Deserted (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 4)

The Desert Lands doorway was not one I’d stood in front of in years. Thankfully, I wasn’t the first through today, with Reece taking that honor so he could direct the rest of us to the safest place to arrive. As the others moved into the swirling portal, Galleli and I were last. When it was my turn, I shivered at the feeling of otherness that always sprang up whenever my energy meshed with that of a foreign world.

Are you okay? Galleli sent warmth with his words, and it was comforting.

I’m oka—

The tail end of the lie died on my tongue as I was once again unable to push down my emotions. In the spirit of moving forward and growing up, I decided to be straight with him. I’m struggling with this new reality. Struggling with my new energy, my new aura, and all of the emotions that are once again bouncing around inside of me without any place to go. I don’t know how to get back to the equilibrium I used to exist in.

There was a moment of silence as we moved forward into the doorway, the scent of desert and power filling our senses. It didn’t seem that he was going to answer until I felt his touch on my shoulder. You do not want to go back, Melalekin. There is nothing back there for you. No hope. No happiness. No love. This gift you’ve been given… embrace it. Fall into it. Stop fighting the inevitable because in the end, you’re only costing yourself a second chance at a real life. The ache in my chest was acute. Your future is bright.

His touch lifted, and I had to force my shaky legs to move forward again. There wasn’t much in this world that could knock me like those few words had. Do you truly see a bright future?

He didn’t hesitate this time. Only if you can fight the darkness that holds you. It’s up to you and whatever you discover in these lands. The ancients are not only calling Reece.

With that portentous statement, he gently pushed me into the portal.

My thoughts were a mess as I crossed, and even though there had never been evidence that Galleli was a true prophet, I’d learned not to dismiss his words and feelings over the years. The events that transpired after might not end up a literal translation of his predictions, but I looked between the lines. Galleli was not one to be disregarded, but it did leave me more confused than ever.

Why would the ancients be calling me?

The swirls of the Desert Lands completely surrounded me, once again reminding me how truly ingenious the connections in the Solaris System were. When the mistiness finally cleared, I breathed in deeply, allowing familiar scents to fill my senses.

It shouldn’t feel like it was only yesterday that I’d walked this world, but of course, my mind would never let me forget.

“Angel!” Mera called my name, and I opened my eyes to take it all in.

“Ostealon,” I breathed, looking across the central hub of the Desert Lands. The Ostealon’s neutral ground was a wide-open plane, its sands a deep, rich ochre. Usually it was unoccupied but today was covered in a mass of tents, all with colors representing their dynasties.

I remembered from one of the other gatherings I’d been at that the large white tent, visible in the distance as it glowed softly against the golden sky under the mid-moon light, was where all the meetings and festivities would take place.

“You’ve been here before?” Mera asked, trying to see everything at once to the point I was worried her head was going to swivel right off her neck.

I nodded. “Yep. As Reece said, this area is a neutral land with large inlets to the sand rivers and almost zero dunes, which allows them to house thousands of Desertlandians during these meetings.”

Reece took a few steps closer, bringing the others with him. “Correct, and I will explain the layout as soon as we’ve made our way to our tents. We’re already drawing attention, and I’d like to get all the housekeeping done before we deal with the locals.” Sometimes the way he referred to the “locals” of his world was almost as if he wasn’t one of them.

The moment he led us into the bright bustle of this world, my memories returned with force. The dynasties were all dressed in the colors of their sands: golds and reds and blacks, depending on their territory. None of the dynasty lands touched each other, and everything here was on a large scale, with only the sand rivers and the great deep to connect them all.

It was a rite of passage to make your first ship, barge, or vessel to travel in—Reece had two or three back in Rohami. Or at least he had when I’d known him.

“How big is this place?” I heard Mera ask Shadow.

“It’s huge,” he said. “The Ostealon is the largest land mass in the deserts, but that doesn’t mean any of the other lands would be considered small.”

“They have a council?” Mera asked, her eyes taking in the multitude of colored tents that were temporary homes during this meeting.

“There are eight dynasties,” Shadow told her, “and each are governed by a princeps who holds a monarch-type leadership. For the most part, they stick to their own lands, but on occasion they gather and speak on matters that impact the collective.”

Mera nodded, her eyes still greedily drinking it all in. We were drawing some attention, as Reece had noted earlier, but when they saw we were with the desert god, we were left alone.

“They’re all so beautiful,” Mera breathed, a brilliant smile parting her lips. “I love the earthy colors, reds and golds and browns. It reminds me of the Nexus, and the Desertlandians glow against this backdrop.”

She wasn’t wrong about the locals, with their skin tones ranging from a deep bronze—like Reece’s—to the darker browns of those closer to the Delfora. The eastern dynasties had the lightest skin tones since they were mostly bathed in half-moonlight. Whatever their territory, though, Mera was right about one thing: they were an unusually beautiful race, almost without exception.

When we pushed through many of the tents of black, gold, olive, and terracotta, we finally reached the red. The Rohami area was a fiery beacon in the wide-open ochre sands of the Ostealon, reminding me once again of that time so long ago that I took part in a gathering. It wasn’t just the tents bringing me back either, but also the scent in the air: dry and earthy with rich spices and the thyreme flower. This flower had tiny purple buds that could spread out across the sands so thickly it created an illusion of a purple land. They were one of the few florae to survive in this dry climate, and its floral scent was one I’d never quite found an equal to.

Before I could fall further into the past, Reece called out that he’d found his tent, and I followed along with everyone, trying my best to stay here. In the now.

Rohami was a strong dynasty, with its relatively close proximity to the Delfora and an uncanny ability to produce offspring who had a little… extra. As we closed in on Reece’s tent, I wasn’t surprised to see it was about twice the size of most others we’d seen, with the large image of a jackan up top. The jackan was a beast that existed only in this world, and the closest thing I could liken it to was a hybrid with the head of a large fox and the body of a kangaroo. Its powerful hind legs allowed it to bounce through the thick sands and also burrow under them if need be. It was a predatory species, and one that Rohami had claimed as their mascot. After all, the largest and strongest warriors always came from this dynasty, as history had proven.

“Here we are,” Reece said, placing his hand on the spikes on a panel just near the firmly closed tent flaps of the entrance. This was a security system that would allow only those with approved energy to enter, and since Reece was the last of his direct line, this tent was secure.

The technologies of this land were subtler than others, mostly drawing on the energy flowing under the sands and rivers. They used this power to turn the sands into many useful items, including buildings, glass, weapons, and ships.

For the most part, though, the Desertlandians lived simple lives, unconcerned with power.

And none had the abilities of Reece.

His connection to the sands meant they responded to his call. Even though the details of his birth were secret, everyone here revered and respected him. In this world he was considered a close second to the ancient gods.

Hopefully, that reputation alone would help us flush out the darkness. Now that I’d made it into the Desert Lands, Reece wasn’t the only one feeling the imbalance.

Someone here had forgotten their history and what happened when one disturbed the Delfora. An oversight that could get all of us killed.