“Today, I want you and Bree to use the power of the sword to help her shift form.” She fixed her gaze on Breana. “First, I want to see how Caliel is doing. Just have a seat. Boys, entertain yourselves for a moment.”
As she and Breana sat down in the waving grasses and linked hands, I crossed my arms and regarded Tez through narrowed eyes. He mirrored my stance and glared right back.
As entertainment went, it was a little weak. Although the tiny bird that left his shoulder to hover in my face was mildly amusing.
Fortunately, the women didn’t link for long. Cara withdrew her hands and sat with her brow furrowed.
“Is he okay?” Breana asked.
Cara shook her head. “I can feel how hard he is working to keep the Ice Drake walled up—and the crystal dust is helping with that, although I think the sword is more effective. It is powerful, but it must be drawn for him to access the energy.”
Breana nodded. “I slept with it like that last night. But it burned clean through the sheets. Almost set fire to the room, according to Adilyn.”
Cara’s brows rose. “The sword adjusts its power to need. That it would call on so much…” She trailed off, her brows lowering.
Breana bit her lip, but all she said was, “Is he getting weaker?”
Cara nodded. “I think so.”
“Why? What can I do?” The pain in her voice twisted my heart. She really cared about the Gryphon that was trapped inside her.
“I’m not sure there’s anything you can do,” Cara said quietly. “There’s no precedent for this. I have suspicions, but I cannot be certain as to why Caliel is fading inside you while Iskar is thriving inside Marcus. All we can do is feed Caliel as much as possible.”
Breana stared back at Cara with tears in her eyes. She blinked them away, and vowed, “I won’t let him disappear.”
“The sword will help,” I said, not really knowing if it would.
“Who is Caliel?” Tez interrupted.
We all turned to look at him. I wasn’t inclined to answer, but Cara did.
“He’s the Gryphon life essence inserted into Bree to help her shift form,” Cara stated.
Tez’s glance darted from Cara, to Bree, and back again. “She is possessed by another spirit?”
“Sort of,” Cara replied. “Although Bree isn’t really possessed, she works in partnership with him.”
His fingers tapped on his thigh. “Are there others who are possessed like that?”
Cara watched him closely, but it was Breana who answered. “Not counting Marcus, there are five others,” she said. “And one of them is now an underlord.”
Tez didn’t noticeably react, but I got the feeling that the news wasn’t welcomed, or even necessarily a surprise. His gaze moved to the sword strapped to Bree’s back. “Does the sword belong to her, or to him?” he asked.
This guy was really annoying me. I opened my mouth to tell him it was none of his business, but what emerged was, “Whoa, dude. If you really need to know, and you don’t, she needs it more.”
As his strangely intense eyes bored right into me, his pet bird, which had left to feed off the local wildflowers, returned to hover over him. When Cara held up her hand, it landed on her finger.
“This is a human realm species,” she said.
Tez stiffened. It was a subtle thing, but I had the feeling she’d just touched on something he’d rather not admit to.
He shrugged. “I got her at a market.” The bird returned to his shoulder.
“So you said,” she replied as she stood up and offered a hand to Breana. “Okay, we don’t want to aggravate the Ice Drake today. Bree can spend this session shifting to equine, and backagain, using the sword’s power. Riggs, practice lifting stones, just as you do water. Without the sword, you might find it more challenging.” Her gaze shifted to Tez. “This savanna is full of bird life. I want you to summon it.”
Bree was now staring at Tez, and I wasn’t sure I liked the look in her eyes. No, I knew I did not like it. But all she said was, “You can call birds?”
He refused to look directly at her. “I have done it. Whether I can do it now remains to be seen.”
