BooksBarbecue
Back Sea of Shadows
Chapters (61)
  1. Dedication
  2. Prologue
  3. Ashyn: One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Eight
  11. Moria: Nine
  12. Ten
  13. Eleven
  14. Twelve
  15. Thirteen
  16. Ashyn: Fourteen
  17. Fifteen
  18. Sixteen
  19. Moria: Seventeen
  20. Eighteen
  21. Nineteen
  22. Twenty
  23. Twenty-one
  24. Twenty-two
  25. Ashyn: Twenty-three
  26. Twenty-four
  27. Twenty-five
  28. Twenty-six
  29. Twenty-seven
  30. Twenty-eight
  31. Twenty-nine
  32. Thirty
  33. Moria: Thirty-one
  34. Thirty-two
  35. Thirty-three
  36. Thirty-four
  37. Thirty-five
  38. Thirty-six
  39. Thirty-seven
  40. Ashyn: Thirty-eight
  41. Thirty-nine
  42. Forty
  43. Forty-one
  44. Forty-two
  45. Forty-three
  46. Forty-four
  47. Forty-five
  48. Forty-six
  49. Forty-seven
  50. Forty-eight
  51. Forty-nine
  52. Moria: Fifty
  53. Fifty-one
  54. Fifty-two
  55. Fifty-three
  56. Fifty-four
  57. Fifty-five
  58. About the Author
  59. Back Ad
  60. Credits
  61. About the Publisher

“I agreed that the shadow stalkers suggest the arcane arts. But conjuring thunder hawks and death worms . . . ?” He shook his head.

“It would be the same principle, wouldn’t it? Raising something that supposedly doesn’t exist?”

Gavril paused. “I suppose so. It does seem unlikely the Wastes would be home to two legendary creatures and we see both shortly after the shadow stalkers.”

Ashyn tried not to stare. Seeing Gavril and Moria speaking—without insults and barbs—was surprising enough. But exchanging ideas and actually listening to each other’s opinions . . . ? Moria rarely did that with anyone other than her sister and father. And Gavril never seemed to do it with anyone at all.

“So the mercenaries appear to be responsible,” Moria continued. “They unleash the shadow stalkers, take the children, and herd us here. Why not capture us at Edgewood, too?”

“Because it would have been sacrilege,” Gavril said. “They may pretend they don’t care about the spirits, but obviously they do.”

“Or someone does,” Ronan said. “Whoever the mercenaries are working for.”

Moria and Gavril turned to Ronan, looking surprised, as if they’d forgotten there were others there.

“He’s right,” Moria said. “Someone has hired them. Someone who respects the spirits enough not to lay hands on the Seeker and Keeper, but not so much that he fears holding them hostage. So they have us, and they have the children, and they’ve slaughtered the village of Edgewood. To what purpose? Have they told you?”

Ashyn shook her head. “We’ve only been here one night, and no one will speak.” She did not mention the escape attempt. She told herself this was not the time, but in truth, she didn’t wish this moment clouded by the memory.

“I want answers,” Moria said, pushing up.

Gavril rose with her. He leaned over, whispering to her again. Ashyn heard enough to make out the gist of it, which was nothing terribly private. Gavril wanted Moria to let him get answers.

“At least allow me to try,” he murmured. “If it doesn’t work, you can do it your way.”

Moria waved for him to go ahead. He bent to say something else. As he did, Moria turned her head to listen and Ashyn noticed the odd way her hair was bound, with small braids at the sides, pulled back with a dark strip of leather. She looked at Gavril, leaning over, one of his braids loose at the end, the tie gone.