Page 25 of Shifter’s Promise (Devourer of Magic)

Chapter

Twenty-One

T all grass tickled my cheeks as I crouched within the thick jungle. Despite our early arrival, the sun blazed overhead, soaking my back in sweat.

The scorching heat thickened the damp air. My clothes clung to my body, uncomfortable. It wasn’t easy to ignore. There wasn’t exactly much to focus on while we waited, hidden at the forest’s edge.

Peeking up over the stump I kneeled beside, I could just make out the shadows of the snow leopards. Two of them crouched near the edge of the woods while another two hid in the trees overhead. The last remained at my side—Alysia, the one who’d teased poor Shannon.

Curious about their relationship, I’d asked on the trek over. Neither seemed keen on answering, so I let it go. Yet, it was clear they all knew each other somehow. I couldn’t see a squad of cats following a snake any other way. They had history .

Footsteps on the path jerked me from my thoughts.

Heart pounding, I crouched low, darting glances through the brush. A murmur of voices accompanied the steps. Familiar voices, each more tense than the last.

You can do this , I silently urged them.

I couldn’t imagine how the triplets felt right now, but this would all be for the best in the end. They might lose an abusive father, but they’d gain so much more.

“We’re nearly there,” Taka assured, voice forced into a fake lightness.

Maybe someone should have coached them on acting beforehand .

Then again, Jeremiah might pass off Taka’s nervousness as a reaction to the day of his mother’s disappearance. After twenty years, it wasn’t certain that she was dead, but probable.

From the thick of the jungle, I couldn’t make out the headstone that I’d spied upon our arrival.

We’d been careful to stay off the sand, not leaving any footprints behind.

Craning my neck, I could just make out the tall, ornate marble carving.

It protruded from a ridge of land only a few feet above the beach, vines winding around the glimmering stone.

The triplets had told me they had it built here to commemorate and remember her—even if there hadn’t been a body to bury.

“About time,” Jeremiah grumbled. His voice made my lips draw back. Alysia’s hand settled on my arm, stopping the growl that nearly rumbled from my chest.

I took a breath and nodded my thanks before eyeing our enemy .

The triplets emerged first, leading their father, Leona, and a pack of over a dozen guards.

I blanched. Shit . I didn’t think he’d bring that many guards. Either he was onto us, or more paranoid than we thought.

“Here we are,” Aya announced smoothly—the better actor.

Gathering around the headstone, the triplets waited for their father. He didn’t join them on the ridge. Instead, he mosied to the water’s edge. Sunlight beamed against his frame, giving him a golden edge as he turned to face his sons.

“What is this really about, boys?” he asked.

With the sun backlighting him, I could only squint in an attempt to make out his expression. I didn’t like the edge to his voice, but I couldn’t confirm what I was hearing without seeing his face.

Would you move?!

I snapped my teeth shut on a growl, barely holding the sound back.

“W-What do you mean?” Taka’s pitch rose.

Taka! My mental scream manifested in the clench of my fists.

“You’ve never asked me to visit your mother’s empty grave before,” Jeremiah mocked. He shifted, pacing through the sand slowly. Finally, I made out the smirk the sun had concealed.

My heart dropped. He knew .

I whipped toward Alysia with wide eyes, but she was already moving, leaping from her hiding place at the same moment as the rest of Ghost Squadron .

With wild eyes, all I could do was watch as a glint of metal slid from behind Jeremiah’s back and launched through the air, right into his son’s chest.

I gasped, racing forward without thought. “Taka!”

Chaos erupted, my clanmates descending on the jaguars at the back while Leona brandished her greatsword, cutting through the nearest jaguars—slicing them in two.

Blood soaked the sand. Grunts, yowls and cries erupted. Clothes shredded as both leopards and jaguars attacked. Tearing into each other with claws and teeth, their once beautiful pelts stained by dirt and blood.

Heart slamming against my ribs, I barely made out Alysia’s demand for me to stay where I was. As if. The snow leopards joined my clansmen in fighting off the jaguars. Magic burned through the air, a lick of fire somewhere among the growing carnage.

Jeremiah advanced on his sons, his men surrounding them.

“Protect the triplets!” I screamed.

Jeremiah’s golden gaze flashed in my direction, a cold sneer slicing across his face.

“You dare conspire with that filth?” He faced his sons, teeth bared.

“We fucking dare,” Raxa snarled. His clothes tore from his body as he descended to all fours, his jaguar form all lean muscle and burning rage.

Raxa leapt at his father, but one of his guards slammed into him mid-lunge. They rolled in a hissing, spitting tangle of spotted fur down the incline and onto the beach. Two guards left .

“Father, how could you do this?” Aya bellowed. He knelt beside Taka, hands pressed against his brother’s wound. “We’re your sons!”

“You’re nothing but traitors,” Jeremiah hissed. He palmed another blade.

Leona’s sword crashed down on one of the two remaining guards. A horrid scream of pain cut through the cacophony of battle. Dipping in the sand, I raced as fast as I could, dagger in hand.

Cool metal against my palm, I used it to ground myself against the rising fury. I couldn’t shift. Not now. I had to help Aya stop the bleeding once Jeremiah was handled.

“That’s rich coming from you!” I raged.

Jeremiah twitched, glancing toward me. Any moment he wasn’t advancing on the triplets was a victory.

“You’re a traitor to your own kind!” I spat.

His snarl pulled his lips back, fur rising on his arms.

“And what would you know of loyalty?” Jeremiah snapped. “You’re just a child.”

I’d have laughed if it weren’t taking all of my breath to plow through the sand. I was the same age as his sons. Slightly older even. None of us were children. Hadn’t been since the day the slave trade ruined our lives.

Aya rose behind him, just as Leona cut down the remaining guard. He gurgled, blood spurting from between his lips as he collapsed.

Jeremiah realized too late that he’d already lost.

Aya cried a warrior’s call as he dove at Jeremiah’s back, the same dagger in hand that Jeremiah had used to pierce Taka’s chest. The blade sunk into his spine with a resounding thunk .

Jeremiah’s eyes widened, round like the sun. He twisted in an attempt to catch his fall. With the force of Aya’s thrust, he crumbled, tumbling onto the beach.

Blood spurted from his mouth, but I didn’t waste time checking his pulse. Instead, I leapt up the ridge and fell to my knees.

“Taka?” My hands shook as I pressed my palms against the gushing wound. “Taka, open your eyes!”

The blade hadn’t pierced his heart. A few inches shy, it was a miracle. Knees thudded beside me, Aya returning to his kin. Fingers trembling, he reached for his brother. Pressing down on both my hands and the wound, our hands shook together.

“We have to stop the bleeding,” I snapped. My erratic pulse beat in my ears, behind my eyes. Panic threatened to bubble up my throat. I swallowed it. There wasn’t time.

“How?” Aya asked desperately. Our eyes clashed, the same fear reflecting back at me.

Leona’s battle cry drowned out my response. Her panting breath came next, followed by a bloody Raxa-shaped jaguar crawling to our sides.

“Keep pressure on the wound,” I instructed. It wasn’t the first time I’d been faced with a gaping wound. Slavery really prepared you for the unexpected.

Aya nodded. Raxa’s jaguar whined.

“Where is Shannon?” Maybe he had healing magic. I could only hope and pray to the gods that he did .

While shifter healing could mend most wounds, this one was deep. From the rush of heat against my hands, he still bled profusely. I pushed down harder, hands aching from the pressure of both mine and Aya’s.

“Still fighting,” Aya surmised after a glance over my head.

I didn’t dare look. The raucous song of battle was enough.

“We need him now,” I said. My mind raced until Raxa whined once more. “Raxa.”

Golden eyes met mine, pleading with me to help his brother.

“I know it’s difficult when you’re this upset, but you need to shift. I need you to get Shannon, now .”

Body shaking with panic, I couldn’t do much more than plead him with my eyes.

Raxa stepped back near his shred of clothes, circling the bunch of fabric a few times.

“Do it for Taka,” I demanded.

The jaguar shook and trembled, and suddenly I was staring at a very naked Raxa. I averted my gaze while he slipped on his trousers and took off. The pound of his feet rang in time with my heart.

“Is Leona okay?” I asked shakily, both needing to know and trying to distract Aya from the agony of seeing his triplet like this.

“I–” It took a long moment, but finally Aya peeled his gaze away. “Yes. She’s okay. She’s coming over here now.”

“Good.” My shoulders sagged slightly before a warm gush of blood seeped between my fingers.

“Shannon!” I screamed.

Images of Taka’s jovial smile flashed in my mind’s eye. I’d never thought that easy grin would be wiped from his face like this . Never imagined Jeremiah would go after his son so viciously. It was maddening trying to understand the Jaguar Clan leader.

“He’s coming,” Leona said. She squeezed my shoulder, easing my panic only slightly.

Shannon is on his way, it’ll be okay .

I repeated the thought like a mantra until another set of knees slammed into the ground beside us.

“I’m here,” Shannon said, breathing heavily.

“Can you heal him?” I shot desperate, wide eyes at the stoic man.

Dashed in blood, I’d never seen Shannon so disheveled.

His jaw hardened, sending cold sweat down my spine. He couldn’t? Then what the fuck were we supposed?—

“I can,” he said, halting my panicked tirade.

My exhale brushed the bangs from Taka’s face. Thank the gods .

“Stay as you are,” he instructed. “I can heal around you.”

I nodded wordlessly, unable to look away from the red coating our hands. Blood dripped down Taka’s sides and into the hollow of his throat. Leona’s hand grounded me in the present.

Magic licked the air, a spicy, yet flowery scent that made my hackles rise.

Elves used magic predominantly. They used it to keep beastkin in check. They used it in the collars that bound us. In the torture they put us through.

But now magic was going to save my friend.

Shannon held his hands inches above ours, a pale glow starting at his fingertips. Soon, the glow enveloped his hands.

“ Heal .” That one word held magic. I could feel it in the tenor of his voice and the tickle of florals beneath my nose.

The glow shifted into a pale green, increasing in brightness until the gush of hot blood against my palms stopped completely.

“It’s working,” I gasped.

My breathing slowed as color filled Taka’s pale face. A moment later, his sun kissed skin had returned and brilliant gold eyes flashed open.

“You bastard, you’re alive.” Aya dove forward as soon as Shannon’s hands stopped glowing.

I sat back quickly, barely keeping my hands from being crushed between them.

“I thought you were dead,” Raxa murmured.

Finally able to look at those around me, I found tears streaking both Aya and Raxa’s faces. Even Shannon looked relieved, a soft smile breaking that stony exterior.

Raxa embraced his brothers next. Together they held each other, laughing and crying. They were still whole. A complete brotherhood.

I smiled and leaned back against Leona’s chest. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, squeezing me tightly .

“I thought you were supposed to stay in the jungle,” Leona chastised lightly, not an edge of disapproval in her voice despite her words.

Chuckling softly, I held her forearms.

“You can punish me later,” I said. “It was worth it.”

Leona nodded her agreement. She pressed a kiss to the top of my head, holding me tightly.

The chaos of battle had died at some point—though at which, I couldn’t tell you.

From the state of our warriors, there were injuries, but none so bad as Taka’s.

We’d all made it. No one had died except the enemy.

A familiar grunt made me freeze.

Jeremiah rose in my periphery, clutching his head. “My aim isn’t what it used to be.”

Matching snarls rose from the surrounding beastkin, but it was Leona’s swift fist that put Jeremiah in the sand once more. I patted her arm, pleased to see the former clan leader out cold.

“Good work, mate.” I tilted my head up to give her a smile.

Leona beamed down at me, making my stomach flip and my heart race like we’d returned to battle. “Thank you, Twin.”