Start | Chapter Seventeen Part Two | Index | Chapter Eighteen Part One

Anna awoke from a fitful doze to find a young woman with dark blonde hair kneeling beside her. She was wearing a brown linen dress which seemed more like an extra long wrap around skirt that had been pinned above each shoulder with amber brooches. Anna glanced over and saw that Caroline and Ragnar were both fast asleep, then realised that she could see the pattern on the bedspead dimly through the woman’s hand. She blinked once and pulled herself into a sitting position.

“Who are you?” she whispered. “And you’re a ghost aren’t you?”

The woman jumped and stared at her. “You can see me?” she asked. Anna nodded and the ghost woman frowned. “But I am not materialised, you shouldn’t be able to. So why… oh! Did you see anything strange during your fever?”

“How did you know about that?” Anna asked but no answer was forthcoming. “Yeah, I had a near death experience and my mother’s ghost pushed me back into my body, except that Tanya insists it was just a delirium induced hallucination and that I was firmly in my body at all times.”

“I am sure she thinks so, little seer, it’s a very rare gift among our people.”

“What do you mean? Seer? Our people?” she asked blankly.

“I mustn’t tell you, but you’ll find out very soon.” A frown crossed her features. “Sooner than they expect if I’m not mistaken. Which makes it even more imperative to find a way to get you out of here.” She turned at looked at Ragnar, grief and regret in her eyes. “He was a good man once, but my death, his turning and the constant dodging of human hunters has warped him beyond recognition.”

“You… you’re his wife, aren’t you?” she whispered.

“I am,” she said softly. “We loved each other so much. It would have been better for him if he’d died as well, I think.” She looked over at him as he began to stir. “I have to go. He can’t see me but my presence makes him act oddly anyway. Hold your will and keep calm. He can be very persuasive when he wants to be.” she rose and vanished through the wall as Ragnar began to wake. Anna quickly lay down and feigned sleep.

A moment later she heard him searching the room then he shook her gently. “I thought I heard you talking,” he said as she stared at him with artfully faked bleariness.

“I don’t think so? I must have been talking in my sleep,” she lied after a careful pause. He frowned at her and shook his head but did not question her further. Instead he returned to his own bed and returned to sleep.

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Start | Chapter Seventeen Part Two | Index | Chapter Eighteen Part One