Soul Seeker

28: Spirit Plane

Ciara was cold and afraid. She knew she had eyes, but couldn't open them. She had eyes... but did she have anything else? What was she? Did she have skin, a body? She felt like an unmanned boat, sliding uncontrollably through water.

Then she realised she could see. There were orbs floating near her, in the darkness. The darkness began to take shape. It was the spirit plane – she could see her surroundings, but everything was shrouded in that fog. She gazed upon her companions' souls, feeling awed that she was witnessing the very essence of their lives. It felt strangely intimate. Fell's soul was dark grey. Tonraq's was paler. Ciara glanced down at herself and was almost blinded by the pure, shining white. She was a wisp, made of pure energy.

Was her original grey soul in there somewhere? What had happened to it?

Ciara moved. In the spirit plane, corporeal obstacles were not barriers, and she slid easily through the door. There was no fire in the corridors – or did Hati's fire not show up here? She tried to remember the path she took from the throne room, but it was no matter: Hati's strong, powerful soul drew her like an insect to a flower, or a moth to light. She could feel the energy coming off him in waves, energy that matched her own.

Was she walking? She seemed to be moving too fast. Either way, it wasn't long before the throne room materialised, the source of that pulsing power.

Ciara paused, pressing herself into the shadows behind the arch, feeling nervous. Would Hati see her, or was he focused on the material world?

And then his voice rumbled through the room. "Are you going to stay in the shadows forever? I can sense you out there. Come into the light."

With no choice left, she entered the room – and fear froze her spirit-feet to the floor.

Hati's black soul was huge. It hovered at the throne, sending off waves of dark energy and heat, just like Ask's. The flames crackling at the circle were strangely colourless, like the rest of the spirit plane in the mountain, but they felt like Hati. His creation.

The darkness began to congeal. Ciara realised what was happening as the force grew stronger, threatening to force her to her knees. Hati was entering the spirit plane. The shadows formed into the shape of a person. Hati spread his arms as his fire-red eyes gleamed. "Do you like this form? Does it make me seem less dangerous than the wolf?"

"No."

He chuckled. "No, indeed. I am dangerous, whatever form I take."

"So am I." In here, nothing was restricting her. She was raw, undiluted power, and ice coursed through her.

"Please." His soft voice was scornful. "You're an amateur."

"Maybe. But you know what can combat fire, Hati? Ice."

He rolled his eyes. "All right, all right, calm down. It's an absolute pleasure meeting you in this plane of being again. I didn't think you knew about it."

"Well, I do."

"Has that charming, cocky bastard already explained it to you?"

Ciara gaped at him for a moment. "I... did not expect you to have so much contempt for Ask. You are talking about him, right?"

"Of course I'm talking about him. Who else? Why are you here, Embla?"

"To talk. Why don't you want to re-join the Syndicate? It would help everyone... wouldn't it?"

"Help everyone." He snorted. "Maybe it did, once. But when centuries passed, our ideals and aims changed. Nothing lasts forever. Except us, of course. There were arguments between the souls, the species with different ideas. It did not always benefit the world. If, by some miracle, you do reunite the Syndicate, you will see."