A Guardian of Shadows (Revenant Wyrd Book 4) by Travis Simmons

of marshy earth. “This is where she landed.” Her hands traced a mark on the ground that was indented in roughly the size and shape of a person.
    “Then where is she?” Deven asked, looking around. Cianna’s eyes scanned the ground, and when she moved, the kelpies moved away. Only once had they tried to attack; the sparks from that first attack seemed to scare them in a way Cianna didn’t understand, but was grateful for.
    “Look, footprints,” Cianna said, pointing off in the distance. The footprints went under the bridge and began tracing their way toward the Realm of Fire, the same way they had gone.
    “Follow them,” Pi said, racing ahead of Cianna.
    “Slow down; my circle can’t keep you safe if you run out of it.”
    Reluctantly Pi slowed down.
    “Do you think she could make it through all of the kelpies?” Devenstar asked.
    “I have a feeling if she survived a fall like that, then she is already a sorcerer,” Cianna said. She honestly didn’t think that she would have to spell it out for him like that. “After that, the only thing that can kill her is beheading, right?”
    Devenstar nodded.
    They followed the footprints a ways until they could barely make out a form slumped to the ground amid the fog and marsh. Kelpies gathered around Clara, like they were just waiting for her to die so they could feast.
    “There!” Pi said, and made to dash forward, but a restraining grasp from Cianna stopped her, as the confines of the necrotic orb stretched.
    Clara’s blonde hair covered her face, and was caked with mud. Though she didn’t appear to be breathing, her skin was flushed, indicating she still lived. Cianna scanned her thin form, looking for any indication that she might have broken bones, but she couldn’t see anything.
    “Can you carry her?” Cianna asked Devenstar.
    Deven nodded and knelt to pick his sister up. He shifted her easily over his shoulder.
    “Alright, let’s get out of here.” Cianna told him, watching the kelpies as her orb pushed them farther away from Clara the closer the group got to the prostrate girl. But there was something Cianna feared — if they took Clara, how would the kelpies react?
    She didn’t have long to wonder, for the kelpies reared back at seeing their meal being taken away. One after another they slammed into the protective circle keeping them from Cianna and her group. Sparks flew, but this time they didn’t seem to hinder or scare the kelpies.
    While they were attacking singly Cianna was able to keep them at bay, but she wasn’t sure what would happen if they all attacked at once.
    “We’d better hurry,” she told them. They started running, while she cast out tendrils of her necromancy, trying to calm the emboldened kelpies. It didn’t help. They knew what she was trying to do, and if anything it made them angrier.
    Cianna feared that soon her necromancy wouldn't be enough to protect them. All she had to do was keep them away from the group until they were able to clear the barrier.
    “Only a little further,” Pi said, as if sensing Cianna's thoughts. The ground jumped beneath their feet as they flew across the marsh, aided by Pi's wyrding. Cianna hoped they could outpace the kelpies, but that wasn’t happening.
    At first Cianna thought the kelpies were retreating, but when she sent out a seeking probe of necromancy she felt their will. They were reevaluating the situation and what needed to happen to get to their prey, Clara.
    The barrier was in sight when the kelpies concentrated their attack. Several slammed into the circle at once, knocking Cianna to her knees. Pi and Deven barely had enough warning to stop before they slid out of the protective embrace of her necromancy. The two of them teetered there on the edge of the circle, hungry kelpies skimming through the air mere inches in front of them, with livid switches of their fish fins.
    Cianna staggered to her feet and started running again. She looked behind her and saw all of the kelpies