“What did it look like?”
“The body was transparent, almost like smoke. It had a recognizable head and shoulders, and its face looked uncannily similar to my grandfather’s, although I know it could not have been him. I tried to follow it, but it disappeared before I reached the end of the hall.” Kull’s gaze grew intense. “I have never seen such a thing, but even now I feel as though it follows me. I am a skilled tracker, which means I also trained in learning when I am being tracked, and right now, I feel as though someone—or something—is following me.”
“This isn’t good,” I said, feeling a cold chill creep up my back.
“No,” Kull said, “but it may be nothing more than a simple misunderstanding. It was late, and I hadn’t rested in quite a while. Plus, I do not like being in these close quarters for so long. The stress of the voyage could cause such hallucinations, could it not?”
“I think there’s more to it than stress. The elf princess told me there are powerful creatures on the outer isles. They caused the elven scribes to see things and eventually drove them to insanity. The closer we get to the isles, the easier it will be for their powers to reach us.”
“What sort of creatures?”
“I’m not sure what they are. Aliens? Ghosts? The Regaymor? Your guess is as good as mine. They dwell in the middle of a magical vortex, which makes them exponentially powerful.”
He grew still. “What else did the princess say about these creatures?”
“Not much, although I’m almost sure she wasn’t telling me everything.”
He nodded. “I agree. She is not telling you everything.”
“Kull, did she tell you what they were?”
He cleared his throat. “She once hinted at the information. It was after you had left for the pixie kingdom to seek out the pure-magic tree. I found her in her library, and I stumbled upon some information that would be very damning to elven society if revealed. This is how I was able to bargain my way out of my marriage to her, but unfortunately, she swore me to secrecy in exchange for the annulment of our engagement. I can never reveal what I know. But,” he added, “if you were to come upon the information on your own, then I would have no power to stop you.”
I considered his words. I’d often wondered how he had been able to get out of their engagement. Now I knew. But this left me with an even bigger question—who was on those islands?
The princess’s maps listed some of the species living on the outer isles, but none of them would have been capable of constructing a labyrinth. Plus, the princess had led me to believe she knew nothing more about the dark creatures on Verutith. At least, that’s what she’d wanted me to think.
Kull cleared his throat and turned his attention to the scarf under my arm. The normally soft fibers felt coarse where the hole had burned through it.
“Where did you find your scarf?” he asked, changing the subject.
I decided to go along with him, although, at some point, I would have to find a chance to have a more in-depth conversation with the princess. “I found my scarf in the galley,” I answered. “I have no clue how it got there.”
“No one saw who left it there?”
“Not to my knowledge. The cook swore he was the only person in the kitchen when he found it on the stove, right before it went up in flames. For all I know, he could have taken it.
“It’s been transformed back to its original state, so I spellcasted it to determine what type of magic was used. Whoever reversed the spell used goblin magic, which means that our suspicions are correct—a goblin is on the boat with us. It also means that he’ll be looking for the real orb, which is why I have to get to the cargo hold.”
“Let me come with you. I was headed there anyway, and I am in desperate need of something to do.”
“Bored, huh?”
“Extremely.”
Despite the goblin infiltrator, the hauntings, and the island of doom that we swiftly approached, I decided to make the best of our situation, so I hooked my pinkie finger through his and attempted to smile. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of beasts to kill once we reach the islands.”
“I’m counting on it.”
We found the stairwell and descended to the ship’s bottom. I wasn’t sure what we’d find once we reached the storage room, so I kept my Earth magic at the ready.
A wave crashed into the ship. I fell, hard, and my side took the brunt of the impact. Kull landed beside me. Stars danced through my vision as I sat up, rubbing my bruised hip. Boards creaked as the ship slowly righted itself.
“Looks as if we’ve raised anchor and begun our journey once again, although I’m not sure that is a wise decision. It sounds as if this squall is getting worse,” Kull said as he helped me stand up. “I hate this ocean.”
“We knew what it would be like out here,” I said. “I just wish we’d been wrong.”
Kull nodded. “There’s a reason no one travels these seas. Are you all right?”
“A little sore. Nothing big. You?”
He tapped the rabbit’s foot. “I’ve fared quite well. Lucky I had this.”
“I’m pretty sure you would have done fine without it.”
He shrugged. “Perhaps.”
We made our way to the cargo hold. I was surprised to find the door open and
