Death Weavers by Brandon Mull Page B

Abandoned centuries ago?”
    â€œI’m new to Necronum.”
    Slightly lowering one hand, Tessa peeked at Cole. “Once, Gamat Rue held the worst criminals in Necronum. But people haven’t used it for hundreds of years. An imprint here told me about an echo imprisoned there.”
    â€œIt’s a prison for echoes?”
    â€œNot at first. But an evil echomancer took it over. The echolands side has lots of prisoners now. That’s why it was abandoned.”
    â€œWhat’s an echomancer?”
    Tessa dropped both hands and stared. “For somebody who wants to save me, you sure don’t know very much.”
    â€œSo teach me.”
    â€œEchomancers are echoes with weaving powers,” Tessa said. “Your shaping power doesn’t usually cross with you into the echolands. Echomancers are the exceptions. The imprint told me the echomancer at Gamat Rue is named Nandavi.”
    â€œYou needed to find Nandavi?”
    â€œNo, I went to find an echo named Ragio that Nandavi holds prisoner.”
    â€œYou went to the prison?” Cole asked.
    â€œUnless somebody stopped me,” Tessa said. “That was my plan.”
    â€œHow were you going to talk to an echo imprisoned in the echolands?” Cole asked.
    â€œI wasn’t sure,” Tessa said. “Not exactly. People stay away from Gamat Rue. Not much is known about it. I’m no good at seeing the echolands. But Leo was coming with me, and he’s a talented weaver. I hoped he would help me contact Ragio.”
    â€œWhat about Nandavi?”
    â€œNandavi.” Tessa shivered. “I didn’t want to meet her. I had no idea how much she could bother us from the echolands. But I’m looking for my shaping power, and when I heard about Ragio, I knew I needed to find him. I felt the tug, so I went.”
    â€œYour power told you to go?” Cole said.
    â€œMy power doesn’t usually explain much,” Tessa said. “I get a feeling to say something or do something without knowing what will happen. But I was looking for the rest of my power, and it felt right to come to the cave, and then finding Ragio felt important.”
    â€œWhat did you learn about Ragio?” Cole asked.
    â€œHe was a shapecrafter spying for the Grand Shaper of Necronum,” Tessa said. “He was caught and killed. The imprint I met here said Ragio was involved with those who were trying to gather and control my power. Ragio’s echo ended up at Gamat Rue.”
    â€œYou could be at Gamat Rue too,” Cole said. “That might be where the trouble happened.”
    â€œMaybe,” Tessa said. “If so, be really careful. Honor might have fallen into the same trap. Don’t be the third.”
    Cole hesitated before asking his next question. “Who is the Grand Shaper of Necronum?”
    â€œReally? You don’t even know that?”
    Cole winced. “I’ve only been here a few days. Part of that time has been on the run.”
    â€œPrescia Demorri,” Tessa said. “My aunt. Mother’s big sister. They were never very close. I met her at the castle when I was younger. I haven’t seen her since then. She’s been in hiding.”
    Tessa signaled Honor, who came toward them. The imprint looked perfectly like her.
    â€œHello, Cole,” she said.
    â€œHi, Honor.”
    Honor reached a hand out to Cole. His hand passed through hers.
    â€œI told him,” Tessa said.
    â€œThat’s hopefully for the best,” Honor said. She turned to Cole. “Costa?”
    â€œShe’s fine,” Cole said. “We found her and restored her power.”
    â€œThat’s a relief. I gather events have gone poorly here?”
    â€œYour star is up,” Cole said, not wanting to explain why they had recently come down. “Tessa’s too. Your mom told me you were in extreme danger.”
    â€œYou spoke with her?” Honor asked.
    â€œNot too long