at his simmering anger, she decided to steer the conversation in another direction. “Tell me what’s going on with your land. Attacking radishes? Mangroves beating snake shifters? Snake shifters wanting to attack me? How bad is this?”
Gabriel clasped her wrist. “Come with me.”
Suddenly, she was afraid. She didn’t want to see, didn’t want to get involved. She’d spent the last 25 years not getting involved and keeping to her duties to king and clan.
The solitary life hurt, but better lonely than banished forever from her people. Her people, not a clan of shifters like Gabriel.
He seemed to notice her reluctance. “What happened to the brave, spirited pixie I knew? The Elf who feared nothing?”
She got lost in the woods after being punished for violating her vow of celibacy.
But she followed him outside. As they followed the dirt path snaking through the trees, Sienna’s chest tightened. The fresh smell of earth, trees and swamp faded, replaced by something darker and tainted.
She’d scented this around Terithen before he’d gone nuts and attempted to destroy everything. Dark enchantment.
As they drew closer to the swamp, the dark power inside her surged. Sienna fought the urge to release it. She clenched her fists, silently chanting a light spell. Pain speared her palms.
She opened them and saw them bloodied. Her fingernails had dug into her skin.
Gabriel stopped and turned, his nostrils flaring. “I smell blood.”
Then he saw her hands. He took one, examined it. Then he stroked a thumb over her injured palms and the lacerations healed. Sienna stared at him. “How did you do that?”
“I told you. I have enhanced power. But it’s not enough to defeat whatever the hell is causing this.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Later. Come on, we’re almost there.”
If something had invaded the Everglades, she had an obligation to help him defeat it. But how could she even try when the darkness inside her itched for freedom?
The pathway cut through a hardwood forest bordering the Everglades. Soon they entered a large campground. A circular driveway linked together several campsites occupied by travel trailers and large tents. A thicket of mahogany, gumbo limbo and live oak trees surrounding the glen shaded it with protective covering. But Sienna sensed these trees guarded it as well.
Cook fires blazed before each campsite. Sitting near each trailer in outdoor chairs or on the ground were about forty Others. Sienna’s heart beat faster. Though they were in Skin form, she knew their scents. Red-shouldered hawks, boar, foxes, small black bears and deer. All of them, both predators and prey, shared one common element.
They looked scared to death.
“Dear goddess of the Light,” she breathed. “What happened to them?”
Gabriel said nothing, but squeezed the shoulder of a tall, lanky teenager on the ground, his arms hooked around his knees as he rocked back and forth.
“Tom is a fox shifter who came here to visit the beach and decided to run wild through the ‘Glades. He got caught in the water and attacked by sawgrass.”
Sawgrass attacked him? “You mean he got tangled in it and it cut him.”
“I mean what I said. The sawgrass attacked him. Just as it did to Rex. You saw it, Sienna.”
Mouth dry, she stared at the assembled shifters. They looked at her with such beseeching looks in their eyes that her heart twisted. “Why are they here?”
“I own this campground and rent it during the winter season to tourists. It brings in a little income and helps me educate Skins about the importance of the Everglades. This is the only safe haven for these shifters. I warded the area with magick and it seems to be working.”
Gabriel shoved a hand through his hair, his expression bleak as he regarded the little group. “They’re here because they lost the territory where they can shift and run free. They’ve been shot at, trapped, and pushed aside. I set up temporary housing for them in the
Gabriel clasped her wrist. “Come with me.”
Suddenly, she was afraid. She didn’t want to see, didn’t want to get involved. She’d spent the last 25 years not getting involved and keeping to her duties to king and clan.
The solitary life hurt, but better lonely than banished forever from her people. Her people, not a clan of shifters like Gabriel.
He seemed to notice her reluctance. “What happened to the brave, spirited pixie I knew? The Elf who feared nothing?”
She got lost in the woods after being punished for violating her vow of celibacy.
But she followed him outside. As they followed the dirt path snaking through the trees, Sienna’s chest tightened. The fresh smell of earth, trees and swamp faded, replaced by something darker and tainted.
She’d scented this around Terithen before he’d gone nuts and attempted to destroy everything. Dark enchantment.
As they drew closer to the swamp, the dark power inside her surged. Sienna fought the urge to release it. She clenched her fists, silently chanting a light spell. Pain speared her palms.
She opened them and saw them bloodied. Her fingernails had dug into her skin.
Gabriel stopped and turned, his nostrils flaring. “I smell blood.”
Then he saw her hands. He took one, examined it. Then he stroked a thumb over her injured palms and the lacerations healed. Sienna stared at him. “How did you do that?”
“I told you. I have enhanced power. But it’s not enough to defeat whatever the hell is causing this.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Later. Come on, we’re almost there.”
If something had invaded the Everglades, she had an obligation to help him defeat it. But how could she even try when the darkness inside her itched for freedom?
The pathway cut through a hardwood forest bordering the Everglades. Soon they entered a large campground. A circular driveway linked together several campsites occupied by travel trailers and large tents. A thicket of mahogany, gumbo limbo and live oak trees surrounding the glen shaded it with protective covering. But Sienna sensed these trees guarded it as well.
Cook fires blazed before each campsite. Sitting near each trailer in outdoor chairs or on the ground were about forty Others. Sienna’s heart beat faster. Though they were in Skin form, she knew their scents. Red-shouldered hawks, boar, foxes, small black bears and deer. All of them, both predators and prey, shared one common element.
They looked scared to death.
“Dear goddess of the Light,” she breathed. “What happened to them?”
Gabriel said nothing, but squeezed the shoulder of a tall, lanky teenager on the ground, his arms hooked around his knees as he rocked back and forth.
“Tom is a fox shifter who came here to visit the beach and decided to run wild through the ‘Glades. He got caught in the water and attacked by sawgrass.”
Sawgrass attacked him? “You mean he got tangled in it and it cut him.”
“I mean what I said. The sawgrass attacked him. Just as it did to Rex. You saw it, Sienna.”
Mouth dry, she stared at the assembled shifters. They looked at her with such beseeching looks in their eyes that her heart twisted. “Why are they here?”
“I own this campground and rent it during the winter season to tourists. It brings in a little income and helps me educate Skins about the importance of the Everglades. This is the only safe haven for these shifters. I warded the area with magick and it seems to be working.”
Gabriel shoved a hand through his hair, his expression bleak as he regarded the little group. “They’re here because they lost the territory where they can shift and run free. They’ve been shot at, trapped, and pushed aside. I set up temporary housing for them in the
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