Page 61 of The Demon Tide

Vothe grins at me, teeth elongating, horns up, wings rigid behind him. We reach for each other in tandem, lightning jumping between us as our combined power forks toward both my wand hand and his upraised palm. I thrust my wand down toward the Zonor River and Vothe raises his palm skyward.

Two blasts of lightning-lit storm magic course from us in a heated rush, one toward the Zonor’s whirlpooling undertow, the other toward the angry sky above. The rain halts and the Zonor’s waters even out to a sloshing froth, rapidly calming, the storm now a muffled roar against the dome of power we’ve sent up to encase a wide swath of river.

Minyl’s gaze darts around in obvious wonder, then zeros in on the flimsy boats now gently bobbing on the calm river, the voices of the passengers ringing out clear. Three Wyvernguard rune skiffs dart toward the boats as Vothe lowers his arm and I relax my wand hand, our joint magic holding.

I marvel at the scene as lightning from the pushed-back storm crackles over our protective dome, its staccato bursts reflected in the silvery waters of the Zonor.It’s so beautiful.

I meet Vothe’s crackling gaze as we grasp tighter hold of each other’s hands and Minyl pilots our skiff toward one of the boats. There’s an Elfhollen family aboard it, and we aid Minyl in guiding them onto our craft—a mother and father along with their twin girls, the children’s pale slate braids sodden.

Their gazes all snag on me as we help them get settled on our craft. Confusion passes over their features as they notice the wand in my hand and the green glimmer of my skin. But their flares of concern swiftly fade as they take in my blue hair and tattoo, my piercings, and Vothe’s hand in mine. There’s no terror this time. No fear in the children’s faces. I turn to Vothe, reveling in the aura of storming power leaping through us.

We break into wide grins, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as beautiful in my life as his rain-slicked face, changeable threads of lightning coursing over his skin as our larger show of lightning flashes against our water and wind dome above.

No one drowns this day. No children lose their mothers.

And I realize, as I hold on to Vothe and a joy I’ve never known before sparks deep inside me, that this is why I came to the East.

No matter what happens, no matter what runic borders the countries of Erthia throw up, no matter what strictures they place around them, I’ll never stop coming back to the Zonor.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THECHANGE

Aislinn Bane

Eastern Lupine Territory

Northern Noi woodlands, Noilaan

Eastern Realm

Sixth Month

Aislinn takes in the purple wilds closing around her as she trails her new Vu Trin guides into the East’s recently established Lupine Territory. Apprehension hovers inside her over being separated from Sparrow, Thierren, Effrey, and the dragon Raz’zor after their arduous journey across the Central Desert and through several storm-band-jumping portals, her companions set for Voloi as she continued northward.

Aislinn glances at her hands, hyperaware of her green-glowing Mage skin, its glimmer heightened by the forest’s shadows, ever reminding her that she’s an outsider here. Part of a horrific race who slaughtered almost everyone Jarod and his sister Diana loved. And what was done to her in the West by Damion Bane...she can’t help but believe that it sullied her beyond the point of acceptance by a shifter race that will sense how damaged she is.

But still, she clings to a tether of hope that they won’t cast her out on sight. And she’s eager to find out, once they can speak privately, if they’ve gotten word from Elloren and Lukas Grey. Unfamiliar birds flit about in the twilight, a lavender crane soaring overhead as plum leaves crackle under her boot heels, the dirt path narrowing.

Bringing her ever closer to Jarod.

Tension mounts inside Aislinn, her heart in a vise as she strives to prepare herself for coming face-to-face with him. She remembers her last glimpse of Jarod in the North Tower’s upstairs hallway, slumped in shock over the murder of his entire family. As she was dragged away by two Mage soldiers, kicking and screaming and snarling curses at her murderous father.

And then, fasted to Damion Bane, the monster hell-bent on breaking her.

And he did break so much of her. Save one fragile shard of will that seeks to bring him down so that he can never destroy another. But the Aislinn that she was, the pure, whole Aislinn that Jarod loved—that Aislinn has been broken beyond redemption.

Aislinn knows that seeing Jarod again, now that she can never be with him, could very well shatter her heart. But, still, she wants the Lupine Change, so she can go back and protect others.

And she wants Jarod to be the one to do it.

Boisterous conversation sounds ahead, intensifying with every step as she advances with her Vu Trin guides. Hearty voices call out to each other, and Aislinn has the sense that there’s a sizable number of people gathered, a feral energy riding on the air. Her heart trips against her chest, her breath quickening. The woods open up, a tree-dotted clearing coming into view.

Aislinn observes it all in wonder. Young, amber-eyed Lupines, perhaps thirty or so from a multitude of racial backgrounds, are working together to erect a long, dome-roofed dwelling hewn from purple wood, small lean-tos encircling the clearing.

Her young soldier guides, Sorra Yil and Umbra Tir, look to her with expressions of great import as they slow down and step back, poised at the clearing edge.

Aislinn steps forward, then freezes as she catches sight of Rafe and Diana, her heart in her throat.

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