Shadow Mated(37)
“What is it?” Magic asked, frowning.
“We draw from the stars,” Mirana reminded. “If they don’t come at night there will be no power to draw from.”
“Wait a minute,” Gash said, his face going gray. “You have no power in the day?”
“Oh, we do. As we also draw from the light within us, from the goodness we possess. Just not the kind of power we’d need to cast a spell this large.”
“Can you not channel the sun?” Mason asked. “That’s about the largest source of light possible.”
“True,” Mirena nodded. “Too large. None of us could contain that much power.” She hesitated. “Except maybe The Lightest.”
Adira was frowning, shaking her head hard. “I can’t. Not this close to the autumnal equinox.”
Layna held her hand up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. We’re getting into all kinds of witch-talk and I can’t be the only one who isn’t following.”
“Ditto,” Theron added.
Several more hands raised, including Bailey’s.
“Adira The Lightest contains the most light magic. Nastia, the least. And I fall somewhere in the middle. Every day we get nearer to the September equinox, our power dims. If we haven’t found our anchors by then, we will go through a transformation to become dark Sorcera, or Magei.”
“You’ll become evil?” Thames asked.
Mirena met his hard gaze, but didn’t answer for several breaths. “Yes.”
“Nastia will go first.” Adira’s voice was quiet and sad. “Then Mirena, and finally me.”
Thames’s gaze landed on the red-haired Sorcera, but Nastia stared at the fire as if she wasn’t even hearing the conversation.
“But it can be prevented. Right?” Bailey asked. She liked the witches. They were odd, but like Gash, she saw good in them. “What about this anchor you speak of?”
“An anchor is something—usually someone—that can hold us in the light. Often a true love, or some other meaningful relationship. Occasionally it can be an object. But it’s different for each Sorcera, and sometimes an anchor cannot be found in time.”
Silence deepened among the clan, the crackling fire and music of the night forest, the only sounds.
“Then we will just have to help you find them,” Renner spoke up. He glanced at Magic, eyebrows raised, and their leader straightened.
“Yes,” Magic said. “You came to help us, and we’ll help you in return, the best we can.”
Bailey looked around to see everyone nodding their agreement, and her heart filled with pride for her people. A year ago, they were barely able to coexist, each werecat striving for solitude instead of communion . A ragtag group determined to break the traditions of their ancestors.
They didn’t understand the strength of family. They thought avoiding it meant they were safe, when really it only meant they were sad.
But one by one, mating by mating, they were coming together to support each other in bad times and good. They were finally a real clan with a real leader and real values.
And now they were growing. Adding to their family by new and by young. It felt good. It felt right.
She caught Gash’s eye and his harsh expression softened.
They were going to be okay. All of them. Including the witches. She wasn’t sure how she knew, she just did.
“Thank you.” Adira bowed her head in a way that Bailey thought must have meant respect. “Your help is much appreciated. Now,” she said, her face lifting to eye Gash, “this is how we’re going to beat back the shadows…”
***
Double tiger, hidden dragon. Grab the groom, and hitch the wagon.
Bubbling trouble, brewing storm. Your destiny begins to take form.
Follow the shadow to the sun. The future is already begun.
Be the light in the night, the right in the fright.
Draw on the stars, their power is sure. Draw on the animals, their love is pure.
Heed this: give as much as you take, lest the darkness be your fate.
Double tiger, hidden dragon. Grab the groom, and hitch the wagon.
Adira read the ratty paper one last time and then shoved it into the pocket at her waist. The spell they’d used to communicate with Destiny meant something. Something more. But she couldn’t quite connect the words to their meanings. It was as though she was grabbing for a rope that was forever just out of reach.
Days had passed since they’d solidified their plan to defeat the Alley Cats. Everyone knew their role, and there was an air of anticipation as the shifters waited to defend their clan.
She and her sisters had created a spell for them so they’d be spared from the curse the Sorcera were going to cast, broad net style. Any shifter nearby who wasn’t bespelled to resist the curse would lose the ability to shift into their animal for good.