is challenging us. When we rise to these challenges, we will grow. He has nothing to challenge him. He will stagnate.”
“Not true.” The fighting around them died down. Shumas stepped up beside her before spreading out to the sides. The Shadow in their force followed suit a moment later, forming a thick blockade of power. Those who had taken the root fell to the back, and those who had not stayed in the middle, shielded on all sides by people who could fight the Inkna. “I keep beating him. He is the one that is growing.”
“You keep beating his officers. A leader is only as good as the people under him.”
Through her Gift, Shanti could feel the mass of people filling the streets. It had to be enemy—citizens wouldn’t be leaving their houses. Easily double their number, perhaps triple, and Shanti bet these men could fight. They would be excellent.
A thick wall of power saturated the air like fog. It billowed out and surrounded them, pressing in on all sides.
“Get your mother over here, Sonson,” Shanti said in a low voice, feeling the two dozen pokes and prods to her shields from extremely high-caliber Inkna. “Quickly.”
Cayan ran his thumb along his blade as his brow lowered over unfocused eyes. Emotions flitted through him so fast that Shanti couldn’t pick up on them. His tongue came out and slowly licked along his bottom lip, something he did unconsciously when he was working out a particularly hard puzzle. He moved to the middle of the street, where his men parted around him. Shanti followed to stand by his side. The mental workers changed their position, covering the sides, and the army shifted accordingly.
“They are mightier than our army,” Cayan said in a wispy voice. “They have more power, and they have more swords. They also know this city.” Cayan looked to the right, then left, pausing on a brick wall blocking off the entrance to an alleyway not far in front of them. “They have trapped us in like mice.”
“This is not a good speech for your men, Cayan,” Shanti said as adrenaline spiked in her body. “We can’t quit now. We can’t run. We won’t make it.”
“Xandre only thinks with his army. He thinks with might. He collects large cities, money, men…he collects all the things that would maintain his power. But he does not keep the faith of the people. He rules by fear; he does not rule by love. All he has is his army.”
Shanti shook her head slowly, not understanding his point, as a shockingly large number of Graygual marched their way. And this was the host of Graygual that had been narrowed down by Alena’s efforts. By the weed slipped into the Inkna breakfast. They’d already slimmed the herd, yet still it was all encompassing…
“The Wanderer will unite the people with her suffering, and lead them with her love.” Cayan’s clear blue eyes focused on her. “Only when you allow yourself freedom of thought can you obtain the freedom of mind.”
“What are you talking about, Cayan?” Shanti asked, panic starting to increase the speed of her heart. “You sound like Burson. We don’t have time for this.”
“Burson said those things. The Chosen will lead the people. But the Wanderer must unite them. We need you right now.”
“You’re not making any sense,” Shanti said through clenched teeth.
His power pulled back in and wrapped around her. Like hands caressing her body, she felt his touch on the most intimate of places. Unexpectedly, the simmer within her rose and blossomed, filling her up and overflowing. It felt like a thousand kisses pressed on her bare skin before his lips slid across hers. He grabbed her power, something that felt like a physical thing, and brought it into him to that deep place where only she was allowed to go. He forced himself deep into her, their bodies only a shell of their united beings. “Call to the people, mesasha. Unite them.”
Any doubt that flitted through her was immediately wrapped up in Cayan’s confidence and carried away. She felt the rightness of this, because he did. She felt the path before her, because he was showing it to her. He had the deep well of power that she had to finesse and direct, and he had the vision that she had to realize. They were two halves melded into one. Her decisions and ideas had taken them to this point, and now he was directing them beyond it. That was truly