Page 25 of Shifters Unifying (Shifters Destiny: Willow Creek Shifters #2)
Don’t think of me, my love.
That’s like asking me not to breathe.
Thirteen burning stones left their palms, sailed over the tiny house, and slammed into the ground around us. One slammed into Logan’s chest, and it burst, sending supernatural fire over his skin. He sagged against the building, and I hissed as the sensation filtered to me.
The stench of rot and decay assailed my nose, and I wretched, spilling vomit down my front. But I didn’t have time to care.
Quickly, I erected several layers of sound warding between us and the mages, hoping against hope that it would be enough to block the energy. Thirteen more flew, striking my magic. Then again. Each impact threatened to break through my warding.
“Don’t worry about me,” Logan wheezed. “Do what you have to, my love.”
Electric charge snapped through the atmosphere overhead.
Thunder rumbled far away. Suddenly, I understood what I could do.
Raising my hands toward the sky, I drew on the primal energy in the earth, determined to become a lightning rod for the incredible amount of energy I needed. The moon went dark.
Behind me, Logan cried out.
A burst of light blinded me, and lava burned through my bones.
Logan roared, and the sensation of energy bursting through me, to him, and shooting to me once more, amplified by the bond. But it was enough.
Ten…
Eleven…
Twelve…
Thirteen lightning strikes slammed down from above, incinerating each of the mages around the cabin. A thousand tortured screams pierced the air, and they dropped to the ground, smoldering. Almost immediately, the figures crumbled, breaking down into piles of ash.
Panting, I stood in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by felled mages. The scent of decomposition covered everything, and I bent to the side to vomit from the evil smell. Shit. That’s awful.
With a groan, Logan lumbered down the front steps, folded in half and collapsed, limp on the ground. Deep, bloody gashes covered his skin, and his hair smoldered. Several of his toes had turned black. Probably from the lightning strike I’d funneled.
Sobbing, I dropped to his side, sending a healing spell into him. Little by little, I fixed what I’d broken, wincing as his body jerked. It took three times to heal him enough for him to regain consciousness.
His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled. Weakly, he pressed his palm to my cheek. “You did it, Emma.”
I kissed his hand, glad for his warmth. “Only because you were here. If I ever tell you not to come with me, come anyway.”
“Always.”
He frowned. “But what did you do?”
Settling my ass on my heels, I shrugged. “Funneled lightning, I guess. A bit like balefire. Not sure which is stronger.”
“Ah. Felt like the lightning was stronger.”
“It did take both of us,” I murmured.
With a groan, he sat up. Then he puked all over the ground. After, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Fuck me. They always smell like death on two legs, don’t they?”
“Seem to.” My sigh sounded loud in the restored silence of the forest. “You had better get back to Six-Mile, check on them there. If they knew we were here, that means they must have a compound somewhere close.”
“Maybe I’ve gotten something definitive back from Jace and his drone scans.” His lips pressed into a tight line, but finally, he nodded. “And you need to get to East Nuttal Delta.”
“Not to Six-Mile with you?” At least I wouldn’t have to argue with him about where I needed to go. I climbed to my feet. “Expected more of a fight out of you.”
“I think you got all the fight out of me you’re going to get tonight.
” He gestured to the smoldering piles. “Besides, the multimorph made a promise, and she’d better keep it.
Plus, it’s clear they’re watching us. The sooner we send Acheron back to hell, the better.
Unifying the shifters is the only way to do that. That means you move into a tree house.”
I scrunched my face and offered my arm to help him to his feet, giggling when he nearly pulled me over. “Do you think Salali will set me up in a treehouse? I’ve never stayed in one before.”
“Probably the best one they have in Nuttal. It’s an incredible honor to host the multimorph, and she’s going to milk that for all its worth.”
I put my hands on my hips. “I might need to have a chat with Jasper. I bet his den wasn’t the nicest one in Red Tail.”
Logan shook his head. “Can you blame him? Back then, they weren’t sure you were the multimorph.”
“Fair.” I took a deep breath. It didn’t seem necessary to have clothes sent to Salali’s clan.
Modesty wasn’t a priority. “When you get back to Six-Mile, can you send the squirrel warriors, the newbies, my laptop, and the thumb drive I gave to Olivia before I left Six-Mile? Dr. Wise sent it to me and said I needed to study up on some shit. I doubt she’s wrong. ”
“She’s rarely incorrect.” He crossed his arms, and his mouth twisted into a self-satisfied smirk. “And without me to fuck, you’ll have a lot more free time on your hands, won’t you?”
“At least until you show up for a conjugal.”
“Shame we don’t have time for another one of those right now.” He eyed me. “I expect I’ll be on my way to East Nuttal sooner rather than later.”