* * *
Angel cooed in my arms,making incoherent baby-talk as she gestured towards the iridescent sheen of the barrier.
“That’s right, sweetie,” I said. “Daddy made that.”
Angel, who had no idea what I was saying, giggled to herself. Despite the frustration clouding up my mind, I laughed along with her. My precious daughter never failed to make me smile. She was nothing short of perfect.
Things at home with Kassius had been uneasy. He was never cruel or demanding, but the growing tension between us was thick enough to cut with a knife. Although the Knights recognized the usefulness of my barrier, it still wasn’t enough to convince them that magic wasn’t all bad. In fact, their conviction that magic was evil was only getting stronger.
“They’re a bunch of morons, is what they are. Don’t you think so, Angel?”
Angel said a string of sounds that meant nothing, but it was clear from the expression on her face she thought she was really responding.
“That’s right,” I agreed, smiling again.
I approached the barrier and propped her up in my arms. She put her hand through it the same way she played with soap bubbles at home. She laughed and waved her arm. At least she was having fun.
“Nothing’s working the way it should,” I murmured. “The barrier was supposed to change their minds, but it didn’t. Did I do this all for nothing?”
I sighed.
But itwasn’tall for nothing. I knew that. If the barrier would protect my daughter from people attempting to hurt her, then it was worth creating. I never regretted it.
Now that my pregnancy had ended, my magic returned to its normal pitch. No more massive flare-ups of power. Maybe that was a good thing. Although, to be honest, the overwhelming energy coursing through my blood had felt amazing. Almost intoxicating. Like I was truly a living legend, a god among people - just like that strange man told me I was.
I frowned. Although it happened months ago, the uncomfortable encounter still haunted me. Who was that man, and why was he so obsessed with me? To my knowledge, he never returned - and if he did, he would have been burned by the barrier.
Good,I thought harshly.He was a creep back then, and I don’t doubt he’s a creep now.
If I never saw him again - especially now that I had a young child - I would be glad.
A chill ran down my spine as a low, pained groan carried from down the rocky slope.
I paused, unsure of what to make of the sound. Maybe it was just a trick of the wind, a low howl between the mountain peaks.
But as I waited, the agonized moan repeated. It was coming from outside the barrier, down the ravine.
I hesitated. The sound was clear this time. It wasn’t an animal, and we were too far away from any human civilizations for it to be anything but a shifter.
Chillingly, the groan turned into tortured words. “Help me…”
I held Angel close to my chest and ran out of the barrier. A dark, crumpled shape lay a few yards below, collapsed against the rocky earth. The person groaned again. They didn’t seem able to move.
“Hang on,” I called. Filled with both wariness and sympathy, I rushed towards them. I stopped a few feet away. “Are you okay? What happened?”
The person didn’t lift their head. They groaned again, obviously in pain. Judging by the voice, it was a man.
“Hello? Can you hear me?” I asked.
“Yes… Please, help me.”
I stayed put. I wanted to help this man, but I was holding my child and I definitely wasn’t going to put her down.
“I can’t help you up,” I told him, “but I can get help from my tribe. Do you need help?”
The man groaned in agony. None of his limbs were bent at unnatural angles, and I didn’t see any wounds - but now I smelled blood. Some of the stones beneath his chest were stained red with fresh blood.
“You’re hurt,” I said, leaning in to get a better view. “Where are you injured? I need you to tell me, or I can’t - ”
