Plague of Shadows

by Michael Wisehart

Nyalis tugged on his long whiskers. “Hmm. I suppose we didn’t talk about the tests, did we?”

  Ty huffed. Why did everything with this wizard have to be so complicated?

  “We can talk more about that when you’re ready. For now, I’m sure your family and friends are anxious for your return.”

  “Can I take someone with me?”

  “What?”

  “To return Aero’set. How many people can I bring?”

  Nyalis shook his head. “None, I’m afraid. This is a task to test the bearer’s worthiness, not others’.”

  Ty rested his elbows on his knees, suddenly feeling nervous. The farthest he’d ever been on his own was a trip into Easthaven to pick up supplies for his mother. And that had been a disaster. “When do I need to start?”

  “That is up to you, lad,” Nyalis said with a huff as he pulled himself up with his staff. “But I’d suggest sooner rather than later. Winter is setting in. Don’t want to get caught in its grip. Oh, and whatever you do, don’t lose that compass.” With that, Nyalis pointed his staff at the portico, voicing some kind of incantation.

  “Wait!”

  Nyalis stopped and turned.

  “You never told me where to start.”

  Nyalis shook his head. “I really am getting old. When you’re ready, you can meet me here.”

  “In Y’tarra? I don’t know—”

  “No, Meerwood. I’ll be here to show you where to begin.”

  “What should I pack?”

  “I would bring a month’s worth of supplies to be safe. Could take a while.”

  “How do you know this is even going to work? As you say, I’m only half faerie. Will that be enough?”

  Nyalis’s face grew grim. “I pray it is.” He turned back to the stone archway, raised his staff, and began chanting once again.

  A light flickered between the arch, so faint Ty almost didn’t notice. Then a wave of light erupted, and everything between the portico shifted. Where the grass and willows had once been now stood a stand of redwood. It was like looking through a doorway into another world. In a way, he guessed it was. He was still standing in the same ruins. He could see the willows and grass and stream on either side of the portico, but when he looked directly between the archway’s two sides, the garden was no longer there.

  Nyalis lowered his staff, looking rather drained.

  Ty walked over to get a closer look. “Do I just . . .”

  Nyalis nodded. “Just step through and follow the trail. It will lead you back to the campsite.”

  Ty nodded, took one last look around Y’tarra, and stepped through. It was a strange sensation, like a strong tingling across every inch of his body.

  The first thing he noticed was the sudden drop in temperature. He turned. Oddly enough, the same ruins he had encountered in Y’tarra were there as well, all except the dais and the floating bowl of silver liquid. The stone portico was standing right behind him, but the doorway was gone.

  He looked up. The sky was still filled with stars, and whatever had been keeping Nyalis’s garden lit was gone too, as he could hardly see the path ahead of him. The smell of jasmine dissipated, and in its place hung the scent of fresh pine and smoking embers. He followed the trail toward the smell of smoke. Before long, he could see light ahead, guiding his way to the campsite.

  Sheeva was the first to see him. With a start, she hopped up from her seat.

  Breen, who was in the middle of tossing another log on the fire, spun around. “Ty! You’re back!” His brother hopped the fallen tree to meet him. “Where’ve you been? We thought something had happened!”

  Ty felt all the air inside his body whoosh out as Breen engulfed him in a voracious hug, lifting him completely off the ground.

  “I left you a note,” he wheezed. “Nyalis had a few things to talk to me about.”

  Breen released his grip. “When you said ‘a few things,’ I figured it wouldn’t take all that long.”

  “Well, it didn’t.” He pointed at the stars. “Look, it’s not even morning yet. It only took a couple of hours. Were you afraid I was going to miss breakfast or something?” He started to chuckle but then noticed the strange look Breen exchanged with Sheeva. “What?”

  “Ty, it hasn’t been a couple of hours. We’ve been searching for you for three days.”

  Ty’s face went blank. “Three days? That’s impossible. We only talked for a couple of hours at most, and then I came back.”

  Breen looked even more confused than Ty. He took a seat on his bedroll and waited for Ty to do the same. “So, how do you feel?”

  Ty plopped down onto his bedding and gladly accepted the mug of tea Sheeva offered, steam wafting over the rim. He blew across the top and took a small sip. “I feel fine.” He let the liquid warm his insides as he rubbed his hand across the previously damaged shoulder where the arachnobe had injected its poison, the tear on his tunic now the only reminder. “The pain’s gone.”

  “Well, that’s something at least.” Breen still looked confused. “So, where did you go?”

  Ty scratched his head. How was he going to explain where he’d been when he wasn’t exactly sure himself? He took a deep breath and gave it his best shot.

  Breen’s eyes started to glaze over as Ty got around to describing two different moons. He went on to explain how Nyalis had tasked him with finding some sort of ancient faerie keep, as well as the tests he would need to pass. By the time Ty was done, both his brother and Sheeva looked even more confused than before.

  He waited for a volley of questions, but surprisingly, none came. Instead, his brother offered a single statement. It was the last thing Ty thought about before finally dozing off to sleep.

  “Just so you know, I don’t care what the wizard says. I’m going with you.”

  Chapter 15 | Ty

  BEFORE DAWN HAD broken through the trees, Ty was up and helping Breen and Sheeva pack what gear they had for their long trip home. Once finished, they stood at the edge of Meerwood, gazing in silence at the barrier Nyalis had raised to keep out unwanted guests. Ty was the first to touch the somewhat transparent amber that stood between them and the rest of the world. It was very similar in color to Sheeva’s eyes.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” his brother asked. “Better let me go first.”

  Ty didn’t give him the chance. Before Breen had taken a single step, Ty slid his hand through. “It doesn’t hurt. It feels kind of like water.” He pulled his hand back out to examine. “Dry.”

  Breen was the next to offer his hand, then Sheeva.

  Ty tried staring through the wall to see what was on the other side. Even though partially transparent, it was like looking for fish in a brook after a rain. He could see the bottom, but not very clearly. “Do you think Mangora’s still out there?” Ty asked, hoping there wasn’t a horde of spiders waiting for them on the other side.

  “I doubt the wizard would let us leave if he thought she was,” Breen said. “Either way, we can’t stay here forever. We need to get home.” Holding his breath, Breen closed his eyes and stepped through. Ty waited to see if his brother would drop dead or burst into flames. He didn’t. So, Ty stepped through, with Sheeva bringing up the rear.

  The water-that-wasn’t-water was warm and left his skin tingling. He stepped out on the other side, and a gust of frigid air hit him in the face. He turned back around. “I want to go back inside.”

  His brother caught him by the arm. “Let’s go.”

  The morning air was frosty compared to the forest, and a low-hanging fog moved across the mouth of Crystal Lake. Ty could see every breath. Nyalis must have been controlling the temperature inside the woodland for their benefit. He tried stuffing his hands inside his trouser pockets, but the effort was of little use since he kept losing his balance as they picked their way over the exposed rock at the northern tip of the lake.

  It felt like they had been traveling for hours by the time they reached the western side of the basin, fog still clinging to th
e edge of the water in pockets.

  “Hello there, pretty assassin!”

  Ty and the others stopped and scanned the edge of the water where he thought the voice had come from. A small skiff with a single passenger floated out of the mist. “Gilly!”

  “That’s me!” the little man said, pointing to himself with a big smile. He guided the boat up to an inlet between some of the larger rocks.

  “How did you know we were here?” Ty asked. “Have you seen the spiders?”

  Gilly shook his head. “No spiders. I saw where you had gone in, and I knew you’d have to come back out, so I’ve been circling this part of the lake every day waiting for you. I told you I would keep the boat safe.”

  “That you did,” Breen said, clapping the dwarf’s small shoulders as he stepped into the boat. “And we are very grateful for it.”

  Once everyone was inside and seated, Gilly moved to the bow and grabbed hold of the boat’s nose, his pudgy fingers curling around the wooden edge. “Are you ready?”

  “Wait,” Sheeva said as she took off her gloves and placed her hands on the sides of the boat. First, the white-haired assassin disappeared, then the boat, starting with where she was sitting and quickly spreading to the rest. Gilly was next to go.

  Ty yelped, as he and Breen appeared to be hovering above the water.

  “What happened? Where’s the boat?”

  Breen smiled. “You were unconscious the last time we did this.” He grabbed the boat and disappeared as well.

  Ty was now alone, just him and the water. He smiled. Apart from walking through a doorway into another world and stepping through a golden wall of water-that-wasn’t-water, this was by far one of the most interesting things he’d done on this trip. “I love magic.”

  “Your skin has to touch the boat,” his brother said behind him.

  Ty laid his hand on the edge of the craft, or at least where he thought the edge was, and the boat—along with its occupants—reappeared. But everything around him seemed to be hazy, like all the color in the world had grown tired. Had they floated back inside another patch of fog?

  “We can’t have everyone seeing us moving back downriver in this manner,” Breen said. His brother’s voice sounded strange. It seemed almost distant, as if coming from another room with a wall in between. Was this what the world was like for Sheeva when she was hidden?

  “Hold on,” Gilly said. “Here we go!” The little dwarf laughed as the boat lurched forward, throwing the others back in their seats. Ty looked behind them, expecting to see a sizable wake, but the water was as smooth as glass. His hair whipped behind him as he raised an arm over the side and caught the wind. They sped across the open water toward the mouth of the East River, and from there, home.

  With Gilly’s help, the journey back took less than half a day as opposed to the three or four days it would have taken without his help. Before Ty knew it, they were once again pulling the old skiff out of the water and back onto dry land. He was relieved to finally be free of Sheeva’s invisibility and to have the colors and sounds and light back to normal. As fun as it had been to experience her magic, it was something he wouldn’t have cared to endure for an extended period of time. It left him feeling almost light-headed.

  The sun was beginning to set, and long shadows were creeping into the forest when they left the river’s bank.

  “Are you sensing anything, Ty?” Breen asked, stepping over to the trailhead to scan the trees.

  Ty closed his eyes and let his magic spread out around him, penetrating deep within the woodlands. He could feel the animals slowing down for the day, making ready their nests. He could sense the flora settling in for the night, flowers’ petals closing as they waited for the next day’s sun to arrive. “I don’t feel anything. I think the spiders have left the area, at least for now.”

  “Good to hear. But under the circumstances, let’s keep as quiet as we can.” Breen withdrew his bow and nocked a long shaft. Sheeva nodded her approval and fell in behind the others, her blades held ready at her sides. Breen took the lead.

  Ty kept his senses spread like a net across the forest around them, waiting to pick up on the slightest movements. He realized that since his return from Y’tarra, his magic felt fully recharged. He wasn’t sure if it had anything to do with the place itself, or if the wizard had done something to him, but he certainly felt stronger. After his fight with Mangora, where he had drained every last ounce of magic he possessed, he couldn’t have sensed the toes on his feet. But now, he found he could sense at least a mile in any direction.

  Quickly and quietly, they padded across dried leaves and moss, keeping to the path before them. Their pace increased the closer they got. There was an uneasy tension on everyone’s face. Ty could only imagine it had something to do with the overwhelming stench of death in the air. Had the witch and her spiders returned to finish the job?

  Stepping out from around the last copse of trees, they caught their first glimpse of home. Ty could hear Breen breathe a slow sigh of relief as they spotted smoke rising from the chimney. A good sign.

  Once across the small bridge that spanned the brook behind their house, Ty could see lights on inside the cottage. The house didn’t look the same. Shutters were missing, shingles as well; windows were boarded up; deep grooves scored the walls where the spiders had dug in, attempting to burrow through. Oddly enough, the greenery covering their home looked completely untouched.

  “Looks like we made it in time for supper,” Ty pointed out, noticing for the first time the grumbling of his stomach.

  “There are extra horses in the pen I don’t recognize,” his brother said.

  All four pulled to a stop, quickly searching the surrounding yard and woods for signs of unwelcome guests.

  Sheeva stepped between Ty and Breen. “Hold on to me.”

  Chapter 16 | Ty

  TY GRABBED SHEEVA’S WRIST but tried not to hold on too tight. As soon as his hand made contact, the world of color faded once more. His own breathing sounded like hollow echoes from inside a great cavern.

  Gilly already had hold of her other wrist, so Breen placed his hand on the back of her neck, causing Sheeva to flinch.

  Cautiously, they started for the front of the house, stopping just outside the door to listen. The only thing Ty could hear was the echo of his own breathing. Breen finally lifted the latch to the front door and gave it a slight push. The door whined as it slid slowly open.

  His father and sister were sitting at the dinner table, along with most of the wielder council.

  Everyone turned and looked at the door.

  Feoldor wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I thought you fixed—”

  Sheeva released her magic, and everyone at the table gasped, Ty’s father and Veldon hopping from their seats as Reloria squealed.

  Adarra knocked Orlyn’s staff off the back of his chair as she ran across the room. “Ty!” She plowed into him and wrapped her arms around his neck, nearly squeezing the life out of him. His father wasn’t far behind. He couldn’t reach past Adarra to get to Ty, so he hugged Breen instead.

  “At least someone is thinking of me,” Breen grumbled. Adarra stuck her tongue out at him and smiled.

  Once the last of the hugs had been dispensed, the other members came around to greet them in turn, expressing their relief at seeing them alive, especially Ty.

  While Feoldor caught the two brothers up on the council’s cleanup efforts over the last few days, Gilly told Veldon of their trip on the East River. Sheeva, quiet and watchful as ever, remained in the background, happy at not being the center of attention. Although, Ty noted that his father took the time to stop and thank her for helping his boys.

  “Is Fraya not here?” Breen asked, looking around the room.

  Ty’s father shook his head. “She and Lyessa have been helping Aiden with his recovery. He was about as close to death as one can get. Fraya said his wounds will heal, but his mind may take a while.”

  Ty shrugged at the new
s, not really caring how long it took Aiden to heal—or if he ever did—and looked around the room. It was different. Everything was still situated in the same place; however, most of their furniture had been destroyed during their fight with the spiders. The pieces that had remained mostly intact still had cuts or gouges; some bore dark stains from where blood had soaked into the wood. There were a few new pieces scattered about as well, probably donated by members of the council. Adarra’s rocking chair had somehow managed to come out mostly unscathed, but the long bench Ty enjoyed lounging on was gone.

  It was clear the council had spent a lot of time cleaning the inside of the place out. The spiders’ stench was still present but not as overbearing as it had been. It would take a while to air out completely, considering how much of the house had been painted in the green filth.

  Thankfully, the unwelcome reminder was being overpowered by a new scent. Ty took a whiff. “Something smells good,” he said, glancing at the kitchen, half expecting his mother to come walking around the corner with a ladle in her hand and an apron around her waist.

  But she didn’t.

  He felt his father’s hand on his shoulder, as if he knew exactly what Ty was thinking.

  “Let’s eat,” Orlyn said as he retook his seat at the table, “before it gets cold.”

  Ty joined the others as they discussed all the details of what had happened since their departure some days back. The bowls and platters had been picked clean by the time Ty managed to explain his visit to Y’tarra and the realm between realms.

  “Nyalis said that I was different from other people with magic. He said I wasn’t just born with magic. I was born of magic. He told me I was one of the Marked Ones.”

  “Marked Ones?” his father asked.

  “Are you talking about that thing on your shoulder?” Breen asked.

  Reloria pulled a piece of red taffy from her purse. “What thing on your shoulder?”

  Ty stood, removed his coat, and rolled up his sleeve far enough to show the marks that ran from his shoulder down to his forearm.