Nine Tails 6: Spirit Shift

by J. L. Weil

  My skin and clothes were speckled with dark spots. A movement from beyond the gate caught my eye. The darkness crawled and slithered on the ground like a cloud of death. Coldness permeated the air, sucking away any last shred of life.

  The blight.

  I was all that was left. It only had to obliterate me—take everything that made me human and fae. Closer and closer the darkness crept, swallowing everything in its path.

  The nightmare ended with a scream—my scream. And then there was nothing.

  I was wide awake by dawn as the stars winked out of existence from the rising sun, but I stayed in bed, deciphering between one nightmare and the next. If I were in my own room, I’d still be fast asleep, hugging a pillow and savoring dreams of college and boys. Instead, I was in a strange room, devoid of any personal touches or warmth. Not the kind of warmth that heated the floors or the sheets, but the kind that made a room cozy and inviting.

  I closed my eyes and pretended to be in my world, in my house with my father humming downstairs as he flipped blueberry and cinnamon pancakes.

  A part of me wished Devyn would hurry up and find me already. The other part wanted to drift back to sleep and let the days and weeks pass me by in a blur of numbness and fond memories.

  I was debating about getting out of bed or throwing the covers over my head when the heavy lock on my door clicked and in strolled Tessa. Hips swaying, she strode over to the bed and threw back the canopy surrounding it, letting sunlight stream onto my face. Rays of yellow and orange from the cresting sun heated my skin. Blinking, I stared at the blue sky. Not a cloud in sight. “I’ve brought your breakfast. It’s in the sitting room, and then after you’ve eaten, the lord is requesting your presence.”

  And so it begins.

  “I’m guessing no coffee?” I inquired, rolling out of bed.

  Tessa was waiting for me with a silk robe. Her eyes scrunched in confusion. “What?”

  I slipped my arms into the robe that felt like rose petals on my skin; it smelled like them too. “Right,” I sighed. “Never mind.” I sat at the little round table in the adjoining room and stared at the plate of fruit and toast and what looked like a bowl of oatmeal. I slapped an exuberant amount of jam on the toast and tossed a few berries into the oatmeal. A cup steamed on the table beside an ivory porcelain pot. The whole setup was formal, yet oddly comforting. Perhaps it was that the space was less intimidating than last night’s dinner. “Thank you,” I said to Tessa with a mouthful of sweet fruit as she popped into the room to check that I was eating.

  “You’ll need to keep up your strength,” Tessa said, smoothing out an invisible wrinkle on the lace tablecloth.

  “For what exactly?” I asked, taking a bite out of the toast. I didn’t know what kind of fruit the jam was made from, but it was divine.

  “It isn’t my place to say what Lord Ryker has planned for you.”

  “What can you tell me?” I mumbled. I didn’t want to admit I was nervous. I wanted to say that I had balls of steel, but it would be a lie.

  “I can tell you it is going to be too beautiful of a day to waste it locked up in this room.”

  It wasn’t my choice to be kidnapped, but I kept my mouth shut. It wasn’t Tessa’s fault I was here either, so I took a sip of my tea and tried not to wince. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t coffee. I added a heap of extra sugar and cream before devouring the rest of my breakfast, giving up on getting anything useful out of Tessa.

  After I finished eating, I dressed in the clothes Tessa had laid out for me on the bed and tossed my hair up into a messy bun.

  The castle was such a large estate that as I walked down the silent halls, they were empty, not counting the occasional sentinel. I hadn’t seen one other person by the time I had been escorted to where my uncle was waiting. Of course, I wasn’t all that eager to see him and had taken my time following Tessa down the halls, much to her displeasure.

  She had more than once rushed me or clucked her tongue, shaking her head at my reluctance, which was in part due to my gawking at everything. Detailed tapestries hung on the walls depicting scenes of ancient gods and warfare and exotic rugs lined the floors.

  There were many rooms in the castle, and the last place I thought Ryker would be waiting for me was a library. He stood at one of the impressive bookshelves, his body angled so I could see his profile. His sharp eyes scanned the page with such intensity that it made me curious about what he was reading. His blond hair was freshly combed away from his face, and fine lines crinkled at the corners of his lips. He didn’t look like a monster or a killer, but looks were deceiving.

  Tessa cleared her throat, and Ryker lifted his head toward the door. “Karina, I was beginning to think you wouldn’t be joining me.” He closed the book and laid it flat on a shelf.

  I didn’t bother to state that I didn’t have a choice in the matter. “Hello, uncle,” I stated flatly, strolling into the room. I paused behind a leather chair, resting my fingers on the back.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asked, making polite conversation. It was such bullshit.

  I shrugged. “Not really, but it's the nightmares, not the bed that disrupts my sleep.” That and not having Devyn beside me. I wondered if he too was having the dreams, or did our nightmares only become shared when we were together?

  “We all have our own trials.”

  “Am I yours?”

  He moved to put a hand on my shoulder, and I flinched, jerking away. Even though I knew the gesture wasn’t threatening, I couldn’t stop the reaction. He let out a low growl. “I’m not going to harm you, Karina. I wouldn’t have taken the blood oath if I was.”

  “Sorry if I still don’t trust fae magic.” Or you, I silently added.

  As if he’d heard my comment, his jaw hardened, and he began to pace. “I hope you being here will earn that trust, for our time is limited, as you know. The sickness unleashed after your grandfather’s death spreads through this land. It has been slow these last few months, but we fear that will change now that you are here.”

  “Why does my presence make a difference?”

  “The blight can sense your powers—that you and you alone could banish it from this world. It feels the pressure of your magic and in response has strengthened its will.”

  “A race. It means to race me for the Second Moon. Whoever crosses the finish line first wins.”

  I was never a good long distance runner, at least not until I learned to shift.

  Ryker stilled his graceful strides around the room. “In a way, yes. It means to overtake more of this land than your magic can heal.”

  “Is there a limit to how much my powers might be able to commune with the land? I thought it was only Katsura that needed my help.”

  “We thought that as well, but the blight is stronger than we predicted. I’ll admit I don’t know if you will have the necessary power or even ready to save this world, which is why Talin still believes your magic should go to someone who is both capable and experienced.”

  Like him, I thought snarkily.

  “You have what many believe is a disadvantage,” he continued. “Your mortal blood is believed to dilute the potency of fae magic. Although, there aren’t many findings to support the claim, seeing as there are very few demi-faes in existence. The Conclave is very impressed with what you’ve accomplished so far. You’ve learned quickly for someone of your age and inexperience.”

  “Is there supposed to be a compliment in there?”

  His lips twitched. “A silver tongue you have, just like your mother.”

  “Again a compliment.”

  Sitting on the corner of a sturdy desk, he folded his hands into his lap. “The answer to your question is I don’t know if you will be able to annihilate this darkness that is threatening our existence. None of us will know until the moment arrives, so you can see why so many faes are nervous to put all their trust, their homes, their families, their very livelihood in the hands of a mortal girl.”

  “Half,�
�� I reminded him. “I may not have been born here, but fae blood and magic run in my veins.”

  “Let us hope it is enough.”

  “And it if isn’t? What then? This world is just gone? Taken over by darkness?”

  “Who’s to say it will stop at this world alone? If you fail, there is no telling how far or how wide the blight will stretch.”

  My world. And who knows how many others. “What am I to do then?” I found myself beseeching him.

  “I am a shifter like you,” he said. “There is much I could teach you.”

  “Do leopards earn multiple tails?” I asked, eyeing him with wariness. It was a sarcastic question I already knew the answer to, but I wanted him to admit that he and I were nothing alike.

  “No,” he replied into the silence that had fallen between us.

  I touched the stone at my throat, wishing with everything I had that I wouldn’t fail, but the odds didn’t seem to be in my favor. “Then I don’t see what you could teach me about being a Kitsune.”

  “What are you afraid of? That I might actually be able to show you something the Sin Eater couldn’t?” he murmured in a deep voice that dispatched a shiver up my spine.

  The mention of Devyn sent my heart spiraling. I snorted. “You could never be half the man he is.”

  Ryker’s lips curved upward. “Is that so?”

  I met his eyes, my blood smoldering in my veins. “Do you plan on just riling me every chance you get? Is that your method to ‘teach’ me my so-called lessons?”

  “Perhaps,” he mused. “You have your mother’s spirit, and I find it rather amusing to spar with you. It reminds me of fonder days. How is she, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  My chin jutted out. “None of your business.”

  He rubbed at his jaw. “She is deeply connected to this world—Katsura especially—and it wouldn’t matter how much space she put between her home. She is bound to the land just as you are. That is the real reason that drives you, isn’t it? To save Sakura?”

  I crossed my arms. “Does it matter? I will do what needs to be done, regardless of my motivations.”

  “Then let’s begin, your highness,” he said with a small bow of his head and a twisted grin on his lips.

  Chapter Five

  KARINA

  Ryker went to the far corner of the library and pulled out a thick book bound in leather. It was larger than a dictionary. He set the book down on the oval coffee table in front of two wine-colored chairs. Then he lifted his eyes to me and waved his hand toward a chair. “Sit,” he insisted and waited until I was situated in one of the deep chairs before pushing the book across the table to me.

  “What’s this?” I asked, eyeing the book that looked older than dirt.

  He took a seat in the other chair. “Your lesson for today.”

  My brows lifted. “A book? You’re joking.”

  “Believe it or not, we have books in the Second Moon.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s not what I meant. I just don’t see how a book is going to help me.”

  Leaning forward, he tapped the cover of the book with his fingertips. “This is a history book of the Second Moon—everything you need to know about how the regions were created, who ruled them, and how the Conclave was formed. You might take an interest in the founder of Katsura, a woman whose fae form was a fox.”

  My attention snapped to the cover of the book, and it was as if the Kitsune inside me peeked open an eye. “She was a Kitsune,” I concluded, suddenly more interested in the ancient tome. No words, just a single symbol was etched into the leather.

  He nodded. “The first Kitsune from what we know.”

  I had to admit it was strange that, like my world, this magical one also had a history. I had never let myself think about how such a place was created or formed. My hand moved to run my fingers over the surface of the book. “You think there might be something in here to help me?”

  “Perhaps, but even if there isn’t, it would be good for you to learn the history of your heritage. A little light reading at night.”

  I snorted. “I’d hate to see what your idea of heavy reading would be.”

  His lips gave an almost imperceptible twitch.

  Was that the beginnings of a smile? “I wasn’t sure if you were capable of true humor.”

  “I am capable of a great deal beyond what your mortal mind can imagine.”

  And just like that, he was back to being a prick.

  I scowled, no longer in an amused mood. “Thanks for the book … I think. Is that all?”

  He reclined in the chair. “For now.”

  I gathered the book into my arms like it was a relic and tried to deconstruct what my expectations of this meeting had been versus the reality. I’d had it in my head that my uncle would be putting me through grueling exercises or some other sort of medieval method to find out what made my magic tick. Instead, he’d given me a reading assignment, not that I was altogether disappointed.

  If there was one thing I excelled at, it was learning. My GPA spoke for itself.

  We all had our strong suits.

  “And Karina,” he added as I stood, and I glanced down at him. “It would be best while you’re at court that you keep your identity a secret. My staff already knows this and the consequences if word of your presence leaves the castle. This includes the use of your magic. When you feel the need to … exercise your legs, you will do so off the grounds. I’ve arranged for either Bash or Reilly to accompany you.”

  “If anyone asks, who am I supposed to tell them I am?” I asked. I hated lies. They didn't sit well in my stomach, and it was no way to start off my place in this world, even if it might be for my own protection.

  “Anything but the truth. It doesn’t matter to me. Talin isn’t the only one who isn’t taken with the idea of having a mortal for a queen. Many faes have rebelled.”

  I’d been warned that my reception in the Second Moon wouldn’t be with open arms. “Don’t they know this is the only way to save Katsura? I didn’t ask for this—to be a queen or have magic. I didn’t ask for these powers or to be a Kitsune.”

  “Be that as it may, they are leery of outsiders. Mortals don’t exist in this world.”

  “And yet, you get to live in ours under the guise of being human,” I shot back.

  “That’s the sort of attitude that will make you an unpopular queen.”

  “I never said I wanted to be popular,” I scoffed. “What I want is to save my mother and go home, but we don’t always get what we want.” I hugged the heavy book to my chest and stomped from the room. Ryker didn’t try to stop me.

  With no particular place in mind, I wandered the castle, exploring the various rooms and courtyards, my shadows never far behind me. I could have gone to my room, but I’d had enough of locked doors. Besides, his sentinels kept a close eye on me, so the brief idea of walking out the front door and never looking back quickly vanished.

  What would be the point?

  I had nowhere to go. I had no idea where I was or how to get back to Devyn or how far Ryker’s banishment on magic went. Not that I was giving up on the prospect of getting out of here. I still had plans, just smarter, thought-out plans.

  I found a balcony that overlooked the ocean and snuggled into one of the inviting round chairs. The waves raged against the rocky cliffs as I settled in with the book. I had two choices: I could continue to dwell on my shitty situation or I could open this book and scour its pages.

  A shadow darkened the arched walkway where I had entered from—a sentinel. I glanced his way and bit back the snarky retort about privacy on the tip of my tongue. It wouldn’t matter what I said to the stiff guard, he wouldn’t engage with me. None of them did. It was like talking to a stone wall.

  Loosing a sigh, I pulled the book into my lap and flipped open to the first page. The sun beat at my back, but I relished its golden warmth. I traced a finger over the aged paper with its gold letters, so different than our traditional black in
k.

  I spent the next three hours baking under the drifting sun, engrossed by the history of the fae. So much to absorb and retain. Too much for a single day. I tried to search for the chapters on the first Kitsune, but the book was written like a journal, recounting the important points in history. It was going to take me weeks to get through the whole text.

  So, for the next two days, I returned to this same spot and read until the sun went down. It was on the third day I realized it would be a far simpler process if I could take notes, highlighting the points that might be relevant to me and the current state of the Second Moon. I doubted Ryker would be thrilled if I made marks in the margins or underlined the ancient text though.

  Picking up the book, I walked up to the sentinel who had accompanied me each day, always posed in the same position at the doorway. “Since you seem to be my constant shadow, how about you show me where I can get something to write on?”

  The guard’s gaze flicked down to my face. His silver hair was pulled back and secured at the nape of his neck. No emotion shone in his expression other than ingrained discipline and perhaps a flash of annoyance. He didn’t seem thrilled about being on babysitting duties. After a minute, I assumed he wasn’t going to answer me, like the others, but he surprised me when he replied, “There is a storage room with supplies.” His voice was cool, flat, emotionless. Is that what they taught in Thornland? How to be a killer without an ounce of feeling?

  “Thank you,” I said, offering him a half-smile. “Where would that be?” Since I’d spent all my free time reading, I still didn’t know my way around this maze of a castle.

  If it had been permitted for him to roll his eyes, I imagined he would have. “Follow me,” he said in a gruff voice.

  This was progress, or so I hoped. I strolled back into the castle, following the sentinel in search of paper and something to write with. When I couldn’t stand the silence anymore, I asked, “What’s your name?”

  He gave me a glare. “My name isn’t important.”