His green eyes flashed like storm clouds in the dark. “Wait here a moment.”
Cold fear inched up her spine. A few feet from her, Kester pulled the sword from its sheath. Puffs of frozen breath drifted from his mouth as he whispered over the weapon. When he finished, a glowing orb appeared, hovering above his head and illuminating a small patch of snowy grass in the center of the stones. The word magic rang again in her head, and her body thrummed with a dark thrill. It’s real.
Gripping the sword in both hands, Kester raised it above his head, blade pointing toward the earth.
“O’ shadow stalker.” His voice was firm. “A thane awaits a trial.” He stabbed the frozen earth with the blade.
Ursula’s stomach clenched. What the hell is a shadow stalker? And, is this thane supposed to be me?
The wind died, and a deathly, unnatural silence enveloped them. The orb’s flickering glow revealed nothing beyond the stones. In the icy air, each intake of breath froze Ursula’s throat.
A snowflake fell on her eyelash and she blinked. Had something shifted in the darkness just beyond the inner stones? The hair rose on the nape of her neck.
She whipped her head around, sensing an unseen danger. “Kester, what—”
He lifted a silencing finger, still holding the sword’s hilt. As he raised his eyes, he seemed to search the stones. “Moor fiend, reveal yourself.” His grip tightened on the pommel of the sword.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, and time seemed to stretch out as she waited.
Between the stones, she could make out a faint outline—tall and hunched, and nearly as large as the rocks themselves. Her breath caught in her throat. What is that?
Kester beckoned Ursula to come closer. “Shadow stalker, I have brought you a thane to battle.”
Her mouth went dry, her spine stiff with fear, but she stepped toward Kester. I can do this—whatever this is. I know how to use a sword.
He looked at her, one hand still on his sword. “You wouldn’t sign the pact,” he said in his velvety voice. “This is the third option. If you defeat the wight, you’ll become a servant of Emerazel, like I am. You can repay your debt that way.”
She took a deep, steadying breath. “I don’t really want to do that either. Can’t I just go back to my flat—”
“Ursula,” he interrupted. “You must decide now. Either sign the contract or defeat the monster. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to reap your soul. I don’t particularly want to do that. It means you’ll die now.”
From just beyond the stones, a guttural growl rumbled. A shiver snaked up Ursula’s spine. She had a feeling that whatever was out there wanted her soul, too. She gritted her teeth, nodding. Shadow stalker it is.
With his eyes locked on hers, Kester released the sword, stepping away. Ursula tried to steady her breathing, stepping toward it.
She inhaled deeply, yanking the sword from the frozen earth. Lighter than I thought.
Kester stepped away. “The wight will enter the circle when the light dims. You must defeat him.”
As she gripped the sword in both hands, she took a tentative swing. The blade moved easily through the air, and she nearly smiled at the sensation, relief flooding her for the first time tonight. Somehow the sword felt like an extension of her body, like one of her own limbs. F.U. must have swung a sword a thousand times before.
Kester chanted a spell, and as the air crackled with electricity, fur sprouted from his body. He lurched over, bones cracking; with a deep growl, he transformed into a hound. For a moment, he studied her, green eyes flashing, before bounding from the circle.
Above her, the orb began to dim.
Chapter 7
Despite the cold, sweat dampened her brow, and she gripped the sword hard. This blade would be her savior.
She strained to see in the dark, but she could no longer make out the monster’s hunched form. The wind picked up again, spraying snow between gaps in the ringstones.
She lifted her weapon, trying to keep the fear at bay. I’m a sitting duck here. Her mind raced. She was at a serious disadvantage, since she had no idea where or what this shadow stalker was. At least a stone could guard her back. She backed into the shelter of the nearest one.
To her right, something scratched at one of the stones, and she spun to face it. She held the sword in front of her, her breathing ragged. Ice flaked off the boulder, drifting to the ground, and fear stole her breath. Snow crunched behind her, and she whirled again. More fragments, crumbled off the stones. Where was this monster? A low growl spread through the circle, rumbling through her gut, followed by a sharp, scraping sound.
The fiend is sharpening its claws.
Without the orb, darkness enshrouded her. She pressed her back against the basalt rock, her sword wavering as she peered into the darkened center of the circle. How did one see something made of shadows?