chuckled. He leaned down until his lips were against her ear. “That was a yes, and I would very much like you to stop holding back.” Kiora’s mouth was full of cotton as he smirked, nudging her gently toward the door. “Drustan can only hold a bubble for so long.”
***
THE SHIFTER CAMP WAS located between the city and Lake Everleen. They flew over a thickly forested area consisting mainly of pine that made Kiora homesick. Emane must have noticed her longing looks over Drustan’s side because his voice came from behind her.
“Looks a little like home, doesn’t it?”
Kiora smiled wistfully. “It does.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes.” Kiora glanced back at Emane. “I asked Eleana to close the gate again if we lost this war.”
He thought about it for a moment, then smiled. “Thank you.”
“Almost there,” Drustan said as he veered gently to the side.
Kiora was mentally running through the many scenarios of how this could go horribly wrong, and how to prevent it. If she wasn’t careful, she was likely to have a battle right there in camp.
As the sun moved back down the western horizon, the trees below them opened, exposing a river that was cutting its way through rock. Drustan dropped down. He positioned himself between the two banks, keeping his wings free from the reaching arms of the trees, and followed the river downstream on its dangerous path.
The river was wild and rushing, rapids bursting from the surface. Sprays of white water reflected the oranges and reds of the setting sun. Steep drops in the riverbed would suddenly dump into swirling pools—natural tools of death for those unfortunate enough to be caught in the undercurrents. It was violent, and yet beautiful in its ruggedness.
Continuing downriver, the water began to calm. The craggy rock walls on both sides grew taller, the sandy beaches between the river and rock growing wider. Drustan swooped in over a particularly wide section of beach, passing through a barrier and coming in fast. He pushed his feet back into the sand, practically sitting down as he slid forward, trying to avoid slamming into the rock canyon wall at the back.
Shouts of alarm went up and Kiora instinctively threw a shield—a little larger than she’d intended. The boom echoed and bounced off the walls. Drustan skidded to a stop. Kiora regained her breath as the sharp sound of cracking rock and rumbling filled the air.
All eyes turned upward as great pieces of rock leaned forward, cleaved from their resting places. They teetered there for a moment, and Kiora thought that perhaps, by some miracle, the cliff-side would hold. The entire camp held their breath, the tiny tings of pebbles and dirt skipping and bouncing down the cliff the only sounds.
And then the rocks fell.
First one large slab of stone ripped itself free. It fell for a moment, surreal in its silence, before slamming into the cliff and setting the imminent collapse in motion.
The Shifters around her screamed, scrambling to change into something that could fly—there was no time.
The first few rocks crashed onto the beach. Sand sprayed up like geysers. Kiora threw another shield, doming it up and out as fast as she could. The roar of falling rock and sand buried the sound of screams.
The bulk of the landslide slammed into their only protection. Her shield held, and the rocks slipped down the steep backside and into the river behind them. Muddy water splashed around in giant waves.
That was too close. Kiora closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath as the last pieces of sand and dirt pitter-pattered down her shield and into the river. She looked at the camp of Shifters, who stared at her in dumbfounded silence.
A moan emerged from the back of the group.
Kiora and Emane grabbed hold of Drustan’s tail and he lowered them to the ground. She pushed her way through the crowd of Shifters to where one woman had been caught by the first falling rock. She had been midway through the shift
***
THE SHIFTER CAMP WAS located between the city and Lake Everleen. They flew over a thickly forested area consisting mainly of pine that made Kiora homesick. Emane must have noticed her longing looks over Drustan’s side because his voice came from behind her.
“Looks a little like home, doesn’t it?”
Kiora smiled wistfully. “It does.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes.” Kiora glanced back at Emane. “I asked Eleana to close the gate again if we lost this war.”
He thought about it for a moment, then smiled. “Thank you.”
“Almost there,” Drustan said as he veered gently to the side.
Kiora was mentally running through the many scenarios of how this could go horribly wrong, and how to prevent it. If she wasn’t careful, she was likely to have a battle right there in camp.
As the sun moved back down the western horizon, the trees below them opened, exposing a river that was cutting its way through rock. Drustan dropped down. He positioned himself between the two banks, keeping his wings free from the reaching arms of the trees, and followed the river downstream on its dangerous path.
The river was wild and rushing, rapids bursting from the surface. Sprays of white water reflected the oranges and reds of the setting sun. Steep drops in the riverbed would suddenly dump into swirling pools—natural tools of death for those unfortunate enough to be caught in the undercurrents. It was violent, and yet beautiful in its ruggedness.
Continuing downriver, the water began to calm. The craggy rock walls on both sides grew taller, the sandy beaches between the river and rock growing wider. Drustan swooped in over a particularly wide section of beach, passing through a barrier and coming in fast. He pushed his feet back into the sand, practically sitting down as he slid forward, trying to avoid slamming into the rock canyon wall at the back.
Shouts of alarm went up and Kiora instinctively threw a shield—a little larger than she’d intended. The boom echoed and bounced off the walls. Drustan skidded to a stop. Kiora regained her breath as the sharp sound of cracking rock and rumbling filled the air.
All eyes turned upward as great pieces of rock leaned forward, cleaved from their resting places. They teetered there for a moment, and Kiora thought that perhaps, by some miracle, the cliff-side would hold. The entire camp held their breath, the tiny tings of pebbles and dirt skipping and bouncing down the cliff the only sounds.
And then the rocks fell.
First one large slab of stone ripped itself free. It fell for a moment, surreal in its silence, before slamming into the cliff and setting the imminent collapse in motion.
The Shifters around her screamed, scrambling to change into something that could fly—there was no time.
The first few rocks crashed onto the beach. Sand sprayed up like geysers. Kiora threw another shield, doming it up and out as fast as she could. The roar of falling rock and sand buried the sound of screams.
The bulk of the landslide slammed into their only protection. Her shield held, and the rocks slipped down the steep backside and into the river behind them. Muddy water splashed around in giant waves.
That was too close. Kiora closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath as the last pieces of sand and dirt pitter-pattered down her shield and into the river. She looked at the camp of Shifters, who stared at her in dumbfounded silence.
A moan emerged from the back of the group.
Kiora and Emane grabbed hold of Drustan’s tail and he lowered them to the ground. She pushed her way through the crowd of Shifters to where one woman had been caught by the first falling rock. She had been midway through the shift
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