As soon as I set the
child I was carrying on the soft grass, Kailah appeared by my side, her eyes
wide with questions. I nodded and cast a small spell so our words could not be
overheard.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, trying to focus on more
than the task ahead of me.
“Isn’t this the edge of the Nolus?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you bring us here? Anyone who enters dies.”
“Not with me,” I answered, and put a finger to my lips,
dropping the sound shield. I had already used enough energy – I would need all
I had left for the portal.
The
girls had collapsed on the grass and I allowed them a few moments to catch
their breath, passing the few apples and water skins we had left. I smiled as I
saw the older girls ensuring the youngest were fed first. The mothers latched
their babies and several children curled up in laps or on the grass and were
asleep instantly.
I
motioned to Annette vaguely but she understood and kept careful watch over the
girls as I walked the last hundred feet to the very edge of the forest. The
gate was hidden to the other girls, but I could make out the faint green
outline of magic, pulsing in a steady circle. Inside the circle were glimpses
of other worlds. As always, my desire to travel to a new world, to try
something new, to go somewhere I could stay and be safe, romanced my thoughts
for a moment. I dusted the temptation away quickly like old chicken seed and
steadied my palm in front of the portal.
Like
a magnet, the energy flowed through my body, surging toward the gate so
strongly I was nearly pulled off my feet. I moved my hand around the edge of
the circle slowly, the magic gradually pushing away the shield and opening the
portal. The wind around us began to move. The sky darkened. My hands shook, as
they always did, terrified the masks would come and I would have no strength
left to defend my precious sisters.
But
it was not the masks who came.
It
was the wolves.
No comments:
Post a Comment