Shieldwolf Dawning by Selena Nemorin Read Free Book Online Page B

here. Gaia-1 is on course for mass extinction."
    "Please don't take my son!" Mrs. Sairfang struggled to free herself. "He belongs to us. Take the girl if you want. She means nothing to me."
    Samarra flinched at the familiar words.
    "He belongs to you , Natasha Sairfang?" Merganser's good eye narrowed menacingly. "The power of the Son belongs to the Reflection and to Kairuhan. It will not be exploited to satisfy your greed. Because of your actions it has taken me years to find him. Today, he will be returned to his rightful home. Nothing you do will stop this event from occurring. These two children are coming with me."
    Samarra stood aghast, shifting her attention from Merganser to the Sairfangs and back again. Merganser had forgotten to tell her why Cassian was so important. Samarra was suddenly afraid that her brother would think she had kept the truth from him to trick him into running away. How would she make him believe that she had not known about any of this new information? Was it too late to change what she had done? Samarra searched the area for a way to escape, but there was nowhere to run.
    Merganser grabbed the silver goblet. She took two large gulps and retrieved a green pouch from her pocket. Her fingers worked quickly to undo the cord that kept the objects inside the pouch. When the cord dropped and the silk fell away, three brilliant spheres floated to eye level. Merganser recited a spell. Samarra's attention was captured.
    Merganser knocked her staff into the earth. "I am ready to split the Reflection."
    Mrs. Sairfang wailed like a banshee. Mr. Sairfang struggled to free himself from his bonds, but nothing on Gaia could unbind the magic that Merganser had woven that morning.
    "No!" Mrs. Sairfang screamed.
    Merganser made signs in the air. Then she began to chant:
    Sister Wind, I call for fury,
    Burst, then, through this clouded fissure.
    Spin your body, encircle us.
    Wrap yourself around your children.
    Share your force, blesséd one!
    At first Merganser's raspy voice was soft and steady, but as the evocation grew in power, her words increased in volume and strength. Light-pulsing musical notes appeared from thin air and floated into the sky, all the while coaxing the wind to rise. Dark clouds clustered together and formed a canopy over the grove. The area turned cold. Samarra wrapped her arms around herself and looked to her brother for warmth, but Cassian was watching the world in silence and fear.
    Presently, Merganser dipped her thumb into each crystal bowl. She anointed Cassian's forehead with oils before doing the same to Samarra. Last she anointed her own forehead, scarred from years of battle. Merganser held out her glowing staff. With that action, ancient magic flowed in and out of her body. Her good eye turned smoky and her voice tore into the air, reaching further into the spell:
    Earth and Water bond together,
    Form of magic, mud, and mist.
    Mold yourselves around your children.
    Keep us free from flux and shadows.
    Shield our bodies, blesséd ones!
    The diamond spheres spun in mad circles and formed one large ring of light. Merganser swayed rhythmically from side to side. The wolf at the tip of her staff emitted waves of bright energy strong enough to stop the growing zephyr from entering the portal of phasing. The zephyr brushed past Samarra's arms; the tip of its tail stirred up the ground. As if in a trance, Merganser continued in song:
    Brother Fire, I command you,
    Tame your passion, dim your flare.
    Veil your face before your children.
    Cool your anger. Silence. Silence.
    Drop your gaze, blesséd one!
    Samarra watched in terror as the sun disappeared from view. Something deep inside the earth rumbled and the grove shook in violent response. The wind picked up and turned into a gale. Dead leaves and debris flew in every direction. Samarra's heart raced when Merganser thrust her staff up to the whirling skies. Grey clouds thickened with electricity. Samarra held her breath when