Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
I didn’t mention that I didn’t think Sebastian really wanted that persona, that he seemed happier in the crystal room with his magic and his muttering. Maybe one day.
“So anyway,” Austin said, “proving our control to them is a good thing. Apparently, it’s another point in our favor that they can feel the power we have at our disposal. I’m told Brochan and I flared a few nostrils. That’s their version of widening eyes. They haven’t encountered shifters as strong as us before.”
“Did our basajaun tell them about your brother and the other shifters you hope to amass?”
“Yes. It gave them something to think about.”
A group of what looked like teenage basajaunak, however old they might actually be, chatted and laughed near the music, a few of them swaying or moving to the beat. An adult basajaun bit into a chunk of meat as he passed us to sit down with a few others who’d gathered within the trees.
“Then there’s you,” Austin went on. “They liked how you stepped up to defend me. It showed your fire. They haven’t gotten a good viewing of your magic yet, though.”
I grimaced. They’d only get that in a battle.
“Cyra and Hollace made more nostrils flare. We’re a group of people packed with magic and alphas. They know that if they get tangled up in the outside world, or their extended family does, they’ll have good support in us.”
I blurted out what I knew in my heart: “Except this group of basajaunak don’t get tangled up with the outside world. They stick to themselves. They stay here in safety and peace.”
He didn’t comment for a few moments. One of those horrible warning pulses vibrated through me. I couldn’t tell how near the enemy was, but they must be closer, because the magic felt like it was seeping their emotions into me. Or maybe it was their intent? The feelings swirled within the spell that had attached itself to me. Annoyance. Wariness. Anticipation of victory.
They were annoyed to have to come get me. Wary because I’d used a spell they’d never heard of. Sebastian had said that would make them incredibly nervous. Any decent mage would be, knowing most heinous spells even if they couldn’t do them. But as far as the end result? They worked for a man who didn’t seem to lose often, or ever. They’d always worked for the winning side.
They must be coming in a hurry, too, for the spell’s danger signals to be ramping up this quickly. They’d clearly wasted no time. The spell was probably to blame for that, and their resources obviously made fast travel accessible.
I spied three young basajaunak chase each other through the open space. An adult basandere yelled at them to slow down as they sprinted by.
The guilt threatened to choke me.
“Why don’t you finally tell me what’s going on in that heart of yours?” Austin said.
He didn’t say head. He knew I wasn’t operating on the logic by which we’d made the original plan.
“It’s just…” I wrapped us in a soundproofing spell for some privacy. “Austin, what are we doing? I yelled at them about not watching out for their kid earlier today. Their kid. What would I do to someone who put my child in danger? Imagine for a second that we were putting your niece and nephew in danger. How would you react to our plan then?”
A shock of rage blistered through the bonds.
“Exactly,” I murmured. “This is their family. Our basajaun isn’t thinking clearly. With their help, it might be a clean sweep, sure. It might be easy. But what if something happened and one of their children was hurt? What if any of them were hurt? They didn’t ask for this. They don’t deserve the danger we’re putting them in. We’ve earned their trust under false pretenses. I know we agreed on this plan, and I know you really need their help with the mages, but…” I sighed. “I don’t feel good about what we’re doing here. It isn’t right.”
Austin nodded as he surveyed the basajaunak around us. Cyra got up and drifted to the music, bobbing and swaying. She joined the teens and started laughing when they froze to gawk at her. In a moment, though, they smiled and joined her. Isabelle got up, too, dragging Kace with her.
“I agree,” Austin finally said. “When we decided on this course of action, I wasn’t thinking beyond the danger to us from them. But you’re right. Even if we lure the mages away from them a little, the young basajaunak seem curious and filled with ignorant courage. That youth who challenged me earlier had no idea what kind of danger he’d brought on himself. If we aren’t far enough away, some of them may follow us and engage when they shouldn’t. We’re putting the whole village at risk.”