Sustaining by A.K. Koonce

There’s something just slightly more terrifying than dark magic.
And that’s going home.
The beautiful coastal village is too small and it’s impossible to hide when you’re a target. They know I’m different. They knew when I was a young girl and they know now. They’re just waiting for the proof. They’re all waiting for me to screw up like I always do.
What they don’t know is, I’m not staying. I’ll take my scowling shifters—hopefully before they literally rip into one of the many hateful villagers—and I’ll find the Solstice Queen.
I’ll find that mysteriously dangerous mage again if it’s the last thing I do.