The Shadow slipped along the base of the cliff, black tendrils flowed over the beach, and behind her marched an army of Shifters.
Relief flooded through Kiora. “They are looking for the rebel camp,” she said.
But the rebels were safe in the city. Jasmine had missed them by a day.
***
ERINA WAS BLEEDING FROM a gaping hole in her lower back. Killian sat by his mother, holding her hand. His eyes were closed in his own helpless agony as his mother moaned in pain.
The skin surrounding the wound was rough and jagged where the stinger had been ripped from her body. Emane knelt down to evaluate. He had healed many things, but this was beyond anything he had attempted.
He put his hands on her and the bleeding stopped, but the hole remained—puckered and rough. Sitting back on his heels, Emane looked at Erina’s scarred back and sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t restore missing flesh.”
The severed stinger lay just outside, but Erina had insisted the door not be opened.
Erina sat up and reached behind her, running her fingers over the wound. Feeling the scarred skin, she closed her eyes. “It will be fine. Thank you.”
Killian looked around at the puckered, concave skin. “Mother—”
“It’s fine, Killian,” Erina said. Her tone was gentle, but held a finality only a mother can claim.
“I wish I could have done more,” Emane said. He hung his head. “If we retrieved the stinger, perhaps—”
“I probably would have bled to death. You have done plenty.” She stood, but stumbled to the side. Killian grabbed her arm. She straightened and turned to Alcander. “Where do you need us, Your Majesty?”
“I think you should rest for a while,” Alcander said.
Her eyes softened and she smiled. “You are different than I remember.”
Emane pushed to his feet, watching Erina and Killian walk down the hall. “She’s right, you know. You are different.”
Alcander was his normal hard quiet before snorting. “You humans. You talk about feelings as if they were on the dinner menu.”
Emane laughed out loud. “I do not.”
“Yes, you do. Not as bad as Kiora.” He pointed at him. “But nearly.”
“Remember how we discussed the need to acquire some creatures that were suitable for battle?” Emane asked as they headed down the tunnel to join the others.
“Of course.”
“We need to get on that. I don’t know how much time we have left until this battle is on us, whether we like it or not. We can’t just wait until Kiora returns to finish preparing.”
The sounds of celebration reverberated down the hall as rebels from different camps reunited in the center of the city.
“I agree.”
“Any ideas on where we are going to find them?”
“I have one,” Alcander said. “But you aren’t going to like it.”
Emane shrugged. “When do I ever like anything you say?”
“Tavea has an extensive collection of battle-worthy animals.”
Emane stopped dead in his tracks. “You have got to be kidding. Tell me you’re kidding.”
“I don’t do that very often.”
Emane hurried to catch up. “We barely made it out of Tavea alive last time.”
“I know. I am hoping most everyone is outside of Tavea at the moment. Considering the amount of threads surrounding us, I will assume I’m correct.”
Emane ran his fingers through his hair. “What about the horses I suggested?”
“If you want to try to scour the land rounding up wild horses, we can try. Although I doubt we will have much luck within our time frame. We need a large number of creatures quickly.”
“If the Taveans have such a large collection, why aren’t any of them riding them?”
“When they partnered with the Shifters, they found it was more useful to ride something that could change shapes at will. Aimon, however, continued to collect animals, despite the fact that they had no use for them. It ensured we couldn’t have access to them. Without anything to ride, and without Shifters that would fight with us in battle, we
Relief flooded through Kiora. “They are looking for the rebel camp,” she said.
But the rebels were safe in the city. Jasmine had missed them by a day.
***
ERINA WAS BLEEDING FROM a gaping hole in her lower back. Killian sat by his mother, holding her hand. His eyes were closed in his own helpless agony as his mother moaned in pain.
The skin surrounding the wound was rough and jagged where the stinger had been ripped from her body. Emane knelt down to evaluate. He had healed many things, but this was beyond anything he had attempted.
He put his hands on her and the bleeding stopped, but the hole remained—puckered and rough. Sitting back on his heels, Emane looked at Erina’s scarred back and sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t restore missing flesh.”
The severed stinger lay just outside, but Erina had insisted the door not be opened.
Erina sat up and reached behind her, running her fingers over the wound. Feeling the scarred skin, she closed her eyes. “It will be fine. Thank you.”
Killian looked around at the puckered, concave skin. “Mother—”
“It’s fine, Killian,” Erina said. Her tone was gentle, but held a finality only a mother can claim.
“I wish I could have done more,” Emane said. He hung his head. “If we retrieved the stinger, perhaps—”
“I probably would have bled to death. You have done plenty.” She stood, but stumbled to the side. Killian grabbed her arm. She straightened and turned to Alcander. “Where do you need us, Your Majesty?”
“I think you should rest for a while,” Alcander said.
Her eyes softened and she smiled. “You are different than I remember.”
Emane pushed to his feet, watching Erina and Killian walk down the hall. “She’s right, you know. You are different.”
Alcander was his normal hard quiet before snorting. “You humans. You talk about feelings as if they were on the dinner menu.”
Emane laughed out loud. “I do not.”
“Yes, you do. Not as bad as Kiora.” He pointed at him. “But nearly.”
“Remember how we discussed the need to acquire some creatures that were suitable for battle?” Emane asked as they headed down the tunnel to join the others.
“Of course.”
“We need to get on that. I don’t know how much time we have left until this battle is on us, whether we like it or not. We can’t just wait until Kiora returns to finish preparing.”
The sounds of celebration reverberated down the hall as rebels from different camps reunited in the center of the city.
“I agree.”
“Any ideas on where we are going to find them?”
“I have one,” Alcander said. “But you aren’t going to like it.”
Emane shrugged. “When do I ever like anything you say?”
“Tavea has an extensive collection of battle-worthy animals.”
Emane stopped dead in his tracks. “You have got to be kidding. Tell me you’re kidding.”
“I don’t do that very often.”
Emane hurried to catch up. “We barely made it out of Tavea alive last time.”
“I know. I am hoping most everyone is outside of Tavea at the moment. Considering the amount of threads surrounding us, I will assume I’m correct.”
Emane ran his fingers through his hair. “What about the horses I suggested?”
“If you want to try to scour the land rounding up wild horses, we can try. Although I doubt we will have much luck within our time frame. We need a large number of creatures quickly.”
“If the Taveans have such a large collection, why aren’t any of them riding them?”
“When they partnered with the Shifters, they found it was more useful to ride something that could change shapes at will. Aimon, however, continued to collect animals, despite the fact that they had no use for them. It ensured we couldn’t have access to them. Without anything to ride, and without Shifters that would fight with us in battle, we
Similar Books
