Hexed

Pirkitta . . . Pirkitta . . . Pirkitta . . . It’s time for you to come back to me . . .

I froze. Vikkommin. That was Vikkommin’s voice from down below. I whirled, turning as the shadow embraced me, rushing up the side of the mountain. Within seconds, he was around me, a thick cloud, his energy filling every pore in my body, and as I forced myself to my feet I realized that Vikkommin had been waiting for me, and he was happy to see me.

“VIKKOMMIN, WHAT ARE you doing? What do you want?” I tried to keep myself focused on the reason for my journey, but the feel of his life force was like heady wine. I realized just how much I’d missed him—so much more than I remembered. The meeting was like fire to a match, like magnets long parted.

Pirkitta, you’ve come back to me. You’ve come to join me.

“No, no, I can’t join . . .” My voice drifted off. Could it be that Vikkommin still loved me? That he forgave me for what happened? Maybe I hadn’t killed him. Maybe he was telling me in his own way . . .

Come with me. You don’t know the power I have now, my sweet flower. My little concubine. You were my match. We can be matched again, in death as in life. And he surrounded me, a shadow taking form, his arms embracing me—his body made of smoke.

I dropped my head back, leaning into the billowing shadow that held me fast. His embrace felt so good and I remembered the nights we’d spent together, nights of passion and fire, nights of tasting love’s delights, the nights where we’d made plans to rule the Order: wise, benevolent rulers, full of love and lust and magic to shake the mountains.

Remember . . . remember what we had . . .

Trying to shake my head clear, I brought my attention back. “Vikkommin, I need to know—I need to know what happened that night. I need to know if . . . if . . .”

If you killed me? If you turned me into what I am now, my sweet sprite?

“Yes. Please, tell me . . . I can’t remember.”

And then, Vikkommin pulled me back into his arms and he was kissing me, his shadow so strong I couldn’t break away. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to. But then I saw a gleam—his shadow form had eyes as black as night and they were sparkling with the strength of a thousand dark suns.

Oh my sweet one, you most certainly did kill me. You tore me to shreds. You are most assuredly a murderess, and now you will spend the rest of your days with me, for I am going to do to you what you did to me. And we will be back together again, for eternity.

And then, he began filtering into my body, his shadow shifting through my pores, seeping in through the cells, and I started to scream.

SEVEN

“NO! PLEASE, VIKKOMMIN, STOP!” I PUSHED against him but it was impossible to push against smoke and mirrors. And as he entered my body, his madness touched my soul and I screamed again, for I saw how far over the edge he’d gone. Enraged, he was, and angry and out to hurt me in any way possible. He didn’t love me, he wanted to punish me for all time.

I struggled, fighting him, trying one spell after another. I pushed, but that had no effect, and I put up wards and barriers, but it was too late—the fox was already in the henhouse. Finally, in desperation, I screamed for a blast of ice lightning to aim itself directly at me—I could absorb the energy, I thought—but it bounced off of his shadow.

What the fuck was I going to do? I couldn’t let him win. He’d be able to do exactly what he planned—turn my body inside out and absorb my soul into his—and I couldn’t let that happen. I wasn’t ready to die. I struggled, dragging myself along the ice, trying to keep focused. The feel of him inside my mind made me want to scream, to shake him off like ants at a picnic.

I have to stay calm, I have to figure out what to do. If I let him rattle me, he’ll win.

I yanked the gloves off my hands, slamming my left palm down on a sharp chunk of ice. The pain broke through. I grabbed hold of the feel of torn flesh and hung on for everything I had and it cleared my thoughts for a moment.

Now what? I had only a few minutes to decide as he surrounded me, infiltrated my body more and more.

“The ring—the ring . . .”

I heard a faint voice on the wind and looked up the mountain. Standing on one of the rocky crags was Howl, watching but not interfering.

Of course! The ring of Shevah. I concentrated on it, begging for whatever help it might give me. A pulse rippling through my hand took me by surprise, and then another, and then a loud shriek ripped through the air and Vikkommin went sailing down the mountain in shadow form. As he picked himself up, I knew that I had to decide what to do next.

And then, Undutar’s words rang in my ears. Pirkitta, remember: To counter shadow, you must remove the light. Only in the darkness will shadow falter. Only in darkness can you destroy what is left of him.

Darkness. The cave—the Gates of Hel! I scrambled to my feet, driving myself up the mountain, forcing myself on. I knew Vikkommin was gathering himself, aiming for me again, and I had to reach the cavern before he came. In darkness, he wouldn’t have nearly the power he did out here in the light. All shadows need light to exist.

I struggled to catch my breath and, looking up, found Howl standing by me, in wolf form. He knelt down. I said nothing but leapt on his back and he raced for the cavern ahead, with me clinging to his back as if my life depended on it—for it did. We reached the cave and he knelt again so I could get off. Quickly, he turned back into his human form.

“I cannot go with you, little sister. I am proscribed from entering the Gates of Hel. But I will stand watch. Blessings, my Ar’jant d’tel.”

I gave him a soft smile. “If something happens, tell . . .” “I will bear the news to your friends, if need be. Go now. Your adversary is nearly on your heels.” And he backed away.

With a glance over my shoulder at Vikkommin, who was almost within reach, I took a deep breath and plunged into the cavern, into the darkness, into what I hoped would be my salvation.

THE CAVERN WAS dark, so dark I couldn’t even see my hands before my face. I quickly moved away from the opening, away from what little light emanated in from outside. I couldn’t allow Vikkommin to have any form of power over me, and the less light there was, the less power he’d have.

As I moved ahead, using my walking stick to sweep the path, I began to realize there was a form of light in here—my hair; the strands were glowing with a soft gold light. Just enough so that I could see the rock forms on the wall, even though all around me was inky and black. How the hell . . .? And then I realized that when she’d brushed my hair this morning, Kitää must have put something on it. But there was no time to figure it out now.

I hurried ahead, and finding an outcropping, I stopped behind it to catch my breath. He couldn’t see me in here, but he could probably hear me.

Pirkitta . . . Pirkitta . . . Where did you go now? You’re being a very naughty girl and I’m going to have to punish you for it. Come out now, back onto the ice, and I’ll make it easy on you.

I forced my tongue still, even though I wanted to shout out a retort, a snide comeback. This was no time for pettiness. I had to destroy him, but more than that, I had to find out why I’d done this to him.

I headed toward the back of the cavern and found yet another passageway leading down. Since I had no idea if I was coming out of this alive, I decided I might as well follow and find out where it led. As it was, I had no clue as to how I was going to destroy Vikkommin. Undutar seemed convinced I could do it while in the darkness, but I wasn’t so sure.