Daughter of Tide and Illusion

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Why are we stopping?"

"Because Lyv and Gideon have. Look...see? No movement on the map."

"Can't we at least get a little closer so we can keep watch, just in case?"

"There's not much going on here in the desert of Ethran, you know."

"And there's not a lot of help close by because of that. Come on..."

Thia let out an exaggerated sigh as she shoved her map back into the saddlebag, then crossed her arms over her chest as she shifted her weight to one hip. "How old are you again?"

Jai raised a brow as he knotted his hair at the back of his head. "Random question...but three hundred and twenty-seven."

"All right, that's what I thought," she nodded, waving a hand to gesture to all of him. "Because I could have sworn you were four years old with all your whining over the last few days. We're keeping back, as I've told you a hundred times since we left Ajolak, because we're not even supposed to be here."

"Without Gideon here, you're turning your meanness on me."

"Then hush and I won't have to be mean to you."

Erly nudged Jai's side with her nose before shielding him from Thia with her head. Thia raised an eyebrow then, her eyes going to her dragon.

"Oh, no, you don't," she said, shaking her head. "Don't be thinking you can turn your protectiveness to Jai now that Gideon's not here for it. I'll be mean to him all I want. I'll be mean to both of them all I want."

Erly hummed in her chest, nuzzling against Jai's stomach as if to comfort him from Thia's verbal assault. The half-sorceress just rolled her eyes and walked toward them to get their things out of the saddlebags as Jai grinned.

But before she even managed to, everything around them dimmed as shadows began to creep over the dunes and the earth slowly rumbled under their boots. Erly's senses were heightened when a familiar dragon's roar echoed through the air with fury. It happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that Jai and Thia just stared at one another.

Then they couldn't hear anything.

The silence stretched...and then there was a dragon's roar of pain, followed by a thundering boom that made the hair on the back of Jai's neck and on his arms stand up on end.

It wasn't just that boom that did it, though. It was the surge of magic that ballooned out from a center point in the distance. Bright white light pushed back familiar shadows in every direction...including theirs.

"Holy Mother above," Thia whispered as the light and shadows rushed toward them like a tidal wave coming to shore.

"Go!" Jai yelled without any more hesitation, reaching for her to haul her up on Erly's back before pulling himself up behind her.

Erly took the sky just a second after they were on, racing away from the coming darkness. She began to climb then, wings working as hard and fast as she could manage, knowing that their distance above it would probably be a better option.

Jai made the mistake of looking back...and so did Thia. It was a sight neither had seen before, the shadows and light warring with each other. It was getting closer and closer and Jai could feel his panic rising. He needed to get them out of there, but fading himself, Thia, and Erly...that was nearly impossible.

He didn't need to the next moment, though. Because the light spell that had been cast had dissipated, which meant those shadows were rushing back in the direction they'd originated, right toward the Fae male they knew they came from.