Read Under the Shadow of Darkness: Book 1 of the Apprentice Series for Free Online Page B

family fared without him.
    By the time Bel had the pot full of water coming to a boil, Kerlith returned with four fine-looking rabbits and two pigeons. It would be a feast. As they ate, Nes’egrinon said, “Now that’s the best rabbit I’ve had in ages. We will stay here until Muolithnon has regained his strength. Maybe a few days. You can get us more rabbits, right?”
    Night came slowly and even though the day was as dark as night, something changed in the air, and all of them felt it change, when it would be too dangerous to venture away from the safety of the home. Bel sat out on the front steps with Kerlith, both staring into the forest, Bel trying to understand what happened the previous evening, Kerlith’s mind pondering their future journey. Kerlith shivered as the night air grew colder. Then the howling came.
    Bel asked, “Do you hear that?”
    Kerlith blinked hard then said, “I don’t hear anything. What? You going crazy? Hearing things? It’s getting cold out here. I’m going inside.”
    The roaring grew louder even though Bel wasn’t listening for it, wasn’t seeking it. In fact he was trying to block it out. Bel stood and involuntarily stepped backwards until his back was against the wall and fought the shriek with all his might. Then the ghouls came.
    They stepped out of the forest and walked calmly towards him, a young man and two women. They were dressed like forest people except they were all gray: their skin, their clothing, everything about them was a dull, dusty gray. They walked up to the edge of the steps, just to the border of the enchantment. Bel knew they couldn’t see past it but somehow they knew he was there.
    “Hello? Hello in there?” the dead man croaked as if his throat was full of dust.
    Bel did not respond.
    Groggily, the dead man said, “Please. We mean you no harm. This is my family. This was our home. Please, we just want to talk.”
    Bel walked to the edge of the enchantment. The male ghoul’s face was inches from his.
    “Please, we mean you no harm. Look at us. See. See. Look at these women. I know you are in there. Please.” He strained to get the words out.
    Bel knew the enchantment would hold them back. They were dead; they could not reach him. If they were living, breathing human beings, they could walk right up the stairs and step into the house. But the dead could not. Bel knew he could turn around and walk away. He could go inside. But something was pulling on him, something was still raging in his mind.
    The ghoul-kind turned despondently and began to walk away when Bel said, “Wait!”
    The group stopped and turned around.
    Bel said nervously, “Step back. Step back a few feet.”
    The dead man motioned to the others then Bel stepped outside of the enchantment and stood on the final step of the house. He dared not venture further.
    The gray-skinned man strained. “Please. A few drops of blood. Please, just a few drops.”
    “You will answer my questions? Then, when I say, you will leave?”
    “Yes.”
    Bel took out his knife and cut the tip of his finger and squeezed a few drops of blood onto the dirt.
    “More. More, please,” One of the women groaned.
    “Come forward one at a time,” Bel said holding out his knife in front of him.
    The woman who spoke stepped forward slowly and stood in front of Bel. He cut his finger a little more, let the blood cover the knife and held it out toward the dead woman. She licked the knife eagerly. As she licked it color ran into her cheeks, then her face, then her clothing. A calm swept over her and the darkness left her eyes. She seemed almost… normal, almost human.
    “Ask. Ask what you will. I will answer what I know.”
    “Tell me who you are. What happened to you? How did you become like this?”
    “My husband is there. The other woman is my sister. My children… we have not found them yet. Last winter we aided a traveler. He was sick. When my sister also became sick my husband sent him away. He didn’t