Lilani’s eyes, and the wraith’s lightless gaze behind them. Deilin’s control was strong if blood wouldn’t tempt her out. “Leave the child alone, Deilin. It won’t work.”
More cursing. Lilani twitched and writhed, but Adam held her fast.
Isyllt rolled her eyes. “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance.” She reached out, pressed her bloody hand against Lilani’s chest. Flesh stopped flesh, but cold otherwise fingers stretched further, clenched in tangling souls.
“Lilani,” she whispered, praying the girl could hear her over the ghost’s invective, “hold on.”
And she wrenched the ghost free.
Lilani screamed. Someone in the hallway screamed. Deilin lunged against Isyllt, icy dead fingers clawing for her throat. Just a pale shadow to Isyllt’s blurring eyes, but strong with anger and desperation. The ghost fell against her, nearly as solid as flesh, and both women tumbled off the end of the bed.
The salt circle caught them like a wall of fire, and Isyllt twisted in time to keep from breaking it. Her arm was numb, breath a shuddering plume in the frosty air.
Deilin was strong, but Isyllt was a trained necromancer, student of the finest sorcerer in Erisín. She drew a breath, focused, and pinned the ghost flat to the floor. Her ring spat opalescent fire, burning with the presence of death.
Anhai trembled at the threshold, held back by her sister’s arm.
“I can make sure she never does this again, to anyone.” Isyllt’s voice rasped through her frozen throat. “Will you give me leave?”
Anhai gasped, pressed a hand over her mouth. Vienh’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Do it,” she spat. Anhai made a choked sound and turned her face away.
Isyllt stood, the ghost twisting in her grip like a cat made of gossamer ice.
“Deilin Xian.” The spirit trembled, eyes wide now with fear, the madness leaving her. Too late. “By your name and your soul, you are mine.”
The diamond blazed, bright enough to bring tears to Isyllt’s eyes. Deilin screamed and screamed as the fire burned her, froze her, swallowed her whole. Then she was gone and the lack of sound echoed through the room. The screams lingered in Isyllt’s head as the ghost pounded against the flawless adamant curves of her new home. Then the other ghosts who dwelled in the diamond found her, and there was only silence.
Lilani sobbed, clinging to Adam. At Isyllt’s nod of invitation Anhai and Vienh rushed into the room, breaking the circle and snatching the child into their arms.
Isyllt leaned against a bedpost as the room spiraled queasily around her. Lamplight lanced through her head, sharp as a blade, and as the numbness receded pain rushed up her arm. Sweat and sickness clogged her nose and her stomach lurched as she stumbled into the hall. Adam caught up with her in a few strides, holding her against him when she would have fallen.
She barely pulled free in time to vomit.
Isyllt accepted Anhai’s tearful offer of tea, if only because she feared Adam would have to carry her back to the Silver Phoenix otherwise. The old serving woman boiled water while Anhai found bandages for Isyllt’s hand. Afterward, she sat on a low couch, dignity and corset stays keeping her upright when she wanted to melt, and let hot spices wash away the taste of bile and wine and ease the lingering chill in her bones.
Anhai picked up her cup, but her hands trembled so badly she set it down again. “That you had to save my niece from her own blood…” She shook her head. “My family is in your debt, Lady Iskaldur, more than I can say.”
“Isyllt, please.”
“Then you must call me Anhai—”
“Iskaldur?” Vienh interrupted, coming into the room. “Isyllt Iskaldur?” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Isyllt.
“That’s right.”
“Mother’s bones!” The woman shook her head, undoing the hasty knot that held up her hair. “I’m first mate on the Rain Dog. I’ll see that Izzy gives your money back.”
Isyllt swallowed a chuckle, glanced at Anhai. The woman caught the look and smiled.
“Don’t worry. I’m well aware of what my sister does on that boat of hers. But silence is the very least you may ask of me, La—Isyllt. After what you did for Lia, I would help you load a smuggling ship myself.”
Isyllt nodded thanks. “Keep the money,” she said to Vienh. “Just don’t let him sail off in the night.”
Vienh grinned wearily. “I’ll flense him myself if he tries.”
“Do you know why your grandmother was so angry? More than a lack of proper funeral rites, surely.”
The sisters exchanged a glance,