With Ronan leading the way, Ashyn headed through the darkened ritual rooms, deeper into the building, where she found the Seeker and Keeper's quarters. She found the Seeker and Keeper, too. As she watched the old women, snoring on their pallets, she wanted to stride over and shake them as hard as she could.
Their beasts were not with them. Ashyn had heard they kenneled them in the night, like common pets, but she'd not dared believe it. Bad enough they'd never named their beasts. To voluntarily be parted from them all night? The thought horrified Ashyn. Even Tova looked about the bedchamber, as if confused, expecting to see the old beasts in a nest of blankets nearby.
Ashyn strode in past Ronan, who respectfully remained outside the bedchamber door. "Thea? Ellyn? I need your help."
She had to say it again, louder, before Ellyn leaped up, dagger at the ready. Thea only lifted her head, blinking sleepily. One would think, then, that Ellyn must be the Keeper. She was not. Which only supported Ashyn's theory that perhaps the difference in their powers arose more from training than innate ability. In her case, she'd gotten the position better suited to her temperament. Ellyn had not.
"Ashyn?" Thea said, still lying there, blinking.
Ellyn advanced on her. "How dare you come into our chambers, at night no less--"
"There are shadow stalkers," Ashyn said quickly. "In the court. I've come to get your help."
"You brought shadow stalkers?"
"I don't know how they infiltrated the court, and it's not important. They're out there. I came to warn you so you can dispel them here while I warn Moria and the others."
"The others? Like Prince Tyrus?"
"Of course. I presume he's with my sister--"
"I'm sure he is. Seducing an imperial prince. I always told Thea that Moria wasn't nearly as honorable--or as dull-witted--as she pretended."
"My sister is--" Ashyn clipped her defense short. "I need you and Thea to dispel the shadow stalkers with us."
"You give me orders, girl?"
Ashyn held herself still to keep from stamping her foot in frustration. "There are shado
w stalkers. In the court. We have dealt with them before. You have not. We've figured out the best way to dispel them."
"You? You're little more than children."
"The shadow stalkers are like a knot of spirits. Normal spirits, I think. The magics bind them and make them angry, make them wish for revenge, and that rage consumes them."
"What are you talking about? Everyone knows shadow stalkers--"
"No one knows anything about shadow stalkers," Ashyn said. "Because no one alive has had to deal with them. We have. Now, I don't have time to--"
"Ash!" Ronan said.
Ashyn turned to see the guard advancing down the hall. Only it wasn't the guard anymore. Not truly. His twisted face and hands gave that away.
Tova leaped, but the shadow stalker was already in flight. Both Ronan and Ashyn backed away fast. Ashyn shouted a warning to Ellyn, standing in the doorway, but the old woman charged.
"No!" Ashyn shouted. "Don't--"
Too late. Ellyn's charge met the shadow stalker. She stabbed the creature in the gut.
"Begone!" Ashyn said, dispelling madly, yelling at Thea to use her Keeper skills, but the old woman just lay on her pallet, staring bug-eyed as her sister was knocked down by the shadow stalker.
Ronan and Tova jumped in. Ronan stabbed it in the neck, Tova leaping on it, but the shadow stalker had Ellyn on the floor, and before Ronan could even stab it again, the thing ripped out Ellyn's throat. Bit in and tore at it like a frenzied beast, blood spraying, Ellyn's scream dying at the first gurgle.
Ashyn closed her eyes. It was all she could do. Close them and focus on her powers, on soothing and dispelling the spirits, on telling them that they'd murdered a Seeker but that it was not their fault, that it was the fault of the sorcerer who'd done this to them, and if they left now, the goddess would forgive their madness.
"You must go," Ashyn whispered, stoppering her ears to Thea's screams and Tova's growls and Ronan's curses and the creature's shrieks. "Please, please, please. It is not too late. Go now and the goddess will understand."
She kept saying the words, squeezing her eyes tighter and tighter, struggling not to look, trusting that Tova and Ronan were fine and that this was still the best thing she could be doing.