Page 112 of Shifting Winds
A hand slid into mine. Ash. I squeezed his fingers, unable to form any words.
The Shifter Lord’s posture was tight, his expression blank, but his eyes burned a fiery gold.
The leaves were the next to catch fire, a cheery crimson bonfire.
“Fuck yeah,” I whispered. “Burn it all down.”
We waited for I don’t know how long, watching with held breaths as the tear slowly widened and fire consumed the World Tree.
None of us gave a shit about the fae at that moment, at the possible consequences this might bring.
I wasn’t even sure Cernunnos or Cliona cared. They did nothing to stop what was happening, only provided a shield for us in case things worsened.
But when the wood began to groan, Cernunnos took a step back, his eyes widening. Cliona stepped closer to his side, her face a pale mask of worry.
He extended his shield to protect him and Evie’s mother.
Seconds later, the world exploded into fire and knocked us all ass over teakettle.
A nude woman with burning skin and long ebony hair stood there, her naked back to us.
Her eyes glowed a furious crimson and gold. She opened her mouth and a vengeful scream tore from her lungs. Magic sparked at her palms as she raised her hands.
The ancient tree trembled under her gaze, its wood groaning as it tried to arch back from her fury, but it was too old, too rooted to the world to escape her rage.
Evie Quinn sent all her power at the remnants of the World Tree.
And a moment later, the world stood still as that all-consuming tree collapsed into a pile of crimson ash.
My best friend stared at it, her lips still curled with fiery anger. Her hands dropped a second later, and her eyes rolled back into her head.
Caelan, the Shifter Lord of Texas, and the shifter I suspected might become family soon, caught her before she hit the ground.
Chapter
Forty
TWO WEEKS LATER
We were all sitting around a campfire drinking hot chocolate when an odd shift in the air sent the hair on the back of my neck standing up. Things had changed exponentially in my life, my magic the main thing.
I was more sensitive to power than ever before, and I recognized this signature of power.
I rose and jerked my head to Moira and Ash. Without a word, they rose to follow.
We walked through Caelan’s property until I found what I was looking for.
Ash sucked in a breath. “Tess!”
The banshee lay curled on her side, unconscious. I shrugged my jacket off and covered her up. Ash bent and scooped her up, cradling her close to his chest.
“Thank the gods,” Moira breathed. She brushed a hand over Tess’s hair and closed her eyes.
Caelan was there a second later. “She can have a room in the Keep. Simone is getting one ready right now. The Keep Healer will be down in a moment.”
Ash nodded his thanks and took off running with Moira close on his heels.
Caelan slid his arm around my waist. “I was beginning to worry she’d never return.”
