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Back Witchshadow Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. Epigraph
  6. BEGINNINGS
  7. PART I
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. TEN
  18. ELEVEN
  19. TWELVE
  20. THIRTEEN
  21. FOURTEEN
  22. FIFTEEN
  23. SIXTEEN
  24. SEVENTEEN
  25. EIGHTEEN
  26. NINETEEN
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. TWENTY-SEVEN
  35. TWENTY-EIGHT
  36. TWENTY-NINE
  37. THIRTY
  38. THIRTY-ONE
  39. THIRTY-TWO
  40. THIRTY-THREE
  41. THIRTY-FOUR
  42. THIRTY-FIVE
  43. THIRTY-SIX
  44. PART II
  45. THIRTY-SEVEN
  46. THIRTY-EIGHT
  47. THIRTY-NINE
  48. FORTY
  49. FORTY-ONE
  50. FORTY-TWO
  51. FORTY-THREE
  52. FORTY-FOUR
  53. FORTY-FIVE
  54. FORTY-SIX
  55. FORTY-SEVEN
  56. FORTY-EIGHT
  57. FORTY-NINE
  58. FIFTY
  59. FIFTY-ONE
  60. FIFTY-TWO
  61. FIFTY-THREE
  62. FIFTY-FOUR
  63. FIFTY-FIVE
  64. FIFTY-SIX
  65. FIFTY-SEVEN
  66. TRICKSTER
  67. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  68. Also by Susan Dennard
  69. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  70. Newsletter Sign-up

Soon, Stix caught up to Kahina, now standing before a jagged doorway sliced into the limestone. It was one of only a few passages remaining into the Sightwitch mountain, though it was half destroyed. Blue light hummed around it. Nearby, Ryber shuffled her cards absently, watching Stix approach with a sympathetic slant to her brow. She never missed anything; Stix sometimes wished she would.

Fortunately, Ryber said nothing as she tucked away her cards. “Ready?” she asked, and at Stix’s and Kahina’s nods, she dipped low and stepped through. Static frizzed over Stix’s skin. Ryber disappeared.

Kahina went next, pipe still puffing even as she ducked through and her smoke winked away. Then it was only Stix who remained, Stix still lingering. All she wanted to do was run—sprint right back to Vivia and say, I’m so sorry I left. I’ll never go again. But that wasn’t her path. Not yet, at least.

There was work to be done. The rest of the Six were waiting for her, and strange as it was, she missed these people she didn’t really know. They were old family with Threads still bound to hers..

Yet before Stix could scrabble through the canted doorway, a familiar purr crooned over the jungle’s choir. Moments later, a furry cat rubbed against her calf.

And Stix laughed as she peered down at the six-fingered tabby. “I don’t know how you always find me.” She hefted up the creature. “But I’ll admit I’m glad to see you.” Then she hugged the tabby close, and murmured: “Though we cannot always see the blessing in the loss, strength is the gift of our Lady Baile, and she will never abandon us.”

Together, Stix and the familiar six-fingered tabby entered the Sightwitch mountain.

FIFTY-SIX

The prince awoke to a dog howling. He couldn’t say how he recognized the sound; he’d never had a dog, and they had been rare in the Nihar lands. With so many human mouths to feed, the only animals worth keeping had been livestock.

Yet somehow Merik knew as soon as he came into blurry consciousness that a tiny hound called for him. The sound scratched against his eardrums, part whimper, part wail. Sharp and hungry and alone. He wanted it to end as soon as he heard it.

With monumental effort, Merik forced open his eyelids. Cold scraped against the flesh. Ice whispered against his pupils. Then they were wide. Then he could see. Blue, blue, brilliant, glowing blue. No end, no beginning …

Except for that shadow.

No, three shadows, he realized the longer he stared. Two that were vaguely human, though small and lithe. And the final shadow that was the source of all that whining—a massive mound, far too large to be a puppy, yet keening like one all the same.