Ancient Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress #1)(53)

“FireSoul,” she hissed.

I shuddered. Another drifted out of the wall beside her.

“Phantoms,” I breathed as I backed away from the window. That was the icy smell. Thank fate that Aidan couldn’t hear what they said about me.

“They aren’t normal Phantoms,” Aidan said as he backed away. “That one was vampire.”

Extra creepy. I’d never heard of a vampire Phantom.

“Do you think they evicted the residents of the island?” Nix asked.

“Probably,” Aidan said. “There’s all kinds of wild magic here. Something strange happened to this place.”

“Something evil,” I said. I could feel it.

“Let’s get a move on,” Del said.

I tried to ignore the cold and the piercing pain in my head as we set off down the short street. It spilled onto a larger one that had houses on each side. The town’s main road, presumably. Though it was a bit generous to call it a town. The street stretched several hundred yards in both directions, and every building was as small and shabby as the one we’d peered into. It was more of a village than a town, presided over by the large manor house at the end of the road. The huge building called to my dragon sense.

“Toward the manor house,” I said.

Mist crept along the ground as we turned right. I clutched my knives, ready for whatever came at us. My head still ached from the Phantom, and I was afraid they weren’t done with us yet. Del’s sword hung loosely at her side, as did Nix’s. As usual, Aidan didn’t carry a weapon.

When the ghostly forms drifted through the walls of the houses and out onto the street, I tensed, bracing myself for more pain as they reached inside my mind. They were dressed in all manner of historic outfits—from the gowns of regal ladies to armor of knights and the motley of jesters. All glowed with icy blue light.

How long had they been here? How hungry were they to feed on another’s misery?

“Hurry!” I broke into a run.

The sun was nearly set, the street now lit by the Phantoms’ eerie glow. It cast a blue light on everything around us.

The ghostly figures drifted away from the walls of the houses, reaching for us. I winced as I felt their dark, icy magic reach inside my mind, searching out my worst memories. Pain seared as my brain rejected them. Even the Phantoms couldn’t get at my memories.

“FireSoul,” they hissed.

When one dressed like a queen grabbed my arm, I shrieked in surprise. It felt like an icy blade sliced me.

She wasn’t supposed to be able to touch! Phantoms worked only with memories and fear.

I swiped at the hand with my dagger, but it only passed through. The feel of my knuckles grazing its cloak burned like acid poured on an open wound.

Nix shrieked in pain as one grabbed her arm. She lashed out with her blade, but it too passed right through the Phantom.

Ten feet ahead, more silvery bodies formed a barricade at the end of the street, blocking the manor. On either side of us, Phantoms closed in, reaching out with silvery claws.

“We’ll have to run through them!” I said.

“We can’t,” Aidan said. His face was twisted with pain. “It’ll tear us apart.”

From the searing pain that hit me wherever they touched, I believed him.

“Turn into a griffon!” I shouted.

“Can’t.” His voice was tight with pain. “The Phantoms stop me.”

“My blades don’t work!” I shrunk back as they closed in. They surrounded us like a pack of snarling wolves, their faces ravenous for misery and their claws outstretched. My head hurt so badly that I could barely see straight. We had only seconds before they converged upon us with their blade-like touch.

One grabbed Del and pulled her into the crowd. It wrapped its arms fully around her body, enveloping her fully. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t scream in pain. But being touched by so many should be excruciating.

Del began to fade, turning a slivery blue.

“No!” I screamed, lunging toward her.

They couldn’t turn Del into one of them. Not my deirfiúr. That shouldn’t even be possible. But she had turned silvery blue, and her blade glowed like cobalt flame.

The three of us attacked the Phantoms that surrounded Del. I plunged my blades into the first one I came to, trying to beat my way to her. They flew straight through, and I had to pull back before I stabbed myself in the thighs. The feeling of my arms plunging through the transparent body was like being sliced by a thousand icy knives.

The Phantom grabbed me, wrapping its arms around my waist as the other had done with Del. The feel of thousands of knives slicing my skin was excruciating. I shrieked.

No! I didn’t want to be a Phantom, cursed to haunt this island for eternity.

Through blurry vision and searing pain, I realized that my skin wasn’t turning transparent silvery blue as Del’s had done. Near me, Nix and Aidan were struggling in the arms of other Phantoms. Tears poured down Nix’s face, but she still looked human. Aidan as well.

Only Del was blue.

Del swiped out with her sword, severing the arm of a Phantom. It screamed and collapsed.

Holy magic, Del was part Phantom. Del’s sword moved like lightning as she cut down the Phantoms nearest her. From behind, she beheaded the one that clutched Nix and jabbed her blade into the shoulder of the Phantom who held Aidan. They released their prey. Del lunged at me, plunging her blade into the side of my Phantom.