Midnight Truth (Shifter Island #4) - Leia Stone Page 0,35

up my hands, empty except for the crystal shard, to indicate that I didn’t have her stone. And I wasn’t about to say it’d been easy to pull her here. “I’m not sure how I called you because…”

No way did I want to tell her.

“Because…?” Zia pressed.

After a sigh, I admitted the truth. “Because I didn’t really want you to show up. I mean, you weren’t very helpful last time—or even very nice.”

She nodded. “True. I was surprised to get pulled into training another spirit master—plus, you look so much like your mother I let my emotions get the better of me—but it sounds like I made a memorable impression on you. That’s likely why you were able to focus enough to pull me in. Lesson number one: your focus and attention to detail will determine your ability to call on spirits.”

“Gotcha.” Probably why it was so easy to spirit walk to Kaja and connect with Honor’s spirit in the Realm of the Dead. Also probably why I needed my ancestors’ soul stones to meet them the first time. I’d had no idea what any of them looked like or even their names to call on them.

“But … let’s start your lesson with that,” she said, pointing at the crystal in my hand. “Because the first thing you need to learn to do, on your own, is how to get in and out of the spirit realm using just your own magic, not a safety net crystal.”

Then we—and I use that term very loosely—worked on me bouncing in and out of the spirit realm—like, all flippin’ day—until my skin was pruney from sitting in the water. During our lesson, Zia explained that water was an energy conductor and made it easier to do magic, especially when training new students. By the end of our session, nine hours later, I could access the spirit realm in the blink of an eye—no crystal, and even out of the water of the spirit pools.

“Good job, Nai,” Zia said, standing up and brushing sand from her legs. “Now, go get some food and sleep. You need to recharge.” She pulled me in for a spirit hug, which felt nearly as amazing as a real hug. “Tomorrow, you should work with Than on the process of finding one’s soul stone. That’s probably what Geoff will want you to do next, given how short you are on time.”

I nodded absently until the memory of my first experience with a soul stone surfaced. “Where are soul stones found?”

Zia pointed in the air—away from where we stood. “They’re usually found on the Island of Power.”

Huh?

“You mean High Mage Island?”

“Is that what they’re calling it now?” Zia shrugged. “It’s the island the Mother Mage created that exudes magical power.”

Okay…

“So then why would the Keeper of the Dead want a soul stone?” I remembered the way he’d swallowed the one my grandfather had given me, and a chill ran through me.

Zia’s eyes widened. “Because then the soul is tied there—to the Realm of the Dead. Most of the time, that wouldn’t matter after death anyway because that’s where nearly all souls go, but for me, your grandfather, and eventually you—as a high mage of spirit, assuming spirit chooses you—our souls are sealed to our soul stones. So we can travel wherever we want after death, whereas if the Keeper owns your stone, you have to stay down there with him. Speaking of which … make sure you keep our soul stones safe, please.”

Suddenly I knew whose soul stone I’d given to the Keeper of the Dead and why he’d been so excited to get it.

“I know why Geoff didn’t come here with me the first time,” I whispered, a strangled cry dying in my throat. He’d given me the stone so nonchalantly, telling me it would get me and Rage out of there. I’d had no idea he’d condemned himself to the Realm of the Dead after his death.

Anguish, guilt, and shame all overwhelmed me, so strong I lost focus. Zia faded before my eyes, her concerned expression the last thing to vanish, before I jerked upright in the spirit pool, a sob on my lips.

Gramps … traded his eternity of soul-walking for … me.

I leapt out of the pool and raced back to the changing area, shucking my wet swimsuit as I ran. In a mad rush, I pulled my clothes on and then tore out of the glass-paneled room and ran up the stairs and down the hall