Page 34 of Solar Shadows

He played it cool. “So, this is the place she keeps dragging my boyfriend to?”

“And now both of you,” the fae answered, getting back to walking in a circle.

Riley took it in, subtly keeping his eyes off her. I liked his work, and I did the same while also keeping tabs on the vile piece of trash. In full spy mode, staying vigilant to any attacks.

I tried my powers, getting nothing but sputters as expected. And my bangle light was red, inactive.

The fae woman moaned as she walked, a gray tongue running across her lips. “The power of The Sun is warm, the power of The Moon is cool. What will The Star feel like? A tingle to match the twinkle?” She cackled, wiping at her hooked nose.

Was that a wart on its tip?

“When I taste all three, how will I feel?” she added.

I moved closer to Riley, plotting the next move. He shivered beside me, eyeing up the orchard.

“What are you thinking?” I whispered.

“I don’t know.”

The woman didn’t react to us talking, continuing to trundle through the snow. Waiting to strike? Taking the moment in? Contemplating her wart?

Riley released a shaky breath. “It’s so damn cold.”

The fae woman came running at me, cracking me in the side of the head with a brutal fist. Pow! Totally out of nowhere.

I went down, slamming into the snow face-first.

“Isaac!” Riley yelled.

Whoa. Was my jaw broken? It felt like something went snap in my face.

I rolled onto my back, spotting Riley trying to use his power. Nothing happened, and she delivered a kick to his stomach. He folded in half, falling to the ground.

Pushing through the pain, I scrambled over to him while the woman cackled.

For not really being here, it sure came with a lot of fucking agony.

“This place follows my rules,” the hag hissed. “I will not stand for gossiping.”

“I only said it was cold!” Riley retorted.

He sat up as I grabbed his hand. “You good?”

Energy vibrated in our joined hands. Our eyes met, my left eyebrow shooting up.

“What the fuck was that?” I muttered.

My brother used me to get back on his feet. “Something new?”

“What are you mumbling about now?” the hag questioned. I felt her voice lick at the back of my neck like a freezing breeze.

The vibration continued to hum between us, spreading down my arms, burrowing into my flesh.

Riley tightened his grip, my mind filling with images of the sun and the moon together in the sky. Like the beginnings of an eclipse, but without the blocking of the sun. More like an enhancement, a dance of the two, becoming one big circle of power.

Yes, power. A new power, an evolved power. Coming to life to meet the demands of our environment just as the shade-killing marks appeared to help us kill the fuckers.

The images passed fresh knowledge into me. Telling me the joining of The Sun and The Moon like this now gave us the power to protect ourselves. Aspecial bubble of our own, warding against our enemies.