“He wasn’t here when we arrived,” Seregil said gently. “We are looking for him, as well. What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I told you, we had retired for the night. That’s all.”

“Then we won’t disturb you any longer, my lady.” Seregil made her a graceful bow as if they were at court, extending his hand. She took it, or tried to, only to have her fingers pass through his as they had Micum’s.

“My lady,” Alec began. “My dear lady, I’m so sorry to tell you but—”

“Alec, no,” Seregil murmured.

“But what?” Seria demanded, clasping her hands under her chin as she stared down at Seregil’s in disbelief.

“The archduke stepped out for some air,” Seregil told her. “He may be some time.”

She gave him a relieved smile. “Oh, I see. Thank you, my lord. Things are so strange tonight. Please, if you see him, tell him to hurry back.” With that she lay down on what was left of the mattress and disappeared.

Micum passed a hand over his chin and shook his head. “I didn’t think they could look so real.”

“She cast no shadow,” said Seregil. “Keep that in mind. I suspect she’s not the last ghost we’ll be seeing here.”

Thero awoke with a start just after dawn to find Seregil, Alec, and Micum standing anxiously by Mika’s cot. The boy’s color had returned, but he had an impressive black eye under the head bandage. He still lay on his back, splinted arm across his chest.

“Bilairy’s Balls!” Seregil whispered, bending over Mika.

“Your message said he’d had an accident. What happened?”

Throwing back the blankets, Thero drew a cloak over his rumpled clothing and led them outside to talk. It was a cold, foggy morning, the mist so thick that they could barely see other tents nearby. There was a watch fire burning unattended, and they gathered around it for warmth.

“Apparently he met some locals and one of them attacked him,” Thero explained. “He fell and struck his head on a stone. Did you find anything?”

“Only dust and ghost stories, at first,” Alec replied. “But then we saw a dra’gorgos in the royal bedchamber. Your amulets saved us, Thero. It tried to attack me, but then it disappeared.”

“We’d hardly recovered from that when we met the shade of Duchess Seria,” said Micum. “She doesn’t know she’s dead, poor thing.”

“I see. Any sign of the archduke’s ghost?” asked Thero.

“No,” said Seregil. “We spent the rest of the night watching, but there was no sign of him, or anything else.”

“Tell me more about the dra’gorgos. What was it doing there?”

“Looking for someone to steal,” said Micum. “It nearly got Alec, but for your magic.”

“Yes, thank you,” said Seregil. “Now, are you going to tell us what exactly happened to Mika?”