Repairer of the Breach (Stones of Fire Book 4) by Sarah Ashwood (free biff chip and kipper ebooks .TXT) 📕

shifters, “I sensed these people. I couldn’t see them, but I could sense them. I could almost hear their whispers. It was like I knew somebody was out there, even though neither of us could see them. I thought at the time it was either ghosts, or I was going crazy. Now…”

He trailed off as I stared up at him, my brain reeling with the implications of what he was saying.

Seriel, the female speaker, continued.

“Tonight, our world has been restored. The breach that was made has been repaired. However, this doorway between our worlds cannot exist forever. We have seen what happens when humans take too keen an interest in our affairs. They become frightened of our abilities and they covet our powers. They turn on us. They hunt us.”

More murmurs, more whispers. I glanced around the circle of shifters. Saw nods of agreement from some.

“If your world and all of you have been restored, then why don’t you join us?” spoke up one of Nosizwe’s people. “Let’s end the war, tonight. Carter’s got that magic sword. You have magic, right? Let’s use it. We could start a revolution, make humans afraid of us instead of us living in fear from them. We could…”

“You speak folly,” broke in Vehuel, shutting him down. “You speak of what you do not know. You speak of starting a war whose cost would be incalculable, in both human lives and ours. Is that what you desire? Or is there a better way?”

“There is, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do this whole time,” Nosizwe spoke up. “Humans have reached a point in their evolution where they’re accepting of things they’ve never accepted before. Why not us too? This is the time,” she said, stepping forward, clenching her fist in her passion. “This is the time to reveal who and what we are and demand that they accept us too.”

“With the power of the Stones to back you?” This from Sean, still visibly shaken, but now on his feet.

“Yes!” Nosizwe shot him a dark look. “With the power of the Stones to back us and protect us. Look at all the other shifters over there.” She gestured towards the people waiting in the other realm. “Who knows what abilities they have that could help?”

“But if humans won’t accept us, it’ll still be a war, which means most, if not all, of us will die, even with their help.” Sean chuckled and shook his head. “And we’re right back where we always were, Nosizwe. Nothing has changed.”

“It has changed,” she challenged. “They’re here. He’s here.” She pointed at Carter. “He’s got that magical sword. It has changed. We’ve got more resources now than we’ve ever had.”

“It hasn’t!” Sean protested, getting in her face.

Tensions were spiking. I could feel it. Sean was pale, but he wasn’t withdrawing. If anything, his eyes were fierier than ever. Honestly, if looks could kill…

Nosizwe had almost taken him out minutes ago. He looked ready to return the favor.

“Listen to yourself!” he went on. “You keep saying we reveal ourselves to the world, using the powers of the Stones to protect us if they don’t welcome us with open arms. If they don’t accept us, it’s war to make them accept us. Which is exactly what I’ve been trying to prevent all these years. Which is exactly what they—” He stabbed a fingers towards Seriel and Vehuel—“are saying happened to them, thousands of years ago. They had the magic. They had the power. And they lost. They went into hiding. Do you see the problem with your logic?”

“I see that instead of risking a war with humans, instead we’ve brought war to each other.” The beautiful shifter queen shook her head derisively. “We’ve done this all wrong, Sean.”

“Maybe you have, but I haven’t. I never wanted war.”

“No, you didn’t want anybody to contest you,” she spat. “I did, and you couldn’t handle it, could you? Somebody standing up to the mighty Sean Costas…that couldn’t be tolerated.”

“True,” someone put in with a sour chuckle. I don’t think anyone else even caught the aside. I glanced over at Ciara Costas. She was back in her human form, in the wheelchair. The Nakki water shifter stood next to her, also reverted to human form, her hand resting lightly on the back of the wheelchair.

“Enough of this,” said Vehuel, stepping forward, edging between the two shifter leaders. “He is correct. Humans will not accept us, nor will they ever change. We will not risk your lives or theirs.” He indicated the people beyond the glowing portal. “We have not lingered in the beyond, waiting these many centuries to be restored, only to risk our welfare on a gamble that is certain to end badly.”

Sean eased back from his longtime rival, an air of triumph on his features. “You see?” he shrugged. “They side with me. This is over, Nosizwe. You’ve lost.”

“Like hell I have,” she growled, and flicked her arm in some sort of signal.

Chaos broke loose again. Before I could blink, more than half the people gathered in the headlight-lit circle of trampled, bloody grass altered. They were no longer human, but monsters. The big cats, those that were still alive, bounded to their feet, even the wounded ones. In a blur of motion and terror and color and movement, they were all charging.

Right towards us.

Towards Carter and myself and the two creatures he’d brought with him.

Worse than that, I heard a voice rise over the chaos, and it wasn’t a mere human voice.

Shocked, I turned towards Mrs. Costas. She was back on the ground, once more in a pool of water. The Nakki girl was gone, and Ciara was in her Merrow form. Singing. Seizing control.

Sean tried to move, but he was arrested by his wife’s voice and acted too slow. Carter did move. Shifting into the Talos and shoving me away from himself, he lunged for Sean. He was too late. Nosizwe had already shifted, and this time she plunged her beak