Seraiah gritted her teeth against the pain.

Ever since she and Kestrel had changed direction, heading away from the capital and toward the portal, the mark on her neck had been burning. The itching had been annoying, but at least she’d been able to ignore it—the burning she couldn't. Her neck felt like it was on fire. Seraiah half expected the mark to be warm as she reached up to touch it, but it felt like her normal unmarked skin.

"Is it bothering you again?" Kestrel asked, catching her in the act.

"It's fine. It just stings a little, that's all."

"It looks like it’s gotten bigger." Kestrel tilted her head, studying Seraiah's neck. "Or maybe it changed shape. I'm not sure."

Seraiah brushed her hair forward, hiding the mark from view.

"Maybe once we cross the portal, you’ll stop feeling it," Kestrel suggested.

"Maybe," Seraiah mumbled. She certainly hoped so because if this pain kept up, it might be enough to make her turn around and find that necromancer. She’d make sure he joined his dead friends.

Three days went by with more of the same. The burning never abated and gave her horrible headaches. Sometimes Seraiah had to stop and rest to make sure she didn't fall off her horse. It was frustrating to lose the time, but Kestrel didn’t give her much of a choice.

“Kai would be very upset with me if I let you break your neck taking a tumble,” Kestrel said, when Seraiah had complained they’d already stopped twice that day.

Then finally, on the morning of the fourth day, she woke with no pain.

The sky was only beginning to lighten, but Seraiah scrambled from her bedroll and shook Kestrel awake.

"What do you want? Are we being attacked?" Kestrel asked blearily. They hadn’t been setting a watch, having no reason to believe someone would come after them in the night.

"Can you see it?" Seraiah asked, sweeping her hair back.

"See what?" Kestrel eyed her like she had gone insane. “You know it’s still dark out, right?”

"The mark! Is it still there?"

Kestrel summoned a ball of light to her palm and held it up while Seraiah waited with bated breath.

"Still there, same as yesterday." She closed her fingers over the light, snuffing it out much the way she’d just snuffed out Seraiah’s hope that the mark was finally gone.

Seraiah sat back on her heels and touched her neck again. As usual, she couldn't feel anything on her skin.

Why would the pain suddenly stop now if the mark was still there? They hadn't crossed the portal yet. They were still a few days away from doing that, thanks to all the times they’d had to stop and rest. Did it mean the necromancer was dead? Or had Sterling and Kai found him?

She had no way of knowing, but she had a sinking feeling it wasn’t either of those things.

“I suppose since you woke me, we might as well get moving,” Kestrel said.

The two of them quietly packed up their things and continued on.

Throughout the day, Seraiah would find herself tensing and waiting for the pain to return, but by nightfall, the mark hadn’t so much as tingled. She was both relieved and afraid. It couldn’t mean anything good.

At least they were close to the portal now, she thought as they settled down for the night. Another good day of travel would get them there. Then maybe she would not have to worry.

By morning, the itching had returned.

"Again?" Kestrel asked when she caught Seraiah scratching.

She sighed. "It only itches a little. Like an insect bite."

Kestrel pursed her lips, eyes narrowing as she looked at the mark.

“What?”

"I think our necromancer friend must have figured out our change of plans. The itching might mean he is trying to summon you again.”

“You think he’s following us?” Seraiah asked. She hoped not. One of the reasons she hadn’t wanted to go to Daralis was to avoid him.

“I think it is a strong possibility. We’ll have to set a watch at night. Only one of us can sleep at a time.”

“Even after we cross the portal?”

Kestrel nodded. “We’ll see what happens with the mark after we cross, but I think we’ll need to set a watch there anyway, given our other enemies.”

Seraiah stared back in the direction they’d come. The horizon was clear, but she couldn’t help but worry. “I hope you’re wrong about him.”

“Look at it this way,” Kestrel said. “If he’s following us, he won’t be after Sterling. No matter if he means her harm or not, at least we will know she’s safe.”

“I guess you’re right,” Seraiah sighed. “It could be a good thing.”

And yet, she felt anything but reassured.

----------------------------------------

Seraiah placed the flat of her palm against the mark. The itching was going to drive her mad. It was almost enough to make her wish for the burning again. If she scratched at her skin any more than she already had, she wouldn’t have any left.

They were only about an hour away from the portal now, and she couldn’t wait to get there. The crossing had to make this infernal itching stop.

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"Everything all right?”

Seraiah forced a smile. “Everything is fine.”

“That’s convincing. I can tell you’re gritting your teeth, and I know you’ve been scratching when you think I’m not looking. It’s gotten worse again, hasn’t it?”

After a moment, Seraiah dropped the smile and nodded, barely a bob of her head in confirmation.

“I thought so.” Kestrel turned to scan the horizon behind them.

Seraiah already knew what she would find. She herself had been checking frequently for signs of anyone following them, but there was nothing.

"He can’t be far behind us now.”

“Then we need to hurry. We have to cross and—”

Kestrel held up a hand and Seraiah fell silent. A slow smile spread across Kestrel’s face.

Seraiah knew that look—it was the look Kestrel got when she was up to something.

"We will do no such thing," Kestrel said. “We will wait and take care of this problem once and for all.”

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It took a few days before Ren was certain he was headed in the right direction. By then, he had also figured out what exactly Seraiah was aiming for—the portal. He would have to catch her before she went through, or it would be that much harder to track her.

Ren spurred his horse forward as he reached for the mark again. Every day he made sure to pull on it, but today was the first time he didn't feel the usual resistance. It gave him hope that he could catch up.

Two more days passed with no sign of her, but the mark was the strongest it had ever been, and he knew he had to be getting close. She had to be somewhere nearby.

Ren slowed his horse, scanning the ground for signs of prints in the dirt. So far, there was nothing, not even the ashes of a campfire. If they’d come this way, they were being careful. The portal hummed nearby, but he knew they hadn't passed through yet based on the strength of the connection between him and Seraiah.

But if they hadn't gone through, where were they?

He got his answer a moment later.

"Looking for me, necromancer?" a female voice asked.

He turned in his saddle to find Seraiah had ridden up behind him. She appeared to be alone and, from what he could tell, she didn't seem to be armed either, but he knew better than to assume. He remembered clearly the way she had flung a dagger at the archer in the Cave of Faces, barely missing his heart. She’d likely had a chance to improve her aim since then, and Ren didn't want to be her next target.

His eyes flitted to the mark on her neck, which was on full display. The thing had grown and slithered down over her collarbone, disappearing into her tunic. This was the first time he’d ever seen one of his marks expand. The one he had left on his brother had stayed small, only as big as his fingerprints, easily concealed, and explained away. Perhaps she had her own magical abilities, and the mark was somehow feeding off of them.

"Admiring your handiwork?" she asked when she saw him looking.

"I do great work," he responded, forcing his eyes to move from the mark to her face.

Seraiah was scowling at him, apparently not sharing his opinion.

Someone cleared their throat, and Ren glanced to the side. He found the raven-haired female elf had come up to join Seraiah, and she appeared none too friendly.

Ren could tell with one glance that she was a warrior and not someone he particularly wanted to piss off. He pretended not to notice the way she was eyeing him as though she planned to eat him for her next meal, choosing to keep his focus on Seraiah.

"Where's Sterling?"

"I'll be the one asking the questions here," she shot back, raising her chin.

The slight squint of her eyes as she had answered him told him everything he needed to know. Sterling wasn't with them.

"The name's Ren." He gave her his most charming smile.

"I'm aware," she said flatly. "Doesn't mean I have to use it."

Well, then. It seemed he was going to need to try harder. He could see now how alike Sterling and Seraiah were. He had won over one sister. The other one shouldn't be too much of a challenge.

"Why are you following me, necromancer?" she asked him, purposefully avoiding using his name.

"Well, you see," he said, "I don't really care about you."

The lines around her mouth tightened.

"I'm looking for Sterling."

"What do you want with my sister?"

Did he tell her the truth or lie through his teeth?

"She is going to need my help." A partial truth.

"And what could you possibly do for her? Raise her an undead army? You're lucky I don't stab you right now and be done with it."

Ren caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw the elf was now looking thoughtful. So, it was an army they were seeking. They must intend to take the elven city from Gavaran.

"You wouldn't. You're not your sister." He shrugged off the threat, refusing to show he was slightly worried she’d make good on it. "Besides, if Sterling wanted an undead army, I could certainly give her one, but I'm talking about something else." He saw Seraiah's eyes flick to Kestrel and back to him.

"You've noticed the change in her, haven't you?" he guessed.

She eyed him suspiciously before giving a sharp nod.

"What is he talking about, Seraiah?" the elf asked.

Hmm, curious. It seemed Seraiah was keeping secrets from her friends. Ren smiled to himself. Good. He could work with that.

----------------------------------------

Seraiah cursed inwardly. Given what she’d read about the madness, and Sterling calling her paranoid, she hadn’t thought it worth mentioning.

"Sterling has been different since we rescued her," she said slowly. Of course, her sister might have changed. She’d been through a lot.

"How so?" Kestrel asked, giving Seraiah her full attention.

Seraiah kept her eyes on Ren, who was now smirking openly at her.

"Mood swings, perhaps?" Ren suggested before she could answer.

"Everyone has mood swings," Seraiah defended. "She’s young. It's almost expected."

"But the shadows aren't," he countered.

Kestrel's gaze jumped from her to Ren and then back again. Seraiah knew her friend could sense the power struggle going on here—and she was about to lose.

"Seraiah?"

She could hear the question in the way Kestrel said her name, wanting confirmation of Ren's words.

Seraiah's silence was answer enough.

"How long?"

This time, the necromancer stayed silent, looking at her for the answer.

"Right after we got out was the first time I saw them," Seraiah answered grudgingly, not looking at either of them. “I think I’ve seen them on at least two other occasions.”

"Why didn't you say something? Does Kai know?"

Seraiah shook her head. "I didn’t say anything because I couldn’t be sure what I was seeing was real. I didn’t know if I was imagining it simply because I had seen it in my vision. It could have been a trick of the light.”

I couldn’t be sure if the visions were already driving me into madness, she thought, but didn’t say aloud.

Ren's brows shot up. "You foresaw this?"

"Long before Sterling was taken by you."

He frowned. "I had nothing to do with the kidnapping.”

She ignored him. "I saw the shadows. The thing or whatever it was looking out from Sterling's eyes. It wasn't her anymore. She’d become something else. And it's your fault," she accused him.

“My fault? You saw me in your vision? I’m to blame for some things, certainly, but not that.”

"No," Seraiah admitted, "but I know it was you. You were there. You were with the others in that cave."

“I was complicit in holding Sterling in the cave, but I’m not responsible for anything else. Also, if you will recall, I helped you get her away from them. I want to help you again, but we can’t talk here.”

“Why not?”

He ignored the question. “I know of a safe place on the other side of the portal. We can go there, and I can explain everything I know. Whatever you want.”

Seraiah eyed him, saying nothing. She didn't trust him. He could be trying to lure her into a trap. He’d seemed surprised to learn of her visions, but he could have been pretending. Kestrel had said mages could sense her, and he was one of them.

"We'll go," Kestrel answered for her. "Lead the way."

Seraiah's gaze snapped to Kestrel. This was not part of the plan.

“We have lots of questions for you,” Kestrel added.

Ren dipped his head. “I will do my best to answer them,” he said to Kestrel, although his eyes never left her.

"I make no promises I won't stab you if I don't like what I hear," Seraiah said.

Ren's smile reappeared. It was the same one he had given her when he’d introduced himself. Seraiah was sure it worked on other people, but she wasn't going to fall for it.

She didn't smile back.