In a blur of radiance, she transformed into an Egyptian wolf, the dark fur

along her back tinged with highlights of gold.

Unlike wolfborn, shifters

like Amal transformed through magic, clothes

and all. It meant she didn’t have to lug equipment around, and she could shift

almost instantly, without pain. Very useful for an assassin—though the

senses, strength, and healing of wolfborn were far superior. We thought

differently as well, so I kept advisers from both species in my inner circle and

used teams of mixed operatives to exploit our different talents.

I was glad we had Amal with us tonight.

I lowered my head and snagged the strap of my gear pack. Savannah

looked at Amal and then at her bag with a huff.

Yes. There were times where I was also a little jealous of magic shifters,

too.

Heretic. You should be thrown from the pack, my wolf teased.

I laughed inwardly. Bite me.

With a burst of acceleration, Amal ran into the forest, and we raced after.

The thrill of the chase rose within me, and I glanced at Savannah. I could

smell her elation.

This is what we’re meant to do.

We dashed along faint game trails and wound our way through the hills,

though I kept my eyes peeled. I could smell the traces of ancient things in

these woods—ogres and goblins and worse. At least the soft light of the

moon filtered down through the dark branches of the trees and lit our way.

After an hour, we crested a forested hill that overlooked a wide

confluence of valleys. Our destination was an isolated plateau topped by a

dense cluster of stone buildings. The mage’s tower loomed above the edge of

the town, a spire of golden-gray stone lit by the waning moon.

Our descent was heinous. It had rained recently, and cloying valley clay

quickly caked around our paws. By the time we reached the base of the

Tags: Veronica Douglas Magic Side: Wolf Bound Fantasy
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