everything else. She could only watch, horrified, as the magic she’d helped build began to crash. Even she wouldn’t be immune when it hit, and Izar, human and undefended, would be burned completely.
The thought stopped her cold. In the last few days, Izar had become surprisingly dear to her. The thought of hurting him created a stab of cold fear that stopped even the lust and the dread gave her new strength.
With strength she hadn’t known she had, Zoa flung her out magic to shield him. Her power might not be enough and taking the hit on her magic would certainly hurt a great deal, but this was her fault. She’d let herself get caught, let her magic go out of control and fan the lust to this point, she would gladly take the consequences. But as she pulled on her own power to stand against the crashing force, something extraordinary happened.
Just before the crash hit, Jeric’s power rolled over them in a warm, glowing wave that caught the burning magic and held it. Since Zoa’s magic had been the primary building force, she could feel what Jeric did as clearly as though he was doing it to her own body. Even so, she didn’t quite believe it. In the blink of an eye, Jeric built a wall of his power, a great barrier that protected Izar, and the two of them, from the enormous magic. The burning power crashed into the wall, and when the two touched, it was the out of control magic that broke. It crashed with a flash that was almost blinding, and then, like a shift in the wind, the burning power dissolved into something warm and wonderful.
As Jeric dropped his barrier, the remnants of the magic fell over them like soft rain, suffusing everything in a bliss that glowed with Dezira’s approval. For a moment, Zoa could only sit and bask in the warm wonderfulness of it, and then she looked over her shoulder to see the moon on Jeric’s forehead shining white as phosphorus, filling the tent with blazing light.
He wasn’t alone. Her own forehead was blazing too and she could almost feel Dezira with them. The happiness in the air was hers as well as theirs and Zoa immediately began a prayer of praise and thanks. Jeric joined her, though he had never been taught the words. There was no need, all the Moon’s Own knew her songs.
As the prayer finished, the brilliant whiteness of their marks faded and the light in the tent returned to normal. The moons were still there, glowing soft and strong, and Zoa had the feeling she couldn’t have hidden her mark at this moment if she’d tried.
In front of her, Izar slumped with a deep shudder. Zoa moved to give him room. Such an experience left even her shaking. Izar wasn’t a Chosen, so she could only imagine how he felt. But as she tried to move away, Izar’s arms shot out, wrapping around her and Jeric and pulling them all together again.
“Not so fast,” the captain whispered. His voice was husky, but it had none of the drunken, dazed sound from the morning they’d nearly burned him out. He looked at her and Jeric with blatant possession for a moment, and then his eyes drifted to their glowing symbols. “What was that? Or do I want to know?”
“I’m not actually sure,” Zoa said. “I haven’t lost control of my magic like that since I was newly Chosen. My specialty is building lust, but I’ve never done anything like that before. I could have hurt us all if not for Jeric.” She turned to her fellow Avatar. “To take that kind of wild burning and turn it into something strong and protective, something loving…” her voice trailed off with a brilliant smile. “You truly are a white moon.”
Jeric closed his eyes. “I didn’t even know what I was doing,” he said. “But I could feel her hand guiding me. Her white hand.”
“You are hers,” Zoa said, arching back to kiss him. “The moon takes care of her Own.”
Jeric kissed her back and then looked at his captain. “I’m sorry, Izar. Looks like we almost hurt you again.”
Izar gave him a scornful
The thought stopped her cold. In the last few days, Izar had become surprisingly dear to her. The thought of hurting him created a stab of cold fear that stopped even the lust and the dread gave her new strength.
With strength she hadn’t known she had, Zoa flung her out magic to shield him. Her power might not be enough and taking the hit on her magic would certainly hurt a great deal, but this was her fault. She’d let herself get caught, let her magic go out of control and fan the lust to this point, she would gladly take the consequences. But as she pulled on her own power to stand against the crashing force, something extraordinary happened.
Just before the crash hit, Jeric’s power rolled over them in a warm, glowing wave that caught the burning magic and held it. Since Zoa’s magic had been the primary building force, she could feel what Jeric did as clearly as though he was doing it to her own body. Even so, she didn’t quite believe it. In the blink of an eye, Jeric built a wall of his power, a great barrier that protected Izar, and the two of them, from the enormous magic. The burning power crashed into the wall, and when the two touched, it was the out of control magic that broke. It crashed with a flash that was almost blinding, and then, like a shift in the wind, the burning power dissolved into something warm and wonderful.
As Jeric dropped his barrier, the remnants of the magic fell over them like soft rain, suffusing everything in a bliss that glowed with Dezira’s approval. For a moment, Zoa could only sit and bask in the warm wonderfulness of it, and then she looked over her shoulder to see the moon on Jeric’s forehead shining white as phosphorus, filling the tent with blazing light.
He wasn’t alone. Her own forehead was blazing too and she could almost feel Dezira with them. The happiness in the air was hers as well as theirs and Zoa immediately began a prayer of praise and thanks. Jeric joined her, though he had never been taught the words. There was no need, all the Moon’s Own knew her songs.
As the prayer finished, the brilliant whiteness of their marks faded and the light in the tent returned to normal. The moons were still there, glowing soft and strong, and Zoa had the feeling she couldn’t have hidden her mark at this moment if she’d tried.
In front of her, Izar slumped with a deep shudder. Zoa moved to give him room. Such an experience left even her shaking. Izar wasn’t a Chosen, so she could only imagine how he felt. But as she tried to move away, Izar’s arms shot out, wrapping around her and Jeric and pulling them all together again.
“Not so fast,” the captain whispered. His voice was husky, but it had none of the drunken, dazed sound from the morning they’d nearly burned him out. He looked at her and Jeric with blatant possession for a moment, and then his eyes drifted to their glowing symbols. “What was that? Or do I want to know?”
“I’m not actually sure,” Zoa said. “I haven’t lost control of my magic like that since I was newly Chosen. My specialty is building lust, but I’ve never done anything like that before. I could have hurt us all if not for Jeric.” She turned to her fellow Avatar. “To take that kind of wild burning and turn it into something strong and protective, something loving…” her voice trailed off with a brilliant smile. “You truly are a white moon.”
Jeric closed his eyes. “I didn’t even know what I was doing,” he said. “But I could feel her hand guiding me. Her white hand.”
“You are hers,” Zoa said, arching back to kiss him. “The moon takes care of her Own.”
Jeric kissed her back and then looked at his captain. “I’m sorry, Izar. Looks like we almost hurt you again.”
Izar gave him a scornful
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