Generations ago, shifters -- many with magic powers -- were accepted throughout Emylnor. But a war with the nearby dragon nation bred concern, and though Emylnor's forces beat back the invasion, the shifters retreated into hiding.<br><br>Akton is a weasel shifter who seems to have no magical talents. When he is hunted, Talfryn joins the fight, finally able to flex his salamander flame powers. But while they make a good team, the thrill quickly wears off when they uncover recruitment orders. A shifter named Basil is building an army.<br><br>Someone has to warn Queen Ylenia before Basil can launch Emylnor into another war. When Akton and Talfryn volunteer to deliver the information to her, they have no intention of getting deeply involved with the fight -- or each other. But to stop Basil, they need to learn to trust each other completely, and fast. Or all of Emylnor will burn ...

Flame and Snow

“Is there an entry on basilisks?” asked Talfryn after a moment. He looked like he’d pull the book out of Akton’s grasp if his hands hadn’t been shaking. Akton flipped to the beginning of the section on shifters and went down the line until he reached the description.


“Barely,” he said, then read it. “Although having been tightly woven into the folklore in certain pockets of Emylnor, no evidence is available on the presence of any living basilisk for hundreds of years. As such it has been deemed one of the extinct shifters. According to reputable texts, its main ability was to master flame, although secondary magicks of either ice or stone control were common, always in addition to the primary fire competence. A basilisk’s gaze was said to root a victim to the spot. Less valid sources cite the fleeing of spiders at a basilisk’s presence, and the ability of weasel shifters to withstand the basilisk’s commanding gaze.”


An awkward silence fell as they processed the information.


Chapter 84