Chapter Twenty-Nine

Laia

 

Coughing, spluttering, I arched up and looked around. I was on the beach, caked in sand and soaked with seawater. I turned and let out a cry when I saw a wolf staring at me.

You are injured.

“What the hell?” I gasped. “Am I dead?”

Not yet.

It had curiously bright eyes and a rippling black coat. Something about it seemed familiar, but I shook my head and tried to get to my feet. At my back, the wind blew, and the storm churned the sea into a frenzy. The wolf’s warm flank pressed into my side and helped me get into a kneeling position. Then I looked down and froze.

“No.”

The brand was on both arms now, working its way upward. I ran my fingers across the back of my neck and realized that it had almost fully formed. The familiar dizziness was sweeping over me.

We must go, Laia, the wolf urged. You have destroyed the shard, but not your fears. But take heart, for there is a falcon spirit who can help— you can shift and undo the brand.

“You don’t understand,” I gasped out. “It’s too late.”

No! the wolf snarled, and snapped at me. Once you shift back, you will drive out the Excris shard’s infection. It is almost broken. Do not give up.

“I lived because of Jasper,” I said, and my lips twisted. Already, I could feel the dragging of forgetfulness coming over me. “Only the shard could undo it, and I destroyed it. I had to.”

A shifter of strong will is no match for that thing. Once you were willing to sacrifice yourself, it lost all sway. Besides, how do you think you lasted so long?

“I’m hallucinating telepathic wolves before I die,” I muttered. “Seriously?”

Laia, you must listen…

His voice faded as I looked down at my empty, shaking hands. “It’s too late.” My vision blurred, and I sagged sideways onto the sand. “The shard is gone.”

I no longer knew if this was a dream; I only felt the cold pull of the void as I drowned.

Please let it have been enough to save Rett and Winfyre.

 

Blinking my eyes open, I saw a streak of gray clouds in a silver sky. Soft blues and pinks intermingled, all tumbling and rushing by. The wind carried the scent of the sea. I looked down and spread my hands through the wet sand, finding the drier sand underneath.

What was I doing here? Wasn’t I…?

A terrible, yawning sensation jolted through me, and I put my hands to my temples.

Nothing.

There was nothing I could catch onto. Nothing inside that oriented me—no name, no place, no home. A soft cry escaped me, and I jumped at the sound, then realized it was my own voice.

“What is happening?” I asked, and my hands went to my throat. “Who…?”

I looked around, searching for footprints. I’d never felt so alone, so scared—I went to yell for help and stopped. What if no one answered? Or what if someone did?

I glanced over my shoulder at the wild ocean. Had I survived some kind of accident? How could I wonder that and not know what had happened? My throat burned with salt and thirst when I coughed. Trembling, I tried to get up and fell.

I’m going to die here.

Thoughts swirled in a panic, spinning off into the void of my mind. I threw up and wiped my mouth, hands shaking. Then I dragged myself to my feet and tried to walk forward.

I made it about ten steps before I fell and cursed. My body was too weak.

Some instinct woke up in the back of my head, and I whipped my head up. Eyes darting along the trees, I gasped when a flash of gold rippled through them.

Then a long, lithe body appeared, its fur striped with black.

A scream popped out of my mouth, and I scrambled back, shaking from head to toe.

It was a tiger.

Holy shit, holy shit, it’s going to eat me. It’s huge…

The beast went still upon seeing me and then raced forward. I went to throw up my arms and stopped, gaping as a man fell to his knees in front of me. Panting and grinning, he tried to speak and stopped. One hand went to his chest, and he blew out a breath.

“Oh, Laia, oh my God,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you for over a day.” His face was bright, with warm amber eyes and tousled blond hair. There was a wildness to him, something that reminded me of the tiger, and a ferocious intelligence, too. His eyes dropped, and he sucked in a breath, reaching for me. “Laia, what happened? What are these marks—the brand? The shard?”

“Don’t touch me,” I said and recoiled. Then I stared in horror at my arms, lanced with black marks edged with red, like burns. “What—what is this?” I let out a cry and tried to rub my arm. “No.” The marks wouldn’t come off. “No, no, no.”

“It’s gonna be okay,” the man said, and I looked up to see him forcing himself to smile, his throat working. “We’re gonna heal you. I found you, Laia. That’s all that matters.”

“Heal?”

“Yes, come on. You can trust me.”

“I don’t even know who you are,” I spat.

His face crumpled. “Laia, I’m your cousin.” He put a hand to his heart and fisted his shirt. “I’m Tristan.” I shook my head, positive I’d never seen this man before in my life. “You’re like a sister to me, Laia. Please…”

“I’ve never seen you before.”

“No.” He put a hand over his eyes. “Oh, God, I really am too late.”

I watched as the man struggled to compose himself, and something softened in my chest. Maybe I looked like his cousin or something. “You swear you can help me?”

Gold eyes met mine, and he nodded. “Whatever it takes.”

“All right.” I paused. “And my name is Laia?”

“Laia Llary,” Tristan said. The name was meaningless to me. “You don’t remember—anything?” I shook my head, and he winced, staring past me. “What am I gonna tell Rett?”

“Who’s Rett?” I asked.