Page 38 of Shadow Wings

I wrinkled my nose as I thought about it. “Is that what this is? Wait a minute. Can the Phaetyn harm each other? Is that evenpossible?”

Dyter shrugged, but beads of sweat glistened on top of his bald head. “I always thought the Drae were invincible and the Phaetyn extinct. I know hardly anything about them, except what I’ve learned from you and Kamoi on the journeyhere.”

I’d stopped listening, realizing I knew the answer, thanks to Ty, aka Tyr, aka Tyrrik. Phaetyn and Drae canceled each other which meant the Phaetyn needed Drae blood to kill oneanother.

I rested my hand on Tyrrik to assure myself he was still alive but pushed down my worry about his state as I eyed the crowd again. What the hay were they so angry about to beginwith?

A second group of guards marched toward us by the sacred tree clearing, and the crowd of angry Phaetyn slowlydispersed.

Kamoi returned to us, shaking his head. “I’m sorry for the interruption,Kaelani—”

I held my hand out to stop him. “Don’t apologize. And don’t call me Kaelani. My name is Ryn. Just Ryn. I don’t have any pet names, except Rynnie, and only Dyter calls me that. You don’t control the people, do you? Is that your father’sjob?”

Dyter cleared his throat, and I had a feeling I’d stepped in horse poopagain.

“His mother’s job,” Dyter said. “His mother is the queen. The Phaetyn are a matriarchalsociety.”

Yikes. I winced. “Sorry,” I said with a grimace. “I’ve never been very good at politics.”Orcared.

Kamoi took my hand, and my heart started thumping despite all my bluster. Being that good looking wasn’t fair. His skin was really, really smooth. He led me back past the tree, and I stumbled to a halt. There was a path. Agoldenpath. Like beautiful shiny gold that made me want to walk down it . . . and possibly dig up the sparkly bricks and put them in safe keeping.Drak. There was something wrong with my head when it came to shiny objects oflate.

“My mother and father are expecting us. They live just over this way,” he said, indicating another,not shiny, path. “I’m sure they’ll have food and bedsready.”

“Wait,” I saidbelatedly.

I turned to see Dyter leading the horse with Tyrrik on it. I was about to walk off with sexy-schmexy Prince Phaetyn without my unconscious . . . friend . . . my acquaintance?Gah.I couldn’t leaveTyrrik.

I met Dyter halfway and put my hand back on Tyrrik as I asked, “How long is he going to sleep likethis?”

Dyter lifted a shoulder.Right.Dyter doesn’t knoweverything.

I guess it’d be better to ask Kamoi my questions—at least the Phaetyn ones. “Do the Phaetyn all have the same powers? Can everyone doeverything?”

Kamoi tucked a strand of silver hair behind his ear—could ears be hot—and came back to walk beside me. “No.”

“No . . .” Was that a no, I’m distracted? Or a no, I’m not telling youanything?

We started down the dirt path, but the road was narrow, and Dyter and the horse were forced to dropbehind.

“So, do you have similar powers?” I pressed. “Phaetyn are all healers,right?”

“Yes,” Kamoi said, his eyes shifting to the left. His gaze returned to me, and he continued, “Phaetyn are all healers, but some have an affinity for animals, some for plants, some for the earth, and some, well, really only one—for people. The queen holds the most power, having the responsibility to protect ourlands—”

Smoking bonfires.“Your mom is the most powerfulPhaetyn?”

Kamoi chewed his lower lip as if contemplating his response. Or perhaps he was embarrassed by his mother'ssuperpowers.

“Honestly, I think that's amazing.” I rushed to assuage his discomfort. “Does that mean you have superpowers likeher?”

He chuckled, a low throaty sound, as he shook his head. Giving me a pointed look, he said, “My only superpower seems to be an inordinate amount of goodluck.”

My mind blanked as our narrow path opened, and we stepped into aclearing.

The verdant grass sparkled like green emeralds. A beautiful ash tree, larger even than the elm that had just flashed images at me, sat directly in front of a pristine mansion made of rose quartz. With four spires, the house had a distinct castle feel although on a much smaller scale. And, while I was distracted by the gleaming structure for a moment, my attention snapped back to thetree.

Similar to the elm back in the sacred clearing, this tree was wide and tall. But the elm’s leaves had been green and its bark, although rough, thick and brown.Thisash tree's foliage looked as though the plant had been infested with disease. The leaves of the tree were yellowed and their curled tips brittle and cracked. While the trunk was thick as well as the branches near it, the tree’s extremities were bare and broken. Twigs littered the ground beneath it. Where the elm had awed me, the sight of this tree broke myheart.

“Come,Kealani,” Kamoi said, his face twisting intoconcern.

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