Song of Shadow

by Natalya Capello

  “Surrender, heretic!” the one in front, a redcap, called.

  “Heretic?” Lorelei asked. “The heresy is the state your Order is in now. But I plan to change that, starting today.”

  The redcap snarled and raised his sword. The two guards behind him raised their crossbows. Lorelei drew in a deep breath, prepared to knock their weapons from their hands.

  “Wait!” Evangeline’s authoritative voice called out.

  She stood at the largest tent in the camp with one hand holding the flap open and a bronze spear with a flame-shaped point in the other. She was dressed in chainmail over thick red robes and the flaming star, symbol of the Apostle of Fire, around her neck. Her stern gaze remained on Lorelei as she marched to the center of the encampment.

  “This is a surprise,” Evangeline said in a calm voice. “I didn’t expect you to be so foolishly loyal to come here alone. What do you expect to accomplish here?”

  Lorelei looked around at the encampment. “I came here for Vaana. I’m not leaving without her.”

  “You should have run,” Evangeline said. “You would have survived for at least a little longer.”

  Lorelei tilted her head. “Nope. Couldn’t do that. I wasn’t going to leave Vaana to be dissected, or whatever you people plan to do.”

  “We people?” Evangeline’s eyebrow twitched. “She is fallen. I am taking her to be cleansed by the Voice of Wisdom herself.”

  Lorelei let out a laugh. “Your Voice is a fake, as are you, Evangeline.”

  Evangeline’s face twisted into a scowl. “That’s Apostle of Fire, heretic!”

  “No, you’re not the true Apostle of Fire,” Lorelei said in a soft voice. “I’m sorry if you believe the lies your fake Voice has been telling you, but they are just lies.”

  Evangeline stared at her with narrowed eyes. Then, she threw her head back and laughed. “You truly believe what you are saying. Your family was right. You are mad.”

  Lorelei gritted her teeth. “Really? I’m mad? Come on. Surely you have seen some signs of this. Maybe your power isn’t up to what it should be? Some prayers not getting through?”

  There had to be something to shake Evangeline. How was she connected to the real Apostle? She was drawing power from her.

  Murgleis, can you detect how it is happening? she asked.

  I will try.

  Evangeline jerked as if slapped and for a second her face contorted, her brows drawing together and a frown forming on her lips. Then it smoothed out as she drew a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. She nodded to the guards. They hurried to surround her in a shield formation. She waved the priest towards her tent. With a nod, he turned and sprinted inside.

  “I won’t allow a heretic like you to sway my faith,” Evangeline said. “Today, Vaana shall witness what happens to those who defy the Elemental Order.”

  With her words, the priest stepped out, dragging Vaana behind him. Her hair was still in its braid though the rain glued the flyaway hairs to her face. Deep shadows marred her face under her sunken eyes. Lorelei sucked in a deep breath and shot a glare at Evangeline.

  “I’ll be the one to kill you,” Lorelei said. “And I hope your mistress is watching because I’m coming for her too.”

  With that, she burst out a quick song. In a flash of brightness, a bolt of lightning struck Evangeline. The force of the strike blew outward, sending the guards flying. They hit the ground in all different directions, convulsing and shuddering as electricity raced across their bodies.

  As the bolt hit, Lorelei changed her verse, willing the air around her and Vaana to cool and buffered the force of the blowback. The priest holding her was not so lucky. The wave lifted him off his feet and slammed him into Evangeline’s tent.

  A cloud of steam filled the area, obscuring Evangeline. Lorelei turned, waiting for it to clear. When it did, Evangeline stood where she had been with her spear in hand, untouched. Lorelei scowled. This was ridiculous.

  She has to be using the Apostles Aether to protect herself. Were you able to detect how she’s channeling it? she sent to Murgleis.

  It’s the symbol around her neck, Murgleis said.

  That made sense. She was using the symbol of the Apostle as a conduit between the two.

  “You are powerful. More than we’d expected. However, it’s not enough,” Evangeline said. “It is my turn.”

  She slammed the butt of the spear onto the ground. Heat filled the air as fire burst into existence in a circle around Lorelei. With a gasp, she sang a quick song, willing the wind and rain to form a shield. Even with it, the fire broke through, licking her arms and torso. She forced the shield to torrent out and douse the flames. With a hissing sound, steam rose up around her.

  Lorelei glared at Evangeline, sweat beading along her forehead. Her Aether was growing low. She had enough for maybe one more large effect, perhaps a few smaller, quick effects. She needed to get that symbol from Evangeline. It was time to rely on Murgleis.

  Evangeline spun her spear in a swooping motion with one hand. As she did, fire flared from the tip down the shaft until the entire thing was burning with a bright flame. The rain hissed as it hit the spear.

  Evangeline gripped the weapon with both hands, pointing it at Lorelei, and charged her. Lorelei spun to one side and knocked the spear to the other with her sword. Murgleis screamed in her head as he made contact with the spear.

  What is it? What’s wrong? she asked in a silent panic.

  His mental voice was filled with pain. That spear is holy. It burns me.

  Before Lorelei could respond, Evangeline brought the spear back and jabbed Lorelei in her shoulder. Lorelei bit back a cry as searing agony flared in her shoulder. She jerked back several faltering steps and brought Murgleis up in a defensive stance.

  We need to disarm her and get to that symbol, Lorelei said. Can you take another clash with the spear?

  Too much contact with that spear would force me to Change, Murgleis said. If I’m going to risk such harm, I expect a payment. Her soul would do.

  Lorelei pressed her lips together as she and Evangeline circled one another. She’d let him take Beth’s soul. Was this any different? How far down this soul taking path was she willing to go?

  There had to be another way.

  No, she told him. I’ll do this on my own.

  She dropped him to the ground and brought her hands up with her fists clenched.

  Evangeline threw her head back and laughed. “Have you given up already?”

  Lorelei smirked and gestured for Evangeline to make a move. Evangeline charged her with the spear aimed at her chest. Lorelei stepped back and let her pass. As she did, Lorelei grabbed the shaft of the spear, gritting her teeth against the burning. She twisted the spear and yanked it free from Evangeline’s grip, hooking the chain with the symbol and ripping it from her neck.

  Evangeline let out a cry and she stumbled, falling to the ground on her knees. The flames around the spear died in Lorelei’s hands. Lorelei twirled the spear around with the point at Evangeline.

  Evangeline stared up at her with her mouth agape. “My power, what have you done to me?”

  “The power was never yours. I simply took the bauble that allowed you to channel it,” Lorelei said.

  Evangeline stared down at her hands with her brows knitted together. She glared back up at Lorelei. “You are lying. This is some sort of trick.”

  “Even now you deny the truth.” Lorelei sighed.

  “I know the truth,” Evangeline hissed.

  Madness crept into the false Apostles eyes. Her face twisted in a snarl, and she leapt at Lorelei with her fingers spread as if she intended to claw Lorelei’s face. Lorelei raised the spear and thrust it forward so Evangeline impaled herself upon it. She gave a gurgling sound as blood seeped from her lips and then went limp, pulling the spear down with her weight.

  Lorelei pushed the dead woman off the spear with her foot. She drew in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and raised her face to the sky, l
etting the rain wash away the blood.

  She’d done it. No demon sword, no help from others. She’d defeated the false Apostle on her own and she would probably carry the burn scars to prove it for the rest of her life.

  Someone cleared their throat from the side.

  Lorelei looked. Vaana stood over the body of the Fire priest, free of her chains. She held a small dagger. A smirk played across her lips.

  “I was going to help,” Vaana said. “But it seems you had the whole thing handled.”

  Lorelei grinned at her. “You came to me because I am capable of great things, right?”

  “Not exactly, but we can go with that,” Vaana said. “We need to see to those wounds. Where is everyone else?”

  An ached filled Lorelei’s chest and her eyes widened. “Vandermere! He’s in the woods. You have to see to him first. Do you know if they have any of that healing water?”

  Vaana shook her head. “I’m not sure. Let’s not waste time now searching for it. I should have enough Aether to heal at least one of you. Are you able to take me to him?”

  Lorelei looked down at herself. Her skin throbbed from the burns across her torso and hands as did the cauterized spear wound.

  She gave Vaana a faint smile. “My legs still work. Let’s go.”

  Lorelei led Vaana the short distance to where she’d left Vandermere. He stood, leaning against the same tree, soaked and shivering with his jacket still over his head. His chest heaved and his face had taken a grayish tinge. Vaana pushed past Lorelei and moved to his side. He shot her a halfhearted glare but didn’t move away as she touched him.

  “Where are you hurt?” Vaana asked.

  “Leg.” He turned to give her better access.

  Vaana muttered under her breath as she removed the bandages. She pulled the blade from the wound, eliciting a groan from Vandermere, and placed her hand on the wound. Her chants were a soft cadence.

  He looked in Lorelei’s direction. “I take it you won.”

  Lorelei nodded. “Evangeline has been dealt with.”

  “Good.” He gave her a gentle smile. “Could you end the storm then?”

  “Oh, right.” Lorelei sang a calming song and willed the clouds to depart.

  The rain stopped and the clouds began to drift away. By the time Vaana had finished her chanting, the sun was shining down on them.

  “That was fairly easy.” Vaana turned to Lorelei with a glare. “You made it seem like he was worse than you.”

  “He was bleeding,” Lorelei said.

  Vaana shook her head with a light chuckle. “Well, come here and let’s see what I can do for those burns.”

  As Lorelei took a step forward, the boom of an explosion echoed from the direction of the encampment. Lorelei started and spun in that direction.

  A flaming figure stood in the center.

  39

  As Lorelei rushed towards the figure, her mind raced. Had Evangeline somehow risen from the dead? Had Daan done that? She barely registered the footfalls of Vandermere and Vaana behind her. She stopped short at the entrance and breathed a sigh of relief.

  Hesiah stood over the fallen body of Evangeline with the spear in her hand. She pulled back the hood of her flaming cloak to reveal a dark skinned sidhe with brown hair. Her eyes were tiny flames, bright and orange.

  Vaana stopped beside Lorelei with her dagger raised. Lorelei held her hand out in front of Vaana as Vandermere joined them.

  “It’s all right,” Lorelei said. “Vaana, this is Hesiah. The true Apostle of Fire.”

  “What do you mean, true Apostle?” Vaana asked in a high pitch.

  “It’s a long story,” Lorelei said. “I’ll tell you later.”

  “If there is a later,” Vandermere muttered.

  “I owe you my thanks.” Hesiah smiled at Lorelei. “You freed me as you said you would.”

  Lorelei nodded and bit her lip. “Hesiah, would you know anything of the people in the church you were bound beneath? Especially about any mages they were working with?”

  “I’m sorry,” Hesiah said. “I know very little. I was visited occasionally by priests of Fire, however, I was bound by Daan herself.”

  Vaana’s eyebrow shot up and she took a step forward. “All right, you need to tell me who or what this…thing is…and what she means by being bound under a church by the Mother of Vampires.”

  “We told you, she’s the real Apostle of Fire.” Lorelei rubbed her face and scanned the encampment. “Look, it’s complicated and we shouldn’t waste time here when someone from the town will probably be showing up soon. I really don’t want to have to fight off anyone wanting to arrest us for killing members of the Order, especially the alleged Apostle of Fire.”

  Vaana opened her mouth and shut it. A grimace formed on her face. Lorelei couldn’t help the smile that came to hers. This time, she was the one rushing Vaana along without answering questions.

  Vandermere snorted. “We’re really letting her come along? After what she did to Verdain?”

  “That was before we met. And she just healed you. She could have freed herself and left when I was fighting Evangeline,” Lorelei said. “We need her and not just for her healing. I think we’re going to need her other skills as well.”

  Vandermere closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. His eyelids fluttered. After several moments, he exhaled and nodded.

  “It appears she’ll be in our company for the foreseeable future,” he said through clenched teeth.

  Lorelei smiled at him and turned to Hesiah. “What do you plan to do now? Will you be joining us?”

  “No.” Hesiah stared off into the distance. “I intend to find the other Apostles. The Mother of Vampires has them bound like I was. But I’m sure we’ll see one another again.”

  A chill ran down Lorelei’s spine. “They didn’t just capture you?”

  “For Daan to pose as the leader of the Order she would have to subdue all of us.”

  Lorelei’s mouth went dry as the enormity of Daan’s machinations hit her. And somehow the Shadow Court, especially the Black Herons were involved.

  “We’ll look as well, wherever our path takes us,” Vandermere said.

  “Thank you again. Now I must be off. As should you.” Hesiah nodded in the direction of the town. “You are right. They’re going to grow curious soon.”

  “We should gather what we need and head out.” Vaana strode toward Evangeline’s half-standing tent. “We can tend to your wounds along the way.”

  Hesiah stooped and picked up the false Apostles holy symbol. Flames flared from her hand, consuming it. A wave of heat wafted from her as the metal liquified and dripped to the ground. Lorelei’s eyes widened and all she could do was stand there and gape. The power of the Apostle of Fire was immense.

  With one last nod to Lorelei and Vandermere, Hesiah raised her hood. The flames around her swelled up to cover her. When they died down, she was gone.

  Vandermere shot Lorelei a wide-eyed glance, seemingly as speechless as she was. He took her hand and squeezed it, then moved to one of the tents that wasn’t Evangeline’s.

  Lorelei’s graze drifted to the ground to where Murgleis lay. She marched to him and picked him up.

  You dropped me. His voice sounded petulant.

  I’m sorry, but it was something I had to do on my own. And selling her soul wasn’t a price she was willing to pay again so soon.

  Does this mean you wish to lay me down for good?

  Not yet. We still need to get you to Kurnach. We have a deal, after all.

  Good, Murgleis said in a satisfied voice.

  Lorelei smiled as she stared up at the sparse clouds that remained. She knew she had only a few moments. There was still so much to do. Zaos had Amara. Daan would continue to pursue Vaana. The Apostles were being held captive. She and her comrades had a long journey ahead, but they now had a path to discover the truth.

  Even with the threat still looming over them, Lorelei took a second to bask in the glory of her victory.


  Lorelei’e adventure continues in Hymn of Ascension. Pre-order today!

  Interesting in adventures from Lorelei’s past? Want to learn what led to her parents believing she’s crazy? Sign up for my newsletter and receive Nocturne, a prequel Novella.

  Natalya’s Notes

  Thank you so much for reading Song of Shadow! I’m very happy you decided to pick up my book and here you are now, reading this.

  So, a little about myself… I have always had a love for fantasy since I was child. It started with fairy tales and progressed to epic quests to save worlds. It’s little wonder that I started roleplaying in my teens. Lorelei, the main character of Song of Shadow, is actually one of the characters I played. She became so dear to me that I wanted to tell her story.

  Lorelei started out as a bard, though with more magical powers. This is why she became a lyrist in the books. She’s had a love for singing, music, and tales from heroes of bygone ages since her inception. That’s probably why she gets into so much trouble in this book and in Nocturne. By the way, if you haven’t read Nocturne, it is available for free by signing up for my newsletter on my website www.NatalyaCapello.com.

  This book couldn’t have been possible without the love and support of my husband Jayson.

  I also want to give special thanks to J Scott Sharp for his great notes. The story is much better because of his efforts. Thanks to Rainy Kaye for her brilliant editing as always. My lovely cover was illustrated by Jackson Tjota and the typography was done by Christian Bentulan. Special thanks Lucy Smoke, Kel Carpenter, Felicia Beasley, Yumoyori Wilson, Ines Johnson, and Jasmine Walt for your support in the finishing touches.

  So, what’s in store for Lorelei now?

  Well, the Daan and the Elemental Order aren’t going to let her, Vandermere and Vaana alone. Especially not since Lorelei killed Evangeline. There’s also Zaos to deal with and Amara to find. You can find out what happens in book 2 Hymn of Ascension which will be out early November.

  If you enjoyed this book, I would really appreciate it if you would be kind enough to leave a review. Reviews help other readers see what a book is like. Also, I have a readers group! It’s a great place for my readers and me to get together and talk about books, life, and just have fun in general. I’d love it if you joined Natalya Capello’s Acapellas on Facebook.