Page 57 of Wind and Water
“Fine,” I lie. “I can see through Adhar’s eyes. Jadar is a wealth of information about familiars.”
As if hearing her name, the white raven lands atop a tree at the edge of the river. She croaks loudly and fluffs her feathers.
“That might be useful. I wonder what else your feathered friend offers.” He shades his eyes to stare at her on her perch.
“I’m glad to be rescued, but my bottom feels as if a bear has mauled me,” Momma says as she hobbles over.
Liam and I laugh. Jadar smiles.
I lean against Liam. “How long will we rest?”
Kissing the top of my head, he says, “Long enough to eat and drink.”
A low, miserable groan rolls out of my mouth before I can stifle it. “Sorry. Momma’s description isn’t far off. I suppose I’ll get used to it eventually.” Even as I say it, I doubt it.
On the third day, I think I’ll go mad from the constant bouncing, even with Jadar’s smooth gait. I suddenly have a great deal more respect for cowboys. At least they have saddles. With just a thick blanket between my bottom and Jadar, I feel every muscle movement and the ridge of his spine. I can only imagine the bruises back there and on my inner thighs.
There’s a tingle of awareness in my head, and I look up to find Adhar. She sounds a shrill alarm. I push my thoughts to hers.Show me, Adhar.
A moment later, I’m airborne with the sky around me and my friends far below. Adhar’s cries force my attention forward. A dark cloud draws closer from the west. I wonder if the raven is telling me of bad weather coming, but my gut tightens, knowingthis is something else. The cloud moves against the wind in a steady push directly toward us.
Snapping back into my own head, I scream, “Shadow demons,” and point to the west.
There are no trees for cover. We’re completely exposed, riding through an open plain.
Liam narrows his gaze. “It might be a cloud. Dark magic only two days from Tús Nua shouldn’t be possible.”
“That is no cloud. I’ve seen it from Adhar’s eyes.”
Jadar stops, and I jump down.
Corell orders, “We’ll make a stand with the river beside us for Wren to use as a weapon.”
My name and weapon in the same sentence still sound wrong. I should be making beautiful things for people to wear. Instead, I’m part of an army of centaurs fighting for survival. There’s no time to point this out, so I nod toward Corell and take my place next to Liam.
Momma crouches behind Wellon and Pallon. They will do what they can to keep her safe.
As the cloud grows closer, the shadow demons begin to separate. There must be a hundred of them. I lose sight of Adhar and pray she’s gone to ground somewhere that she won’t be noticed. I grip Liam’s hand. “How are we to fight so many?”
He has his mind sealed shut. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen so many in one place. Why would she send such a force when the centaurs can’t be turned?”
Horror tightens my chest.Centaur bodies, bloody and broken, flood my mind. The ground beneath my feet is wet with blood that runs to the river. Flies swarm as there is no one left to burn them.“They protect me, and she doesn’t care about creating an army of beings she can’t control. She plans to kill them. All of them.”
His fingers bite into my upper arms. “What did you see?”
Tears stream down my face. “Dead. All dead.” Out of the vision, the image is still burned into my memory. “I should give myself to her and save these centaurs. She’ll kill them all.”
“No. We will stop her.” He locks his gaze with mine, and I can almost believe him.
Farther up the river, Farress lies with her head several feet from her body. The young and all the others are ripped to pieces.
I shudder. “She’ll destroy their entire race just for helping me.”
He shakes me and puts himself between me and the oncoming shadow demons. “That is only one possible future. We can beat her. We can win this.”
“You don’t even believe that. You have never believed that the elves had a chance against the witch queen.” I pull back, trying to free myself. If I run forward and give myself up, these good souls will live.
Liam bands his arms around me. His voice is low and desperate in my ear. “I have changed. You have changed me. You’re right, I always thought this was futile, but I never stopped fighting. Now, everything is changed. You have magic that can combat her evil. If there are three of you, who knows what is possible? Stay with me, Wren. Fight with me, please. I’m begging you. There is not one of these centaurs who would not die for the freedom of Domhan or you. They knew what they were taking on when they agreed to help us. Don’t put their honor to shame by giving up.”
