Wings of Tavea (34 page)

“When she told me that magic had flowed between you two, I was surprised. I could not figure out what she possibly could have seen in you.” Drustan grinned wider at Alcander’s annoyance. “I don’t think she knows either. Regardless, she managed to pick someone who would sacrifice his own happiness for hers.”

“Would Emane?”

Drustan grew serious. “Yes. He would lay down his life for her.” Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “Will you let him have her?”

The thought sent rage boiling though him. Steeling himself, he said, “Only if that is what she chooses.”

“And if she is unsure?”

“I will fight for her.”

“That’s what I thought.” Drustan looked up, as if searching for help from the heavens. “It’s going to be a long trip.”

“You could always go home.”

“Ahhh, I could.” Drustan smugly met his gaze. “But then who would be at your beck and call to change into whatever creature you are in need of?”

“I am sure we could make do,” Alcander said, turning to leave.

“Why is it so hard for you to admit you might need me?”

Alcander froze at the door, his hand on the flap. “I have watched your kind kill so many of mine. If you understood, you would not have asked.”

“My kind is a broad statement. I believe your kind have become fairly murderous themselves.”

“They are not my kind,” he snapped, turning around. “Not anymore.”

“And
they
are not
mine
,” Drustan added. “Why can you make the differentiation for yourself, but not for me?”

Alcander’s face cracked a smile. “I wasn’t sure what she saw in you either, Drustan. Perhaps I am beginning to. But, that doesn’t mean I will stop calling you Shifter.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Drustan said with a laugh. “You and Emane are more alike than you know.”

Alcander’s smile vanished. “That is not comforting.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Mermaids and Shadow

THE FEW HOURS IN the air had crawled by. Although the two had appeared on the beach looking strangely like friends, Drustan was now silent and Alcander was withdrawn.

Kiora leaned forward, trying to keep from touching Alcander. She could not, no matter how hard she tried, deny that she had feelings for him. And every time she brushed against him, the magic reminded her. Her love for Emane had grown bit by bit, day by day. She learned more about him with each experience. But with Alcander, though she didn’t always understand him, there was a comfortable feeling: as if she had known him forever. Had she met Alcander before Emane, that sense of familiarity would have been good. But now it chaffed and hurt her head. Not to mention the guilt. What would she tell Emane? He would kill Alcander. No, she corrected herself. Emane would
try
to kill Alcander, and then she would have to step in to prevent Alcander from killing Emane. He was really no match for Alcander when magic was involved.

She scowled as her back began to ache. She sat up, trying to stretch it out. But the aching rapidly changed to burning. Shifting, she moaned.

“What’s the matter?” Alcander asked.

“I don’t know. My back, something is . . .” She shook her head. “It hurts but I don’t think it’s me.”

Drustan turned his dragon head to look at her. “Emane?”

“Maybe.” Her eyebrows scrunched together. “It’s faint but—”

“You can feel his pain?” Alcander asked swiftly.

She reached around to her back, rubbing. “I could feel his emotions before. But never physical pain.”

“This is bad,” Alcander murmured.

Drustan didn’t say anything, but turned his attention back to the front.

“Why is it bad?” she asked as the pain faded. “It means we are getting closer, right?” A roar rang through her ears, drowning Alcander’s reply. “
I love you, Kiora,
” the whisper repeated over and over again. Those words brought pain and guilt for so many reasons. One of the reasons—Emane could not initiate calling. She would only be hearing his thoughts through his pain.

“Kiora!” Alcander’s voice came sharply from behind.

She jerked. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“I know.
That
is why it’s bad.”

Drustan managed to fly for six more hours before he finally circled lower to the ground.

“What are you doing?” Alcander asked, breaking the silence they had fallen into.

“We are resting, eating, and drinking,” Drustan said dryly. “And before you say anything else, I do not need, nor am I going to, ask for permission before I land.”

“You have no idea where we are,” Alcander pointed out.

“Do you?”

“Not anymore. It used to be neutral ground before the war started. I don’t know what lives here now.” Alcander pointed over Kiora’s shoulder to the ground. She shivered as he brushed against her. “That’s the problem.”

Below them the trees thinned to reveal a clearing with a small lake in the center.

“That will be a problem no matter where we land.” Drustan turned his head just enough to see Alcander’s jaw set. “We need water, plus shelter for Kiora to build a concealment. This seems to fit our needs.”

A few minutes later, Drustan thudded to the ground next to the lake. The trees here were the same kind Kiora had admired on their way to the island—brilliantly colored. Their leaves had begun to fall, painting the ground as well.

Kiora slid off Drustan, stretching her legs and back. Her legs protested, determined to remain in the same position they had been in for the last nine hours or so. Despite alternating bubbles with Alcander, her magic was building up underneath her skin. She looked forward to releasing some of it.

“I can build the concealment farther within the tree line,” she said, pointing to a place where the foliage thickened, naturally concealing what lay behind it.

Alcander scowled. “No. Anyone looking for us would expect us to be hidden farther in. Build it here, right on the edge of the trees. It will be the last place they look.”

“Yes, there is a good reason for that,” Drustan said, shifting back to human form. “Camping on the edge of the trees increases the likelihood that someone
not
looking will walk through the enchantment.”

Alcander’s eyes slid over to Drustan. “When I want your opinion, I will ask for it.”

“Alcander—” Kiora began.

“Is it too much to ask for the two of you to defer to someone who has more knowledge of this land than you do?” Alcander snapped.

She blinked, crossing her arms. “I trust you. I was only asking if you could take over the bubble so I could make the concealment.”

Alcander shifted on the balls of his feet. “Of course.”

After Kiora had set up the enclosure for the night, Drustan grabbed one of the packs Alcander had insisted they take. “Any water in here?”

“No, we will have to collect it. I assumed that’s why you landed here.” Alcander grabbed the pack from Drustan and pulled out a clay jug. “Here you are,” he said smugly. “Watch out for mermaids.”

“Mermaids!” Kiora and Drustan both said at the same time.

“Why didn’t you tell me there were mermaids?” Drustan shouted.

Alcander, looking supremely amused, shoved the jug into Drustan’s hand. “I would have, had you asked my permission to land. But since you didn’t, I didn’t have the opportunity.”

“I have never seen mermaids,” Kiora said.

“Trust me,” Alcander said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the enclosure. “You don’t want to.”

Kiora attempted to lock down as much magic as she could. Regardless, it still flowed between the two of them. She slipped her hand free. “What’s wrong with mermaids? Drustan had a alliance with them at home.”

Alcander chuckled. “You’ll see. He certainly doesn’t have an alliance with these. Go on, Drustan,” Alcander said, waving towards the lake. “You can bubble long enough to take care of it.” His eyes twinkled with laughter. “We will watch from here.”

Drustan’s mouth twisted before vanishing into a bubble.

Alcander settled down onto the grass. “Sit,” he said patting the ground beside him. “Watch.”

Kiora frowned but sat anyway, looking towards the lake. She couldn’t see Drustan since he was bubbled. But the second the jug broke the water’s surface, the middle of the lake began churning. Rising up from it came three of the most beautiful ladies Kiora had ever seen. One a shimmering redhead, another with hair as white as Alcander’s, and another with hair the color of chestnuts. Their features were pert and perfect. Glistening scales of red, green, and yellow were laid artistically over their chest and shoulders.

“They are beautiful,” Kiora whispered, leaning forward.

Then they started to sing, a haunting melody that slithered into her ears. Everything around her disappeared under the song, and Kiora rose to her feet.

Alcander laughed, grabbing her hand and pulling her back down.

“What are you doing?” she grunted, struggling against his grasp. “I want to go.”

He pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “They want you to go so they can drown you and eat you.”

She jerked, trying to free herself from his grasp. She
needed
to go to them.

“And they won’t make it fast,” he added. “They like to play with their food.”

“They . . . what?”

“They will eat you,” he repeated. She turned her head to look at him with wide eyes. He gave a soft smile, pushing her hair out of her face. “I am glad I didn’t send you with Drustan. I had no idea you would be so susceptible.”

The music still haunted her, pulling her towards the water. But knowing what it was gave her more control. “What about Drustan?” she realized, jerking forward.

“Relax, he knows how to ignore them. And if he doesn’t, he can just shift so he doesn’t have ears.” Alcander nodded towards the water. “Watch, this is the best part.” She looked back at the mermaids, whose song was now fading. “They haven’t caught any prey,” he explained. “So there is no need for a glamour anymore.”

“Glamour?”

The mermaids’ faces started shifting—or more appropriately—blurring. Soon she could see them for what they truly were: hideous, scaly figures rising from the water. Their eyes were sunken and black, cheekbones sticking out like daggers, sallow cheeks beneath. Their teeth were thin and pointed, and black-forked tongues flicked in and out between them. The only thing that remained beautiful and unaltered was their flowing hair.

Kiora sucked in her breath.

“Awful, aren’t they?” he whispered, his lips near her ear again. The magical transfer increased tenfold and she closed her eyes, swallowing.

“Alcander,” she began weakly. He didn’t have time to answer before the sensation of a thousand fiery fingernails burned and ripped through her back. She screamed, arching against Alcander. His arms tightened around her in alarm. Her back felt like it was being flayed open, and the pain was spreading. First her back, then her arms, hands and legs. She thrashed in Alcander’s arms.

“Kiora!” he yelled.

“Make it stop!” she screamed, rolling herself into a ball before thrashing backwards again.

Drustan walked into the bubble as she thrashed backwards again. Her fingernails cut bloody lines into her palms.

“What is wrong with her?” he shouted over her screams.

“I think she is feeling Emane’s pain again,” Alcander shouted back, pulling Kiora as tight to his chest as he could.

“How far to the Manor? We have to get Emane out now!”

“No,” Alcander snapped, staring up at him with determination.

“What do you mean,
no
?”

“We can’t take her in there, not like this. How long do you think it will take for Dralazar to figure this out? All he has to do is hurt Emane to incapacitate her. No shield she throws will be strong enough to protect her.”

“Alcander,” Kiora whimpered. A sheen of sweat lay over her body. Her face was ashen. “Please.” She twisted in his arms.

The pain in her voice broke his heart. He couldn’t do anything to protect her. Smoothing back her hair, he placed his lips against her forehead. “It’s all right, Kiora, it will be okay. Emane will heal soon, hold on.”

* * *

EMANE CAME TO AND wished he hadn’t. He had been wise to avoid the bars that held him captive. Dralazar had lost his patience and thrown him into them. The pain that had ripped through his skin was something he wanted to forget. Unfortunately, he woke to it.

“Emane?” a small voice asked.

He cringed but said nothing as a burst of anger flared behind his closed eyes. How dare she sound so concerned, after everything, over and over again.

“Please,” Layla pleaded from the other side of the bars. “Heal yourself, I can’t stand to see you like this.”

He wanted to laugh.
She
couldn’t stand to see him like this? It was funny in a sick kind of way. He would love to heal himself. But to heal himself he would have to move. Not only move, but somehow reach his arm around to his back. Taking a deep breath, he moved his arm a fraction to the side. The charred skin where one of the bars had bit immediately split open at the movement. He yelled in pain before biting down on his wrist.

“Emane!” Layla jumped up, running to the bars.

“Layla,” he half screamed. “Not now.” He shuddered, his insides withering at the thought of another movement. Deciding fast was better than slow, he flung his arm behind him. He screamed in agony as his back exploded in a firestorm of pain. His vision swam with black spots. His fingers were just inches from his back when his pain doubled. Half the pain was his—the other was not.

“No,” he gasped. “No!”

Kiora could feel it, all of it. And he was feeling her feeling it. She must be getting closer. He had to heal himself now—for Kiora. Biting down on his wrist again, Emane swung his arm around, determined to reach his back. The pain was horrendous. His head swam, threatening the usually welcome escape to unconsciousness. But this time he struggled against it, refusing to surrender. He could taste blood in his mouth as his fingers brushed against his charred and split skin, dumping every bit of magic he could muster into the wounds. The pain mercifully faded under his magic, and he let his arm drop to the floor, his eyes rolling back into his head.