Meta Gods War 3 by B. Miles (the ebook reader txt) 📕

god will weep for what he’s done and I will not stop until I see it all finished. Heed my warning shaman and run.”

Another flash of light, bright enough to cause Cam’s ears to ring. He leaned forward prostrate and wrapped his head in his arms. The ringing in his ears continued like an after-image of the goddess’s voice until slowly it began to fade.

He lifted his head just a fraction of an inch. He saw nothing but the sky and the cliff.

Lycanica was gone.

He sat on all fours and gasped. He thought he might be sick but managed to keep it down. When he regained enough control of himself to move, he shifted back toward Sirrin.

“It’s okay,” he said. “She’s gone.”

Sirrin let out a shaky whimper and uncovered his face with one hand. “What was that thing?”

“Lycanica,” Cam said. His hands trembled as he crawled back to Sirrin and collapsed against the wall. “Come to warn us.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know.” Cam leaned his head back against the stone and took deep breaths. “But I don’t think that’s the last time we’ll see her.”

Sirrin let out a groan. “I felt like she was inside my head,” he said. “Like she was speaking directly to my mind.”

“I know.” Cam squeezed his eyes shut and could still see her like a ghost on the back of his eyelids. She was too beautiful, too perfect, and it terrified him. “We need more shaman, Sirrin.”

“What?” The word came out like a coughing gasp.

“Don’t you see? She’s afraid of us. We need more.”

He groaned and curled into a tight ball again.

Cam left him there as he leaned back against the rock wall. He kept his eyes squeezed shut and waited for the after image of the goddess to slowly drift away.

He knew what had to be done. Even if it terrified him to his core.

The only thing that could possibly stand up to something like that was magic. They were going to need as much magic as possible, which meant training more shaman.

Maybe it was too dangerous. Maybe Sirrin was right.

Cam didn’t give a damn.

There was no way they could fight something like Lycanica without magic and still win. There was no other choice.

He’d unleash enough magic on this world to burn it to ash.

14

Cam was damp with sweat from the climb. Sirrin didn’t speak on the way back and Cam didn’t try to push him.

As they reached the entry hall, Cam grabbed Sirrin’s arm. He held it tightly and forced the shaman to look him in the eye.

“Choose an apprentice,” he said. “Someone you trust.”

Sirrin stared back at him. “You saw her,” he said. “What’s the point?”

“We can still win.” He squeezed Sirrin’s arm. “Find an apprentice.”

Sirrin ducked his head and Cam released his arm. “I’ll think about it,” he said. “But I won’t make any promises.”

Cam watched Sirrin walk off toward a side tunnel leading to the residential areas of the Mansion.

He turned and headed toward his rooms. Blood and fire scorches still marked the stone floor and he wondered if they always would. The blood had turned brown and muddy in the open air.

The tunnels twisted. Air whistled down their lengths. Men sat in the tunnels and sharpened knives, spears, hatchets. Fires crackled in the rooms. Children ran in packs and laughed as they pushed each other over and played games. Cam walked up the steps to his rooms and found the door unlocked.

Miuri and Felin sat on the low couch in front of the fire. Cam could smell fish and vegetables cooking. Cam leaned against the doorway and looked at his girlfriends.

“Smells good,” he said, forcing a smile.

Miuri got up. “Are you okay?” she asked. “You look… pale.”

“Like you saw a monster,” Felin said.

“I’m fine,” Cam said. He looked around the room. “Where’s Key? And Galla?”

“Key’s out with Brice,” Miuri said. “Training some of the men right now. And Galla’s still in the bedroom.”

Cam followed Miuri’s gaze and watched the closed door to their bedroom. She’d been in there for the last day, ever since the confrontation with her father in the entry hall.

He let out a shaky breath and came into the room. He collapsed onto a wooden chair beneath the single window and felt the cold air creep down his neck. Miuri tilted her head at him in concern then walked to the kitchen area. She came back with a wooden cup full of water.

He sipped it and nodded gratefully. Miuri sat across from him and Felin perched on the arm of the couch.

“Something’s wrong,” Miuri said.

“I was out with Sirrin,” Cam said. “We were going to do some training together.”

“Is he okay?” Miuri asked.

“He’s fine, I think,” Cam said. “We got up to a high perch and were talking about how he learned magic. Did you know you don’t need shaman blood in order to become a shaman?”

Miuri shook her head. “I didn’t know that.”

“Any Human can learn it.” He smiled and a bitter laugh bubbled from his lips. “I wish my father had told me that sooner.”

“That could be a good thing,” Felin said. “You could train more people to fight like you do.”

“Good and bad,” Miuri said. “Imagine if Warden Dore could use magic.”

Cam grunted. “That’s what Sirrin said.”

“Still, if you found the right people…” Miuri trailed off, tracing a finger down her jaw. “That could turn the whole war.”

Cam gave her a tight smile. “But then something happened before we could talk more.”

“Is that why you seem so off?” Felin said.

Cam slowly looked toward the wolf girl and he felt a stab of indecision. She gazed back at him with her dark brown eyes that reminded him so much of Lycanica’s horrible black orbs.

“We saw someone out there,” Cam said. “We saw… something.”

“You’re freaking me out,” Felin said and looked at Miuri. “Why’s he looking at me like that?”

“I don’t know,” Miuri said. “Cam, what happened?”

“Lycanica came to me and Sirrin,” he said.

The girls went still. Felin’s fingers clutched the couch