good.”
Sarad Nukpana knew that my dad had escaped the Saghred and whose body he was living in. There was no statute of limitations on Saghred stealing. If anyone discovered that Arlyn Ravide was my father, Eamaliel Anguis, he would be arrested and tried, with execution being a foregone conclusion.
I closed the distance between us and hugged him, tightly. “Be careful.”
“Whenever possible. I know I’m probably wasting my words, but would you please do the same?”
I smiled and glanced at Vegard. “Whenever possible.”
Dad’s expression was stern. “Raine, souls came out of you and went into Reapers; those same Reapers damned near killed you to get more. And Mychael told me what happened with the mage’s specter in the bordello.”
“Nothing happened. I stopped it.”
“Did you? You are strong, incredibly so, but—”
I knew where he was going. Strong, but not strong enough. “Mychael calls me stubborn,” I said to lighten the mood.
“Raine, the Saghred and those Reapers have existed for untold millennia. They know how to get what they want. Have a care, daughter. Please. I didn’t fight my way out of the Saghred to watch you be consumed by it—or by those who hunt it.” He paused, his solemn eyes on mine. “Those Reapers were coming for you. Yes, they took the sorcerer’s specter first. It was easier prey. But what attracted them was you.”
Kalta tactfully cleared his throat. “Miss Benares, if I may ask a question.”
A question from a nachtmagus probably wasn’t a question I wanted to think about, let alone answer. “Go ahead.”
“When the souls came out of you, were they struggling against the Reapers . . . or were they struggling against you?”
Kalta knew the answer just as well as I did.
“They were struggling to get out of me.” I took a deep, steadying breath. “Nothing’s ever hurt me that bad in my life.”
He regarded me somberly. “It is the nature of spirits to cross over. Most not only want to; they need to. Only the most angry or confused spirits refuse to go—they either want revenge, or they won’t admit, or simply don’t know, that they’re dead. Crossing over completes the cycle of life into death. It is the natural way of things.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line. “Pardon me for disputing the natural order, but what happened sure as hell didn’t feel natural to me.”
“No doubt. You are the vessel that holds them prisoner.” He paused. “You and the Saghred are virtually one.”
He didn’t need to spell it out for me. I knew. I knew it to the point that I’d given up trying to deny or forget it. The closer the Saghred and I became, the more often the Reapers would appear. Like Sarad Nukpana, they wouldn’t stop until they got what they wanted.
Death had all the time in the world.
Mine was running out.
Chapter 6
Mychael wanted me to stay in the citadel. I had to leave the citadel, and I had a good reason.
Like Piaras, I had lessons.
I was learning how to kill Sarad Nukpana.
And today those lessons would have the added bonus of giving me a much-needed outlet for my growing fear, frustration, and rage. Yes, I could have taken it out on a Guardian in their gym, but that wasn’t the kind of workout I needed. Well, it was, but I required a specialist. No Guardian was a master swordsman with the long, curved blades favored by goblins.
Tamnais Nathrach was.
So was Sarad Nukpana.
Since Nukpana had oozed his way out of the Saghred, I’d made it my goal to not only know every way that Nukpana, his Khrynsani, or any other goblin could possibly come after me, but have a lethal response ready for each and every one of them.
Tam could help. He’d known Sarad Nukpana at the goblin court, and fenced with him on numerous occasions. Not with deadly intent, but when goblin courtiers crossed blades, blood was spilled. Naturally, it was always an unfortunate accident.
Mychael
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