SPIRITBORNE | Book 1 of the Spirits' War Trilogy [excerpt]

12: THE RITUAL

"He will be all right. He is strong." Sejka's words are kind and reassuring, but there's a hint of uncertainty there that sends a chill down my spine.

***

That evening, the others hunt for us. I greedily devour the meat, having not eaten in far too long.

I have no idea how Thirteen made it so far; I could almost see his ribs through his tattered shirt. It's sad that the humans would treat one of their own so coldly. Thirteen isn't human – not fully, anyway – but he looks and sounds human. Surely that would mean something in their eyes. But it's because all they see of us are the parts we can't control; they only see the ones who have gone feral and the damage they have wrought upon the world.

I stare at the moon for the longest time before I finally enter my tent. The blankets are bunched up in the corner just the way I'd left them.

Just as I finally begin to pass through the shadowy gates of the dream world, I am awakened by the sounds of voices, faint whispers in the night. Groaning, I wearily lift my body from the ground, my sleeping bag still clinging to me like a cocoon. What are they talking about?

The night is still gloomy, but I sense the dawn rapidly approaching. Stalks of grass poke out of the snow here and there, and I flinch as they tickle my bare feet. Slipping behind the circle of tents, I head towards the voices. A single flame glows in the darkness, illuminating the fabric of Lauren's tent from the inside-out. I alter my course so they won't be able to catch my scent.

"So how long do you think it will take them?" Lauren's voice is as soft as the breeze that flicks my unruly hair into my eyes. I shake my head, hastily pulling the strands behind my ears as I lean against a nearby tree.

"I'd say a few days, give or take," David answers matter-of-factly. Hearing his voice is like listening to a rainfall after a long, dry summer. He's okay. He's still alive.

"We need to go. Now," Lauren commands.

"What do we do with her?"

"Adolphus is staying. He can keep her busy."

"Would it be better if she came—"

"No. If what you said was true, I'm certain she can't handle anything else. Her emotions can easily alter her directives."

"Now you're sounding like a..." David's voice trails off into the early dawn, and I imagine the look on Lauren's face, its smooth edges contorted with unbridled annoyance.

"We have to get things going, David. You've spent decades trying to reverse the damage the Covenant has wrought. Now it's only a matter of time before the Ritual is reversed."

David takes a long breath, causing the candlelight to flicker dangerously. My heart grows cold, its rhythm slowing to a mere crawl. Ritual? Reversed?

"Todd won't fall for that. There's no way the Covenant can actually—"

"David, listen to me. We are the epitome of impossible. Shapeshifters! Brought to life by an arrogant spirit under the light of a blood moon."

I blink. This is getting weird again. Why does my life always take such weird turns?

"Mac Tíre didn't mean for this to happen. We can't even prove that it was him."

Where have I heard this name before?

"The Covenant obtained the information from somewhere. Who else would've written down the proceedings of the original Ritual but its creator or someone close to him?"