My hair swirled around me in a silver glow as whispers filled my ears. They called out to me and soon I could see gray shapes all around me that slowly turned human.

“Sol, how I’ve missed you,” my mother said.

A sob clung to the back of my throat. How was I seeing my mother? I remembered when I had woken up after my first poisoning. I had seen my mother and Lady Fiamma. Was it possible that it wasn’t a dream? Was it possible that they had spoken to me from beyond the veil of life?

“Mama!” I whispered. “Am I really seeing you?”

“Yes, my dear, it’s me. I’ve been by your side since my death. Now you can finally hear me.”

“Did you speak to me after I was first poisoned?”

“Yes, and I’m glad that you and Lord Cadfael are getting along. But we can speak later. Our people are dying. Help Neara and defeat that ship!”

I looked beyond the dead to the ship anchored parallel to our hold. Smoke rose from the cannon barrels just fired. I saw a flash of flame and heard the crack of thunder as another cannon fired. The mansion shook under the impact and I grew angry.

Why did they attack us? Why did we need to fight these senseless battles?

I took Neara’s hand in my own and stood up. Together we rose from the rocks, carried by the wind. My thoughts silenced as I grew in form. I balled my right hand into a fist and smashed the deck of the ship.

Neara, nearly matching me in form and height, ripped the mast from its shoring and tossed it far out into the sea like a javelin. Men scrambled about the vessel trying to flee, but as we caught them they turned to dust and their spirits joined the group of dead already surrounding us.

When the last man was dead we sank into the sea and regained our normal size. I hugged Neara while she trembled in my arms. “Sol, I want to go home," she said before burying her face in my bosom.

"Shh... I know. We'll find your parents," I whispered.

My mother floated in front of me. 'Sol, I have an important task for you. I need you to find my spear. This is very crucial to our victory.'

"Your spear? What victory?"

'The abomination that lies beyond the Forbidden Line needs to be destroyed. Two weapons were given to us mortals to ensure our victory. One was a sword, the other a spear.

'When I was killed the spear was lost, you must find it for me.'

"What of the sword?"

'Don't worry about the sword! You need to find the spear. I can show you where I lost it, it's up to you to find it.'

"Mama why is it important?"

She sighed in frustration. 'Our god gave it to me for safekeeping and I lost it trying to keep Melinde and Arno safe. I was a fool to think that I could take on a band of Landwalkers on my own. I overestimated my power and underestimated theirs. Our god does not reward foolishness.'

I reached out to touch her shoulder and my fingers passed right through her body. I recoiled in horror while my mother looked at me sadly. 'If only the Mistress allowed us to touch...'

"Mama," I sang as my heart ached. Why did it hurt more to see my mother and not be able to hug her than to have her gone entirely? 

'It's okay, Sol, I'm used to it. We need to go East toward the coral barrier.'

"Let me take Neara back to the hold first. I need to make sure that Vael is alright."

'If he is not among us, than his is most likely still alive.'

"Mama, I need to be sure!"

'You are being selfish! I failed the Mistress in my duties, it is up to you as my child to correct my mistake.'

I felt my face heat in anger. How could I help my mother's spirit if I was worrying about my husband? She was dead, and there was nothing I could do to change that. Why was it my duty as her child to fulfill her duty?

"I'm not going until I see him," I sang before turning my back on her.

'This is why you could never be a warrior; your father was right in forbidding your training. Our duties to the Mistress and our people must come before our own wants.'

I whirled around and glared at my mother. "Duties to the Bone God? My duty is to the Gentle God, my husband, and my people! I will be a warrior and I will slay Lemuete."

'Are you so dense that you do not realize where your gifts come from? Don't you think it's strange that we are even speaking to each other now?'

My voice stuck in my throat as we stared each other down. My mother folded her arms and began to fade away. 'You disappoint me, Sol,' her voice echoed as the last of her disappeared.

Neara tugged my right hand and pointed to the group of warriors swimming toward us. Among them was Vael. I felt my heart leap in my chest, throwing off my anger and confusion. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me. 

"We saw you from the hold," he sang. "I'm glad that you're safe."

"I'm glad that you are too... I need to tell you something," I sang.

"What is it?"

"I saw the spirit of my mother. She said that she was gifted a spear by our god, a spear capable of defeating Lemuete."

"A spear capable of slaying demons? Where is it?"

"She said that it's near the coral barrier to the east of us." Vael's arms tightened around my waist and he buried his face in my shoulder. I placed my hand on his head. "I need to find the spear for her."

"I'll go with you."

"What about the hold?"

"I'm not letting you go alone. What if more Landwalkers enter our waters and attack you?"

I threw up my hands. "You saw what I've done to them before!" He pulled his head back looked down at me.

"I also saw what our people did to you before the Mistress stepped in to save you. I am staying by your side. Ireta and Bran can manage the hold in my absence."

I sighed in defeat. If I tried to sneak away, he'd probably send a search party after me. He was afraid of losing me and for good reason. His first wives had left him and I had runway and been kidnapped. I could only imagine the worry I would cause if I had left the hold immediately after defeating the Gray Maiden. Vael could not afford sending his guards in search of me while the hold was in ruins.

"Okay," I sang. "Let's tell them now and then we can leave." He smiled sadly and kissed my cheek.

It did not take us long to give orders to the hold before we swam east. Vael held my hand tightly as we swam between his guards. We had left Neara at the hold and I hoped she would be enough to protect it in our absence.

My mother's spirit rejoined me and moved in front of us without the need to move her limbs. The water felt colder in her wake, but did not ripple or bubble as she passed through it. She was silent as we followed behind her.

"Vael, I have to tell you something," I sang. "My mother said that I was blessed by the Bone God."

"That would explain why your hair is white."

"She also said that the Bone God gave her the spear that we're searching for."

"So she was a champion of the Mistress?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so. She could have easily overpowered the Landwalkers with the power of a champion."

'I am a handmaiden of the Mistress. Death did not end my duty to her,' my mother said. 'Our god is manifesting more of her power on the mortal plane. The abomination has grown bolder and must be stopped.'

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"My mother says that she's a handmaiden of the Mistress who is manifesting her power. Mama, what is the abomination?"

'The demon Lemuete was once two beings. In the past the gods would possess their champions, but one god chose to stay connected to his champion; they went insane.  They're an abomination that the gods can no longer tolerate.'

I told Vael what my mother said and he rubbed his chin in deep thought. I realized that it must seem odd for me to be speaking to something unseen. If I hadn't a physical representation of the Bone God's blessing, some may think that I'm crazy. What other powers did I possess? Were there other handmaidens?

After over an hour of swimming we reached the coral barrier. This area of North Hold was shallower which made it dangerous for Waterfolk to swim. The coral rested on a shelf that separated the deeper eastern waters from the rest of North Hold.

I felt the hairs on my head prickle as I swam passed schools of fish. My hair began to glow around me, illuminating the dark waters. I felt exposed as my mother began to hover over a certain area.

‘This is where I was slain. The spear should be close by,’ she said.

“We shall look here for the spear,” I sang. I rolled my shoulders to dispel the chill I felt as I imagined my mother floating in the sea after she had been attacked. Was she scared when she had died? I looked at her emotionless face. Was she haunted by the memory of her death?

I carefully moved aside kelp stalks and looked in small coral caves. Vael moved a short distance from me also searching intently.

“I think I found something,” one of the guards sang out. I pulled my arm out of a small crevice I had found and joined him. “This looks like the butt of a spear, but the rest of it seems to be buried in the coral.”

I looked at the small rounded stick poking out of the coral. It appeared to be five inches long and an inch and a half in in diameter. The dark wood looked like it could be the butt of a spear, but would have to be dug out to be sure.

I touched the wood.

Silver symbols began to glow along the shaft of the stick. I gripped it tightly with both hands and began swimming upward. I felt resistance as I tugged on the stick so I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and then yanked upward with all of my strength.

The coral seemed to melt away as I swam up revealing a shaft that was six feet and a blade that was an additional three inches. I swung the tip up and looked at the spear of my mother. I had held it many times when I was a child, but I had never noticed the markings before.

I smiled then laughed. I could finally slay Lemuete!

I saw my mother look at me solemnly. I held up the spear for her to see. “We found it! I can slay the demon!” No sooner had the words left my mouth that a bright white light filled my vision, blinding me in its brilliance.

I flinched and closed my eyes against the radiant onslaught. When the light faded I opened them to find myself in a rectangular room made of white granite. Braziers made from bones illuminated the room. I began to shiver uncontrollably as the room was colder than I had ever experienced in my life.

A set of steps lay before me leading up to a tall dais with a large throne that was carved from one piece of bone. Sitting on the throne was an eight-foot-tall woman whose skin was paler than the bone she sat upon and her robes and hair paler still. A crown of stars rested on her head. She seemed to be the very absence of color except for the silver of her pupil-less eyes. I could not tell if she was beautiful as her face kept changing the longer I stared at it.

“Mistress?” I said.

“Yes,” she replied in a voice that sound like a thousand harps. I prostrated myself. “You have done well to find the spear of my champion. It is sad that your mother lost it in the first place. I cannot change the past, but I can mold the future to my whim.

“Sol, daughter of Dorotea and handmaiden to my throne, I have a task for you to fulfill. One that risks your life.”

“Handmaiden? Am I not your champion?” I asked.

“No, I have already chosen my champions, you are but one of my many handmaidens, handpicked to receive my essence and carry out my will upon your mortal plane.”

I gritted my teeth. “Mistress, don’t I deserve to be your champion? I want to be the one to slay the demon Lemuete!”

“Silence! You are my handmaiden and will follow my commands. You will go to my chosen champion and deliver to her the spear that you carry in your hands. Should you fail in your task not only your life, but the lives of many Waterfolk, children that my sister holds dear, will find a place in my palace,” the Bone God said. As she spoke the room grew colder and my bones began to ache.

“Why do I need to give this spear to your champion when I already possess it now? I am the closest to Lemuete, he held me prisoner and still had my aunt! Let me slay him!” I shouted.

I gasped as my body was slammed into the floor by an invisible force. My head throbbed with intense pressure and my very bones felt like they were made of molten metal.  I tried to scream, but my body was too heavy to move. I could only lay there in silent agony as tears ran down my cheeks.

“Sol Cadfael, you are self-centered and think too highly of yourself. I will make you my champion, if that is what you wish, but you in turn must give me a sacrifice. Only blood can answer for blood! Kill your husband and offer him to me in sacrifice and I will give you the power that you seek.”

The pressure lifted off of me enough for me to raise my head and look at the god sitting on the throne. No emotion was on her still face.

“You ask me to kill my husband, I can’t do it, not even for my people!”

“If you will not do it willingly for power, then I shall carry out the task for you.” The Bone God clapped her hands and a silver mirror appear before me. In it I could see Vael. “One more chance…”

“No, I will not!”

“So be it.”

I was suddenly thrust back into the Sparkling Sea surrounded by my guards and Vael. The spear was clutched tightly in my hands.

“Sol,” Vael said cautiously. I tried to move my lips to respond, but found that I was petrified in my own body.

“Sol cannot answer you. I made a deal with her, your life for her power Lord Cadfael Kai,” my voice sang. Vael looked stunned for a moment as my body moved against my will and the edge of the spear cut through his chest. The water was filled with a crimson cloud that bloomed from his chest. For a heartbeat the guards stared at us in shock before raising their weapons against me.

My body twisted in a circle and my arms swept around me knocking everyone back in a wave of water. My body grew in size until I was towering over the men, the spear increasing as well to fit my titan body. I reached out with my right hand and picked up a guard who struggled in my grasp. With only my thumb his neck was snapped and his body tossed aside like a doll.

‘No! Stop, I don’t want this power!’ I screamed silently. ‘Stop hurting them!’

My words were ignored as I once again reached out and this time grasped Vael.

‘NO!’ I screamed wordlessly as my fingers began to tighten around his struggling frame. His eyes were wide and blood flowed over my fingers.

“Sol, can you hear me? Sol, please don’t do this. The power is not worth it. I love you!” he said.

My fingers continued to tighten. I tried desperately to move my body on my own, but I felt like a passenger in my own mind.

‘Mistress, stop this! Please don’t kill him!’

‘You dare order me still?’ the Mistress said. I felt one of Vael’s ribs snap under the pressure of my grip.

‘I’m sorry Mistress! Please have mercy.’

There was a flash of silver light and it felt as if fire had burned a trail down my back. My body staggered forward and a second line burned its way down. My fingers loosened as my body shrunk in size. I heard a distant rumbling and out of the corner of my eye I could see a wave of water moving towards my normal sized body just as it hit the water. The wall hit my head and everything went black.

The first thing I noticed when I gained consciousness was that my body ached. I could feel the graininess of sand beneath me and a warm breeze against my back. I shifted and my back began to spasm like two worms of pain moving beneath my skin. I bit my lip until I tasted blood.

I opened my eyes between gasps of breath and saw that it was daylight. I could feel the warm water of the sea washing over my calves as I was prone on an unknown beach. I did not know how far out the wave had carried.

“Vael,” I sobbed under my breath. My chest felt like it had been filled with leaden weights as I cried into the sand. My body felt dry, but somehow the tears continued. Was this my punishment for defying a god? Was I to be outcast from my people? It would be better if I was dead. I couldn’t imagine a life without Vael.

I had failed to protect him, I failed to serve my god and I had failed our people. Lemuete would now be free to capture and kill Waterfolk as he pleased.

I was worthless, useless, hopeless.

I don’t know how much time passed as I lay crying on the beach. I could hear the roar of the waves and feel them against my skin, carrying me little by little toward the brown beach grass.

“Hey! I think I see a person down there!” I heard a voice call out. I couldn’t tell if it was Landwalker or Waterfolk, but to me it didn’t matter. Hopefully they would kill me.

I listened to voices talking before I heard the sand shift around me. “It’s a woman, she’s hurt,” a feminine voice said. “Go back to the village and get a stretcher, she’s too injured to move otherwise.”

“Yes,” a masculine voice replied and I heard the sound of running.

“Please, I beg of you, let me die,” I croaked. I felt a cool hand rest on my forehead.

“Shh… you’re going to be alright. Don’t give up now.”

“Tempest and waves! Please, just end it, no one will fault you for it, not even me,” I growled.

“I’m sorry that you think that, but I can’t just kill a random stranger. I know you’re suffering, but it will get better.”

“You can’t say that because you don’t even know…” I began sobbing once more. Pain stabbed my lungs as my chest rose and fell. Hands clasped my right hand. I yanked it away in shock. I had killed my husband with that hand. I was tainted, I didn’t deserve comfort. Her hands grabbed mine once more, but I was too weak to pull away a second time.

I heard the sound of many running feet approaching us. “There you are, you weren’t kidding about the wounds.”

“Help me get her on the stretcher,” the woman said. With some grunts and a scream from me I was placed into the stretcher and lifted off the ground. I must have lost consciousness again because the next time that I opened my eyes I was lying on what appeared to be a wooden table. Bowls and metal instruments were discarded around my head as wells as strips of cloth stained red with blood.

My back felt numb and tingly in places. I ignored the sensation as I lifted my head to get a better look of my surroundings.

The room I was in was made from wood and had dim lighting. I could see shelves with various jars and dried herbs. From what I could tell this was the room of a healer.

Why didn’t they leave me on the beach? Why couldn’t they let me die? It hurt too much to live, I did not deserve to draw breath, not after killing my husband and his guards.

If they were not going to do it for me, I would end my life myself.

I looked around me then saw a small knife that was discarded on top a roll of soiled cloth. I reached out with my left hand and picked up the small blade. I ran my finger over the edge and it drew blood from the tip of it effortlessly.

Now all I had to do was choose a spot to cut.

Black spots danced before my eyes as I forced myself into a sitting position. The room wavered around me as I placed the blade against my forearm. “I’m sorry,” I sobbed. Maybe the Bone God would be merciful and allow Vael to reunite with me in the afterlife.

My mother’s spirit formed in front of me. She placed her hand over my own, chilling it. ‘Sol, don’t do it! You have a duty to fulfill!”

“It doesn’t matter, they can find someone else.”

‘Please, daughter…’

“I can’t live without him… I don’t deserve to live, I’m a murderer, they should have beheaded me after I killed Cia.”

‘Sol!’

“Leave me alone, I am done!”

The blade moved against my skin.