Page 157 of The Demon Tide

“It’s not just one pool of Shadow death,” he says. “There is water like this all over this forest.”

Alarm bolts through Tierney. “He’s here,” she rasps out. “Somehow, Vogel’s here. And he’s going to destroy the natural balance.”

“They think him far away across a vast desert,” Viger says ominously as he eyes the dark pool like a predator eyeing a much more powerful predator. “But he is already here, somehow. And not just in the corrupted animals that have been found. His many-eyed beasts. He’s entrenched in the natural world of the Eastern Realm.”

“We need to ward the Vo,” Tierney says, panic mounting as she rises and grasps Viger’s arm, the ravens’ eyes all focused on her. “I need you, Viger. I know Deathkin can conjure strong wards. Help me protect my waters and all the life of the river. And then, help me warn the Vu Trin and my Asrai’kin. We need to wardallof Noilaan’s waterways. Xishlon needs to endright now.”

Viger nods and Tierney’s grip on him tightens as they fall into complete Fae alliance with each other. “Help me any way you can,” she implores, holding his kindred stare as his eyes pool to solid black. “Or Vogel’s going to destroy the natural world.”

CHAPTER THREE

XISHLONSTORM

Vothendrile Xanthile

Xishlon night, twenty-first hour

“The moon’s pull...it’s strong.”

Trystan’s words are hesitant as he gazes at the shimmering lavender orb, its reflection a dazzling spectacle on the river below.

But it’s nowhere near as dazzling as Trystan, Vothe considers, captivated by the Mage sitting before him at the teahouse’s outdoor table, Trystan’s handsome face lifted to the moon, his hair tinted violet by its light. The piercings in his brow and lip catch sparks of the lavender light, his Xishlon tunic a dark, moody purple and embroidered with a darker purple dragon down its side. And his skin...it seems to shimmer even more brightly, with such an entrancing green that it makes Vothe want to run a finger over those glimmering lips and tug on the piercing there.

With his teeth.

Because this night has unexpectedly turned into one for celebration, with the news of Vang Troi’s intention to forge an alliance with Elloren Gardner.

Yes, this is a night for the purple moon if there ever was one.

“You know, you could just give in to the moon’s pull,” Vothe ventures a bit breathlessly, not used to being so flustered by anyone.

Trystan’s face tenses as he pulls his gaze from the moon, as if struggling to shut out its thrall. “Vogel’s forces are massing at the edge of the Western Realm,” he says, a hardened light in those kohl-rimmed green eyes of his. Eyes Vothe could fall into and be lost in forever. “Tomorrow, we find out if Vang Troi is truly considering aligning with my sister. And you want me to ignore all that and...give in to a purple moon?”

Vothe can feel it...the shivering warmth that’s kicked up in Trystan’s fireline, despite everything. He leans closer to him, a Xishlon Plum tree sheltering their cliffside space, the two of them ensconced by a railing overlooking the precipitous Sixth Tier drop. The outdoor seating area of theSapphire Kraken teahouse is packed with purple-clad revelers, the cacophony of conversation, street music, and general celebration affording their conversation some privacy.

Vothe tries not to look at the menacing picture of Elloren Gardner Grey tacked to the tree beside them. “I know Vang Troi through my family,” he says. “She’s true to her word. I believe shewillforge an alliance.”

The tenuous spark of hope in Trystan’s eyes sends a pang through Vothe’s heart, their gazes on each other a liquid, addictive thing that threatens to completely upend his thoughts. “Your sister knew she had Black Witch power when she fled from Vogel,” he adds. “She could have aligned with the Mages then. But she chose to comehere. With vital military information. And the Icaral of Prophecy is firmly on her side. Don’t think for a second that Vang Troi hasn’t given all of that careful consideration.” Vothe glances at the crowded streets, catching sight of a knot of Vu Trin soldiers passing by, their gazes registering Trystan and Vothe.

Keeping track of Elloren Grey’s allies, no doubt.

Vothe leans even closer, dropping his voice to a whisper. “There’s nothing we can do for the moment but wait. So, perhaps giving in to Xishlon and blending in is the best thing you can do for your sister right now.”

Trystan lets out a short, jaded laugh. “You want me to...blend in?” He raises his green-glimmering Mage hand, and Vothe can’t help but notice the ever-present weapons-training bruising.

And yet, so many hostile stares followed them here. So many hostile stares emanate from the tables throughout this outdoor area as well, the hatred and fear cutting through even the Xishlon moon’s enthralling light. It’s dauntingly hard to ignore, anger rising inside Vothe on Trystan’s behalf again and again. And Vothe can tell by the repeated storming flares of Trystan’s magic—even as his expression remains remote and unaffected—that he feels this ire.

Deeply.

“I’m worried, Vothe,” Trystan says. “And not just about my sister. The whole Western Realm underestimated Vogel. And then he swept in and killed almost all the Lupines. Children. Babies. Diana and Jarod’s whole family. Theirwhole family, Vothe...”

“And we’ll be ready for him,” Vothe insists. “Because of your sister.”

Vothe glances up at the translucent dome, the runes marked on its surface tinted violet by the moonlight, barely perceptible. His gaze slides toward the moon as gratitude washes over him that Vogel’s forces are a huge desert away, his sole portal here destroyed. There’s time to prepare and strengthen all the runic power guarding the Realm. It’s like the East has dodged a massive arrow at the last minute. And none of the people who are glaring at Trystan have the foggiest idea of what they’ve been spared.

Vothe’s mind spins over the sudden shift his life has taken—not only falling for the brother of the Black Witch, but now in league with him to protect his sister.

“Take this evening,” Vothe prods. “One night before the fight resumes tomorrow. You’ve worked ceaselessly for the East from the moment you arrived. You deserve to find the moon.”

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