Page 17 of The Court of Secrets
I spotted something gray nestled in the tall grass. I moved the blades aside. “A skull.” I recoiled.
Vahaga didn’t look at me when he spoke. “It’s a burial ground, child. What did you expect?”
“For the bodies to be buried,” I mumbled.
He pretended not to hear me.
The smell of earth mixed with bone and death lingered around us. Hints of sage and blueberries combated it. Behind the burial ground—a large, untouched area filled with skulls, bones, and rocks—was a babbling river. Currents swashed over sharp rocks, and the banks on either side had curved over time.
Vahaga was dressed head to toe in white. Draped around his neck was a gold chain. “You must enter the water.”
I’d heard of it, of course. The place was legendary. The river sat between the land of the living and dead.
“It is the only way to speak with them,” he said, as if I didn’t know what it was.
“I know.” The bitter truth was I was afraid the ancestors would sense the dark magic inside me and deem me unworthy of the crown, or my father and Edgar would be waiting for me like they had been when I died and briefly moved to the other side, the place between the spirit realm and our world. I called it the veil.
“We will wait here.” His thin lips tightened into a frown. Behind him, three priestesses wearing red robes and silver necklaces remained silent, something they did well.
I leaned my staff against a tree trunk. “Turn around,” I ordered.
He did, as did the others. I struggled with the corset of the dress.
Vahaga intervened. “Having trouble?”
I stared at his back. “I can’t get my dress off.” I mentally cursed the maids who’d done it way to tightly this morning.
“Emelia.” He snapped his fingers at one of the priestesses in red, with dark-brown hair. She hurried on his command. It was the same one who’d come to fetch me from the courtyard. Gently, she pulled the ribbons until they came loose. Lowering her head, she moved back behind Vahaga. I removed everything but my undergarments, grabbed my staff, and walked to the water’s edge.
Breathing in a deep breath, I dipped my toe into the cool water. It felt different than I’d expected. The water flowed around my ankles as I waded into the middle. The currents caressed my skin. It felt alive. I could feel their souls, hear their whispers as I let the river take me. My staff felt as if it were beating under my touch. Half in the water, I sensed the energy tingling all over. I closed my eyes, and the whispers grew louder.
After a few minutes, the voices silenced. It was too quiet. Slowly, I peeled back my eyelids to reveal the figure of my brother. “André.” I almost toppled over at the sight of him. He appeared more vibrant in death. There was a peace in his eyes I envied.
“Sister.”
I cried at the sound of his voice. “It’s you.” I leaned over to hug him, but we were separated by a thin veil.
“We can’t touch.”
I moved my hand back and wiped my eyes. “You are my spirit guide?” I asked, referring to what we’d been taught since we were children. Each luna got a spirit guide, one of the ancestors to give them signs and guide them on their path. Normally, though, we never saw them. Many even debated their existence.
“I have been by your side throughout your journey.”
I never wanted to leave the water. “I don’t know if I can do this,” I admitted. Tears fell thick and fast. “It should have been you.”
His eyes widened. “If it was meant to be me, then I would be king. No, Winter, it was meant to be you.”
“I’m sorry you died.” I sniffled.
“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault.” Something in his expression teetered on the edge of frustration. As if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
I licked my dry lips. A spray of water splashed my torso as the current picked up. “Are you with me, like, all the time?”
He chuckled. “No. Only when you need me.”
That was a relief. I didn’t want to think about my brother watching me when I’d kissed Cedric… or Blaise. “Can I come here anytime?”
“Yes, but you don’t need to. If you need me, look for a sign. You’ll always know what to do.”
