Page 58 of Wind and Water
Unable to stop my tears, I weep into his shirt. “If I give myself to her, you will live. I need you to live.”
“If you die, I die. If we die fighting, then at least we do so with honor. Please. Stand with me.”
My heart is breaking and coming back together so quickly, and agony erupts inside my chest. I nod. “For you. I will do whatI can.” I break from his embrace and look around. I expect to see blame in the eyes of the centaurs. I am the reason they will die. I am the cause of their misery and eradication. What I see are fierce warriors ready to defend their world at all costs. If they are willing, then I can do no less.
Momma stands up and looks at me. Pride and fire burn in her eyes. She lifts her chin, her faith in me shining bright.
I lower my head, then meet her gaze again. Texans don’t surrender; we fight and survive. I dry my eyes and meet my fate, whatever that might be.
Turning toward the demons, I gather the magic roiling inside me and push the wind forward until they’re straining to move.
Several break free and move to the east. A few more get out of my wind and break west, then swoop down.
Liam throws his light magic at them, and one by one they explode in a shower of ash and sorrow. “Ready?”
“We will add to your magic.” Corell’s voice is strong over the din of my wind and screaming shadow demons.
As he sends his ball of blue light into the air, my wind blows it right past the demons. Not good. Not good. “This is bad.”
Liam puts his lips close to my ear. “You’re going to have to let the wind go. I’ll signal, and you drop your magic. Then be ready.”
Oh god. “For what?”
“The gods only know.” He forms another blue ball of light and lifts it into the air. “Now, Wren.”
I stop the wind.
The light shoots into the middle of the cloud of demons.
They part to stay away from it.
The air sparks with centaur magic as it floods into the light, forcing it outward. It explodes, taking at least half the shadow demons with it. Ash rains down on us like the aftermath of a volcano.
The remaining shadow demons are still too many and no longer fly as one. They come down in groups of two and three.
Liam does his best to throw light on them, but there are too many, and his strength is waning.
My wind is of little use once they get close. All I can do is give Liam energy.
Corell is lifted into the air. They carry him fifty feet up and drop him.
Panicking, I draw the water from the river and catch him before he hits the ground. He tumbles and rolls as the water rushes back to its source, but he’s alive.
More demons lift centaurs, and one by one they shoot into the sky. Six are taken up and dropped.
It’s too many and too far apart. I lift the water again and catch Jadar. I shift the winds to force two more into the river where they sputter for air. I grab another with water, and when he lands, he hobbles to his feet.
Two more slam into the ground before I can reach them.
Belloc stares blankly at me as life leaves his body.
Fury rises inside me, and I know it’s both mine and Liam’s together.
He shoots a ball of light into the largest group.
Water reflects light. The words of some eighth-grade science teacher rush into my mind. I grab a stream of water, send it into the air, and wrap it around Liam’s light.
The centaurs fill the elven magic with theirs until it explodes. Rainbows strike outward from the magic.
