from above, but sheets of the stuff, raging toward us in a tsunami of wind and snow.
In a movement of pure reflex, I threw up my arms, drawing on the power of the rock beneath our feet with every inch of my battered soul. I yanked on the energy beneath me, begging it to respond—not to abandon me in this moment.
It resisted for a moment—long enough for me to fear that it was all over—Donovan and I were about to die and no one would ever know what had happened to us.
Then, quietly, I could feel the tingle of the Earth answering my plea. First, the power just trickled through me—but that trickle grew to a flood. Sheer power flowed through my body, arching my spine back near to breaking—having no mercy on my frail mortality.
Ice and snow surrounded us, but I could see nothing, feel nothing but the green, bright pine-y scent of Earth Magic.
It felt like coming home.
The power scorched through me with unrelenting green flames. I could feel it tear at my scars, cracking open the wounds, snagging on the places where my soul had frayed.
I must have screamed, but when my mouth opened all that came out was a flood of more power.
I slid bonelessly to the stones beneath my feet as the power—as abruptly as it had come—left me. I whimpered weakly—every part of my body and soul felt pummeled, destroyed. The Earth Magic had swept through and taken everything.
I was so exhausted I marveled that I could even breathe.
Around me, the snow settled like volcanic ash—the last flakes floating down gently, undirected, unguided.
The shades were gone. I could see little piles of dust where they had been—and a pile of skins and ancient jewelry marking the place where the Guardian had fallen.
And the pouch she had worn around her neck.
“Donovan,” I croaked, peering through the last of the snow. I tried again, louder this time. “Donovan!”
“Here.” His muffled cry came from behind me—over the edge of the cliff. I dragged myself toward that sound and looked down.
Donovan was clinging to the stones of the cliff edge, his face stark and pale with cold and fear. “Is it over?”
I nodded weakly. “Can you get back up here? I’m not sure I have the energy to help you.”
Donovan pulled himself up the distance between us and sat back in the snow, shivering and staring around us as if expecting to see an army of Shades still standing there, waiting to devour us.
“Well, I feel unnecessary,” he said. He looped an arm around my shoulders. “How about you? Are you going to be all right?”
I let out a shuddering breath. “I’m fine. Just tired.” Even saying the words drained me. I nodded my head toward the pouch—our bounty.
Donovan immediately understood what I was asking and went over to the pile that had been the Guardian. He picked the skin bag up gingerly, blowing dust off of it and frowning slightly. He brought it back to me and set it at my feet, brushing his fingers against his jeans as if they felt dirtied.
I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t want to touch the thing, either. It felt like… riffling through Nefertiti’s underwear drawer—overly intimate for a creature we had just destroyed.
The pouch could wait. We could not. The snow had stopped falling, but we were both chilled to the bone. We needed to find shelter and build a fire.
And all of that needed to be as far from this place as I could drag my sorry carcass—I would never be able to rest in the shadow of this hill.
But, first, I had to manage to climb down the cliff face without killing myself.
“Next time, let’s just get dinner and a movie,” I suggested, as I pulled myself onto my feet. I closed my eyes for a second, wincing as I took in the state of my soul—and my bear. She looked a little wind-blown and worse for the wear, but my soul… the Earth Magic had tried to make room for itself without touching the vampire-tainted bits. This had left gaping holes where my soul hadn’t been able to stretch enough to hold all
In a movement of pure reflex, I threw up my arms, drawing on the power of the rock beneath our feet with every inch of my battered soul. I yanked on the energy beneath me, begging it to respond—not to abandon me in this moment.
It resisted for a moment—long enough for me to fear that it was all over—Donovan and I were about to die and no one would ever know what had happened to us.
Then, quietly, I could feel the tingle of the Earth answering my plea. First, the power just trickled through me—but that trickle grew to a flood. Sheer power flowed through my body, arching my spine back near to breaking—having no mercy on my frail mortality.
Ice and snow surrounded us, but I could see nothing, feel nothing but the green, bright pine-y scent of Earth Magic.
It felt like coming home.
The power scorched through me with unrelenting green flames. I could feel it tear at my scars, cracking open the wounds, snagging on the places where my soul had frayed.
I must have screamed, but when my mouth opened all that came out was a flood of more power.
I slid bonelessly to the stones beneath my feet as the power—as abruptly as it had come—left me. I whimpered weakly—every part of my body and soul felt pummeled, destroyed. The Earth Magic had swept through and taken everything.
I was so exhausted I marveled that I could even breathe.
Around me, the snow settled like volcanic ash—the last flakes floating down gently, undirected, unguided.
The shades were gone. I could see little piles of dust where they had been—and a pile of skins and ancient jewelry marking the place where the Guardian had fallen.
And the pouch she had worn around her neck.
“Donovan,” I croaked, peering through the last of the snow. I tried again, louder this time. “Donovan!”
“Here.” His muffled cry came from behind me—over the edge of the cliff. I dragged myself toward that sound and looked down.
Donovan was clinging to the stones of the cliff edge, his face stark and pale with cold and fear. “Is it over?”
I nodded weakly. “Can you get back up here? I’m not sure I have the energy to help you.”
Donovan pulled himself up the distance between us and sat back in the snow, shivering and staring around us as if expecting to see an army of Shades still standing there, waiting to devour us.
“Well, I feel unnecessary,” he said. He looped an arm around my shoulders. “How about you? Are you going to be all right?”
I let out a shuddering breath. “I’m fine. Just tired.” Even saying the words drained me. I nodded my head toward the pouch—our bounty.
Donovan immediately understood what I was asking and went over to the pile that had been the Guardian. He picked the skin bag up gingerly, blowing dust off of it and frowning slightly. He brought it back to me and set it at my feet, brushing his fingers against his jeans as if they felt dirtied.
I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t want to touch the thing, either. It felt like… riffling through Nefertiti’s underwear drawer—overly intimate for a creature we had just destroyed.
The pouch could wait. We could not. The snow had stopped falling, but we were both chilled to the bone. We needed to find shelter and build a fire.
And all of that needed to be as far from this place as I could drag my sorry carcass—I would never be able to rest in the shadow of this hill.
But, first, I had to manage to climb down the cliff face without killing myself.
“Next time, let’s just get dinner and a movie,” I suggested, as I pulled myself onto my feet. I closed my eyes for a second, wincing as I took in the state of my soul—and my bear. She looked a little wind-blown and worse for the wear, but my soul… the Earth Magic had tried to make room for itself without touching the vampire-tainted bits. This had left gaping holes where my soul hadn’t been able to stretch enough to hold all
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