Page 27 of Wind and Water (Reign of the Witch Queen #2)

Jadar stops, and I jump down.

Corell orders, “We’ll make a stand with the river beside us for Wren to use as a weapon.”

My name and weapon in the same sentence still sound wrong. I should be making beautiful things for people to wear. Instead, I’m part of an army of centaurs fighting for survival. There’s no time to point this out, so I nod toward Corell and take my place next to Liam.

Momma crouches behind Wellon and Pallon. They will do what they can to keep her safe.

As the cloud grows closer, the shadow demons begin to separate. There must be a hundred of them. I lose sight of Adhar and pray she’s gone to ground somewhere that she won’t be noticed. I grip Liam’s hand. “How are we to fight so many?”

He has his mind sealed shut. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen so many in one place. Why would she send such a force when the centaurs can’t be turned?”

Horror tightens my chest. Centaur bodies, bloody and broken, flood my mind.

The ground beneath my feet is wet with blood that runs to the river.

Flies swarm as there is no one left to burn them.

“They protect me, and she doesn’t care about creating an army of beings she can’t control. She plans to kill them. All of them.”

His fingers bite into my upper arms. “What did you see?”

Tears stream down my face. “Dead. All dead.” Out of the vision, the image is still burned into my memory. “I should give myself to her and save these centaurs. She’ll kill them all.”

“No. We will stop her.” He locks his gaze with mine, and I can almost believe him.

Farther up the river, Farress lies with her head several feet from her body. The young and all the others are ripped to pieces.

I shudder. “She’ll destroy their entire race just for helping me.”

He shakes me and puts himself between me and the oncoming shadow demons. “That is only one possible future. We can beat her. We can win this.”

“You don’t even believe that. You have never believed that the elves had a chance against the witch queen.” I pull back, trying to free myself. If I run forward and give myself up, these good souls will live.

Liam bands his arms around me. His voice is low and desperate in my ear.

“I have changed. You have changed me. You’re right, I always thought this was futile, but I never stopped fighting.

Now, everything is changed. You have magic that can combat her evil.

If there are three of you, who knows what is possible?

Stay with me, Wren. Fight with me, please.

I’m begging you. There is not one of these centaurs who would not die for the freedom of Domhan or you.

They knew what they were taking on when they agreed to help us.

Don’t put their honor to shame by giving up. ”

Unable to stop my tears, I weep into his shirt. “If I give myself to her, you will live. I need you to live.”

“If you die, I die. If we die fighting, then at least we do so with honor. Please. Stand with me.”

My heart is breaking and coming back together so quickly, and agony erupts inside my chest. I nod.

“For you. I will do what I can.” I break from his embrace and look around.

I expect to see blame in the eyes of the centaurs.

I am the reason they will die. I am the cause of their misery and eradication.

What I see are fierce warriors ready to defend their world at all costs.

If they are willing, then I can do no less.

Momma stands up and looks at me. Pride and fire burn in her eyes. She lifts her chin, her faith in me shining bright.

I lower my head, then meet her gaze again. Texans don’t surrender; we fight and survive. I dry my eyes and meet my fate, whatever that might be.

Turning toward the demons, I gather the magic roiling inside me and push the wind forward until they’re straining to move.

Several break free and move to the east. A few more get out of my wind and break west, then swoop down.

Liam throws his light magic at them, and one by one they explode in a shower of ash and sorrow. “Ready?”

“We will add to your magic.” Corell’s voice is strong over the din of my wind and screaming shadow demons.

As he sends his ball of blue light into the air, my wind blows it right past the demons. Not good. Not good. “This is bad.”

Liam puts his lips close to my ear. “You’re going to have to let the wind go. I’ll signal, and you drop your magic. Then be ready.”

Oh god. “For what?”

“The gods only know.” He forms another blue ball of light and lifts it into the air. “Now, Wren.”

I stop the wind.

The light shoots into the middle of the cloud of demons.

They part to stay away from it.

The air sparks with centaur magic as it floods into the light, forcing it outward. It explodes, taking at least half the shadow demons with it. Ash rains down on us like the aftermath of a volcano.

The remaining shadow demons are still too many and no longer fly as one. They come down in groups of two and three.

Liam does his best to throw light on them, but there are too many, and his strength is waning.

My wind is of little use once they get close. All I can do is give Liam energy.

Corell is lifted into the air. They carry him fifty feet up and drop him.

Panicking, I draw the water from the river and catch him before he hits the ground. He tumbles and rolls as the water rushes back to its source, but he’s alive.

More demons lift centaurs, and one by one they shoot into the sky. Six are taken up and dropped.

It’s too many and too far apart. I lift the water again and catch Jadar. I shift the winds to force two more into the river where they sputter for air. I grab another with water, and when he lands, he hobbles to his feet.

Two more slam into the ground before I can reach them.

Belloc stares blankly at me as life leaves his body.

Fury rises inside me, and I know it’s both mine and Liam’s together.

He shoots a ball of light into the largest group.

Water reflects light. The words of some eighth-grade science teacher rush into my mind. I grab a stream of water, send it into the air, and wrap it around Liam’s light.

The centaurs fill the elven magic with theirs until it explodes. Rainbows strike outward from the magic.

Demons screech and disintegrate as the water-infused light streaks through them. Those few that remain flee to the east.

Pulling me into his arms, Liam sags against me. He didn’t use up all of his strength this time, but enough that he’s tired. “You were amazing.”

A sob breaks through my control. “Check on Belloc. Maybe you can save him.”

Releasing me, Liam turns. Corell and Jadar are kneeling by Belloc’s still form. Corell shakes his head.

Mother kneels beside another centaur whose name is Toball. Tears roll down her cheeks. When she lifts her face and looks at me, the sorrow in her eyes breaks my heart.

Blood mars the soil and grass. I rush forward, but Jadar limps to block my path. “There is nothing for you to do here, Wren. You cannot save him.”

Too many are dying. I struggle against both Jadar and the pressure in my head. I should have done more. I could have saved them if only I’d been stronger or faster. “I should try.”

Liam wraps his arms around me, turns me, and pulls me into a hug. “I know this is foreign to you, but in war, there is always death, my love. These brave centaurs were not the first to die, and they will not be the last.”

“Are you telling me that I’ll get used to it?” My gut heaves, and I push away and run to the river. Kneeling in the grass, I vomit until my bones ache.

Liam sits next to me, rubbing my back. Tucking my hair behind my ear, he says, “I hope you never get used to death. Each loss should be felt and each person remembered.”

I dip my hand in the water and rinse my mouth. Tears running freely, I sit a foot away from him. “Are you used to it?”

Stoic and calm, his eyes darken. “I have lived my entire life in a war and been a soldier since I reached my eighteenth sun. Death is my constant companion.” He sighs and draws two long breaths.

“No. I am not used to it. I didn’t know Tobal, but he was well liked.

Belloc was a fine centaur with a keen mind and a strong back.

I did not know him long, but I will miss him.

If ever the death of those we care about is meaningless, I fear we will have lost sight of what we’re fighting for. ”

“If only I could have moved more water. Maybe I should have used air. I don’t know how to save these beautiful people. Too many are dying.” Renewed tears blind me to everything but my sorrow.

Liam reaches over and pulls me into his lap.

“You were magnificent. Many more would have died if you hadn’t been so brilliant.

Think about your vision of them all lying dead.

That was not the outcome. Your magic is a miracle.

Jadar, Corell, and the others you kept from falling were lucky to have you there.

You are not to blame. Venora is the villain here, not you. ”

Momma kneels in front of us. “I’m so proud of you, baby girl. You are so brave.”

I look at her through watery eyes. “I don’t feel brave, Momma. I let those centaurs die in such a horrible way.”

She closes her eyes for a moment, and when she meets my gaze again, her eyes light with intensity. “You didn’t let anything happen. You couldn’t save them. No one could have. They died for a cause they believed in. That’s what soldiers often do. You can’t save everyone. What you did was amazing.”

I nod.

“Good. Now, pull yourself together. The centaurs are building a pyre, and we’ll need to say farewell to Belloc and Toball before we move on.” Momma kisses my forehead and steps away.

Slipping out of Liam’s arms, I return to the river and wash my face.