thought . Ever since I discovered magic I spend half my time in caves. The back of the cavern opened into a living area. There were ten beds, food, and supplies. The cave was well used by the look of it.
“What is this place?” Kiora asked, sliding off her horse.
“We need somewhere to hide while traveling,” Alcander answered, dismounting with inhuman grace, his feet never touching the stirrups.
Kiora wanted to ask more but decided not to push
“How long will we be staying?” Emane asked.
Alcander looked at him in a way that said he was still surprised Emane could speak. “If it’s safe, we leave in the morning. If not, we will stay until it is.”
“How will we know if it’s safe?” Kiora asked.
“I will monitor the situation while you three rest.”
“What about you, don’t you need rest?” she asked.
“None of you know what you are looking for. I don’t see a choice.” Alcander turned on his heel, leading his horse out of the cavern. “The horses stay back here,” he shot over his shoulder. “When you have unloaded what you need, there is hay and water waiting for them. I will be outside monitoring.”
Kiora, Emane, and Drustan quietly unloaded as they listened to Alcander’s footsteps disappear.
Drustan waited until he was sure that Alcander was on the other side of the falls. “I don’t think I am very fond of this Tavean,” he said, throwing his saddlebag on the floor near one of the beds.
“Me either,” Emane agreed. “What’s a Tavean?”
“It’s what he is. I am a Shifter, you’re a Human, he is Tavean.”
“He is a Tavean with an attitude,” Emane corrected as he set his blanket on a bed.
“That he is,” Drustan agreed.
Kiora looked back and forth between the two of them. “The world must be ending. The two of you are agreeing.”
* * *
KIORA’S HEAD HAD BARELY touched the pillow when the dreams started. Beetles scuttled over her, whispering, “Do not forget.” Her sister’s face flashed periodically, filled with hate. Emane whispered that he loved her. And then something new—the Illusionist’s black face, followed by the giant Aktoowa bird, screeching and snapping its beak. Sitting straight up in bed Kiora gasped, jerking her arm out of the Aktoowa’s way before realizing it was a dream.
Sighing, she wearily dropped her head into her hands. These nightmares followed her everywhere, and every new thing she met seemed all too willing to join in.
Envy stabbed her as she glanced at Emane and Drustan who seemed to be, as usual, sleeping peacefully. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Kiora rested her chin and allowed the pounding of the waterfall to soothe her frazzled nerves. Alcander must be exhausted, she thought. Might as well see if she could relieve him. She was up anyway.
Setting her feet on the stone, Kiora shivered. It was freezing. She slipped on her boots and tiptoed out of the room as softly as she could, making her way to the waterfall. Reaching out, she opened a small hole in the middle of the falls and stepped through.
Alcander leaned against a tree near the edge of the water, the moon highlighting the strong planes of his face. “Don’t hold back on my account.”
Kiora shyly smiled, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I wasn’t trying to make a scene.”
“It wasn’t a scene,” Alcander clarified. “It was a surprise.”
Picking her way across the rocks, Kiora sat on the ground a fair distance from Alcander. “What were you expecting?”
“Closer to what you just did,” he said, nodding at the falls.
“Oh.” Kiora fiddled with the grass. “I’ll try to rein it in next time.”
“Don’t,” Alcander said, crossing his arms. “I would like to see what you can do. You have more power than I realized,” he admitted.
Kiora shrugged, jerking a blade of grass out before tossing it aside. “I think I have more than I realize. It’s all so new, I can’t keep up with myself.”
“New?” Alcander’s
“What is this place?” Kiora asked, sliding off her horse.
“We need somewhere to hide while traveling,” Alcander answered, dismounting with inhuman grace, his feet never touching the stirrups.
Kiora wanted to ask more but decided not to push
“How long will we be staying?” Emane asked.
Alcander looked at him in a way that said he was still surprised Emane could speak. “If it’s safe, we leave in the morning. If not, we will stay until it is.”
“How will we know if it’s safe?” Kiora asked.
“I will monitor the situation while you three rest.”
“What about you, don’t you need rest?” she asked.
“None of you know what you are looking for. I don’t see a choice.” Alcander turned on his heel, leading his horse out of the cavern. “The horses stay back here,” he shot over his shoulder. “When you have unloaded what you need, there is hay and water waiting for them. I will be outside monitoring.”
Kiora, Emane, and Drustan quietly unloaded as they listened to Alcander’s footsteps disappear.
Drustan waited until he was sure that Alcander was on the other side of the falls. “I don’t think I am very fond of this Tavean,” he said, throwing his saddlebag on the floor near one of the beds.
“Me either,” Emane agreed. “What’s a Tavean?”
“It’s what he is. I am a Shifter, you’re a Human, he is Tavean.”
“He is a Tavean with an attitude,” Emane corrected as he set his blanket on a bed.
“That he is,” Drustan agreed.
Kiora looked back and forth between the two of them. “The world must be ending. The two of you are agreeing.”
* * *
KIORA’S HEAD HAD BARELY touched the pillow when the dreams started. Beetles scuttled over her, whispering, “Do not forget.” Her sister’s face flashed periodically, filled with hate. Emane whispered that he loved her. And then something new—the Illusionist’s black face, followed by the giant Aktoowa bird, screeching and snapping its beak. Sitting straight up in bed Kiora gasped, jerking her arm out of the Aktoowa’s way before realizing it was a dream.
Sighing, she wearily dropped her head into her hands. These nightmares followed her everywhere, and every new thing she met seemed all too willing to join in.
Envy stabbed her as she glanced at Emane and Drustan who seemed to be, as usual, sleeping peacefully. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Kiora rested her chin and allowed the pounding of the waterfall to soothe her frazzled nerves. Alcander must be exhausted, she thought. Might as well see if she could relieve him. She was up anyway.
Setting her feet on the stone, Kiora shivered. It was freezing. She slipped on her boots and tiptoed out of the room as softly as she could, making her way to the waterfall. Reaching out, she opened a small hole in the middle of the falls and stepped through.
Alcander leaned against a tree near the edge of the water, the moon highlighting the strong planes of his face. “Don’t hold back on my account.”
Kiora shyly smiled, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I wasn’t trying to make a scene.”
“It wasn’t a scene,” Alcander clarified. “It was a surprise.”
Picking her way across the rocks, Kiora sat on the ground a fair distance from Alcander. “What were you expecting?”
“Closer to what you just did,” he said, nodding at the falls.
“Oh.” Kiora fiddled with the grass. “I’ll try to rein it in next time.”
“Don’t,” Alcander said, crossing his arms. “I would like to see what you can do. You have more power than I realized,” he admitted.
Kiora shrugged, jerking a blade of grass out before tossing it aside. “I think I have more than I realize. It’s all so new, I can’t keep up with myself.”
“New?” Alcander’s
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