Page 20 of House of Embers (Royal Houses #5)

Chapter Seventeen

The Spirit

Kerrigan was still shaky when she made it up to the aerie. She’d had to toss the dress and heeled shoes she wore for the night. Between wine and blood, they were never going to be clean again.

Fordham hadn’t said a word since he’d issued his threat to Barron.

She could see he was still withdrawn about what was to come with the coronation.

Barron had been so blatant. Kerrigan wanted to call him a traitor and kill him for treason, but she knew it wasn’t that easy.

They needed the other houses against the Society, as much as she hated that that continued to be their excuse.

Killing Barron at the coronation would be the only way to keep all the houses from going to war with one another.

“What took you so long?” Tieran asked into her mind as she approached him.

“Assassins.”

“You seem in one piece.”

“Four assassins isn’t enough to take us down,” Kerrigan quipped.

Fordham sighed at the words and put his hand to Netta’s side. “Let’s put it behind us for now.”

Kerrigan wanted to console him, but she knew him well enough to know he needed his space.

She dropped the bag she’d collected, removed a piece of chalk, and made a circle at the center of the aerie.

Then she took out candles and put them around the circle, instructing Fordham to sit inside the circle with her.

She lit the candles with a flick of her wrist.

“This will keep any spirits from approaching us while we’re on the plane,” Kerrigan explained. “It’s safer, especially on nights when the spirit is closer to the surface.”

“Like tonight.”

“Yes.” Kerrigan closed her eyes and breathed in and out slowly. “There are five arts of spirit magic—spirit plane, dreamwalking, visions, illusions, and energy magic. Each one is increasingly more difficult to the point where I have never consciously used my energy magic.”

“I remember you unconsciously using it,” Fordham said.

So did she. Twice now, she’d been in a life-or-death situation and killed everyone around her in an energy blast that saved her life. She didn’t particularly want to do that again without some precision.

“Tonight, we’re going to start with the spirit plane,” she said instead.

“The first time I ever activated the plane was with the ancient dragon Gelryn during the dragon tournament testing. He was supposed to assess me, but instead, I controlled the plane. As you know, it took much trial and error to get where I am today, much of that thanks to Cleora.”

Cleora was a professor at a university in Domara, the world of the gods, and she’d found Kerrigan on the spirit plane and become her spirit teacher.

They’d met in person when Kerrigan and Fordham fell through a portal to the land of the gods, and she’d been there to help Kerrigan regain her magic and return home.

“Hopefully, we’ll see her tonight.”

“And get news on your mother,” Fordham added.

Kerrigan’s eyes fluttered open, and she saw the hope in his irises. They’d had to leave her mother behind in Domara to face Vulsan and He Who Reigns alone. The fear that she was dead from that encounter was something Kerrigan had been avoiding so she wouldn’t choke on it.

“Yes,” she said, clearing her throat. “For the first time, I’m going to take you out of your body with me so you can get the feel of it. Then I’ll let you try it yourself.”

He nodded. “I’m ready.”

She felt the brush of his magic against hers, as if he were searching for the thread of her spirit magic in the same way that his shadows existed.

Except her spirit wasn’t like that. It was a vast, shifting well within her core like a bottomless lake that she dove into.

Still, Fordham settled there, a soft presence that made her sigh with relief.

Then she called the plane to her, dropping out of her body and hovering above it in the center of the aerie. Fordham appeared next to her, awe on his face.

“I…” He hesitated as he gazed around. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Didn’t Gelryn do this to you in dragon testing?”

“Yes, but it felt different. I couldn’t feel it. I can tell the difference through our connection.”

“Good. Use that difference, because it’s your turn.”

Kerrigan dropped them both back into their bodies. Fordham’s eyes flickered open in surprise.

“That’s disorienting.”

“Wait until we get onto the plane itself. It’s twice as strange.” She grinned. “Your turn.”

“So I just pull?” he asked.

“Reach for the spirit magic, and let it suffuse you. Then you’re going to step out of yourself.

Just don’t take too big of a step. More like a little shuffle forward,” Kerrigan said.

When she’d initially learned this astral projection, it had been with her first spirit teacher, Zina, whose mother was the last full spirit user in Alandria.

She’d disappeared after the Battle of Lethbridge, when her father had fallen and she’d learned about her mother’s true death—another person to add to their list of potential allies.

“Here I go,” Fordham said, closing his eyes again.

The first pull sent them both to the top of the aerie.

Kerrigan laughed. “Good. A little less oomph, but that’s the hang of it.”

“You made it look so easy. This feels terrible ,” he admitted.

“You’ll get used to it.”

He shook his head. “I really doubt that. You used to do this on dragon back ?” He shuddered. “I can’t imagine.”

Kerrigan pulled them both back toward the ground. “You can’t be the best at everything,” she teased. “Now put us back.”

Fordham floundered for a few minutes before he settled enough to drop them back into their bodies. He was panting when he opened his eyes. “That’s exhausting.”

“Yes, it’s draining.” Though Kerrigan didn’t feel drained—not with all the celestial power boost. It must be because this was all new to him.

“Maybe we should visit our allies before I’m tapped.”

Kerrigan frowned. “Are you sure? This is your practice time.”

“As king, reaching our allies is the most important thing here. I can practice another time.” He cleared his throat. “Or not at all. I sort of hated that.”

She laughed. “I’ve never known you to give up.”

“I know my strengths.”

“Okay. Well, let’s check in with Cleora at least. Hold on.”

Fordham reached back out with his magic, and this time when she pulled them both out of their bodies, she continued past their world and onto the spirit plane. She landed in a bed of clouds on a sunny day. Fordham looked around in shock.

“This is the plane?”

“At least the one that I always come to,” she told him.

“Whoever is strongest controls the plane. You can change your attire or surroundings based on your strength.” With a thought, she changed out of the black attire and into a pink ball gown.

A second later, Fordham was in the powder-blue suit he’d worn once.

“Really?” he asked, deadpan.

She smirked. “If you’re so strong, bring back your black silk.”

Fordham concentrated, a furrow forming between his brows as he tried to bring his clothes back. But no matter how he tried, not even a flicker of his clothing came through.

“Guess I’m stronger than you,” she said.

He bowed at the waist. “Revel in your domain, my queen.”

She released her grasp on his clothing and let the kingly attire return. “Don’t be afraid,” she told him, then she took his hand and dove off the clouds.

Fordham gasped as they descended. No matter that dragon training had helped his fear of falling, it was still there, buried deep.

She could see it in his expression as they left the clouds and floated toward the rocky beach below.

She tightened her grip on him and sent a flood of joy down their bond.

Then she pulled up sharp, and they landed with ease on the coast of the ocean. This time when she saw the strange mountain range in the distance, she knew it for what it was—Domara.

“I don’t miss those hills,” Fordham said, straightening his clothes. “Not at all.”

Kerrigan turned in a circle, hoping to see Cleora waiting for them. Not that she had always been there when they’d had assigned times for this, but Kerrigan had still hoped. She’d have done anything to see her right then.

“I guess we were too late,” Fordham said.

Kerrigan sighed. “Well, we tried. I guess we should…”

Another figure materialized out of nothingness. Not the tall, blond figure of Cleora but a brunette in a university uniform.

“Danae!” Kerrigan all but yelled, throwing herself at the girl.

Danae laughed and wrapped her arms around Kerrigan. “Cleora didn’t know if you’d show. She had me on watch duty.”

“How are you here?” Kerrigan demanded.

Danae was the daughter of Constantine Pallas, the king of the conquered country of Andine.

They were the last royalty alive, and Danae had been hidden by her father for years because of her sought-after magic—truthtelling.

A magic that would make her a slave of the Doma for its power if it was ever discovered.

Kerrigan had gotten Cleora to take Danae in at the university after realizing that hiding the power was killing her.

But last she checked, the girl didn’t have spirit magic.

“She has a spirit stone,” Danae said with a shrug. “I have no idea how it works, and Cleora talked my ear off about theoretical casting exercises before I tried to use it.”

“Sounds like her.”

“Yes, but I can use it to talk to you until the stone needs a recharge. I’ve been here on and off all night.”

“We’re glad to see you,” Fordham said to her.

Danae flushed and cast her gray eyes down. “It’s…it’s good to see you.”

“Tell us everything,” Kerrigan said. “You’re all right? Cleora? My mother?”

“Yes. We’re fine. Your mother is under house arrest. We haven’t seen her since you left. I’m sorry.”

Kerrigan’s heart dropped. “It’s not your fault. I’m sure she’s okay. She’s the daughter of He Who Reigns. He wouldn’t harm her.”

Danae frowned. “Let’s hope that’s true. How are things in your world? Did you succeed in uniting your people?”