One, made of leaves.
Another, formed with water.
The third, a creature of the wind.
The fourth, born offire.
They were myths brought to life, beings whose very existence had been doubted by many before they appeared to aid the High Ladies in the events leading up to and during the Battle of Balance.
The Spirits.
Marius’s heart hammered in his chest, and his breath caught as he drank in the sight of the legendary beings before him.
They were every bit as majestic and awe-inspiringly terrifying as he’d been told.
There was Myhhena, the Spirit of the Woods.
She stood on the left, her tall, lithe body floating on air. She was a woman, but not. Her flesh was bark, her eyes were moss, and leaves and vines covered her form. There was an ancient beauty about her.
Next to her, his body a living river, was Castien. The Spirit of the Waters dipped his head in Marius’s direction. He was made of water, yet he wore armor of the same liquid. He gripped a sword of ice, the weapon twice as long as Vivienne’s. His eyes were a piercing blue, and an aura of strength surrounded him.
Beside him was the one they called Omni. The Spirit of the Winds. His body was little more than air, a spinning cyclone that swirled in this empty, midnight space. The only reason Marius knew he was there, other than the wind that had brushed up against him earlier, was that every so often, silver sparks flew through Omni’s windy form. He was taller and bulkier than the other Spirits.
On Omni’s right was a blazing, living torch. Inferna, the Spirit of the Flames, was a consuming fire. Her eyes were blazing embers, a thing of beauty and death. Every part of her was made of flames, her feminine form outlined by the fire crawling up her burning limbs.
“You know who we are,” Inferna answered his previous question, her voice ringing through the empty space. “Don’t you?”
Marius dipped his head, instinct pushing him to his knees. Balancingon the tile, he bowed before the four Spirits. His pack slid, but it remained on his back.
“I do.” He couldn’t keep the wonderment from his voice. “Why am I here?”
At least now, the vastness of this space made more sense. The power held by the four beings in front of him wasn’t easy to contain. Even now, it rippled off the Spirits in waves.
Marius’s halfling magic would be no use to him here. Nothing could stop them from hurting him if that was what they desired.
“We called you here.” Omni stepped forward, and the wind brushed Marius’s face.
Inferna’s eyes were flames as they drilled into him. “We’ve been watching you.”
“Why?” The moment the question slipped out of Marius’s lips, he winced.
He was fairly certain interrupting ancient beings wasn’t a good idea, but he couldn’t stop the words from coming out of his mouth. His sister was always speaking at inopportune moments, and it seemed like it was his turn to do the same.
Myhhena’s leaves rustled as she strode on empty air. “You are not a child of the moon, yet you live as one. Now, you seek the Forsaken Blade.”
Was that the weapon’s name? It seemed fitting.
He explained, “I need the dagger to stop the First before it kills more people.”
The Spirits exchanged troubled glances, their faces grim.
“This is a dangerous path, Son of Kydona,” the Spirit of the Woods said. She seemed to be picking her words carefully. “There is a reason the Forsaken Blade is enchanted against children of the moon and blood. They have a history of being… difficult to control.”
Marius narrowed his eyes. He’d heard of Myhhena’s actions in Ithenmyr. He knew she’d both helped and hindered the High Lady of Life and her mate. He didn’t trust her, especially not with the turn their conversation was taking.
“My sister is a vampire,” he reminded them.
“Yes, and her husband is the King of Darkness,” Inferna said patiently. “His heart is?—”