House of Shadows (Royal Houses 2)

“She put up the magical barrier around the House of Shadows.”

Zina’s head snapped up. “What?”

“She left that night with Trulian and put up the barrier. It was the first vision I saw. When I went to the House of Shadows before I began training, I connected with the wall, and it showed me Mei doing it, but I had no idea who she was. I’ve been researching it.”

Zina came to her feet again. “My mother had spirit magic but not… she couldn’t have done that alone.”

“I believe she was like me,” Kerrigan said. “You didn’t know that she was a spiritcaster?”

Zina’s eyes shot to her. “What did you say?”

“She was a spiritcaster.”

“No. I haven’t heard that word in a long time either. She would have told me. She wouldn’t have kept it from me.” Zina looked frazzled.

“Someone went to great lengths to keep what she did from you and the public.”

Zina paced the room. “That bastard!” she snarled. “I need to go.”

“Wait, go?” Kerrigan asked, jumping up after her.

“There are things I need answers to.”

“But I thought you were training me.”

“This is as far as we go,” Zina said dismissively as she headed for the door. “If what you said is true, then I can’t help you any more than I have. You will need a spiritcaster trainer.”

“But your mom was the last spiritcaster in Alandria!”

“Then look beyond Alandria,” Zina said at the door.

Kerrigan balked. She’d never considered that as an option, but she didn’t even know how to find someone like that. She couldn’t exactly leave training. Zina had been her one hope to figure this out.

“Where are you going?”

“To get answers,” Zina said.

Zina bundled up their supplies and rushed out of the house. Kerrigan followed her in a huff. Vox appeared in the street, and they were airborne in an instant. Kerrigan would give anything to call Tieran right now and have him sweep her away from this moment. She was shaking from exhaustion. The vision had snapped it all out of her, and the last thing she wanted was to wander through the streets of Kinkadia at night alone.

A thought hit her as she huddled against the side of Black House. Zina had taught her that every person had their own signature and she could draw them into the spirit world. Dragons had dominion over the spiritual, which meant Tieran could be pulled in. Her idea bloomed bright, forming in her mind, giving her a way to fix what was broken.

Kerrigan was drained from the vision, but she had enough energy to drop back into the spirit plane one more time. She sat on the mossy ground with her back to Black House, closed her eyes, and pulled herself out. She had no idea of Tieran’s signature. But she knew Tieran now. She knew the heat of his breath on her neck. The sarcastic tone he used when she said basically anything to him. The relief in his body when she’d found him that day in the mountains. The smile he sometimes shot her when they succeeded in duping Alura. The feel of his warm body beneath hers as they soared around the arena. The gentle pressure of him speaking in her mind. Tieran belonged to her in a way that had nothing to do with the bond.

And so she reached out with her spirit magic for the essence of him. She had no idea where he was. Did the dragons stay in for the Night of the Dead? Or did they go out? She couldn’t remember.

It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she needed him. And there was no bond to connect with.

She didn’t know how long she sat there, reaching out for him in the spirit plane. It could have been hours or minutes, but time ran differently on the plane. Finally, she smelled baking cinnamon and hearth fire. The scent and warmth curled around her. Familiar. It knew her.

With just a brush, she eased against that signature and drew Tieran into the spiritual plane.

The dragon looked at her in astonishment. Kerrigan?

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Tieran, I need you.”

How have you accomplished this?

“Surprise. I have spirit magic.”

His golden eyes blinked at her slowly. And you were able to find me in the spirit plane?

“I was working with Zina tonight, and she mentioned that every person has their own signature. I thought about what I know of you and searched for that signature. I’m at Black House, and I don’t feel safe walking home. Can you get me?”

You know what this means, don’t you? He grinned devilishly.

She smiled at him in that liminal space, relief flickering between them. “We’re going to pass our bonding test tomorrow.”

31

The Celebration

Alura was baffled.

And it was glorious.

“You pass,” Alura said. She shook her head. The little metal beads she’d braided into her hair clacking against each other. “I don’t know what you did over the weekend, but you pass.”