Chapter Eight
Konrad knew when they were near Nuutanami’s nest, because the quality of the atmosphere changed. The air cooled and the mist faded, moisture crystallising into points of ice floating incongruously some way off the ground. The wind picked up, hissing sibilantly as it shrieked past his ears, chilling him to the bone. Irinanda stumbled along behind him, frightened and fighting for breath; he sensed her discomfort but he couldn’t slow down, not now.
The hazy, ethereal foliage of the spirit lands thickened around him and he had to force his way through thick, deathly-white leaves and vines, surprisingly solid in their attempts to detain him. He ignored their grasping fingers and strode on, using his body to keep Nanda sheltered behind him. The sibilance of the wind increased, vo
