Destiny's Blood by Marie Bilodeau (best authors to read .TXT) 📗

do in the world. Yoma turned and looked towards the city, noting now that a faint blue shimmer blocked her path. When she held out her hand and touched it, energy coursed through the tips of her fingers and lights danced around them. Gingerly she pushed on the shield, but it was as ungiving as a brick wall.

“You’ll have to use your powers,” Zortan called back, the gurgling now louder. Yoma knew at any second the creatures would be slithering out from beyond the hills and they would be trapped.

Yoma took a deep breath. “I’ll try,” she said, putting her other hand out and looking up. The shields extended like a dome around the capital. She tried to see a weakness, but could see none. She closed her eyes and imagined it as a door. She had to pick the lock, only this time her mind was the tool. She let ether flow through her, the familiar mist clouding her vision. She gathered and held it within her until there was too much and it stopped her breath. Then she focused it and hurled it at the shield with all her strength. Her eyes opened and she watched blue ether flowing wildly across the shield’s surface.

“Blood and bones,” Avienne said.

The shield stopped flickering. Yoma pushed on it, and felt her blood leave her extremities. It was still solid.

Behind her, she heard Zortan move into action as the gurgling rose in pitch.

“Try again. Now,” Avienne said. She turned around, putting too much weight on her bad foot and almost falling. Knives flew free from her hand before she had even fully turned. Yoma couldn’t ignore the slight tremble in the smuggler’s usually confident arms.

Yoma took a deep breath. Her limbs were numb, her lips cold, her eyes blurry. She was running out of energy again and feared she would pass out. The sounds of battle raged around her and her breath turned cold. She realized that she had no idea what else to try.

i

“What do you think this is?” Ardin placed his hands on the blue energies. The shimmer travelled inside and up the dome it formed. “It’s at least ten metres deep.”

Layela was about to answer when blue light travelled the shield and they both took a step back, Ardin moving in front of her protectively. Layela gazed at the blue light, mingled with white, and gently urged Ardin aside. She stepped up to the odd dome, placing her hand on it.

“It’s a shield,” she whispered, placing her other hand next to her first, watching the blue lights dancing all around her skin. She gazed at the shield, and beyond it at the capital, and then her mind’s eye took her further still. The mists overpowered her vision and she saw, far away, her sister, Avienne and Zortan. They were locked in a battle, Avienne’s knives flying to the last and Zortan’s sword energized with ether, swinging swiftly at the creatures...but not quickly enough.

Her sister’s hands were pressed against the shields. The blue light tingled around her hands, and she said something, but Layela could hear nothing — not her sister’s words, nor the sounds of battle. She looked closer, past the white mist, into Yoma’s eyes. She saw fear and fatigue in them.

Layela smiled, knowing Yoma could see her too, and Yoma smiled back, her green eyes shining with unspent tears.

Layela screamed and flung the white mists against the shield, willing them down. She felt her sister do the same, felt their ether mingle and crackle like thunder in the night.

Layela fell to her knees, gasping as the vision of Yoma left her.

“Let’s move,” Ardin said. He half-carried, half-dragged her across the empty space where the shield had been. “We don’t know if it’ll come back up!” Layela found her footing and ran with him.

They heard another crack in the sky above them. Barely a metre from where they now stood, the blue shimmer returned, flickering angrily.

Ardin looked down at her questioningly, but Layela could not break away. Her eyes were locked on the capital, wishing she could still see her sister beyond it.

i

The shield buckled before Yoma. She fell head first, barely catching herself with her hands before she struck the ground. She rolled to her side and took deep breaths, fighting to remain conscious. The demons, frightened by the bursts of ether from Zortan’s sword, had retreated for the moment. A few still dared come near, only to be quickly downed by the blade.

“Go!” he shouted at them.

“You heard the man.” Avienne hobbled up to Yoma and offered her hand. Yoma reached up and Avienne pulled, almost toppling over from the force of it. All of Yoma’s blood seemed to drain from her head and she felt faint. She would have fallen again if not for Avienne’s strong grip.

“Come on, we have to move,” Avienne whispered urgently. Yoma struggled to open her eyes, but she was so drained, and her lids were so heavy...

A slap rang across her cheeks, jerking her awake. Avienne still held her, barely, her right hand extended.

“I’m starting to like hitting you.” Avienne grinned. “Now stop snoozing and start moving! I can’t carry you!”

Yoma nodded, the sting in her cheek keeping the warm call of sleep at bay. Her limbs felt like lead as she moved, so slowly. After a single step, thunder clapped and the blue shimmer sparkled around them, catapulting them back towards the creatures, outside the reforming shields. The ether protecting the capital pulsated angrily.

“That’s hardly fair warning!” Avienne shouted at the shield and punched it, yelping in pain as she pulled her fist back. “Bones that hurts! Take it back down, Yoma.”

Yoma shook her head. It had taken all that she had left to give, plus Layela’s help, to take the shield down the first time. Zortan took a step back, losing ground quickly to the tar creatures.

“Guess we gotta fight them again.” Avienne sighed. “I’m still all tarry from the last time, and I’m down to three knives.” She cast