Michelle Mythe

It was not nearly as dark in her cell as her captors would have liked. The place was faintly lit, a blue glow from the walls. She was not sure what the spell was for, but it certainly did not stop Dante from walking through the wall. ...

Ailin was hardly surprised he was betrayed by the battle mages. He had hoped they would understand the ally Rae could have been. He stayed close to Rae during the trip and he could tell she was furious. ...

The Ballharid soldiers took them to the base camp and locked them the room of a house they must have confiscated. The mages bound them with what one called a Control spell. A spell designed to make them unable to act in any attempt to escape. ...

Rae and Ceallach were forced to retreat in order to hide from the patrols. Ailin’s crossing seemed to stir them up. They found an abandoned village and made use of one of the small homes. Rae spent her time infusing the flashers and thinking about a way to protect them for the crossing. ...

Ailin lay on a hill top looking at the battle lines grimly. When Ciara, Nioclas and he had dipped across the border, it had not truly been behind enemy lines, as the eastern border was not nearly so strategically defined. ...

When Ciara began to convulse Ailin was forced to bind her arms and legs. Her flesh seemed to bulge and shift, as though the spirit was trying to change her from the inside out, but slowly. Ciara growled and hissed, her body twisting on the ground. ...

Rae gestured impatiently for Ceallach to approach. Mage Kyshero stood to the side ready to see how effective the experiment was. Rae was amazed they had so easily believed she would manufacture new means to control people with spirits. ...

Ailin managed to stay with Ciara and even prevented her going to do manual labor by showing their work writs. He had found it easy to dodge Reflection when no one in particular watched over him and his forged writs permitted him greater city access. ...

Ailin waited for Ceallach to return for hours. Hours of sitting still and perfecting his façade of blankness. After awhile, once he overcame the desire to pace, he was lulled into a trance like state. Letting thoughts just roll through his mind.

Rae was displeased with the disruptions to her work. Constant annoying distractions. She was getting closer to fulfillment of her plans. Each spirit committed to action and whispering to her encouragements. ...

Ailin heard a soft music flow around him. Soft music with jarring tones, which became almost painful with its contrast. Then it became a piercing vibration and he felt a physical jolt in his skull.

Ailin woke up on a large satin coated bed. He blinked and tried to remember how he had gotten there. He could not remember anything after Reflection. A gnawing ache in his abdomen, with a tension in very muscle, informed him he had not fed in days. ...

Rae knew she was in trouble when she faced the swarm of parasites behind the barrier. In order to understand their nature, she needed to open her shields. Each time she immersed herself within their energy she felt like screaming. ...