Of Thorn and Thread (Daughters of Eville #4) - Chanda Hahn Page 0,72

his crossbow.

Each breath was still too painful. The basajaun swung his axe, and I anticipated his strike, rolling to the side. Seconds later, Liam’s crossbow struck the beast in the shoulder.

The basajaun was a guardian of the forest; a gentle giant by nature was enraged. I tried to read his thoughts and auras, but I received confused images and feelings. Flashes of red filled my vision, and I gasped with empathy for pain.

The troops surrounded the basajaun, their swords drawn, shields at the ready as they closed in to kill him.

“No!” I cried. Getting to my feet, cradling my injured shoulder. “Stop. You mustn’t! You don’t understand.”

Hayes and Devin didn’t hear my warning and moved in to attack.

“Fiergo!” I screamed.

A protective circle of fire, greater than any I had conjured before, erupted around the basajaun and myself cutting us off from the troops.

I surprised myself. My desperation must have fueled my magic.

Devin and Hayes retreated. The troops shouted their fear, and Liam’s worry flashed over me. I ignored them all and focused on the pain radiating from the basajaun.

My left arm hung useless at my side. I held my right hand out, pleading with the basajaun.

“I won’t harm you.”

The basajaun cowered before me. In my attempt to protect him from the men, I had surrounded him with his greatest enemy—fire. Terror radiated off him in waves, and he whined.

“I know it’s scary, but I did it to keep us safe.” The axe lay discarded on the ground, and without it, the basajaun didn’t seem as intimidating. He curled in a ball and buried his head under his arm.

“Aura!” Liam cried out. I felt a pressure moving against my magic.

My head snapped toward Liam as he stood on the outside of the flames, his face intense as he tried to use his magic to smoother mine and douse the flames.

How dare he. It showed he didn’t trust my intuition or abilities.

I released the spell, and the fire died down, leaving a circle of scorched earth in its wake. Liam easily crossed the circle, not fearing me or my powers. In his hand, he held a dagger, and he reached for my arm to pull me away.

“Don’t you harm him,” I threatened, standing between them.

“It’s a monster, and it tried to kill you.”

“Not on purpose.” I kneeled by the golden beast and placed my hand on his soft back. The basajaun sat up and looked at me with pain-filled eyes. He didn’t reach for his axe, and only let out a painful moan.

He growled and pulled the arrow out of his shoulder, leaving a bloody trail, and tossed it to the side. I placed my hand on it and closed my eyes, coaxing magic to the wound, focusing on reknitting the muscle. My hand warmed as his body began healing, all the while drawing the pain into myself. He let out a rumble of appreciation as the pain lessened and the wound closed up. I then focused on the second wound in his fist.

The basajaun kneeled and placed his large head beneath my hand, letting out another moan. He was still in pain. The creature’s hair was thick with many layers and undercoats, littered and snagged with small twigs and leaves.

I made a soothing noise as gently parted the long, matted hair to reveal a large section that was hidden, the skin blackened and infected.

“This doesn’t look right.” I leaned forward and sniffed the infection, getting a scent of sulfur. “The wound was caused by magic.” Immediately, I caught an image sent from the basajaun. An image of Aspen and four others on the edge of his vision. The dark mage sent a great fireball at him, chasing him away from what he guarded.

Liam frowned. “Come Aura, there’s nothing you can do.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and I pushed it off.

“No. I have to help.”

He sighed and kneeled down next to me.

“I can heal it.” My hands glowed, and I focused on healing the burned skin, letting it reknit. My side ached and blistered in sympathy pain. I held back the tears as I also learned what had transpired. “The basajaunak,” I explained as I ran my fingers along the burn, “are the protectors of the forest, and he is protecting it—from us.”

“Us? Why does he have to protect it from us?” Devin snorted, having finally crossed the fire circle to join Liam and me.

“They don’t speak, at least not in a language we understand, but they can communicate.”