The letters burned cold and then held, faintly pulsing, as if whatever saw him had a heartbeat of its own. Ludwig's jaw tightened. "That's new."
His glance slid sidelong, a reflex he did not indulge for long. Turning one's head in a place like this felt like showing one's throat. Thomas floated closer. "That doesn't bode well."
His voice sank even lower, a murmur meant for two sets of ears only. Before Ludwig could answer, another voice intruded, deep, guttural, almost amused. "Don't go there. You'll perish."
It rolled up from the lantern like smoke coming up a chimney, warm and unpleasant. The Lantern at Ludwig's hip had never reacted like that, there was a sensation that the entity captured there shouldn't be allowed to feel. Fear.
Ludwig turned his head slightly. The words had come from the lantern dangling at his belt.
The metal was cold under his fingers when he unhooked it. The little ghostly soul inside did not flicker; it watched.
