Jenny shifted from the otter form she’d taken shelter in. “Is it a conflict of interest if we have to face each other in the courtroom later?”
“I will preemptively concede every case to you,” Mal said, a hint of a smile at his mouth.
The smile died as the subtle rumble of the earth beneath them intensified.
“We’re with you,” Jenny said swiftly. “Do you need something more than that?”
“You’d all do this?” Mal said in astonishment, looking at the assembled shifters who had gathered forward. “You’d take this risk?”
“Not for you,” Graham growled. “And maybe not for the world. But we’d do it for Scarlet.”
Chapter 26
Scarlet was the only one of the group who wasn’t soaking wet, so nothing could hide the tears tracking down her face. She didn’t try to wipe them away.
She understood the depth of what each of them was offering, she knew the trust it t
ook, and it left her awed and honored.
Conall had been standing back with Gizelle curled in his arms. Scarlet wasn’t sure whether he could hear any of what was happening, or if he understood it, until he stepped forward, glaring at Mal.
“What do you have to do?” he asked.
Gizelle rolled out of his embrace and landed on her feet, nearly falling to her knees on the unsteady tile. “I can’t run,” she said in alarm, looking up at Conall.
“And I won’t run without you,” Conall told her firmly.
“You have us,” Gizelle said to Mal gravely. Then she looked up at Conall. “But I have to do something first!” she said wildly, and she bolted to stand in front of Saina and stare into her eyes for a long moment.
Saina shook her head in confusion and then Gizelle was dashing back to hold onto Conall’s hand and nod at Mal.
Scarlet remembered the wyrm’s cryptic talk: It was undone, somehow. I don’t know when.
Mal closed his eyes and everyone gave a sudden intake of breath. Scarlet, her own power cold and banked inside, could still sense the swell of magic in her mate. It was a muddier magic than her own, or even than Mal’s innate earth dragon magic, but it was as solid.
I can do this, she heard him say in a sudden burst of hope. Then she felt his laughter like a caress. We can do this, he corrected.
It wasn’t any too soon; the long, low growl of the ground beneath them was a crescendo and they were having to dance in place for balance. Gravel rattled and some of the remaining glass shattered in place as the earth began to shake in earnest.
Mal fixed his eyes on the ground and Scarlet touched his arm, knowing he wanted to dive into the earth and stop the monster now, while he still had some advantage. He turned and pulled her into a last, damp embrace.
Whatever you have to do... Scarlet started sincerely, thinking of her helpless tree.
I won’t drain them, Mal said fiercely. I will be able to release them before the end, if it comes to that.
He kissed her once, briefly and hard, then pushed her away. “Take what shelter you can,” he commanded over the sound of the rising wind. “The bar may stand.”
The shifters gathered themselves and fled up the shivering stairs, just as the gathering clouds opened up and rain began to pelt down on them.
The rain changed to hail before they were all under the overhanging restaurant deck, first pebble-sized, then fist-sized, then chunks of ice the size of small melons were hurtling towards them at impossible speeds. Tex and Travis toppled the cooler onto its side to act as a defense against the onslaught while some of them hid behind of the bar. Magnolia and Chef, still in their bear forms, protected others, thick fur ruffled in the wind.
Unable to help them, barely able to keep her physical form, Scarlet stood at the edge of the bar deck, watching her resort tremble as Mal began to chant in earnest. The runes on his forearms were bright in the gathering darkness.
The hail gave way to rain, heavy and driving. Scarlet stared through the gloom to where Mal was beginning to weave the tools he needed to subdue the monster long enough to cage it.
Shimmering ropes appeared, looping around the cottages and across the pool deck, and Scarlet wasn’t sure if they were shivering with energy, or from the endless shaking of the earth. It was starting to feel almost normal, the earthquake had gone on so long.
Then, as if challenging that idea, it intensified and someone screamed as one of the columns cracked and a portion of the restaurant deck collapsed. Further away, Scarlet could hear building and trees groan in protest, and more glass was shattering.