Sisters of the Moon 04 - Dragon Wytch

Author:Yasmine Galenorn
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Berkley Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The woodland around Smoky's barrow was rife with his wards and bindings. Tall sentinels soared into the sky, fir and cedar, maple and birch. They were flush with new growth, the coniferous trees bearing pale green needles that would darken over the summer. Leaf buds lined the branches of the bare maple and birch limbs, preparing to open into a riot of burgeoning green.

As I set out on the path, dusk spread its inky fingers over the sky. I shivered. Living in the city—even on acreage like we did—dulled the senses, too. Out here the land was still wild, and it didn't welcome intruders. I folded my arms across my chest as I walked, more to comfort my nerves rather than ward off the evening chill of the air. The cloak kept me plenty warm.

A noise to my left startled me, and I darted a glance to the side. An elk stood there, a bull, regal in silhouette. As I passed him, he dipped his head, and I saw that he had only one antler. Shedding season, I thought. I inclined my head in return. We recognized each other; he knew I was not fully human, and I knew he was a woodland watcher.

As the dusk spread quickly through the land, the trees began to glow, a faint glimmer surrounding them. Most of their auras were green, indicating healthy growth. Here and there I caught a glimpse of a red aura—the sign of a dying tree. And more rarely, a golden corona. Those trees were home to tree devas, and as fully sentient and aware of the world as I was.

The stars began to appear in the growing darkness, and it seemed to me that I could hear music: a rhythmic drumming, a lute or zither, and a flute. What the .. . as I rounded a bend in the path where the huckleberry and fern overshrouded the ground, I came to a giant cedar. This had to be the tree Smoky told me about. I turned onto an even narrower trail to the left, and as I did, I could feel her. Morgaine was near. The scent of bonfires, the sound of crows calling, the sense of Moon magic was thick around me. I quickened my pace and hurried down the path.

The track opened into a sheltered meadow, surrounded by a ring of oak and rowan. The trees around the clearing were thick with crows and ravens. A holly stood in the center, and the ground was thick with patches of spongy moss.

And in the center of the clearing, I saw Morgaine. She and Mordred and Arturo were there, all three of them, sitting around a bonfire. Two large tents had been raised off to one side, along with what looked like a yurt, only with vinyl tarps stretched over the frame rather than skins or leather.

I entered the grove and slowly approached the fire. Morgaine stood. She was petite, shorter even than Menolly, and she still made me catch my breath, although I wasn't as starstruck as I had been on our last meeting.

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