Page 44 of Abducting Sarah

“Predict,” he said of the ghost that had met them when they’d arrived on Halla a short while ago. “She has been hanging around Valor’s place.”

My brow knitted together. “Why is that a problem?”

“You don’t know…wait…you have no idea, do you?”

“Know what?”

He ran his fingers through his hair, aggravated. “Since they were murdered and became ghosts themselves, the conduits have grown ruthless. They built a temple here on Halla, and no one came. No one paid them tribute, because what was the point anymore? They don’t need to talk to the deadforthe dead, you know what I mean? Ghosts can talk to each other without conduits.”

“But the faith—”

“No. When the older conduits, the ones who were still on Halla when the younger ones arrived, they didn’t understand why the younger conduits were building a temple. They told them their authority was stripped the moment they died, but the young ones wouldn’t hear of it.”

I shook my head. “The conduits not only spoke for the dead, but they spoke for the gods, too. Why didn’t anyone come to the temple?”

“Think about it. When was the last time you prayed to the gods?”

I shrugged. “Okay, fair, but—”

“Jac, you don’t understand. The younger conduits murdered the older conduits.”

My blood ran cold. “They did what?”

He slowly nodded. “They are the reason there is violence on Halla. Well, an increase in violence. They started demanding tribute from the ghosts, from the living, from anyone. They are afraid people no longer take them seriously.”

“Halla is supposed to be the one place where we are all equal. We are all equal in death,” I insisted. “It’s one of the first tenets of the faith. How could they try to create a power structure here?”

He shrugged. “They had power once. They want it again.”

I was infuriated and my voice became an angry growl. “The power thatJusticestole from them…”

“Yeah,” he drank his banwine down. “But even Justice can’t scare them as much as their own myths.”

More confusion settled inside me. “What are you talking about?”

“According to the conduits, someone is coming to help the residents of Halla, both the living and the dead. Not sure how. A special conduit of some kind. I don’t know, I don’t follow the mystical stuff. But whatever it is, they are not happy about it.”

I couldn’t wrap my head around any of it. They were respected by all, before Justice murdered them. Ladrians used to worship at their temples and pay tribute. It was a part of all our lives, until Justice decreed otherwise. “I can’t believe the conduits formed a gang.”

Gram sighed. “You could call it that. And they’re not the only ones. Since the conduits have been killing the unfaithful, others have been banding together for safety. People are choosing sides, Jac. Halla has gotten a lot colder in the past couple of years.”

“A shame…I had thought about retiring here.”

He laughed. “Not a great plan. Not anymore.”

“Yeah, well, I still need protection for Sarah. She’s a human. Can you do it?”

“I can try, but the conduits have their eyes on me. You might have better luck with some of the other living.”

“Why are their eyes on you?”

“I make bone knives,” he pointed out. “And then, there’s Omen…”

I finished my banwine. “You ever think about giving that up? The knife business.”

“I gotta eat.”

“There are other ways to make money,” I pointed out.

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