Read Online The Last Druid by Colleen Montague - Free Book Online

hair is supposed to be green?  We are supposed to be able to blend in with whatever society we are visiting and not stand out in any way.  The Druids were not the only ones who could see us—there are occasionally others who, though not quite as gifted as them, are still able to see us around them.  These days we would really prefer to remain unnoticed unless we are supposed to let ourselves be seen, like with my finding you.”
    “So how come you don’t…blend in?”
    “I have not fully mastered this art yet—you see, it is magic of a higher level that I am capable of, one requiring at least two-hundred years of practice.”
    Cal la stared at her before she spoke again.  “Two hundred…Mai, how old are you?”
    The Nymph blushed with embarrassment—in stead of flushing red like normal people, Mai’s cheeks took on a green hue, a shade slightly darker than her hair.  “One-hundred sixteen,” she said after a moment.
    Ca lla felt her jaw drop.
    “I know what you are thinking: how can I be so much older than you and yet not have mast ered such an art?  The truth is I am still quite young by the standards of my people; we age very slowly.  I am actually not allowed to start learning specific spells until I reach a certain age.  I have only been working on my shape-shifting ability for a few months.”
    “That short a time?”  Ca lla was genuinely impressed.  “Apart from your hair, you’re doing really well at it.”
    “Thank you.  Really.”
    An owl hooted from somewhere above them.  Ca lla craned her neck up, curious to see if she could locate the bird.  Some of the branches rustled with movement but she couldn’t find him.  She could, however, hear him—and what he was saying.
    “Mai, is he…singing?”
    Mai looked up as well.  She made a face.  “I think he is attempting to, at least.  It sounds more like he is shouting random sentences.”
    Cal la grimaced as broken notes hit her ears.
    My love, where are you?
    I am here, waiting for you!
    Come find me now!
    “If he’s trying to impress a female like that, she’ll be as thrilled about it as I am,” said Calla.  “That’s just terrible.”
    “That bird is young,” said Mai.  “He will figure things out in time.”
    Both girls were tired but couldn’t fall asleep thanks to the owl’s torturous attempt at poetry.  They lay against the ground trying to ignore the notes hitting their ears for hours.  Somewhere around midnight he finally stopped—the branches overhead rustled as he took off into the night.  With peace restored, the girls bade each other good night and finally curled up on the ground to sleep.
     
    The world she saw was dark, so much so she thought it was late at night, and someone had forgotten to bring a light.  As she stood, the air around her seemed to swirl, and she realized it wasn’t night she was looking at—it was clouds of smoke billowing up in front of her.  She backed up quickly, not wanting to be too close to whatever was burning.  Flames leaped out towards her as she moved away, as though trying to grab her.  When she got clear of them, she saw they were devouring a large, once-beautiful looking building.
    She looked around her—everywhere fires raged, eating at the buildings while the stone just collapsed in piles.  She took off running down the road, going around the large heaps of stone and leaping over the occasional patch of fire in her way.  There was something heavy in her hand—she was holding a large broadsword, using both hands to keep from dropping it.  She kept running, looking around as she went for something.
    She finally reached what had once been the city common.  Even here it was almost completely unrecognizable.  What had once been a large stone fountain was now various piles of rubble scattered along the ground, trees and shrubs were ablaze, and the surrounding buildings were destroyed down to their foundations.  She stopped and stared at the destruction around