Page 55 of Sanctuary of the Shadow
“And neither are the wraiths. I get it. But how does this prove anything?”
One dark brow lifted. “I’m not finished yet. After the obliteration of her bloodline, Queen Darya set about exacting her own revenge. She was determined to find a way to destroy Furie’s Elementals the way Furie destroyed hers.”
Mal shook her head. “And the cycle continues…” The bloody Queens and their petty squabbling were the cause of so much death and suffering, and it wasn’t fucking fair.
“Indeed.”
“I thought wraiths were unkillable.”
“Nothing is unkillable. The wraith that spared Harrow’s life was savagely punished by Furie for its disobedience, which greatly weakened it, providing Darya the perfect opportunity to capture it. She spent the next fifty years searching for a way to destroy the wraith before she was finally successful.”
“Which brings us to today, then.”
“Yes. Darya discovered how to permanently bind the wraith to his corporeal form, making him vulnerable and, therefore, killable. Unfortunately, during the transformation, he was cast from her prison in a magical explosion and disappeared. She believed the wraith had escaped, until recently, when I received word of a creature for sale in Allegra that fit the description.”
“You’re saying…Raith.”
Salizar nodded.
“Is actually a wraith.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Malaikah’s blood went cold. “But how do you know this whole story with Darya is true? You can’t have spoken to her directly. No one’s heard from the Queens in years.”
“I think it’s time you understand who I am, Malaikah. I allow others to believe I’m nothing but a wandering Enchanter seeking his place in a new world where our kind has become outcasts. While that is partly true, I am also an emissary of Queen Audra, dispatched with orders to protect stray Elementals from subjugation and consequent eventual extinction. Running this circus is my royally decreed duty, not just a hobby I entertain.”
Malaikah gaped at him, seeing the tall, imposing Enchanter in a new light. She’d always known he was powerful. Few Enchanters could create a weapon as potent as his staff. But she’d never suspected he was on a secret mission from the Air Queen.
“But that would mean…” She couldn’t even finish the sentence. What did it mean?
“It means the Queens are still involved in our world and are trying to change things. As soon as Darya lost the wraith, she sent word out, asking for help locating her missing prisoner. Audra came to me. I was to find the wraith, contain it, and travel west to deliver it to Darya, where it would be destroyed.”
Mal could only stare. “Sweet Mother Goddess.”
Salizar stared right back at her, those brilliant blue eyes drilling his point into her head.
“But why…” She couldn’t accept this. There had to be another explanation. “Harrow said she sensed Raith was innocent. That he hadn’t killed before. If he’s the one who killed her whole family, then how…?” The idea of Harrow running around with her mother’s murderer was enough to make her sick.
“I don’t know why Harrow believes what she does. Perhaps she is fixated on him because she instinctively senses the connection he has to her lost family. Perhaps her mind, broken by tragedy, has sought closure so desperately that it turned that connection into desire.”
Malaikah stared at Salizar, hating how this made sense. Was it possible Harrow was wrong about Raith? But no, this was way too big. Her power, the Water, was supposed to be wise and all-knowing. It would have told her if Raith was dangerous, if Raith hadkilled her family, for the Goddess’s sake. It would have.
Wouldn’t it?
Salizar stood suddenly, causing Malaikah to jump. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts tonight. I will continue my search for Harrow and the wraith and won’t push you further for your cooperation. However, I warn you that I’ll do everything in my power to uncover them. I’ve already sent word to Audra about their escape and have no doubt she will pass on the news to Darya, who will likely—”
“Wait. Darya knows about Harrow too?”
“Who do you think sent me to find the ten-year-old Seer orphan in the first place?”
Mal stared at him with her mouth hanging open.
“As I was saying, think about what I’ve told you. Is Harrow’s life worth endangering for this? How devastated do you think she’d be to learn the truth? If you change your mind, come to me at any time.”
He put his hat back atop his head and crossed the caravan, throwing open the tiny door and stooping to pass through. At the last second, he turned back. “I run this circus to protect Elementals and give them a chance at a better life. I know who you are and who your family was, Malaikah. I know who you’re running from. Why do you think they’ve never caught up with you after all these years, though your face is plastered across every poster for our show?”
“I—I never thought…” She honestly hadn’t considered it. She’d always thought Kambu was too deep in the South to be in contact with the other cities they traveled to.
