Page 29 of Solivagant

Being as scarred as I was marked me as an easy target. Weak. Trusting. Pathetic. Then I’d learned to hide them, and people stopped underestimating me for the most part. For once, they saw me as beautiful. And I’d been stupid enough to ruin it all with Khorli.

Never again.

My mind blurred, and I used stolen abilities to cover myself. To hide my weaknesses. The scars, the patch of my hair that no longer grew.

The feelings eased, shrinking inside me. My head ached as memories changed, faded. His face blurring first. His voice. Replaced with nothing. A void. Growing. Growing. Growing.

“It’s done,” said the witch as she pulled her hands away from my face.

Done? I’d asked her to do something. Something. What was it?

“Some free advice. You might want to switch to consuming velkryn rather than somniths. They’re a far more stable and sturdy shapeshifter. Significantly less likely to result in madness.”

I scoffed. Madness was preferable to weakness. “Whatever you say,” I sighed. My mind and body were heavy. I wanted to rest. Wanted to get far away from this place. Why was I here?

My brows knitted as I looked around us.

“Come, then. I’ll send you somewhere safe.”

A scarred hand extended to help me up. I didn’t take it. I pushed myself up and ran my fingers over a braid that was much thicker than it should have been.

Why was I here?

I looked around the room for answers as the witch approached a far wall. There was a door there that hadn’t been before. Had it?

It opened to shadows.

“What’s that?”

“Some place Khorli will never find you. But I can. I’ll always be able to find you, child. Now go.”

My head ached as I stepped toward it. “Who’s Khorli?”

14

KORDAHLIA

Foolish child. If he needed to learn the hard way, then so be it. I had no sympathy for him, at least not until Khorli’s pain had broken his concentration and revealed to me his real appearance, more scarred than even I was.

It was impressive really, the level of constant awareness and magic he’d have to be channeling into maintaining that façade. Somnith abilities too. Notoriously unreliable. I prided myself on being able to cast and detect illusion magic, but he had it down to such an art form even I hadn’t noticed.

I’d wanted him to suffer. He’d hurt my beloved grandson, after all. But seeing all those scars made it very clear the boy had never learned how to love properly. And I doubted he’d ever been loved in return. It was a pity I’d have to take it from him when he did.

Alas, a deal was a deal, and when the time came, I would uphold my end and collect what I was owed.

First, though, I had to uphold my end of another deal. The soul given to me was incredibly damaged. It had not been collected with care, and was then left to wither, exposed on an antler for centuries.

I was confident in my ability to bring a human back for at least five lifetimes. This one, though… well, he’d be lucky to get a second.

I rubbed at my temples.

“Well, nothing like a little challenge.” I ran my hand through soft golden locks. “Isn’t that right, pet?”

Annalise tilted her head into my palm. She’d lost the ability to speak two reincarnations ago, but I believed she was still in there, and that she could understand me.

“I’m going to step out for a bit, sweets. I won’t be long.”

But first, I had to change.