***
Seth ran fingers through Sashe’s hair, smiling as she played with his other hand. They sat in the barn, Sashe’s head resting in his lap. He could spend hours in here with her or under the tree by the manor or anywhere, really.
She looked up at him. “Have you been eating cherries?”
He grinned as he looked at the faint red line underneath some of his fingernails. “You caught me.”
“Does that mean you’re not sick of them?”
He shook his head and twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “I think I can handle them. They still make me think of my mother, but maybe you were right. Maybe it’s not so bad.”
She kissed his palm. “Good.”
A voice came from the barn door. “Hey, you lovebirds!” Sierra’s voice called.
“What is it?” Sashe called. She moved onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows. Seth’s eye caught a piece of hay in her hair, and he pulled it out.
“Lyle’s back!” Sierra yelled.
Seth’s eyes widened, and he exchanged shocked looks with Sashe. They clambered down the ladder. Lyle had been gone for nearly six weeks now with no word from him.
“Did you talk to him?” Seth asked Sierra once he stepped off the ladder. “Did he say anything? How does he look?”
“He looks fine. A little scruffy, I guess.” Sierra shrugged as she led them out of the barn. “He went straight to Alastor’s study.”
“Is there anywhere you can eavesdrop?” Seth asked. Sashe slipped her hand into his, and they followed Sierra to the manor.
“We’ve tried that before,” Sierra said with a laugh. “The Cosa magic around that room keeps us out.”
It was nearly dark outside. He and Evan usually found excuses to come over here after work and spend time with their friends. Seth held the backdoor to the manor open for the girls, and they shuffled through. “Where are Evan and Dar?” he asked.
“Waiting in the sitting room across from his study.” Sierra giggled. “Evan tried to change into something small so he could slip under the door and eavesdrop, but he got stuck as this weird insect thing. While Natalia was lecturing him, I came to get you guys.”
They reached the corridor of Alastor’s study and went to the sitting room. The door was open, and anyone who left the study would have to walk past the sitting room door. Evan sat on the ground, his face pale and sweaty, his hair sticking straight up. In front of him, Dar paced around.
Sierra sat down next to Evan. “You’re back to normal.”
“Mostly,” Evan said.
“What’d you try to change into?” Seth asked.
“A spider.” He shuddered. “Didn’t exactly work.”
“It was hilarious,” Sierra said with a grin.
Evan nudged her in the shoulder. “It was terrifying. What if I got stuck like that?”
Seth and Sashe sat down in the couch behind him. “I don’t think that’s possible,” Seth said. “Eventually you’d turn back, right?”
Evan shrugged. “I heard a story about a kid who tried to change into a cat and got stuck as a half-man, half-cat for the rest of his life!”
“I thought that was just a story to scare kids,” Seth said, grinning.
They lapsed into easy conversation, but they kept glancing towards the door, watching for the adults. After a few minutes, they began theorizing where Lyle could have been and what he might have found out about the Protectors.
“Is Natalia in there?” Sashe asked. It was one of the first things she’d said since they’d come from the barn.
“Yeah, she went in there after Evan turned back,” Dar said. He was still pacing. “I wonder if he found them.”
A door in the corridor opened, and they fell silent. Seth stood and went to the door. The three adults were leaving the study, talking quietly, their expressions serious. Evan and Dar crowded behind him, peering out into the hallway.
Alastor saw them first and frowned. “Lord, you kids are nosy.”
“We were worried about Lyle,” Dar said. “It’s been six weeks, we thought you were dead.”
Lyle gave Dar a weak smile, rubbing his beard. Seth was pretty sure he hadn’t had that before he left. “Nearly was.”
“Did you find the men who killed Allison and your wife?” Evan asked.
“Evan,” Natalia scolded, putting her arm on Lyle’s shoulders. “Lyle, if you—”
“I did,” Lyle answered, “and I killed two of them. Not Tisha and Niculai. They’re too protected, but the other men who helped them. . .they’re dead.”
Seth swallowed as they fell into an uncomfortable silence. Sashe’s hand slipped into his from behind, and she leaned against the back of him. He squeezed her hand tightly.
He remembered Sierra telling them Lyle said he’d kill anyone who hurt his family. And he actually had. Maybe it was stupid, but Seth felt some kind of connection to the man. He’d killed the man who had been laughing about his mother. Lyle had taken someone’s life, too, possibly had someone’s blood all over his hands, possibly watched someone stop breathing.
Lyle stepped forward and clapped a hand on Seth’s shoulder. “All that you went through. . .it shouldn’t have happened.”
“It shouldn’t have happened to you, either,” Seth said.
Lyle studied Seth’s face. His brown eyes were rimmed with red. He squeezed Seth’s shoulders. “You’re too young. You all are.” He stepped away, sighing.
“Too young for what?” Evan asked.
Lyle shook his head and turned to Natalia and Alastor. “If you don’t mind,” he said, nodding to the end of the corridor.
“No, of course not,” Natalia said. “I’ll take you to your room.” She led Lyle away.
Alastor stepped forward, crossing his arms. He studied them as they hovered in the doorway, watching Lyle and Natalia walk away. “Nosy, nosy, nosy,” he muttered.
“What are we too young for?” Evan asked him.
“You’re too young for this to happen to you,” the governor replied, shaking his head.
“Does Lyle know where Tisha and Niculai are?” Dar asked.
Evan stepped into the corridor, squaring his shoulders. “We want to help stop them.”
Alastor scoffed, uncrossing his arms. “You’re too young for that, too.”
“But Father—” Dar began.
“We can duel—” Evan cut him off.
“Don’t start with me,” Alastor said, raising his voice. “We’re just fine here in Rahuda, you understand? The Protectors aren’t going to be causing anymore trouble here. You don’t need to worry about this.”
“But Father, Allison—” Dar started.
“I know. We’re safe here, at least for a little while. We’re going to break the curse and lobby to the king, and everything will be fine.” Alastor heaved out a sigh. “Everything will be fine.”
He turned back to his study and shut the door behind him.
“Unbelievable,” Evan said. “He’s just like my mother, acting like just because we’re kids we can’t do anything!”
“What would you do, Evan?” Sashe asked.
“I’d—I would find them!” Evan sputtered.
“Everyone knows where they are, they’re the king’s closest advisors.” Sashe let go of Seth’s hand and walked back into the sitting room. Seth watched her, frowning as he tried to interpret her facial expression. She looked worried, but also angry.
“Then I’d stop them,” Evan said quietly. “I would.”
“We could find a way,” Seth added.
Evan grinned in that excited way of his. “We could!”
“Evan.” Sashe spun around. “You’re fifteen years old.”
Evan groaned. “Oh, great, here we go. Mother Sashe is going to tell us what’s best for us.”
Sashe’s eyes flashed at him. “Just listen to yourself. You’re going to find a way to stop them when they killed two dozen Avialies?”
“Set
h killed four of them—”
“And he nearly died!”
Evan shook his head. “It’s easy for you to give up; you’re not even an Avialie.”
Sashe glared at him, her jaw tightening. Her eyes shone with tears. Seth opened his mouth to tell Evan off when Sierra suddenly pushed Evan from behind. Evan spun around, and Sierra shoved him in the shoulders again.
Sashe gasped. “Sierra!”
“You think just because we’re not Avialies, we’re going to give up?” she asked, her hands balling into fists as she charged at him.
“No, I—” Evan began, holding up his hands.
“I don’t even remember my parents!” Sierra beat him on the chest even as Evan backed up into the piano. “Allison was one of my best friends! And this is my family!”
“I know that!” Evan grabbed her wrists, and she started kicking him in the shins. He let out a cry, trying to dart away from her. Seth probably would have found it funny if Sierra didn’t sound as if she was going to cry.
“And you’re stupid if you think you can run off and help Lyle when you can’t even hold off a girl,” Sierra said, shoving him hard into the piano.
Evan glared at her. “I could hold you off, I just don’t want to hurt you.”
“Oh, really?” Sierra stepped closer, raising her hands again, but Sashe pulled her away.
“Sierra, stop it, please,” Sashe said.
Sierra pushed her away. “I’m sticking up for you!”
“I know! But I don’t want us to fight. I just want us to be safe.” She looked from Evan to Dar, who had taken the scene in quietly, to Seth. Her eyes locked with his. “I don’t want any of us in any more danger than we already are.”
Evan huffed, straightening his shirt. “That won’t be too hard, considering how much we’re already in. I’m going home.” He stormed out, glaring at the girls as he left.
Seth rubbed his forehead. “Well.”
“You should go with him,” Sashe said quietly. “It’s dark.”
He nodded. He closed the distance between them and kissed her softly on the lips. “Goodnight.”
She caught his wrist. “I’ll walk you to the courtyard.”
They walked to the front doors in silence. Night had fallen outside, and they saw Evan ahead in the courtyard, his figure becoming smaller as he approached the road.
Seth pulled her into a hug, reveling the feel of their bodies together, her warmth spreading through him.
“Will you promise me that you and Evan won’t do anything stupid?” she asked in a whisper.
He smiled. “What are we going to do, run off to Renaul?”
Her shoulders moved in a shrug.
“I promise,” he said, stroking down her hair. He pulled away and kissed her again. “I should catch up to him.”
She nodded. “Goodnight.”
He jogged off and caught up with Evan down the road. “Hey, Evan.”
Evan grunted at him, glancing over his shoulder.
They walked in silence for a few moments, then Evan turned around, walking backwards as he looked at Seth. “You want to race home?”
Seth shrugged. Sounded like a nice way to forget what had just happened. “Sure.”
“As horses?”
He grinned. “Definitely.”
He, Evan, and Dar had spent the last couple weeks perfecting the transformation into a horse. He concentrated on his limbs, lengthening them as his muscles stretched, his skin sprouted fur, his body weight increased. His hooves stepped down on the gravel road, and he threw back his head and neighed. Evan was already off ahead of him, and Seth pumped his new legs to catch up.
Sashe had asked him to describe the sensation of changing, but it was hard to put into words. He almost pitied that she couldn’t feel it, but he’d never let her see it. Becoming something other than himself was something he’d never tire of, never want to give up, no matter who threatened him. It was something he’d fight for. The same way he’d fight for his new family, for his future children, and for his family’s right to carry on. He’d fight for what his parents died for.
***
When Sierra returned to the sitting room, Dar and Sierra were still there, talking quietly. “Hey,” she said, joining them on the couch. She put an arm around Sierra’s shoulder. “Thank you for sticking up for me.”
Sierra leaned her head on Sashe and giggled. “Anything for an excuse to hit Evan.”
“Poor Evan,” Dar said, smirking.
“Oh, please!” Sierra scoffed. “I held back.”
Dar laughed. “Well, he better be careful next time.”
Sierra sniffed. “That’s right.”
Sashe chuckled. He would need to be careful. They all would. She had a feeling they’d be all right, though. Alastor would do what he could to keep them safe, and the Avialies would band together to fight the Protectors. Her and Sierra would, too, in their own way. And Sashe would nag the boys to be careful until she lost her voice, and even then, she would find ways.
What’s next?
Chronologically, Fire and Light is next in The Protectors prequels.
Sierra has always considered Evan like a brother, but suddenly she sees him as more. When he confesses his feelings for her, she shies away. In the midst of her confusing feelings for Evan, the Protectors try to convince Sierra she’d be better off with them. Sierra thinks she’s brave enough to stay with the shape changers, but is she brave enough to risk her friendship with Evan?
If you jump ahead to the first novel in The Protectors series, Promising Light, you will find out the events of Fire and Light and The End of Light since Promising Light takes place ten years after Seth moves to Rahuda. So read at your own risk!
About the Author:
Emily Ann Ward is an author living in Salem, Oregon with her husband and their two cats. Along with writing, she loves to read and travel. She’s currently studying to teach English overseas. Her other works include The Protectors series, Finding Fiona, Passages (Seven Short Stories), and Beyond Home (Three Short Stories). You can find her books wherever ebooks are sold.
Blog/Website: https://emilyannward.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/emilyannward1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilyannw
Newsletter: https://eepurl.com/jz6EH
Shifting Light Page 13
