by Tara West
Dianna was so furious, her vision clouded. Magic encompassed her, turning her into a fuming ball of energy. “I’d disobey, too, if you tried to feed me to those flying demons.” The deep tenor that boomed from her chest sounded like someone else’s, momentarily startling her.
The High Mage’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Duly noted.”
There was venom in the mage’s words. “The pixies are not a threat now.” She stalked up to Zephyra and ground her sandal into the small body of a dead demon. “There is no need to punish him.”
Malevolence seethed beneath Zephyra’s gold gaze. “Mortals need to learn their place in our society.”
Before Dianna could stop them, two guards came up behind her and dragged the man away.
“No!” Jae cried. She turned to Zephyra and dropped to her knees. “Please, m—oh, High Mage. Please, I beg you to spare him.”
Zephyra held up a hand, and the heat from the mage’s magic rushed past Dianna, knocking Jae on her back.
Dianna threw her hands in the air. “This is madness.”
“You may be the daughter of a goddess,” Zephyra spat, “but you are a guest here and nothing more. Perhaps you need to learn your place, too.”
The other mages whispered agreement.
She focused on the most poisonous of the serpents. “Are you threatening me?”
There was no masking the menace in Zephyra’s cold eyes. “The Seven do not make threats.” She gestured to something beyond Dianna’s shoulder. “Kyani, see our deity’s guest back to her chamber.”
“Yes, Holy One.”
Sprout was behind Dianna, flanked by two guards. Fortunately, the child appeared to be uninjured.
Dianna held her ground, anger bubbling over in her brain. “I am not finished healing these people.”
No, Dianna, Sindri warned. The Seven will sense my presence if you use me.
She cringed. The goddess stone in the hands of The Seven would be dangerous indeed.
She pulled back her shoulders, issuing Zephyra a challenging glare. “Fine, I’ll take the injured with me.” Without waiting for approval, she helped Jae to her feet. Even that small effort left her breathless. She wouldn’t have enough strength to heal all the wounded anyway.
“Get the girl,” she whispered to Jae. Dianna would heal the child with the shoulder wound, even if it took the last of her energy.
Jae wiped tears off her face and took the little girl by the hand.
Dianna stood in front of them like a shield, daring Zephyra with a look while magic continued to electrify her palms.
Get away from the mages, Sindri said.
Dianna glared at Zephyra once more before turning on her heel, pulling Jae and the injured child with her. She held her breath until her guards flanked her back, shielding her from the scowls she felt boring into the back of her head.
“What are you doing?” Sprout scolded as they hurried through the gardens.
She ignored Sprout, making a vow that she would instill compassion in the little witch no matter the cost.
* * *
Though Alec tried to be quiet, he had no idea if he was making noise because of the thick muffs over his ears. All he could hear was the wild pounding of his heartbeat. Tired and breathless, he stroked Tar’s back and watched the activity in the harbor from behind the safety of a thick bush. Tar’s ears flattened against his skull, and Alec prayed the mongrel wasn’t whimpering.
Though there was no sign of his blue friends, what he saw made his limbs turn to ice. There weren’t just sirens in the water, but a ship that carried the symbol of the horned broot whale, much like the symbol on the shield he’d given back to Zier. There was only one army that used the symbol of that magnificent beast: Eris’s army. Her soldiers, big brawny men with skin the color of polished oak and long, matted hair that cascaded down their backs like wild ivy, were leading a line of chained men to their massive vessel.
Their prisoners looked as if they’d come from the same seaside village. Many were without tunics, wearing simple sandals and loose-fitting breaches. Their sun-kissed skin like baked soil, they, too, wore their hair in long, matted braids.
Alec blinked hard when he saw an old man with a bald head and a scraggly beard, followed by a sobbing girl who looked to be no older than his brother, Markus. The girl wasn’t chained like the rest of the prisoners, and she appeared to be gliding, as if skating across ice. Alec blinked when the girl passed through one of the guards. Was she made of vapor?
She hovered above the guard like she was being carried on a cloud. “Let my father go!” she screamed in the man’s face.
The guard laughed and swatted the air.
Great goddess! That girl was a ghost! Alec had heard tales of spirits, and there was a time or two when he’d feared he was being watched by his father’s ghost, but never before had he seen a spirit, and so clearly.
When a guard cracked a whip at the prisoners, and they filed up the ramp and onto the boat. The spirit followed. Odd how nobody seemed terrified of the girl. Alec wondered if ghosts were common among the seaside dwellers. Perhaps this explained the meaning behind Aloa-Shay, ancient tongue for “haunted waters.”
After the prisoners disappeared below deck, he noticed the sirens lounging along the shoreline beside a pile of discarded bones, their tails aimlessly slapping the water. They were beautiful women from the waist up, with large tapered eyes and smooth, tan skin. But when they waved and smiled at the soldiers, Alec was horrified at their rows of razor-sharp fangs. The soldiers didn’t appear to be concerned about the demon fish while they loaded goods onto the ship.
One of the sirens threw a bone at a nearby soldier. “More blue men, pleazzzz,” she said with a sibilant tongue.
He answered her by smacking her tail with a whip. “Two is enough. The others are for our goddess.”
The siren barred her fangs at the soldier before slinking back into the water.
Alec’s heart clenched, and he had to bite his knuckles to keep from crying out. The remaining sirens picked their fangs with smaller bones. He’d arrived too late. Two ice dwellers had been eaten, and two were to be delivered to their evil goddess. He squinted at the bones, trying to determine which ice dwellers had become fish food, but the bones had been picked clean. He sent a silent prayer to the Elements that Eris would spare the two remaining ice dwellers. Though their fate was grim, at least they had a chance, though small, of escaping.
Feeling a familiar vibration beneath his knees, he slipped off his earmuffs and looked around. Gorpat was barreling toward him. Tar barked wildly, hopping around on all fours. Oh, heavenly Elements! Every siren and soldier had to have heard the commotion.
Alec looked over his shoulder to see Eris’s soldiers racing up the beach toward them, clutching harpoons big enough to kill full-sized broots.
Panic seized him, and he waved at the giant. “Run, Gorpat! Eris’s soldiers.”
The giant stopped as if she’d struck a brick wall. “Friend in danger.” She picked him up, raising him up until he was level with her crossed eyes. “Friend come back.”
Her breath hit him like an avalanche of rotting animal carcasses. He breathed through his broken nose. The soldiers were almost upon them. “Run, Gorpat! Run!”
She took off, Tar barking wildly as he cut in front of them and raced up the path. The giant’s let out a horrific scream before falling forward. He had just enough time to jump from her hand before the giant hit the forest floor with an ear-splitting crash. He stumbled right into the chest of a beefy guard. He slipped out his knife and ducked under the guard. Gorpat’s face was planted in the mud, several darts sticking out of her legs. How had they brought her down with such tiny arrows?
When a dart hit him in the arm, and a rush of venom shot though him, he knew exactly how the soldiers had felled the giant—poison. His arm went numb, then it spread to his body. He fell to his knees, deep laughter ringing around him. Dazed, Alec looked into Gorpat’s half-lidded eyes.
&
nbsp; “Keep your filthy hands off my pearl!” Grim bellowed.
Alec fell against the giant’s arm before his world spun and darkness consumed him.
Chapter Nine
The trek back up the winding maze of tunnels seemed too long, as witches and mortals gathered to gawk at their entourage. Dianna stared straight ahead, ignoring whispers as she hurried Jae and the child along, putting as much distance between herself and The Seven as possible.
Once the tunnel spit them out, Sprout raced away without another word. Dianna would deal with the young witch later. In the meantime, she had healing to do. The noose of fear around her spine didn’t loosen until they crossed the threshold to her chamber and shut the door on the outside world.
She marched straight to a table laden with fresh platters of food and juice and poured herself a tall glass of a frosty pink drink. She greedily drank it down, barely savoring its sweet and sour flavors, and poured another.
Jae and the child stood at the door, their gazes flickering between Dianna and the fare spread on the table.
“I’m sorry.” She held up her glass. “Would you like food and drink?”
Jae flinched as the child turned into her, pressing her nose into her hip. “We are not allowed to accept food from witches,” she said, stroking the girl’s hair.
Dianna waved them over. “I will not tell. I need my strength if I’m to heal again, and I feel selfish eating alone.”
Holding the child close to her, Jae took a hesitant step forward.
“Sit.” Dianna shoved a slice of roasted meat into her mouth and slid a platter of food across the table. “I’ll hurry, so I can work on her shoulder.”
The girl sniffled, wiping her eyes. She stared longingly at the food.
“Please,” Dianna begged.
“Thank you,” Jae said and pulled up a chair, balancing the girl on her knee while cutting into the meat.
The girl took several greedy bites before gulping down a tumbler of juice. Dianna could tell by the sharp angles of her face that mortal Kyanites were not well fed. She reminded Dianna too much of Des that first winter they’d spent without their parents. She had just learned how to draw back a bow and rarely were her hunts successful. That winter had been harsh, but she was a fast learner, and by the second winter, Desryn had round, ruddy cheeks and a full belly.
After the mortal child had had her fill, Jae turned to Dianna. “Why are you doing this?”
She was taken aback by the mistrust in Jae’s hooded eyes. Hadn’t she already proven herself a friend to the mortals? She set her fork down with a clank. “Doing what?”
Jae’s eyes met Dianna’s for a brief moment before looking away. “Being kind to us.”
Dianna rose and cautiously walked toward Jae and the child. “I was raised by mortals, loved by mortals. My brothers are mortal, too. I am not like The Seven.”
Sindri’s warmth pulsed within Dianna as she reached for the girl’s shoulder. The child shuddered when Dianna caressed her injury. Closing her eyes, she channeled her magic into the girl’s wound. She felt weightless, as if her spirit were floating between two worlds. She searched for her brothers again. First Des, who was clinging to his mangy mutt, Brendle, while the large hound, Tar, licked his face. The trader Zier sat beside him, staring solemnly into a flask. Next, she searched for Alec but saw only darkness. Gentle waves crashed in the distance.
She called upon Markus. He was standing beneath crystalline chandeliers in a large icy cavern in a sea of blue people. Children cried in their mother’s arms while Markus argued with a much older man. Her brother was demanding they surface while the man said they must wait for Ryne’s party to return. Dianna tried Alec again, to no avail. What had happened to him?
By the time her eyelids fluttered open, she was lying on the bed. How she’d gotten there, she didn’t know, but the mortal child was lying beside her, smiling in her sleep. The only sign of her ugly shoulder wound was a bit of crusted blood on a dirty, ragged sleeve.
Dianna rubbed her eyes, sitting up when Jae sat on a stool across from her.
“How long have I been asleep?” Dianna asked.
“Not long.”
She stifled a yawn and looked around the chamber, frustrated that she had no idea the time of day. “How did I get here?”
“You don’t remember?”
“No.” A chill swept through her. Something was wrong. She knew it. She just didn’t remember what.
“You were crying for someone named Alec,” Jae said. “Then you collapsed, and I helped you to bed.”
She peered over the bed at the small table. A chair had been overturned, food splattered across the slick stone tiles.
“Thank you.” She released a shaky sigh. Why had she been calling Alec’s name? She vaguely remembered dreaming about her brothers. Had something happened to Alec?
“No need to thank me after all you’ve done for us.” Jae motioned toward the sleeping child. “You are truly the sky goddess’s daughter?”
She swallowed, knowing full well she’d be eternally judged for her mother’s cruelty. “Yes, and though I have never met her, I assure you I am nothing like her.”
A wave of relief swept over her when Jae offered a hesitant smile, but that relief was short-lived as a fragment of her dream flashed in her mind—the sound of waves crashing against a dark shoreline. What did it mean?
The door flew open, and Simeon raced inside. “Jae!” he boomed.
“Simeon!” Jae leapt from her stool and raced into his outstretched arms, sobbing as she fell against him.
They had the same full, tilted lips, high cheekbones, and sweeping brows. Could they be related? Simeon ran his hands down Jae’s shoulders, kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear. How badly she wanted to strike them both with a bolt of magic and force them apart.
Easy, Dianna, Sindri said. You are letting your jealousy get the best of you again.
Her spine stiffened. Sindri was right. Magical charms or not, Dianna had to control her obsessive thoughts. She imagined building a fortress around her heart, shielding it from the effects of Simeon’s devastating smile and penetrating eyes.
When Simeon helped ease Jae onto the edge of the bed, Dianna scooted back, pulling her knees to her chest. Looking from Simeon to Jae was almost like looking at reflections, so similar were their faces. She remembered Jae’s words: I am dead to my family. Would Simeon’s family have abandoned their daughter?
Simeon took the stool. Gone was that playful smile and mischievous gleam in his eyes as he locked gazes with Jae. “What happened?”
Tears bubbled over the rims of Jae’s eyes. “Kerr was the sacrifice.”
“What?” Simeon shot from his seat. “How did this happen?” He threw up his hands, the veins on his neck swelling. “I thought he’d been selected for the guard.”
“So did I.” Jae hung her head. “I only learned the truth this morning.”
Simeon’s gold eyes turned a dark shade of amber. “Why would Mother do this?”
Mother? So Jae was his sister. What a twisted family, throwing away their child simply because she’d been born without magic, and how odd they would both have mortal sisters named Jae.
Jae shrugged, her eyes rolling. “To hurt me, Simeon. Why else?”
Simeon’s face fell. He dropped to one knee and grabbed Jae’s hands. “I’m so sorry, sister.” His voice shook.
She leaned into him. “He escaped, brother.” She spoke with a breathy whisper.
“What?” He jerked back. “He lives?”
“The pixies swarmed the gardens.” Her voice cracked. She turned to Dianna, a soft smile on her lips. “Then Dianna saved us. She destroyed the pixies in the most stunning display of magic I’ve ever seen.”
Dianna thought her soul was unraveling when Simeon pinned her with his swirling gold gaze. Oh, how she resented him for kissing her, and how she wished he’d kiss her again.
“Thank the Elements.” He flashed a wolfish grin that both excited and
made her uneasy. “I knew your magic was powerful.”
Dianna suddenly felt hollow inside, as if the fire in her soul had flickered to embers, having been fueled by his smile. Dianna wanted to bang her head against the stone walls for being such a love-struck simpleton.
“Kerr was injured, and Mother sent him to the dungeons,” Jae sobbed.
Had Jae said her mother had sent Kerr to the dungeons?
“The High Mage is your mother?” she blurted, unable to keep the derision from her voice. She wondered how Simeon and Jae could be related to such a woman, then remembered her own mother was more sadistic than Zephyra.
Simeon stood. “Yes, and Jae is my twin, the only one of my thirteen sisters born without magic.”
“Sprout told me you had twelve sisters.”
Jae winced. and Dianna regretted her careless words.
Simeon groaned, coursing fingers through the thick weave of his hair. “She doesn’t acknowledge Jae. Our mother and the rest of The Seven have brainwashed my youngest sister.” His boyish features hardened. “They have conditioned her to believe that non-magic Kyanites do not have souls.”
Dianna played with the hem on her vest, ignoring the low pulses from the stone in her pocket. “Why haven’t you taught her otherwise?”
“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” The hopelessness in his voice sliced through Dianna’s heart like a blade.
She shifted under the weight of his penetrating glare as the memory of his kiss played in her mind again and again. She smoothed the wrinkles from her breeches, willing the tremors in her hands to subside, though she felt anything but calm. “Mayhap now that I’ve destroyed the pixies, things will change.”
Jae cleared her throat. “There are many who believe The Seven have possessed the power to subdue the pixies all along.”
That made no sense. Why subject mortals to such barbaric sacrifices if the witches of the Shifting Sands had the power to control them?
Dianna’s gaze flew from Simeon to Jae. “Then why haven’t they stopped them?”
