Free Voidhawk - Lost Soul by Jason Halstead

Dexter and earn his love. She’d won another game of dice thrown by the fates and ended up as the Empress, then she’d been blessed with Jia. It was easy to be spiteful, but anyone Jenna called a friend found it impossible to hate her. Even if sometimes it felt like she didn’t deserve her husband and daughter.
    “Tasha? Have you seen Jenna?”
    Tasha spun around, her hand going to the sword on her back. It was impractical, carrying such a weapon while working the deck of a voidship, but twice now they’d been caught by surprise. First Jianna, now Dexter. She shook her head and relaxed her hand.
    “Either with Jia or the Captain,” she said. She paused, realizing who it was she was talking to. Xander looked rough. For the first time since she’d known him she saw a hint of a beard growing on him. The stubble matched the dark shadows under his eyes. He’d locked himself away in his room for two days trying to figure out something. Now that he was out it must mean something. “Can you help the Captain?”
    X ander reached up to scratch the stubble on his cheek, using it as an excuse to glance around the deck. He bobbed his head a short distance. “I think so.”
    “Come!” Tasha said, gesturing with her hand and heading for the bow staircase. Xander followed her to the companionway and into the Captain’s cabin. Dexter’s body lay unconscious on the bed. He was covered with a blanket but his skin looked sunken and his complexion pale.
    “Jenna?” Xander asked, turning to look at Tasha.
    “I’m here,” Jenna mumbled, stepping into the room from behind them. “What do you know?”
    Tasha stepped back, allowing Jenna to move closer to the bed and her stricken husband. Xander held out the ring that Celia had used on him. “I don’t understand the intricacies of necromancy,” Xander began. “But I can sense powerful magic and mystical bonds between Dexter and this ring. It’s different than what I can read from the princess, Dexter’s body is still attached to his soul, but the ring has a stronger bond for now.”
    “For now?”
    “It’s weakening. I don’t understand the nuances of the magic, but I can sense that it’s growing weaker. I want to put it on his finger.”
    Jenna hissed. “A prick from it did this to him!”
    Xander held up his hand to stop her. “I know, but Celia wore it without harm. I can find no danger for the wearer of the ring. I think contact may help. Or if not, then when it weakens enough if he’s touching it there will be no trouble allowing his soul to find its way back to him.”
    Jenna stared at Dexter then hugged her arms around herself. Her eyes lifted to Xander’s, searching his for hope. “Are you sure of this?” she whispered.
    Xander saw Tasha standing behind Jenna. She gave him a nod of encouragement. “Yes, I’m certain.”
    Jenna let out a breath she’d been holding. She nodded then blinked rapidly. Xander turned away, partly out of respect and partly to face Dexter. He reached down to pull the limp hand from beneath the blanket, then placed the small ring at the tip of Dexter’s pointer finger. It shifted in his hands, growing to slide onto the Captain’s finger. Dexter slipped it on and backed up a step, his vision focused on the ring.
    Jenna gasped. “Did you hear that!”
    Xander jerked his head to look at her. “Hear what?”
    “His breathing, it changed when you put the ring on!”
    “It did?” Xander turned to look at Tasha, she shrugged, the large scabbard slapping lightly against her back.
    “About time you figured it out.”
    “Dex!” Jenna gasped. She threw herself onto him, ignoring is weakened condition. His groan was muffled by her smaller body. He groaned again, prompting Jenna to back off of him just enough to let him breathe unobstructed. “What happened? Are you okay?”
    “Port Freedom,” Dexter wheezed. He looked past Jenna at Xander and Tasha. “ Who’s sailing my ship?”
    “’Shira and Trill are on the deck, Sayara is