"Patiri fasma!" she snapped, and a shiver of power went through her, shooting up her arm. Her bones ached as the spell drew upon her own anger and a flash of bright golden light seared the shadows around her, erupting from her fingers.

Wild Edric cried out and released her hand and his form shimmered and dimmed, becoming just as much a phantom as his soldiers, little more than a silhouette in the darkness, a shade seen most clearly out of the corner of her eye. But quickly he began to solidify again and there was a dark determination etched upon his face as he glared at her.

What little moonlight there was and the glow from the lantern on the carriage did not seem to reach the forest on either side of the road. The branches were too thick, the trees too dark, and now that her wits had returned to her Tamara understood what had happened. Farris, Doctor Nichols and William had somehow been shut out, kept away from whatever magic was happening there on the road.