Shadows on the Stars by T. A. Barron Read Free Book Online Page B

more tightly. Memories flooded through him, visions of their rough-and-tumble adventures together as children, their quarrels, celebrations, discoveries, and losses. Their years of painful separation. Their surprising reunion, less than a month ago. Their special way of speaking that went beyond any words, any language known by others.
    Don’t die, my brother. Please listen to me! Don’t die.
    As the first tear flowed down Tamwyn’s face, the first tingling of magic started to flow out through his fingers. Down, down, down—deep into Scree’s skin, veins, muscles, and bones. Reaching for life. For love. For the bonds of two brothers. He tried to knit the flesh back together, to stem the bleeding. But even as he succeeded, he always found fresh wounds that seemed just beyond his grasp.
    Don’t die, Scree. Don’t.
    All at once, Tamwyn sensed that he had found something sharp. Something lethal. Something that didn’t belong. The shard! It was swimming away from him, out of his reach. Straight for Scree’s heart!
    He lunged for it, but missed. Again he tried—and this time caught hold. He wrapped his magical fingers around it. Held it firmly. And started to pull it back—out of Scree’s body, into the open air. For an endless moment he carried it, holding tight.
    Shaking, Tamwyn opened his eyes. There, in his hand, lay the bloodred shard.
    What are you, evil thing? And who sent you?
    He heard no answer. Instead, within his trembling fingers, the shard cracked, split into pieces, then dissolved into smoke. The dark red plume rose into the air and curled, snakelike, before wafting away on the wind. All that remained was the slightest scent of lilac blossoms, impossibly sweet.
    Tamwyn’s gaze shifted to his brother, who had also opened his eyes. For several seconds they looked at each other in silence. Then Scree said in a hoarse whisper, “What took you so long?”
    The corner of Tamwyn’s mouth lifted slightly. “Oh, you know me. Always a slow learner.” Bending closer, he added, “Just don’t ask me to do it again, all right?”
    With effort, Scree wiped a drop of sweat from his hooked nose. “Don’t worry.”
    Tamwyn straightened up, giving his brother’s muscular shoulder a squeeze. Along with feeling relieved, he felt amazed: He had, at least this once, used his powers—and used them well. Then he caught sight of Nuic, whose color had changed to a rich, burnished gold. The sprite merely growled, “Not bad for a beginner.”
    Knowing he couldn’t receive a higher compliment from Nuic, Tamwyn gave him a nod.
    “You is still full of madness,” said Shim with a bob of his head. “But you is also most handily clever.”
    “Sometimes,” replied Tamwyn.
    “Almost never,” countered Henni, who had scurried over to watch all the excitement. He grinned at the person he so enjoyed tormenting. “Just wait, give him a minute, and clumsy man here will do something stupid! Eehee, eehee, hoohoohoohoo.”
    “Probably true,” grumbled Elli. But her face showed more than a hint of gratitude. So did Brionna’s, although the elf was looking not at Tamwyn but at Scree.
    Weakly, the eagleman tried to sit up. But he quickly collapsed and fell back on the bloodied snow. “Guess I’m . . . going nowhere,” he panted.
    “Yes, you are,” declared Tamwyn. “You won’t last long up here on the mountaintop after losing so much blood. I’m going to take you down the west slope, to that clan of eaglefolk who live there. They’ll take care of you until you’re back on your feet. Or wings.”
    Reluctantly, his brother nodded. But even that seemed a strain.
    Tamwyn waved to Henni. “Come here, you worthless hoolah. How about doing something useful for a change? Help me hoist this big stump onto my back.”
    Grinning at the insult, Henni obliged, shoving Scree onto his crouching brother’s back. Tamwyn stood shakily under the weight. Despite the snow, which now came up to his knees, he took a few plodding