Page 98 of The Reaping Rose

The woman peels her hood back, revealing round cheeks and rich dark-green eyes. She must be barely over twenty. Her light-brown hair is chopped jaggedly to her chin, with a single braid that hangs at her temple. And along the side of her face is a spiderweb of black veins that start at her forehead and crawl down one side of her face, fading when they reach the pulse on her neck.

The woman’s eyebrows pinch as she looks us over, but when I open my mouth again, the room fills with a choking shadow that reminds me of the first time I met Hazel. Only this doesn’t drain the magic that is around; it turns it to nothing.

I cannot move, cannot think, cannot access my magic. It is as if there is no more air in the crypt—in this realm. In a blink, we’re bathed in inky darkness, and then the hold is gone.

Shadows cease, and the woman vanishes. The air lightens.

I cough, holding my chest. “That was a person. It’s not possible.”

Perame is frozen where she stands, but her head is shaking. “I⁠—”

“How is the void a person?”

Her purple gaze meets mine, sliding to Callum and then to where the woman once stood. “I don’t know.”

Chapter 33

Elorie

Callum and Perame stay back while I pay for a room at the inn. We expected the void to be an object. Something we could quickly find and bring back with us. The void being a person changes everything. This mission won’t be as quick as we hoped, which means we need to find somewhere to set up a base while we figure out what to do next.

Idunn mentioned the void could be any form. But that of flesh and blood?

How are we going to use the void to pacify the orb if the void is a person of thought and free will?

I slide three silvers across the counter to the innkeeper. Perame snagged them from a man’s pocket when we cut through town. He won’t miss them considering his perfectly tailored suit and decorated carriage. And he doesn’t deserve to have them, given the sneer he gave a starving family as he walked past. So Perame slipped a few silvers from his possession to get us a room, and then a few more for the family.

The innkeeper’s sharp green eyes cut to Callum and Perame, who hang back while I pay for the room. “Are you new to town? I don’t think I’ve seen the three of you passing through before.”

My gaze follows the innkeeper’s as she continues to watch Callum.

“We’re from farther south. We came to meet a friend who is traveling this way.”

“Ah, you’re with Overlord Farseth’s group? I heard they were staying through the week. Their arrival has caused quite a stir. Although I believe they’re staying at the Heinrich Manor on the other end of town, so you might want to check there.”

The innkeeper’s suspicions fade as she decides we’re with this Overlord Farseth. She pulls back her strawberry-blonde hair, curiosity blooming in her gaze.

“That’s very helpful, thank you. We weren’t sure where they’d chosen to settle for the next few days, since we just arrived.” I give her a cautious smile.

“Of course.” The innkeeper leans closer. “Have you heard he brought the girl this time?”

“The girl?” The moment the words are out, I regret the curiosity piquing in my tone.

Thankfully, the innkeeper is too distracted by her own excitement to notice. “The girl who survived. I hear she travels with the overlord from time to time. Although I’m not sure why he keeps her around when death follows. It seems there’s more he knows that he isn’t sharing.”

“Oh yes, the girl.” I pretend to know what she’s talking about. “The one with the mark on her face.”

I think back to the black spiderweb that marked the girl’s face in the crypt. This must be who she’s talking about.

“I’ve heard it’s quite frightening.” The innkeeper frowns. “I don’t know why he’d bring her here when the forest is in shambles. The girl will only make it worse. I hope they’re leaving soon. Did your friend mention how long they’re staying?”

“Not that I recall.”

She slides the key across the wooden countertop. “Third floor. Third door on the left.”

I nod, smiling my thank-you as I turn to Callum and Perame. They’re already headed up the stairwell when I reach them. Callum glances at me from the corner of his eye, no doubt catching what the innkeeper said, even if his hood might have muffled some of our conversation.

We don’t dare speak about it out in the open.