Island Shifters: Book 01 - An Oath of the Blood

by Valerie Zambito

  Teag snorted. “You do not know Adrian Ravener or you would not make that statement! There is no one on the Isle of Massa who can challenge ‘is powers. ‘E knows this and that is why ‘e is ‘ere. ‘E is capable of immense destruction—single-handedly.”

  Beck smiled forbiddingly. “So am I.” Teag narrowed his eyes as he reevaluated Beck’s strength. “The boy stays with us, Teag, so that leaves you with two choices. Leave now and stay alive or fight and die.” At his words, he felt Rogan, Airron, and Kiernan brace themselves in readiness for an attack. Bajan snarled at the soldiers, saliva dripping from his jaw.

  Teag glanced at his fellow companions. “We cannot win against your magic this time, but Adrian Ravener can and will. ‘Eed my words, magic user, and tell your people to surrender to the Mage.”

  Teag turned to go and then looked back at Beck. “When next we meet, one of us will not survive the encounter.”

  With that, the giant spun on his heel and began running at remarkable speed back up the road, the rest of the Cymans following closely behind.

  Rogan let the fire in his hands disappear. “I wasn’t sure how that was going to go.”

  “Me either,” admitted Beck.

  He turned to Rogan and Rory. “Can you get Titus mounted and ready to leave. Make sure his hands are bound tightly in front of him.” They both nodded and hurried to comply.

  Airron was still shimmering. Undressing, he mumbled, “I have not taken my clothes off this much in my entire life. I will take a look from above for another secluded spot for us to stop for the night.” Beck nodded, and Airron took a few running steps, shifted back into the hawk, and wheeled away into the evening air.

  Beck turned to Kiernan. “Send Bajan to track the Cymans to be sure they are headed north and not trying to deceive us by circling around.”

  She nodded.

  Before Kiernan had a chance to deliver Beck’s order, Bajan reached out to her.

  I will do as Beck asks, Princess.

  Thank you, Bajan. You saved my life at The Bluffs, she said tiredly.

  You were in trouble again. It was my honor and duty.

  I never would have imagined that trouble would take this form, Bajan. The Island of Massa invaded? Our friends killed in battle? She shook her head and buried it deep within the thick fur of his huge neck.

  You cannot imagine how worried I was when I saw enemy soldiers on the march behind you. You are safe now, little one. That is all that matters. Bajan pulled back to look at her. Stay near Beck. For some reason, his scent has changed and he smells just as concerned as I over your welfare.

  As soon as Bajan sprinted away, Beck approached Kiernan and rested his hands lightly on her shoulders. She did not turn around, but leaned her cheek onto the back of one of his hands.

  “I am sorry, Kiernan, but we have to keep going,” he said softly in her ear. “Even if the Cyman soldiers truly are headed north, they now know where we are, and they are extremely fast. They could be back with reinforcements while we slept in our bedrolls.”

  “I know.”

  Beck turned her to face him and tilted her chin up very lightly with his thumb. He gazed down into her green eyes and saw a piercing vulnerability there that he had never seen before in his ice princess friend. She looked unbelievingly beautiful standing before him with her dirty face and hair tumbling in a mess around her shoulders.

  She was so small and yet so strong. So fearless and yet so scared.

  The emotions of the day finally poured over him in a rush. From the fight at The Crown Bluffs to the escape south to the tension of the unexpected arrival of the invaders when they thought they were safe for the moment. It was all so overwhelming that he swayed on his feet thinking of how close they all came to death, and his heart beat rapidly as he realized the extent of his feelings for the girl standing in front of him.

  His best friend and his other half.

  As he stared down at the only life raft in a sea of turmoil, he grabbed for it. Without caring about the consequences, and not able to change them if he did, he tightened his grip on her shoulders and drove his mouth down onto hers. A soft moan escaped her lips in surprise. What should have been a tentative first kiss between two young people turned into a passionate hungering. Kiernan wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back while she ran her fingers up through his short brown hair, holding his head to her mouth. Impulsively, she jumped up into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, her lips never leaving his.

  To Beck, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to be kissing and holding Kiernan. He would always remember this day, a day of chaos and uncertainty, as the day he fell irrevocably in love.

  With Kiernan still wrapped around his middle, Beck reluctantly broke from the kiss when he felt an airstream pass overhead and then footsteps running on the dirt. It was Airron coming down and shifting out of his hawk form, silver hair flying behind him.

  As he approached, Kiernan disentangled herself from a red-faced Beck.

  “At least Beck has the decency to blush, Kiernan.”

  She smiled contently. “I have no reason to blush.”

  Airron smiled. “About time. By the way, we have company.”

  Beck tensed. “Who?” he asked urgently, tucking his shirt into his pants.

  “Relax, it is just the little Halfies. A few thousand of them. It looks like they are traveling with everything they own, including goats and chickens.”

  Beck gave Kiernan a quick intimate smile and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go see what the little terrors are doing here.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that?” Airron asked, looking between them. “From the view up above, it sure seems like the two of you have more important things on your mind.”

  Beck ignored him and jogged down the road with Kiernan in tow.

  Airron was not exaggerating. The entire Halfie tribe of men, women and children were on the road ahead pulling carts and wagons full of their belongings, including clothes, food, animals, and even furniture teetering precariously atop the piles of items. Their dirty, mean little faces peered at the shifters with distrust as they approached.

  “Vinni Vee,” called Beck to the Tribe Leader. “It is not safe here! The Island of Massa has been attacked and the invaders are marching this way as we speak. You must hurry and find safety for your people in any way you can.”

  Vinni did not seem at all shocked by what he heard and bowed to Beck with great ceremony. “Savitar, you are still alive,” he squeaked out more as a question than a statement.

  Beck raised an eyebrow and looked down at the imp. “Yes, Vinni, I am still alive. Did you think you might find me dead?” he asked, curiously.

  “I was hoping you would not be, because you are Savitar, and if you die, we all die,” he said shrilly.

  Beck looked around quizzically at his friends and shrugged his shoulders.

  “We came to warn you, Savitar.” Vinni’s eyes moved from Beck’s face to his neck. “I knew you to be Savitar because our legend says that they will come wearing pendants that are alive. Your pendant is alive.” Beck looked down and lifted the silver chain around his neck. The pendant certainly did look alive, and Beck marveled again at the animation within the metal. The detail of the veins and skin of the fisted hand turning slowly left and right was astonishing. Whoever made this pendant had magical powers beyond that of the shifters of Pyraan.

  Galen Starr?

  “As Halfie Tribe Leader, Cloud Reader, and son of Verdie, it is my duty to come here and warn you of what was written in the clouds. You saved the lives of the Halfie people, and it is now upon me to repay the debt so that we will not be beholden to any human. I will tell you what the clouds foretell and then we must leave. That is all I can do for you, Savitar.”

  Rogan appeared next to Beck and nudged him. “Come on, Beck,” he whispered harshly. “We don’t have time for this nonsense. We all know that the Halfies are notorious tricksters, so we cannot trust anything they say. It i
s a waste of precious time.”

  “I know,” Beck whispered, “but they traveled far to come to us. I must hear them out.” He turned back to Vinni. “I am not sure how I saved the Halfie people, but go on.”

  “You saved us by making your presence known and allowing us time to escape. We are traveling posthaste to Haventhal.”

  When Beck said nothing, Vinni squealed haughtily. “As you are not a Cloud Reader, you will not understand. Indeed, the messages I receive are very difficult to decipher, and only a master reader such as myself should even attempt it!”

  Rogan sighed heavily with impatience and turned away.

  Vinni looked at him and stuck his tongue out at the Dwarf’s departing back. “How rude!” he mumbled under his breath. “Nonetheless, the messages I read are portents of what is to come.”

  Kiernan was also getting impatient. “What is to come, Vinni?” she prompted.

  Vinni closed his eyes for a long moment and then recited in a high-pitched voice, “When the Savitars are revealed, ravens will overtake the world, the sea will unleash her deadly fury, and demons will walk the earth.”

  Beck looked at Kiernan in disbelief and then at Vinni as the Tribe Leader slowly opened his eyes.

  “Is that it?”

  “Yes,” Vinni replied.

  “Thank you, Vinni,” Beck said dismissively, turning the Halfie around by his shoulders to get him moving. “Your warning has been delivered, the Halfies owe me no debt, and I thank you. Now, hurry along. I do not want any of you to be hurt.”

  Vinni gave the signal to his people and quite the commotion ensued as thousands of Halfies, animals, and wagons filled to capacity began turning around to head southeast toward Haventhal.

  “Savitar!” yelled Vinni over the noise, cupping his hands to his mouth. “One more thing! The clouds also tell me that when the Savitars are revealed, Pyraan will cease to exist!”

  The Halfie leader laughed as he stuck his tongue out one last time before eagerly following after his people.

  Chapter 10

  DUTY CALLS

  The seven bone weary survivors of the invasion at The Crown Bluffs reached the outskirts of Parsis three days after they left the Halfie Tribe behind. Kiernan licked her cracked lips and reached for the water bag on her saddle. Mercifully, the captive Titus was exhausted enough that she no longer had to mindshift him. The young Cyman did not have the strength to even think about an escape let alone attempt one.

  After taking a long pull from the bag, she kneaded the small of her back with her fingertips. The pain was pervasive at this point, but she attempted to find relief anyway. She knew they were getting close to the outlying farming communities and thanked the Highworld when they crested a rise and she watched a startled young boy in the fields give out a yelp, drop the pail he was carrying, and run to announce the sight of unexpected travelers to his parents. Within moments, an older young man was on a horse and galloping toward the city. Kiernan knew that word would spread quickly that members of Troop 158 of the Northwatch Legion were returning home.

  Bajan announced his departure with another admonition to her to stay out of trouble and then slipped away from the group to head west into the Grayan Forest.

  When they finally arrived in Parsis, Kiernan was not at all surprised to find City Boulevard lined with worried parents and Council Members. She looked over at Beck and gave him a tired smile. It seemed impossible to her that just the sight of him could make her feel so content when the world all around them was falling apart.

  Beck loved her.

  Those three words gave her hope and strength, and a determination to fight for a future with him. He gave her a small smile in return, but it was quickly replaced with a grim set to his features. As Lieutenant, it was his responsibility to relay the events of the massacre at The Crown Bluffs. He must ensure that his father, as Mayor, and the Town Council Members appreciated the dire circumstances facing the island. The defenders of Massa, the shifters of Pyraan, would have very little time to develop the most advantageous strategy for defeating the threat bearing down on them from the north.

  Beck’s parents, Jaimes and Constance Atlan, and Airron’s parents, Joshe and Jeni Falewir, were among the crowd waiting to hear what could have brought their children back to Parsis. They eyed curiously the large, hooded prisoner riding along with them. Jaimes Atlan stepped forward, the worry unmistakable on his face. “Beck! What is going on? Why have you returned to the city?”

  Beck slid from his horse and said loudly, “I must request a meeting of the Council immediately, father. The Island of Massa is under attack.” The crowd gasped, several of the women letting out frightened screams.

  Kiernan dismounted and stood next to Beck as Jaimes grabbed his son’s arm. “Beck, what are you saying? What has happened?”

  “I will explain everything at the Council Meeting, father. We will only have a week at most before the invaders arrive here in Parsis.”

  Titus snorted and said contemptuously through the gap in his hood, “The Cyman Army will be ‘ere by dawn, shifter.”

  Rogan whipped his head around to face the Cyman. “Impossible! There were thousands of soldiers swarming our shores. You cannot move an army of that size that quickly.”

  “It is possible,” Titus said calmly. “You saw firsthand ‘ow fast we can move. Unlike the pathetic Northwatch Legion, we ‘ave ‘ad years of disciplined trainin’ in extremely ‘arsh conditions. We do not use ‘orses or wagons or carry ‘eavy weaponry. We do not sleep in tents or cook meals. We ‘ave trained to survive on very little food and sleep. We do not ‘unt or sit around a campfire. Mostly, the army will live on agave plants, pine bark, and nuts as they travel.” He paused, and then sighed. “I tell you this so that you understand the truth of your chances ‘ere. It does not ‘ave to turn into a blood bath unless you choose it to be so.”

  His words sent a chill up Kiernan’s spine and she reached out to Beck to lace her fingers through his.

  Constance Atlan rushed up to Jaimes and grabbed her husband’s arm, her eyes wide in alarm. “Who is that?” she whispered to Beck, rolling her eyes in the direction of Titus.

  Titus reached his bound hands up to remove his hood, and there was another gasp from the crowd.

  Kiernan placed a hand lightly on Beck’s mother and then looked up at Titus. It was very disconcerting staring into his one large eye. Her eyes and voice were hard though as she said, “He is one of Mage Adrian Ravener’s minions, Mistress Atlan, and he is here to destroy us.”

  Kiernan walked into the overflowing Council Hall with Beck, Rogan, Airron, and Rory. She was comforted to see all of the familiar faces she had come to know and love over the years. Mistress Halloran, the innkeeper, rushed over to hug her, the woman’s usual cheery features reddened and lined with concern. Blacksmith and earthshifter, Jorge Owen, sat in the front row with Master and Mistress Falewir, looking as if he was ready—and able—to take on the Cyman Army single-handedly. Despite the large number of people present, it was eerily quiet, and the anxiety in the room was palpable.

  The gathered citizens made way for Kiernan and the four legionnaires as they moved through the crowd toward the front of the room where Master Atlan was sitting with the Council Members and took a seat in the front row. Heads twisted around when the back doors banged open and Katrin Allendale, a young female mindshifter, hurried to the front of the room and stood before Jaimes. “The prisoner is secured, Mayor Atlan.” Her faced beamed proudly and she whispered, “I mindshifted him myself until he could be bound.”

  Jaimes patted her shoulder. “Thank you, Katrin. It would appear that your devotion to your studies has paid off.” She twirled giddily and went to sit in the second row with Ben Martyn.

  When she was seated, Master Atlan rose and addressed the crowd. “If what the self-proclaimed Cyman says is true, we have very little time to prepare our defenses.”

  Jakob Martyn, the grocer, stood. “I think we should retreat to Iserlohn and join with the Army
of Men! Even with our magic, it would be difficult to win a battle against thousands of well-trained soldiers. Our only hope is to unite with the other lands, starting with Iserlohn.”

  Jorge Owen stood and gestured to the athame on his neck. “It is the responsibility of the shifters of Pyraan, Jakob, to protect and defend the people of Massa! We cannot run from our duty and hide behind Iserlohn’s skirts!”

  “We are not running!” the grocer retorted with a distinct tremble coloring his voice. “We are saving ourselves and giving the people of Massa a chance to win this battle!” He was wringing his hands and looking about wildly for support. The impending hostilities were beginning to unravel the man.

  Jaimes shook his head. “I agree with Jorge! We will not desert our duty in the hour of crisis when the people of this island need us more than ever. It is what we have trained to do since we joined the Northwatch Legion as young men, Jakob!” He slammed his hand on the table in front of him. “We will not run!”

  Kiernan felt more than saw the acquiescence of the shifters as they agreed with Jaimes Atlan. She felt her own body react to the words he spoke, coming from a deep-rooted belief housed in the core of her being and, without warning, the air in the chamber changed. It was subtle at first, but gained strength as a visible energy misted throughout the room. She instinctively tensed, but then relaxed when she sensed that the power in the room was not malevolent. It was strong and determined, yes, but not harmful. It was seeking something. Then, the magical vapor entered her body with force to swell in her chest and heart. It physically lifted her off her chair and swirled all around and through her body and the bodies of her fellow shifters.

  Kiernan knew instinctively that it was the centuries-old blood oath demanding fulfillment. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and resolve flowed through her mind. Every shifter in Pyraan would feel the call, whether present in the Council Chamber at that moment or elsewhere.

  There would be no retreat. Whatever the chances, the shifters of Pyraan would stay to fight for the people they were sworn to protect.