Page 56 of Shifting Winds
“That way I wouldn’t have to take out a student loan,” she added, a brilliant smile lighting up her pale face.
This conversation was barreling out of control. “I, um. Tess, I—” Sinking down onto my worktable, I stared at the banshee. “Shit,” I muttered.
“No,” Moira said, her voice thick with amusement, “please keep going.”
“Shut up,” I muttered.
Tess’s eyes widened, pale eyes sparkling as she ran with the idea. “Maybe I could go national with it. See if I can do one of those clock video things?—”
“TikTok,” Moira supplied helpfully.
“Yes, and then I could go live and show them the goods.”
I sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling lightheaded, when something occurred to me.
“You’re messing with me!” I accused.
Tess grinned. “You’re so easy sometimes, Evie. Like I would ever take off my clothes on the internet.”
“Or auction your virginity.”
When Tess didn’t respond, I stared. “Or auction your virginity,” I repeated. “Right?”
Tess’s mysterious smile and failure to answer stuck with me the rest of the day.
I wasthe only one in the shop when pain ripped through my abdomen. A startled cry of agony tore from my throat as I went to my knees. No one was around, and my cell phone was up by the register. Trying to breathe through the sharp spikes of twisting misery took a slight edge off the pain, but it wasn’t relief enough for me to rise and try to drive home.
Slowly I shifted to lay on my side, tears streaming down my face. My abdomen glowed a strange golden color and pulsed in time to my heartbeat.
I squeezed my eyes shut and moaned. A gush of liquid soaked my pants. Moving even an inch set agony tearing down my spine, but I couldn’t stay here. I sent a trickle of magic into the earth, willing it deeper and deeper, sending tendrils out toward the one person I knew would come.
Blissful darkness came seconds later.
Shattering glass and a wrench of metal followed by a grunt of effort jerked me away some time later. A sob of pain tore from me, and I tried to raise my head but couldn’t.
“Evie.” Caelan’s voice was barely human. Gentle, calloused hands touched my abdomen. “What happened?”
Shaking my head took too much effort. “Seed,” I whispered, my dry throat clicking.
His face swam into view, stormy eyes glowing golden around the irises. “I’m taking you back to the Keep.”
I was too tired to argue, but when his hands lowered and lifted me up, stars of agony bloomed behind my eyes.
Darkness swept in once more.
Voices flickered in and out of my senses. The sound of a door opening. Firm but gentle hands under my body.
Agony.
“Ground,” I croaked.
“Evie—”
Caelan. The voice belonged to Caelan. I pushed weakly against his chest. “Ground. Please.”
The sound of more voices raised in argument.
“Get the Keep healer,” Caelan snapped. “And call Ben.”
