Free Chasing Bloodlines (Book 4) by Jenna Van Vleet

off and jumped off the balcony. “It makes me nervous when he does that.”
    “It saddens me when his shirt doesn’t rip completely off.”
    Lael gave her a sidelong glance. “Do you talk like this in front of him?”
    “Of course.”
    They watched the fires grow closer. Lael elongated the spyglass to get a better look at the specters, and suddenly cursed.
    “There are more than Fire specters out there,” he said and handed her the glass. She swept the hillside swiftly, at first seeing nothing, but slowly she noticed odd spirals of wind, strange plant growth, and stacks of ice scattered all over the land. At the heads of these paths were pale people moving smoothly, uncomprehending the landscape and simply walking over boulders and ravines. Some were still far off, but more were dangerously close.
    “I don’t know how to fight specters, Lael.”
    “Galloway, Adelaide, and Dagan do.”
    “Yes, but I still don’t.”
    Lael smirked and patted her shoulder.
    Gabriel arrived suddenly appearing and making Mikelle jump. “With all this talk of specters,” she began, but cut off when she saw Gabriel was not alone. “Aelony, hello.”
    “Fair Mikelle, greetings.” The specter bowed.
    “You two have met?” Gabriel raised a brow.
    “ I told you the library was haunted.”
    “I prefer ‘guarded’.” The specter nodded his misty head.
    “Aelony believes these specters are set in solid form by a Void pattern, and they will not be able to cross the wards. We won’t know until they arrive. However, Jaden does not ward against specters everywhere.” Gabriel said and ran a hand through his hair.
    “Not everywhere?” Lael’s voice rose in surprise.
    “Not the gates.”
    “Why not?”
    Aelony raised a hand. “I asked them not to, back in the Fourth Age, so I could leave Jaden.”
    “Is there a way to ward them now?” Lael asked.
    Aelony shook his head. “I do not know the patterns.”
    “I need everyone who has battled a specter,” Gabriel ordered. Lael nodded and rushed off. Thankfully the Council all lived in the Lodge, so they were not difficult to gather.
    Dagan suddenly rushed up, blond hair undone from its usual braid. “Battle them with opposite Elements,” he breathed, then saw Aelony and pulled green Earth strings from his chest.
    “No, no, Aelony is our ally,” Gabriel raised a hand to stop him.
    “How did he get past the walls?”
    “He lives here,” Mikelle said and put his hands down. “I told everyone the library was haunted. What do you take me for?”
    “The gates aren’t warded against specters in corporeal form, but we think these have solidity,” Gabriel cut in. “I’m going to the gates regardless.”
    He stepped up on the balcony and jumped, soaring out a moment later spread-eagle.
    Aelony made a guttural noise of interest. “Black. What happened to him?”
    “Whatever do you mean?” Mikelle asked as they walked through the Lodge.
    “Never ye mind. I will meet ye there.” He vanished in a shift.
    They met up with Galloway, Lael, and Adelaide in the foyer and made their way to the gates.
    “I wager anything that the Shalabane army, Arconian army, and specters were all supposed to arrive the same time.” Lael said.
    “Smarts,” Adelaide whispered.
    “Then Ryker’s plan failed, and he is going to be angry about it.” Galloway answered.
    “And those specters are coming through the gates,” Dagan said.
    “I have no doubt.”
    “No, the specters are coming through the gates!” Dagan yelled and broke into a run.
    The Lodge was a straight line across the courtyard from the gates, and suddenly they exploded in a blast of fire. Mikelle saw Gabriel’s tall silhouette standing with his back to her a moment before the flames engulfed him. People ran screaming while others stood atop the gates hurling patterns down.
    The flames diminished for a moment, and Mikelle saw the same tall silhouette completely engulfed in fire. She screamed his name and threw out her hands to