Moon Shadow

23

Did I have a death wish and never knew about it? Something people wanted subconsciously until someone else pointed it out. If not, why didn't I bring back up to an obvious trap?

Esther hadn't told me not to.

Assuming she'd be using the cemetery's corpses as her army, I should've brought Preacher Boy and Aisha, at least. Zainab? Well... I mean... Maybe. I wasn't sure where we stood, even though we had a positive interaction the last time we spoke.

Arriving at Kinondoni Makaburini, I paid the auto-rickshaw driver before getting out of the vehicle. The icy wind struck my face and brushed my exposed arms, sending goosebumps all over my body. I should've worn a jacket. Not that it mattered. My fight with Esther would've ruined it, anyway.

I got close to the gate and the hair on my arms and back of my neck rose. A translucent magical membrane visible to keen sorcerers encased the cemetery in a box. Unlike a barrier, which prevented people from entering or leaving an area, a membrane prevented noise from leaking out.

Esther didn't want people to hear us and risk interference from other sorcerers. Smart. The quiet night meant sound traveled farther.

Passing through the membrane, the thick air inside made it hard for me to breathe. Alarms rang in my head: Danger! Danger! My gut twisted in a panic, trying to escape this unseen enemy. Every nerve in my body got on its knees and begged me to run away—this fight wasn't worth it, and I should've waited until tomorrow to confront the necromancer.

I stopped walking, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. Powerful sorcerers acted similarly to the point it was boringly cliche. Just like back at the church with The Supreme Leaders, Esther had released her raw magic energy to intimidate me. You'd think with my magic ability and history of kicking asses and faces, they'd know that a scare tactic wouldn't be enough to chase me away.

Covering my body with magical energy, the effects of Esther's power wore off. I was calm again, thinking better than ever. But it didn't last long. In its place came the natural world, merging with my senses. I took in everything at once: the stench of the dead, the sound of crickets chirping, and the wind's stiff embrace. It knocked the lights out of my mind. I staggered sideways but stayed on my feet.

Nausea engulfed me like a dirty blanket before I shook it off with a deep breath. I looked for Esther, finding her leaning against the perimeter wall with her arms crossed on her chest. Joni sat on a chair beside her, his body bound by rope.

I wanted to ask him if he was alright—a nod or shake of his head would have sufficed—but it would've been a waste. His milky-white eyes told me he was dead and gone. Fuck. Esther made vanas wear Joni's corpse like a glove.

It shouldn't have taken me this long to realize "possession" was one of Esther's abilities. An amateur sorcerer would've guessed after Brenda's encounter with the necromancer. I was off my game lately.

Esther peeled off the wall and came forward, stepping under the moon's watchful gaze. I connected to the moon's light and felt her pain and rage—a toxic combination that forced me to untether from the moon or I'd have gone mad.

No one should carry that much inner suffering.

It was poisonous.

"Why would you trick a grieving mother like that?" I asked. "How would you feel if it was done to you?"

Esther scoffed. "I don't give a shit. I'm not here to chat." She raised her hands before planting them on the ground, making it shake. Skeleton hands punched out of the ground one by one followed by skulls and the rest of their bodies.

I jumped on a marble tombstone when a hand tried to grab me. Within a few seconds, every corpse had come out of their graves, standing in front of Esther, acting as her bodyguards.