for more than a few days without fish.”
“She probably does her hunting in the old shipping canals, or the rivers on the south end of the island. For us, hunting is more of a rare, winter privilege. Summer hunts are out of the question. The water this far south is just too warm. We would have to swim a few hundred miles north to hit water that is cold enough to enjoy. Or even further away. In winter, well, we fight the destroyers. I suppose you could call it hunting, except those disgusting monsters are not food. A few of us do get the chance to swim the canals in winter, and yes, fish are the meat of choice then.”
“How would you change the region if Minassus was no longer ruling?”
He turned to her, eyes wide. “Seriously?”
“Of course.”
“You’re not afraid of discussing this treachery?” he joked, then bit into a hunk of bread.
“Come on. I want to know.”
Xander put down his cutlery. “There was a time when all I wanted was to be human again. To have this magic reversed so I could go back to the life I had before the Big Storm. But nine years of living as a shifter changes you. I am just as much a human as a Kodiak bear, and my animal’s call is just as powerful. So what I want now, is to be free. First, I would visit my mother. I would convince her to leave with me, and if she agreed, we would pack our things and prepare to go as far north as we can. It makes sense to wait for summer to arrive, as the destroyers around this region hibernate. In the meantime, I would find a functioning fishing boat, or a ship, whatever is large enough for as many shifters who want to join us. And we would head north until we find land.”
“And what of the people? Who will protect them?”
“The truth, whether you can open your mind to the idea, is that the witches already can.”
“You mean with spells?”
“Sure. It could take work, testing and such, but only if Minassus will stop his power-hungry crap and let them get there. Plus, any shifter who wants to remain here can do so. That is the beauty of free will. They get to choose.”
“Interesting.”
“What would you do?” he asked.
“I have honestly never thought about it. All this time, I believed in a reality that does not exist. Remember, it has only been two days since I found out I have seven days to live.” She took a drink of water from her glass. “By the way, thanks a lot for shattering my cozy view of life as I knew it.”
“Ouch. That sounds like sarcasm.”
“It is and it is not…I mean, it is mostly genuine. This knowledge…it is a heavy truth hanging around my neck, dragging me into despair, choking the hope out of every good thought.”
“I am sorry to have been the bearer of such bad news.”
“I know. Still, at the same time, I do not want a second to go by without making the most of it. I want to do everything, try everything, and see every square mile of the region if I can, before…well, you know. For that, I am grateful to you.”
Xander pushed his plate aside and stood up abruptly. “Don’t be grateful, Kiera. Be angry enough to do something about it.” He began to pace from the fireplace and the front door. “Dig deeper. Ask the questions that can bring about change. Fight! Use your magic as it was meant to be used… for all, not the select few.”
“I have had two days with this new information. Do I look like I can move mountains in two days?”
“Two days is a lifetime for some of the shifters who are turned every year. They move mountains with every destroyer attack. They never got the choice, but you know what? They still fight with everything they have!” He must have noticed her hands were shaking, because he stopped pacing, pulled his chair to her side and took a seat, covering his hands over hers. “Look. I am sorry for the way I just acted. Steamrolling is my default setting, so I have a tendency to get overly impatient.”
Did he ever, but how could Kiera blame him? She couldn’t imagine living with this knowledge for years, seeing men die unnecessarily if there were other ways to protect the region. “I understand why.”
“I do believe you should