The Shadowglass (The Bone Witch #3)(17)

I knew that shadowglass spell; I had committed it to memory nearly two years ago, and it was now a mantra, buried so deep within my psyche that nothing could pull it loose. I had pored over those words for so long that sometimes they came easier to me than my own name. Shadowglass was the reason the Faceless had tried to take Kance’s heartsglass. Aenah had died for the chance. She had tried to kill me for it.

Polaire had paid the price instead.

And what was the next part of that spell? The unity of seven into darksglass and Five into lightsglass is the key. Merge both with the First Harvest and be born anew, with shadowglass to do as you see fit.

“The last place I would have looked to find confirmation is with that Faceless’s book,” Althy said grimly. “But you’re right.”

“I’m sorry,” Lord Garindor said. “I don’t quite follow.”

“We’re in trouble,” Kalen interrupted grimly as he strode in, Khalad trailing after him. “Tea, soldiers have reported sightings of the zarich. It’s left the Runeswood.”

Likh paled.

I gritted my teeth. “Has it attacked anyone?” The Isterans hadn’t seen the creature since Sakmeet died. For what reason would it leave the safety of its home?

Kalen shook his head. “The Isteran soldiers have been briefed for occasions like this. They’re keeping their distance but tracking its movements as best as they can.”

“How is Yarrod?” Garindor asked.

“Dark magic might not do much, but runic wards still work on him,” Khalad responded. “Kalen made sure of that. He’s in no danger to himself or others—for now.”

Althy stood, but I shook my head. “It would be better for one of us to stay here. The wards might hold Yarrod in place, but we’ll need someone close to make sure he doesn’t break free. My magic is useless, but yours isn’t.”

The older asha paused, then nodded, still frowning. “Take care, Tea. We’ve never confronted the zarich before. That had always been Sakmeet’s duty and that of her Isteran predecessors.”

“I will.” I started for the door and Likh followed. “What are you doing?” I asked. The boy asha shrugged. “You might need help. I’m pretty good at this now.”

“Promise me you’ll stay at a reasonable distance.”

I marched toward the palace entrance. Already soldiers were running back and forth, as orders were called out over the din.

What’s happening, Tea?

Fox. Tell Mykaela that a zarich has been sighted near Farsun. I’m off to take care of it.

Be careful. I could feel his worry, his frustration. That he wasn’t here with me was eating him up.

I will. Kalen’s here. You know he has my back. Anything happening in your neck of the woods?

The elders are up to something, but they haven’t made any moves yet. From what Zoya and Shadi could gather, they’ve been recalling some of the asha who’d been contracted out to other kingdoms. I’ll tell you more when we get back. Don’t make any rash decisions.

Have I ever?

Wordlessly, I called for Chief, and soon my Gorvekan horse came cantering. Kalen was already astride his own stallion, Likh and Khalad scrambling up their own steeds.

It was easy enough to pinpoint the zarich’s location. We only had to follow the reports the soldiers provided and investigate its fresh tracks leading from the Runeswood.

The beast hadn’t wandered too far from its home. We found it settled by a frozen stream on the edge of the forest leading toward the River of Peace, which marked the boundary between Istera and Tresea.

The zarich was a disconcerting creature to behold at first. It resembled an upright goat but was the size of a small barn. The five horns growing around its head glistened from the snow, and its face was overrun by a mass of eyes that never closed all at once. Despite its mammalian appearance and its cloven hooves, the zarich was overtly reptilian, with scaled skin and a long snout protruding from its crowd of eyes, reminding me of illustrations I’d seen of long-snouted swamp creatures that inhabited parts of northern Yadosha.

The creature let out a soft, slithering hiss as we approached, but it did not attack. It was not like any daeva behavior I had encountered before.

“What’s it doing?” Likh asked nervously.

“I’m not sure.” I drew the Raising rune and, carefully, entered the creature’s mind. What I found was not so much thoughts as impulses, strange yet familiar, repulsive and enticing. As I probed deeper, the zarich put up little resistance.

Somewhere in another corner of my mind, I could feel Fox’s thoughts drift toward me, tensed like he could ride into battle in an instant to aid me.

The azi responded too. It uttered a soft, plaintive sound. The azi was not angry, nor was it combative. I could feel its presence slide through my mind, reaching out to the zarich.

The zarich blinked its eyes at us and then turned. It padded deeper into the forest. The beasts’ emotions tumbled into and against each other until one stood out.

Follow.

“Are you serious?” Kalen asked as I adopted its suggestion, moving deeper into the woods after it.

“It doesn’t want to fight. The least I can do is see what it wants to show me.”

“And you find nothing wrong with that?” he muttered, but he and Likh followed me anyway.