In all her days, Octavia had never feared sin and symphony, but as the song continued and the melody sunk into her, her heart quickened. The words were foreign to her and carried the same inflections as the necromantic tongue. But the similarities ended there.

Another necromancer. And not an ordinary one either. She fisted her hands as the vibrations tingled up and down her body. This power was potent, but she sensed no malice behind it. This wasn't the kind of necromancy that laid rot to everything it touched, or even raised the dead. The vibrations were far too gentle for that.

Then what is the intent here?

Quintus cleared his throat. "Before you cast blame my way. I only brought Havers with me." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

Havers, Jaredeth's majordomo, sat near the fire pit, the reins of a horse in one hand and a walking cane in the other. Unlike everyone else, he regarded the sky with a small smile on his face, as though he were at a show and not witnessing what could be a disaster. Then again, after spending years with Quintus and Jaredeth, there was probably little that could surprise him.

"Why would you drag Havers out here?" Octavia asked, motioning at the man in question.

"It's good to see you too, my lady," he said, inclining his head. "I assure you I'm here of my own volition. I'm more afraid of the castle burning down in my absence than a few netherborne."

Quintus took his cross from the back of the horse. "There are more than a few netherborne here. And probably another necromancer now."

Claud emerged from the vestibule with Zhen in tow. "Did I just here you right? There's another necromancer here?"

"Seems so." Quintus fiddled with the contraption, flipping latches and pulling straps until the top popped open.

"But that's a good thing right? Surely another necromancer means another ally?"

He shrugged and tossed a bell at Octavia. With its intricate floral engravings, and black ribbon, it was far more extravagant than her plain silver one. A gift from Jaredeth's perhaps. "Are you well enough to fly?"

Octavia shook her head. "We'll both go on foot."

"I'll join you as well," Zhen said, with youthful enthusiasm. "If that's fine with you."

"I'm going whether it's fine or not." Claud looked up to the Cathedral's balcony, where several priests stood. "Will you need any other reinforcements? Perhaps a calvary team in case things go awry?"

Octavia shook her head. If they took too many people, they risked scaring or angering the necromancer. "I want as little people involved as possible. Let's not dally any longer. I'll take point. Quintus, watch our backs."

Octavia led the way at a jog, around the Cathedral and past the stable house and a fenced enclosure where two mares trotted around. They ventured beyond the barrier into the forest. The cold bit into her, and she cursed herself for not grabbing a jacket.

"I don't see or sense any netherborne out here," Quintus said. "Perhaps they're running from our friend."

Octavia stayed quiet, the tightness in her throat stifling any words trying to escape. As they trekked on, she focused on the song. The words flowed together, smooth as silk and the singer's voice gave the song an extra layer of depth and emotion. Music in a foreign tongue had always been more appealing to her ear. Not understanding the lyrics added an element of mystery and narrowed her focus to the melody and the emotions in the singer's voice.

No matter how far they walked, the sound grew no louder than it had been in the village, but the vibration the necromancy's source was in the east. As they neared the shoreline, a tinge of salt came with the breezes. Octavia stopped short when splashes of green, red and yellow peeped through the frozen trees. The snow and ice gave way to sprawling green grass dotted with flowers in full bloom. And hovering over it all were three pairs of black wings.

Claud swore. "It's that thing."

"What thing?" Quintus asked.

"I'll explain when we get back. It's not an ordinary netherborne. That's all you need to know." Octavia bit the inside of her cheek. It would be best to err on the side of caution. The beast wanted their attention, but perhaps it didn't want a fight. "Just be on you guard."

Octavia kept her steps measured and sure despite the cold blanket of fear weighing down her body. As she stepped onto the grass, the air warmed up, chasing the chill from her bones. The scents of wildflowers and lilies mixed with that of blossoms and ripe fruit.

Her lips parted as she trailed her hands over a flourishing bush. Necromancy couldn't do this. Could it?

The creature lied stretched out on its stomach, one pair of arms supporting its head, one pair folded on it ground and the third cupping something out of their line of sight. Its large green eyes sparkled as it sang, and the gold strands in its wings captured the sunlight and shot it through the fruit-laden trees in shining rays.

A note of steel joined the netherborne's song as Zhen unsheathed her sword.

"No." Octavia grabbed the Priest's wrist, squeezing harder than was necessary. "Don't provoke it."

Even with the threat of violence the netherborne continued to sing. Either it hadn't noticed them, or elected to ignore them. The song shifted, repeating a melody from earlier with the notes blending seamlessly into one another.

The last note tapered off into the air, and a yellow-breasted bird flew from the netherborne's hands before diving into the rosebush and singing a song of its own.

"Night-Blooming Rose." The netherborne turned its head towards them, chin resting on its threaded fingers. "We meet again. Forgive my horrid manners. I am Kaleri."

Octavia stepped forward, but Quintus grabbed her arm, his hand shaking as he reached for his cross. She shook her head. "Don't, Quintus. I couldn't defeat it. Save yourself the humiliation."

He gave her a long look, his eyes hard and his jaw clenched tight—the look he gave when he was ready to fight. Then he released her and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Octavia wanted to tell him no, that he had too much to live for. But knowing Quintus, he wouldn't listen. He liked to call her stubborn, but much of that had rubbed off on him in the years they'd worked together.

"Let me take care of this," she said, and continued her trek forward until she was a few feet from the netherborne. Once again, the sheer magnitude of its presence bore down on her, reminding her of how fickle her life was. How easily it could end her. Was it a netherborne at all? Or something else?

"Call me Octavia," she said.

"Oc...tavia." The netherborne tilted its head like a curious bird. "Octavia. Octavia. Did you like the song, Octavia?"

She didn't just like it. It was the sweetest melody to have ever graced her ears, and she'd been in the presence of the world's best musicians for the better part of her life. None, herself included, had the command of the art like this netherborne. "The song was beautiful. You have a very lovely voice."

The netherborne's smile widened, revealing the sharp tips of its fangs. "I'm glad you think so. Can you sing it back to me?"

"I..." She looked at those around her, but all eyes were locked on the beast. "I can." Repeating a song verbatim was a trivial matter for her, as her musical ear was unparalleled, yet when she opened her mouth to sing, her throat tightened and her heart quickened. Sweat beaded her palms, and she shifted her weight from one foot to the next.

Octavia couldn't recall the last time she'd choked up before singing or playing. Standing there with her muscles tense and chest burning as though all the air was stripped from her lungs, was both humbling and terrifying. If the creature disapproved of her voice or talent, it would cut her deep. Was this how her students felt when they played for her? She'd been the instructor for so long that she'd forgotten what it was like to be the one under scrutiny by someone leagues above her.

While she knew the song, her voice couldn't measure up to the ethereal beauty of the netherborne's, or give the music the life and glory it deserved. She wasn't worthy of it.

"Why do you hesitate?" Kaleri asked with a frown.

Octavia rolled a lie around on her tongue, its bitter taste making her grimace. No doubt this creature would be able to sniff out any lie that spilled from her lips. "I wouldn't be able to do the song justice."

"Fair enough, so long as you remember it."

She made a mental note to write the sheet music as soon as she got back to the Cathedral. For now, she needed to turn this exchange around. She'd already put herself in a weaker position by doubting her own prowess. "Are you the reason the netherborne keep coming back to this island?"

The netherborne blinked. "No. I am but a casual observer."

Octavia nodded, not sensing any deceit in its words. "Are you a necromancer?"

"I suppose that depends on your definition of the word." Kaleri steepled two fingers in front of her mouth. "I knew sin and symphony long before your kind knew this world."

Octavia's lips parted, her heart jumping into her throat. "You're an ancient?"

"Ah, you know of my kind."

"Only from legends. No one truly believes you all are real." Even now, Octavia couldn't wrap her mind around it. But it made sense. The ancients were born to recreate the world from death and ashes, but that was where the legends ended. No one knew what happened to them, and so they were relegated to mere bedtime stories and folktales.

Keleri frowned her green eyes darkening. "I suppose that's for the best."

"Why? So you and your kind can ravage this world in secret?"

"I'm not your enemy, Night-Blooming Rose."

"Then why are you here?" The question carried more of an accusatory tone than Octavia intended. Perhaps because this ancient posed a challenge she couldn't overcome. If it got in the way of her plans, there was nothing she could do to stop it. Which was both irritating and terrifying.

The air grew still between them and Keleri looked away, towards the bush with the chirping bird. "My people were cast into the ashen pits along with the netherborne, because we..." Her eyes misted and she closed them for a moment. "We made a grave mistake, the same mistake as your kind. We let the netherborne ravage this world. And the gods punished us for it."

A sinking feeling settled in Octavia's gut. Punished. Would the same fate befall necromancers if they didn't rid this world of the scourge? Maybe Kaleri was showing her a way to end it all. A way to make this world flourish again.

"I had no idea necromancy could do this," Octavia said.

Kaleri smiled. "It seems your knowledge of sin and symphony is limited. Necromancy is like fire. The arsonist wields the flame as a weapon of destruction, but the blacksmith wields the flame as a tool of creation." She plucked a small plant from the ground and offered it to Octavia.

The sapling had sprouted from a piece of bone. Its roots curled in an out of the cracks in the bone, while its leaves splayed open to catch the sun's rays.

"With necromancy, death can bring forth disease and destruction or it could bring forth life and beauty."

Octavia brushed her fingers over the delicate, young leaves. Dead bodies flourished on their own, with time, but she had no idea that process could be sped up or forced with necromancy.

"I must take my leave now. Hopefully, our paths will cross again in the future." Kaleri pushed to her taloned feet and stretched, ruffling her wings. Then she clasped her top pair of hands together and inclined her body in a bow. "Your burden is heavy, Night-Blooming Rose, but your shoulders are strong."

Octavia watched the netherborne shoot into the sky before disappearing in a shower of black petals. They floated on the breeze, snaking over the ocean and drifting over the eastern horizon.