Rowan’s voice was gentle. “Whatever you need.” Still, he unsheathed the short swords from his back, ready for a fight.
I called Necromancer power to me. The air became thick with memory and energy. I pulled it into my body, focused it on my left arm, and spoke the incantation.
Ghost and shadow
Flesh and bone
Necromancer souls
I summon you home
Blue mist materialized by my feet. I lowered my left hand, releasing the spell. The azure-colored haze crawled up the pile of ashes. Finding a spot it liked, the spell slipped its way inside.
Long seconds passed. Tension bit into my temples.
Please, let the spell find me someone trustworthy. Or no one at all. Perhaps this was all ash from dead animals or bone crawlers. That was unlikely, but I’d learned how the impossible happened all the time.
A low hiss sounded. My breath caught. The spell has found a mage who could assist. Mist began oozing back out of the wall of ash.
My mage would soon appear.
The blue haze lengthened and solidified into the shape of a tall man in Necromancer robes. He had a bald head and scarred face. I’d have known that visage anywhere.
It was Quinn, the blood brother of Tristan, my one-time best friend.
Once his spirit took shape, Quinn’s transparent form glared at me. “Whoever you are, send me back. Run for your life.” As he spoke, one side of his mouth ticked up in a strange rhythm. The man looked seconds away from going berserk.
I shook my head. The change in Quinn was almost too much to process. How could this happen? The last time I’d seen him, it was the night that Tristan died. At the time, Quinn had been a Brother in one of the monasteries. He’d acted and spoken without any emotion, just like a proper Necromancer. Now, Quinn positively radiated terror and feeling. It took a lot to break a trained Necromancer. What had happened to Quinn before he died?
“I said send me back!”
“Listen, Quinn.” I tapped my chest with my fingertips. “It’s me. Elea. Tristan’s friend.”
Quinn’s eye began to twitch as well. “Elea? What are you doing here?”
“I’m a Grand Mistress Necromancer. I summoned you.” Poor Quinn. I’d seen this before. His memory was trapped in knowing only what had happened right before he died. As far as Quinn was aware, there was some kind of threat nearby. The man was only trying to protect me.
“Didn’t you hear me? Run!” Quinn’s voice boomed around the chamber. “They’re killing us!”
Bands of worry tightened around my throat. They’re killing us. This was my worst fear confirmed.
When I next spoke, I took care to put the weight of magick into my voice. “Listen to me. You must explain exactly what happened here.”
Quinn glared at Rowan. “Who’s he?”
“My ally.”
“I’ll tell you nothing.” Quinn narrowed his eyes. “You’ve poor skills in choosing your friends.” Meaning Tristan.
I balled my hands into fists. Ghosts could be unruly when summoned against their will. A Necromancer had to be firm. “Talk to me or I’ll cast a truth spell.” My voice lowered to a menacing tone. “And believe me, that will hurt.”
Quinn frowned, and the motion twisted the slashes of battle scars across his face. “As you command, Grand Mistress.” The last two words were spoken with deepest sarcasm. “You know I pledged fealty to the Tsar. One of his agents placed a bone crawler in me. So long as I followed the Tsar’s rules, it wasn’t too awful.”
I gritted my teeth as rage flowed through me. I’d seen the Tsar’s so-called rules in action back at the Midnight Cloister. You were either someone who brought him Necromancers to drain… Or you got drained yourself. “You betrayed your own people and joined the Tsar’s entourage. Glad it worked out for you.”
Quinn lifted his chin. “I did what I had to in order to survive. It’s what anyone would have done.”
“Elea didn’t join,” said Rowan.
Quinn rounded on the Caster. “Then she’s more of a fool than I thought.”
Rowan whispered a quick incantation. The blade in his right hand shone with crimson light. “Watch how you speak of Elea. She’s under my protection.”
My chest warmed with pride and confidence. I wasn’t accustomed to having anyone help me in my battles. I returned my attention to Quinn. “Following the Tsar’s orders didn’t get you dead, though. What happened?”
“You did, it would seem.” Quinn’s misshapen mouth thinned to an angry line. “When you sent the Tsar away, the Vicomte asked for members of the entourage to pledge fealty to him. I refused.”
“How shocking,” I said coolly. “You were always so open to changing alliances.”
“It didn’t seem possible for the Tsar to be well and truly gone. I was certain that he’d return any moment.” Quinn hugged his elbows. “When he didn’t, I was taken here. There were already thousands of people with Necromancer power locked up in these dungeons. I’d never seen so many in one place.”