Free Shieldwolf Dawning by Selena Nemorin

Cassian to return to his old self, but Samarra was running out of patience. When he looked at her there was no longer trust, no warmth when she stood beside him. They didn't laugh around each other anymore. Cassian had turned into a stranger.
    Samarra sighed. The heaviness in her heart was unbearable. She would have to talk things through with him. She would have to make him listen to her side of the story. Maybe then things would go back to normal. Samarra turned off her monocle and checked her holowatch — a coming-home gift from Merganser. In two hours she would leave for Shieldwolf Proper, the biodome where the shamans lived and trained.
    Samarra wasn't sure how she felt anymore. At first, the idea of joining the Shieldwolves had seemed like an exciting adventure, but as the days passed and Samarra learned more, she'd started to have doubts. What if Merganser had lied to her? What if the Shieldwolves were as bad as the cybots the Sairfangs had created? Cybots were heartless. Rumour had it they treated insects and gaians the same — if a gaian got in their way, they'd be squashed like an ant. Samarra didn't want to be like that. She would never be like that, no matter what. She promised herself that much. Besides, from what she had read, the Shieldwolves served and protected Kairuhan, so how bad could they be? She crossed her fingers for luck. Her stomach gurgled loudly. Samarra jumped up and wiped damp grass from the back of her jeans. After one more look at the Merfolk, she headed down the hill to the cottage.
    It took her a few minutes to reach the building. The back door was wide open and the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted past her nose. Thick bunches of aromatic herbs hung drying from the vaulted ceiling: sage, parsley, mint, rosemary, thyme, and basil. A pot of fresh mixed berries and sugar bubbled on the stove, thickening slowly into a delicious jam. Merganser was in the kitchen, slicing cheese. Cassian sat at a large wooden table and, with hands coated in honey, rammed food into his mouth.
    "You're gross." Samarra grimaced when he licked the honey dripping off the bread and in between his fingers.
    Cassian ignored her. His eyes were puffy and red from crying.
    "Good morning." Samarra sat down next to him.
    Merganser put down her knife. "Samarra, would you like something to eat?" She rinsed her hands and wiped them on a towel.
    "Yes, please." Samarra turned to Cassian. "Sleep all right?"
    "Same as I did the night before," he mumbled. His face was grim as he concentrated on his food.
    "Merganser said it would take you a few more days to feel better."
    Cassian glowered at her.
    "Are you still angry with me?" She bit her lip nervously.
    "I don't know. Should I be?"
    Samarra was about to respond when Merganser brought over a plate piled high with buttered bread, cheese, and honey. "I will be in the garden if you need me," Merganser said.
    Samarra waited until Merganser had left the kitchen before she spoke. "Cass, this is the first morning since you've woken up that we've had breakfast together. Are you going to be angry at me for the rest of your life? I didn't do anything wrong."
    "You didn't do anything right, either."
    "I was kind of thinking you would be okay with joining the Shieldwolves." Her eyes were downcast. "It'll be good for you."
    "Are you crazy?" His voice cracked. "I might have been able to forgive you if I could live with them like a normal kid, but I'm never going to be a normal kid here, am I?" Cassian put down his food and wiped his hands on a napkin. "Merganser told me everything. She even told me about Aletheia's Vision. The Shieldwolves think I'm going to win them a war. Did you forget to tell me about that small detail because you knew I wouldn't have come?"
    "I'm sorry. I didn't know about you until the day we phased."
    "You talked me into leaving Gaia to come here for what?" He clenched his jaw. "And you call me a dodo?"
    Samarra's pulse quickened. "Would you have let me come alone?