There was a rumor that even before I was born, my sisters bestowed longevity upon two kings. This was also one of our powers but no one knew back then that you had to keep this information a secret, otherwise it would become the thing thatd destroy us. And thats exactly what happened.
We are not immortal and our mission is dangerous, so a lot of sisters died in the process of cleansing the world from evil. And even if a Mara manages to live a full life, it will only be one and a half times that of a regular persons lifespan. Before, there was a balance, there were always seven Maras. If one Mara died, another ten-year-old girl would be marked by Morana.
But now Im the only one left and I cant see any point in doing people good in return for the evil they have caused us. But first things first, I need to free myself from these ties with Morok, which means Ill have to behave myself for a while. And in the end, Im also curious why they risked so much to revive me. Somehow, I dont think they did it just to get rid of a ghoul.
I throw back the hood and sniff the air trying to smell the ghoul. Hes sleeping in the shadow of the fir trees, waiting for dusk, when the sunlight wont disturb him anymore. The stench of rotting flesh is easy to distinguish from the fresh fragrance of the woods and the smell of damp soil.
Prince Daniel wants a show, so why not.
And I strike up a song, a quiet ritual prayer set to music. My lips break into an involuntary smile when I hear the prince and his soldiers let out a collective sigh of admiration. Its not only Maras faces that are beautiful, our voices, too. We need these to summon the evil spirits, which come running as if hypnotized. It makes hunting easier but theres also a side effect
I notice that Morok has got it all. Hes admiring neither the voice nor the tune, instead he unfolds his arms and starts walking towards me with an intensity that wasnt there before. But I raise my hand and surprisingly, he freezes, probably deciding to give me a chance.
To be honest, Im taking a huge risk. Maras only used to attempt a summoning song if at least three sisters had their back. But my own death made me somewhat reckless.
I keep singing for another few minutes. The sound vibrates in my chest, my lungs fill with oxygen and sounds are being pieced together in familiar words as if on their own.
I can feel them waking up. Just as I anticipated, the ghoul is not the only spirit that can hear me. I can feel a low hum spreading through the earth and vibrating in my legs. The birds fall silent terrified by the creatures that are hijacking their home. I finish the song and cast away my cloak, which would only constrict my movements. Under the cloak, Im wearing plain black trousers, a simple shirt and a buttoned-up caftan in a shade of burgundy. None of it is going to protect me from a blade, nor fangs or claws, but at least I can move quickly. I tighten my grasp on the sword and the dagger, my spine prickling with the anticipation of the on-lookers behind me. I breathe out and start counting to myself, sensing each of their steps.
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-one
Dear Agatha the prince starts, hes already tired of waiting.
Twenty-three
Are you going into the woods or do you need some help with that? Hes almost sneering.
Twenty-four
Twenty-five
The first one springs out of the woods earlier than I expect. A foul creature, which looks more like a demon than a human being, but of course hes neither. He has thin arms and legs with long, deadly claws, greyish skin with an obnoxious green tint is wrapped tightly around his bones, and the mouth is filled with razor-sharp fangs. I block his way when hes trying to dart towards the soldiers. I dodge his claws diving under his outstretched arm and thrust the sword from behind between his neck and his shoulder. The sword enters his body and I hear the revolting sound of his skin being ripped apart and his collarbone being shattered. The creature trips and falls down in a heap. Everything happens so fast that no one lets out so much as a squeak. But I can see the princes face turn white when he glimpses the wrinkled skin of the ghoul, now lying prone in the withered grass. Its an old ghoul whos been treading the earth for a long time and his shriveled skin and rare patches of shaggy hair look sickening. I lean in to finish the job and to show them some real magic. To thrust a sword into the creature is no big deal, anyone from those standing around me could do that. I touch the ghouls neck lightly with the tips of my fingers and grasp them, sparkling, iridescent, pale golden threads stretching along his spine. Threads of life.
This is our special power. We see these threads of life and can either strengthen them or if we want to, sever them. There should be three of them but the spirits have only one or two left, the others already torn. This ghoul still has two whole ones. I straighten up, holding the glittering threads in my fist, like a trophy, and stretch them as far as possible so that common people can see them too. And then, locking eyes with the prince, who doesnt even try to hide his admiration, I tear them by jerking my hand upward. The ghouls body shudders and becomes still, now for good, and the threads disappear.
My palm is sore, there are two deep cuts where the threads cut into it. But theres almost no blood as my heart doesnt work, it doesnt pump that red liquid through my veins anymore. I hide the cuts by balling my hand into a fist. I should have just cut the threads with a dagger like we always did before. But I put on a show in front of Prince Daniel on purpose, so that he knows that, if need be, I can cut off his life threads just as easily. Id hoped he would be terrified, but theres a glint of keen interest in his eyes and an almost happy smile lights up his face. The smile of a person whos found a diamond instead of a quartz. But I dont have much time to dwell on the thought as another ghoul jumps out of the woods. I turn to him now only clenching the dagger in my hand and wait for him to attack me. But the creature ignores me and makes a quick about-turn. I have just enough time to swing around and throw my dagger into his head before he jumps at the prince. The ghoul collapses right at Daniels feet.
Ill give him that, the prince doesnt pass out. Just takes a few steps back. Theres no trace of a smile on his face anymore.
Oh, my Goddess I sigh, realizing my mistake.
I exchange quick glances with Morok. I cant see his face or guess at his emotions but I have a feeling we are thinking about one and the same thing. I had expected all the spirits to attack only me but forgot that Im a walking corpse myself. The creatures are attracted to warm blood. I run up to the second ghoul, pull out the dagger and cut off the threads before he can get up again.
Should I be worried, Agatha? the prince asks with some tension in his voice.
Of course not, Your Highness! I lie. Or would you like to swap the first row for the last?
He doesnt have time to retort as there are new creatures rushing out of the woods. Though its only one ghoul and three ghosts. The latter are easier to deal with. I guess these are the souls of people the ghouls have dragged into their dens. But what surprises me is Moroks behavior, he steps forward and puts some distance between himself and the prince so that the spirits see him first and Daniel later. He probably could finish off these four spirits with his bare hands but instead he turns to me and nods, waiting for me to protect him? Or is he actually helping me by letting me deal with those on my own?