Free Child of the Ghosts by Jonathan Moeller

morning, though, she was curious.
    “Where are we going?” said Caina. 
    Not that she cared. But perhaps asking questions would keep her mind from dwelling on the nightmares.
    On what she had endured. 
    Komnene looked at her in surprise, and then at Halfdan.
    “Mors Anaxis,” said Halfdan. “It’s a town…”
    “About forty miles south of Aretia, along the Imperial Highway,” said Caina. 
    Komnene smiled. “How did you know that?”
    “I read it in one of my father’s books,” said Caina.
    “Do you know why it’s called Mors Anaxis?” said Komnene.
    “The Emperor Anaxis,” said Caina, remembering. “His tomb is there, along with his funerary cult. He was buried there in ancient times, during the Second Empire.” 
    “Very good,” said Halfdan.
    “I didn’t even know that,” said Komnene.
    Riogan snorted. “Not that it matters. The bones of one dead Emperor are much the same as another.” 
    “Why are we going there?” said Caina. She looked at Riogan. “Do you want to pray to the Emperor’s bones?”
    Riogan scoffed and looked away. 
    “Mors Anaxis is a port,” said Halfdan. “We’ll hire a ship, and sail to the eastern side of the Bay of Empire. Maglarion would expect us to flee north, towards Malarae. Hopefully this will throw him off our trail.” 
    Caina nodded. 
    “How are you feeling?” said Komnene.
    Riogan snorted. “A foolish question.”
    Komnene gave him a withering glance. “I meant physically. She took some terrible wounds.”
    Caina shrugged. “They hurt. But not as bad as they did.” She closed her eyes. “Maglarion always healed them when he finished.” 
    “Hardly from charity,” said Riogan. “He only wanted to keep you alive so he could drain more blood from you.”
    “I know that,” said Caina. 
    “It’s well that he did,” said Komnene. “You would have died from infection, had he not.”
    “Maybe that would have been better,” said Caina. 
    They rode in silence for a moment.
    “After Mors Anaxis,” said Caina. “Where then?”
    “Then, I think,” said Halfdan, looking back at her, “we will take you to Malarae. The Ghosts have many friends in the Imperial capital. One of them will take you in.”
    Caina didn’t care. But Halfdan had been kind to her, and her father had always said to thank those who did you kindnesses. “Thank you.”
    Halfdan nodded.
    “And thank you,” said Caina, “for taking me out of that…that place.”
    “I would leave no one in Maglarion’s clutches,” said Halfdan. 
    “You should eat something,” said Komnene.
    “I’m not hungry,” said Caina.
    “You should eat something anyway,” said Komnene. “You were starved for all those weeks. You need to keep your strength.”
    Caina looked at her, looked at her for so long that Komnene started to frown.
    “What is it, Caina?” said Komnene.
    “You used to be a priestess of Minaerys,” said Caina, “didn’t you?”
    Halfdan snorted in surprise and half-turned in his seat. Riogan looked at Caina with cold eyes, reappraising her.
    “How did you know that?” said Komnene.
    “Did you read her mind?” said Riogan. “Perhaps you learned a spell or two from Maglarion?” 
    “What?” said Caina. “No. I don’t have any arcane talent. My mother said so. Maglarion said so.”
    Halfdan watched her for a moment. “Then how did you know Komnene used to be a priestess of Minaerys?”
    Caina shrugged. “I just did.”
    “How?”
    Caina thought it over. “She was the one who looked at my cuts. And I saw all the drugs and potions she has in her bags. You said she brewed up the poison that killed the magi. So that means she’s a physician. And the only women who become physicians are priestesses of Minaerys.”
    “So?” said Riogan. “Practically every village from here to Marsis has a shriveled old crone who knows a thing or two about herbs.” 
    “She also swore by Minaerys,” said Caina. “In the vault. ‘Wisdom of Minaerys’, that’s