Chapter 19

On a remote island, Jason and Daphne found a village held in thrall by a hag coven. The crones controlled the islanders by magically trapping their souls in bizarre spirit cages.

After scouting the coven's twisted tree temple, Daphne cast a risky spell to project her consciousness inward so she could find the captive souls. Meanwhile Jason stood guard over her body, fending off patrolling hag sentries.

Within the dark temple, Daphne's spirit followed faint cries of anguish to a grove of ghostly spirit cages hanging from the trees. Studying the arcane locks, she thought she could unseal them. But freeing one soul caused alarming psychic ripples. She would have to work swiftly.

Back outside, Jason grew weary battling more hags arriving to stop the intrusion. He hacked down a couple crones, but a hurled hex blotted out his vision. The blinded hero could only flail desperately as the screeching hags moved in for the kill.

At that instant, Daphne's consciousness emerged from the templ