by Walls, Devri
“Hold on, everyone,” Kiora said as she dropped her bubble.
The Shadow turned on her. The black covering fell away to reveal Jasmine. Her silky green dress whipped out behind her in the wind, and she raised her chin as if defying Kiora to try anything.
Kiora yelled and threw out two shots. The first bolt of magic caught Jasmine in the stomach, pushing her backwards. The other caught her arm and flipped her to the side. Putting the bubble back up, Kiora used the wind to help push Arturo over the cliff’s edge.
Jasmine stood, one arm wrapped around her middle, her face seething with rage. Using her other hand, she fired off magic in all directions. Although erratic, it was rapid, and the sky was quickly filled with spheres and bolts of magic.
Arturo tried to avoid them, but he was exhausted, his movements slow.
A large and increasing sphere of orange magic was coming in. Arturo leaned to one side, but it wasn’t enough. Kiora dropped her bubble and put up a shield. The sphere impacted, shattering into glass like shards that shimmered as they fell to earth. Kiora’s ears rang.
With their threads in the open, Jasmine homed in on them. She spun and extended both hands. Multiple shots burst out in rapid succession. Her attack began as small glowing balls, but quickly grew. They spread out, covering feet of space in seconds, continuing to grow larger. It reminded Kiora of the black covering Jasmine used, the way it expanded—ready to swallow anything in its path.
Kiora put the bubble back up. They weren’t going to be able to outrun this.
The first time they had visited Lomay’s, Alcander had shared with them the secret of the house, and how it had stayed undiscovered all these years. That bit of magic was her only hope right now.
Arturo heard her thoughts and flew straight at where the house would be, Drustan and Emane close behind. The second they hit the barrier, the magic instantly transported them to the other side. Arturo turned, heading back in time to see Jasmine’s hands slowly drop in shock, watching her wall of magic continue toward the ocean without exposing Kiora.
Arturo veered down to where Alcander had vanished moments earlier. Landing, Kiora dismounted, hurrying Arturo and Drustan through the protection and toward the house, trying not to look at Emane, who was hanging over Drustan’s arms like a rag doll. They crossed over the invisible bridge Alcander had uncovered. Once they were inside, she dropped her bubble and flung out her hand, hitting Jasmine in the back with another shot of magic.
Jasmine stumbled forward. A shield burst out around her and she slowly straightened as she turned. Her green eyes narrowed before a smile pulled at the sides of her mouth. A moment later, she vanished.
That smile created a cold pit in Kiora’s stomach. Jasmine had not given up—she left for a reason. Breathing heavily, Kiora put her bubble back up and ran through the enclosure and over the pathway to Lomay’s.
Pushing the door open, she pulled up short. The foyer was filled to the brim with flying foxes. She looked around. Drustan stood to the side of the door, still holding Emane.
Alcander leaped over a flying fox and wrapped her in his arms. He pulled her against his chest, breathing heavily in her ear. “I thought I lost you.”
“I thought I lost you!” she said, shoving him back with both hands. “What were you thinking? She could have killed you!”
Alcander shrugged without an ounce of an apology in his expression.
Swallowing the lump in her throat and her worries of what could have happened, she turned to Drustan and Emane. “What is wrong with him?”
Drustan just looked at her.
You nearly killed him, Arturo thought. You nearly killed all of us.
Kiora’s face drained of color.
Drustan glanced toward Arturo. “I am taking Emane up to a bed.” He looked warily at the fox nearest him. The fox was focused intently on him, its ears pinned back. Drustan pulled back his lips, hissed at it, then spread his wings and flew over the foxes and up the stairs.
“Where did Jasmine go?” Alcander asked.
“I don’t know, but she’s not done. She knows we’re here.”
Alcander scowled.
Kiora was still trying to piece together what had happened after she left the Dragon colony. She looked down at her arm. The blackened wound had nearly vanished. “What happened?” she asked Alcander, running her fingers over the smooth skin. “The last thing I remember was being stuck in a vision with Jasmine. She went to the slave camps . . .” Kiora trailed off as Jasmine’s thread reappeared outside, accompanied by another.
She ran to the window. Jasmine stood in almost exactly the same spot she had vanished from, her arm wrapped around the neck of a Winged man. She dropped him to the ground and reached out, surrounding him in a ball of red magic. The ball lifted off the ground and the man inside pounded at the edges. His eyes were wide with panic and his wings flapped helplessly behind him. The ball stopped and hovered above Jasmine’s head.
“I know you are close enough to hear me,” she said. Her voice had been magically amplified and it boomed around the house. “I propose a trade, Solus.” Jasmine spun in a circle, looking and waiting for Kiora to reveal herself. “You for him.”
Kiora clenched her fists at her sides, her whole body shaking, realizing exactly where Jasmine had gone. “She left to get him!” Kiora ran for the door.
Alcander grabbed her by one arm, jerking her back.
“Stop it, Alcander!” she shouted, pulling against him. “She’s going to kill him.”
He yanked her back against his chest. Wrapping his arms firmly around her, he pinned her arms to the side. “Yes. She will. And then she will kill everyone else when you are gone!”
Kiora stilled. Her eyes turned mournfully to the red ball visible from the window.
“Winter solstice, Solus,” Jasmine said, her voice holding traces of amusement. “I will wait no longer than that.”
The man’s body twisted in the air and his spine snapped. His body settled to the bottom of the bubble before the magic dissolved and dropped him into the ocean below.
Kiora turned and shoved her head into Alcander’s shoulder. She clenched his shirt in her fists and ground her teeth to prevent herself from screaming.
“Kiora,” Alcander said, his mouth against her ear. “The winter solstice is in three days. What is she talking about?”
She couldn’t stop shaking. Alcander rubbed his hands up and down her arms as she took gasping breaths. Sniffing, she finally stepped back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “She’s going to kill the slaves—all of them, just like she killed that Winged man. I have to do something. I can’t just stand there, like . . . like we just did. I can’t, Alcander.”
“I know.”
Kiora was unsure what to do next. “I’m going to check on Emane,” she said. “Then we need to talk.”
***
KIORA STOOD OUTSIDE, SUMMONING rocks from the bottom of the cliffs and throwing them out to sea. Alcander and Drustan had explained everything they could about what had happened while she was stuck in her vision.
The thought of Jasmine in Alcander’s head made her sick—knowing how horrible it was for him. Emane was still unconscious upstairs, and one of her worst fears had nearly been realized. She didn’t know what she would have done if her magic had killed him.
Alcander came up behind her.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“For what?”
“For letting her in your head.”
“I don’t believe she gave you a choice.”
She wrapped her arms around herself, looking out at the waves. “I watched her take the slaves from the pit, Alcander—all of them. They were terrified.”
Alcander was quiet for a moment, moving next to her and looking at her as if to discern her intentions. “Where did she take them?”
“I have no idea. She was very careful once she realized I was there. I saw the inside of where she lives, but not out any windows, or how to get there. She would vanish and mate
rialize from place to place, and no matter what I did, the vision followed her. I don’t even know where I am supposed to go to surrender myself.”
“Kiora, you aren’t actually—”
“I just meant, if I did.” She hurriedly cut him off.
Alcander stepped in front of her, tilting her chin so she would look at him. “She doesn’t need to tell you because everyone knows. The winter solstice celebration is held every year—here.” He stepped back and held out his palm flat. A book appeared. He flipped it open to the page he was looking for and handed it to her.
The illustration spanned both pages. Countless creatures stood along the coast, hundreds deep. Winged people and others filled the air. Those who could control fire held glowing magical balls in their hands, while others carried torches or candles that blazed in the dark. At the base of the cliff, the ocean was filled with small glowing balls that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
An answer to her problem began to form. It was cold, and unwelcome, but an answer nonetheless.
“This is the winter solstice? What are they doing?”
“Lights are offered to the Creators in remembrance of the Lights they gave to us. It is the oldest holiday and the only one everyone celebrates, regardless of species. At least, we used to until it became too dangerous—now just the Shadow’s followers participate.”
“The Lights are the ultimate representation of everything Jasmine lost.” Kiora frowned. “Why would she allow her followers to continue to celebrate it?”
“I never thought about it like that.”
A memory fluttered upwards from the heap of thoughts Nestor had left her in the pearl. She snorted, crossing her arms. “It’s her birthday.”
“What?”
“The winter solstice celebration was not started as a celebration of the Lights. It was a birthday celebration in honor of Nestor’s daughter.”
“Are you sure?”
“Very. You said it was in a couple of days, right?”
“Yes.”
“I think I have an idea.”
***
KIORA SAT AT THE table in the meeting room, surrounded with books Alcander had summoned for her. She pulled over a piece of paper and quill and drew a rough representation of the cliffs. “The celebration extends from here to here?” she asked.
“Approximately,” Alcander said, an amused look on his face.
“What?”
He grinned. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his ankle over his other knee. “Your artistic ability is not as advanced as your magic.”
“Funny.” Pursing her lips, she used one finger to slide the paper toward him. “How far are we from where the celebration starts?”
Alcander made an “X” a little ways down the coast. “Maybe half a mile—maybe.”
Kiora pulled a book closer. “It says here I can make an enclosure by connecting it to anything. I have always done it with trees or rocks. Do you think if I made an arch and connected both sides to the ground, it would work?”
“Try it,” Alcander said.
Leaning down, she touched the ground, repeated the incantation, and moved her arm up and over in an arc, touching back down on the other side. It fizzled and died as soon as she released it. “That’s what I was afraid of.” She sighed.
“I would love to help, but you still haven’t told me what you are trying to do.”
Kiora began thumbing through books. “We need to get the slaves to safety. The only place we have open to us right now is Lomay’s. I wanted to build a tunnel to get them here safely, but I can’t figure out how to do it.”
“You don’t think the enemy will notice when a few hundred slaves slip away?”
Kiora hesitated. “I think they’re going to be occupied with a bigger problem, but I haven’t completely worked that part out yet.” She drummed her fingers on one of the books, biting her lip.
“It will come to you.”
Kiora ran her fingers through her hair, dropping her elbows on the table as she stared back at the drawing. “I don’t know. There are so many things that could go wrong, and—”
Alcander stood, pulling her to him. “You will figure this out,” he murmured. “I trust you.” His lips brushed hers and Kiora sighed. She needed that. He pulled away just enough to look into her eyes with that brilliant blue gaze of his. “No holding back,” he whispered before pressing his lips against hers.
Kiora leaned into him, freely releasing her magic. It circled between them, cresting higher and higher as their kiss deepened.
Alcander groaned. Sliding his hand under her jaw, he pressed his body to hers.
The door behind them slammed against the wall. Kiora jerked back with a gasp.
“Sorry to, uh, interrupt,” Drustan said with a smirk. “But Emane is awake. I thought you would like to know.”
Kiora looked at the floor as she tucked her hair back behind her ear. “Thank you.”
Drustan chortled. “You are very welcome.” Leaning against the doorframe, he winked at Alcander. “No thanks from you?”
Alcander swiveled around. His cheeks were flushed, and his chest was heaving despite his clear efforts to get his breathing under control. “No.”
“Very well. I think I will go get Emane something to eat,” Drustan said, eyeing them both, “and give you two a moment to compose yourselves.” Grinning, he headed down the hall, whistling as he went.
“I have to see Emane,” Kiora said, moving to the doors. Alcander grabbed her hand, pulling her against his chest.
“That was . . . amazing.” He leaned down, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips.
Kiora blushed. “It was.”
“Go. Make sure is all right. I will be up in a minute.”
“You don’t want to come with me?”
He cleared his throat. “I am going to need a moment to ‘compose myself’.”
Standing up on her tiptoes, she kissed him on the cheek before hurrying upstairs.
***
KIORA CRACKED OPEN THE door to Emane’s room, peeking in. Emane was sitting on the edge of his bed, his head down and his hair hanging in his eyes.
“How are you?” she asked.
“Fine.” He looked up. “I finished healing myself when I woke, but Drustan insisted I stay here while he brought me food.”
“Humor him,” she said. “When’s the last time he tried to take care of you?”
A faint smile passed over Emane’s face. “Never. He’s usually responsible for almost killing me.”
“And now I almost killed you,” she said, dropping her head. “I am so sorry.”
“Many have tried, but no one has succeeded yet.” Emane stretched back on the bed, linking his hands behind his head. “You look well.”
“Thanks to you.”
“That wound didn’t look new, Kiora. When did you get it?”
Kiora sat on the edge of the bed. “At the battle at the lake, before I left to visit the Dragons.”
“Do I need to tell you how stupid that was, or has everyone else covered it for me?”
“Everyone has been very clear.”
“Good, because that was stupid.”
“I know.” Kiora folded her hands in her lap. “I thought I could get the bleeding to stop.”
Drustan came back into the room with a plate of bread. “Sorry.” He held it up apologetically. “It was all I could find.”
Emane sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “It’s fine. I’m really not that hungry.” Drustan held out the plate with a look that dared Emane not to take a piece. “All right, fine.” Emane snatched the bread and bit into it. “Thank you, Drustan,” he mumbled around his food.
“You’re welcome,” Drustan said. He crossed his arms and looked down at both of them. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. I thought I was going to lose both of you.”
Emane smirked, his eyes dancing. “Ah, you do care.”
Kiora stood up and threw her arms around Drustan’s nec
k. He stiffened for a second, unsure what to do. Then he relaxed and hugged her back.
“Where are we going from here?” Drustan asked. “Back to the lake city, I assume?”
“No.” Kiora laid out Jasmine’s demands and what she was planning to do during the winter solstice. “I have been trying to make an enclosure to get the rebel slaves into the manor, but there’s nothing to anchor it to. And I can’t anchor it to the ground—I tried.”
“Why not use me?” Drustan asked.
“You?”
“Come on,” he said, smiling and rubbing his hands together. “Let’s try something.”
***
KIORA PUSHED OPEN THE doors and headed outside. Winter was here. The wind bit at her skin, raising goose bumps up and down her arms. She shivered. They had moved the flying foxes outside, and the animals lounged around the perimeter of the property.
“Stay back,” Drustan said as he strode farther out.
“Any idea what he’s doing?” Emane asked dryly.
“None.”
Alcander came out behind them. “What is going on?” he asked, clapping Emane on the back.
“No idea.”
“Glad to have you back, Emane,” Alcander said.
Drustan began to grow and stretch into some type of reptile. His legs were short and stocky, and his neck, tail, and body were long.