by Sara Snow
The witch stood up and placed her fist over her chest as werewolves do. “Thank you for helping us.”
Whispers erupted within the crowd as others began offering their thanks, and an overwhelming feeling began to fill me. It was the same feeling I’d had after finding out my pack didn't fear or hate me for the injuries I’d accidentally caused when I used my divinity for the first time to try to save them.
I placed my fist over my heart. “I couldn’t sit by and not help.”
Darian appeared and picked up the dead hybrid. “We need to burn the bodies.”
A few humans and supernatural creatures began to help him, and I winced, finally feeling the aches and pains from straining my body.
"My name's Sybil," the witch said as she watched Darian walk away with the dead hybrid. "I have a small coven just outside of town. Endora was a promising young witch, and they turned her into . . .”
Her eyes flashed violet, and I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but she's free now."
“Elinor!” Skye came running towards us, her body covered in blood. “I’m losing a lot of the people who were injured. I can’t help them all! I need your help, especially with a human child.”
I stilled. “She has auburn hair?”
“Yes,” she answered.
It was the little girl who’d stood up to the Bleeder.
“Can you heal her like you healed Will?” Skye asked.
I wasn’t sure. “Take me to her.”
7
Elinor
I followed Skye as we picked our way through the people gathering the dead. A flame blazed to life, pouring from Cyrus's hands, and as the bodies piled high caught fire, a cloud of thick black smoke rose to the sky.
The smell of death was ripe in the air, but my focus was getting to the brave little girl.
Sybil and I rushed into the building behind Skye, and much like outside, we had to pick our way through the people on the ground.
Seeing the aftermath of the attack somehow struck me as more gruesome than the fight itself. People were on the floor crying. Their bodies were battered and bleeding, and their heartbeats were faint or too rapid. I couldn’t stand the sound of the pained moans, and my divinity hummed within my chest as if saying it understood my discomfort and was ready to help.
I had healed Will in the forest, and now I would do the same for all these people.
I just hope I can actually do it.
A few women moved around those gathered on the ground, tending to wounds as best they could and offering water. We came to a stop where the little girl was lying on the floor, her eyes barely open. Her heartbeat was almost inaudible, and I looked beside me to find Skye clutching at her throat.
I looked back down at the girl, and my eyes grew teary as I lowered myself to my knees. Her auburn hair was tangled with a few stands covering a face that was stained with blood. Her right hand was severely fractured, and her legs were broken. I remembered all too well the sound of her spine shattering as the Bleeder threw her against the wall. Goddess knew how she had survived this long. She had such a delicate face, and the salty smell of tears that had dried on her cheeks drifted to my nostrils. Looking at her, I finally understood my father's fear of me becoming a Werewolf Guard.
Even though this small girl had been brave enough to stand up to a Bleeder, it wasn't right that she’d had to. I wasn't a mother, but I couldn't imagine having a child and seeing them hurt like this.
I held my hand out and cradled her smaller hand in mine.
"I'm going to help you," I whispered, and behind the lid of her right eye, which wasn't swollen shut like the left, I saw movement.
She was a fighter. That was clear.
I closed my eyes and held the child’s hand a little tighter. “I swear I’ll help you.”
I fell into myself, the same way I had when I’d healed Will. I imagined a vast ocean of water, and I was standing in it, surrounded by white fog. I took deep breaths and lowered my hand into the water, and a glimmer appeared.
I watched as the light was absorbed by my fingers and began making its way up my body. It was warm, like the heat I had felt when I had met the Goddess.
I waited until it filled me entirely before opening my eyes. There was a light glowing in the palm of my hand. I imagined pushing it into the child's body, and it followed my command, traveling up her arm and then vanishing.
Nothing happened after that. Silence filled the room, other than the occasional uncontrollable moans of pain, while people watched. I panicked, worried nothing would happen because the girl was still just lying there.
I had healed Will effortlessly in the forest, but this seemed to be different. Still, I held the child's hand, refusing to lose faith in myself.
I reached a hand out and moved her hair from her forehead. "Open your eyes."
All of a sudden, she gasped, her eyes opening and startling me. Her body started to shake violently, her bones snapping back into place, and blood that she had lost began returning to her body. I held her hand a little tighter as she continued to shake, her bright blue eyes wide, and as suddenly as she had started to shake, she stopped.
I looked up and down her body that was now unmarred. Even her swollen eye was as good as new. She turned her head to me, and my heart melted as she smiled and dimples appeared on her cheeks. She jumped up and threw herself at me, hugging me tightly.
"Thank you!" Her voice was small and delicate, and I wrapped my arms around her.
"You're welcome," I told her and then released her to stand up. Around the room, eyes filled with pain and hope were watching me intently, and I took a deep breath. "Who's next?"
Elinor
I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but I was certain I’d healed more than a thousand people. They just kept coming, but the looks of relief and gratitude I got each time I helped someone gave me the energy to heal another and then another.
I sighed, swallowing hard as I pressed a finger to the crease between my brows. I felt exhausted and could hardly keep my eyes open.
"Thank you, Goddess," I prayed quietly, and a hand came down on my shoulder.
I looked up at Sybil, who then squeezed my shoulder lightly. She had a slight smile on her face, but her eyes were puffy from crying. Many lives had been saved tonight, but many more hadn’t.
“You’ve done enough, Elinor. You need to rest.”
I looked behind her at the people still waiting to be healed. “No, I can do it.”
She wagged her finger at me, reminding me of my mother. “I can treat those remaining. As a High Witch, I have some use as well. Come . . .” She held her hand out to me, and I stood up. "Head upstairs and get some sleep. What you did here—" She nodded towards Skye, who was cleaning and dressing minor wounds on a human man. "What you and your friends did, we'll never forget."
I exhaled. “Thank you.”
Looking around the room, she said, “I’ll make sure the High Priestess of the witches, Circe, hears about this. She will fight alongside you because no species will be safe if the vampires are allowed to take over.”
"Thank you, Sybil. We'll all have to come together to end this.” I placed my fist over my heart, and then she turned away to join Skye.
I shook hands and bowed with respect as others thanked me on my way out of the room. It was an odd but good feeling to have so many people looking at me with appreciation. It was still hard to believe that I’d been able to help so many people.
When Cyrus had told me that the Vampire Queen could not be easily killed because her ancestor had been born when the Demon King had taken advantage of a Goddess, a dark cloud of despair had enveloped everyone . . . until I was told that I was the only one who possessed enough power, enough divinity, to kill her.
I hadn’t shared in everyone’s burst of optimism because I was mired in a state of panic.
It terrified me that everyone would look to me as some kind of savior. If I failed to kill the Queen, I'd never be able to show my
face again. Eventually, I realized I was taking the risk of succeeding or failing, just like everyone else in this fight.
The humans and supernaturals earlier tonight who’d fought with all they had and died doing it wouldn't be remembered as failures because they were bested. They had died trying to protect what was dear to them—their family, friends, and home. The people they loved would remember them for their bravery, not for their failure.
Sybil was right. This war would leave no species unscathed. Joining forces and fighting as one was the only thing that could get us through this. Killing the Queen would cut off the head of the snake, but another one would grow back in its place. She was the last royal, but no doubt other vampires would try to take her position.
Unless killing the last living royal somehow ended the race entirely.
I froze as I stopped before the room door.
Is that a thing? When a royal dies, do all the vampires turned by that royal die, too?
That was something I'd have to ask William about. Still, I doubted that was the case. It was unlikely he’d be fighting so hard against his mother if his life ended when hers did. I opened the door to my room, squeezing my eyes shut as I stifled a yawn.
I was exhausted. It felt as if days had passed, instead of only hours. So much had happened in one night that, at this point, it didn't seem like the night would end. I leaned forward and placed my forehead against the door. I knew I was a long way away from being strong enough to face the Queen, but I was making progress. The events of tonight proved that.
I think.
Council Member Levi had originally insisted on sending me away to keep me from this fight. He’d argued that I was a white wolf and valuable to our kind. The bastard just had to add that I was also unstable and lacking control. But he was wrong. Now that matters had escalated, I knew that wherever he was sending me, it would only be a brief stop on my journey to face the Vampire Queen.
I just hoped whoever I was being sent to could train me fast. I’d learn as much as I could, as quickly as possible, because the attack on this town was proof that we were running out of time. With each town they raided, the vampire army grew.
“Elinor?”
I spun around, startled, and saw Will sitting across the room by the window. His body was cloaked in darkness—only the side of his face was illuminated by the light coming in through the small window.
“Where did you go?” I asked as I stepped into the room.
“Attention was about to be drawn to us—to you,” he answered, his voice low and raspy. “It’s best if I remain in the shadows.”
His heartbeat was still silent, which meant he didn't require blood. But on our journey, it would be odd if anyone saw a man without a heartbeat traveling during the day with werewolves. I swallowed hard as I crossed the room and sat at the end of the bed.
To my left, despite the darkness, I could see Will's bright blue eyes watching me.
I didn’t want to think about him needing to feed on me, but I definitely didn't want to think about him feeding on someone else. Memories from the last time we had been alone like this surfaced in my mind, and I clenched my fists.
The last thing I wanted was for him to hear my quickened heartbeat or smell my arousal. And I didn't want him to think we were okay. We were far from it.
“I got strict orders to get some rest.”
Will didn't respond, and when I looked his way, he only stared at me unblinkingly. “Elinor, I'm not leaving until you and I talk, and you hear what I have to say about Vivian."
I sighed. I wanted to tell him I was too tired to talk, but then I thought about Skye’s advice about hearing him out. I turned to him, mentally preparing myself. If we were to be a normal couple, we’d need to have conversations like this.
Couple.
"I wasn't planning to ask you to leave." I pulled myself backward and further onto the bed so I could lie down. "I just need to rest, that's all."
"I know you do. I'm surprised you haven't passed out already. But I fear if you and I don't talk now, Elinor, we won't get a chance to once we leave this place."
He was right. I'd rather not talk about our relationship with Darian around. Right now, he and Cyrus were still busy helping the townspeople.
"Okay," I answered.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Vivian's coven lived just outside of your town for years. They don't hunt like other vampires—they do it discreetly—and they have both human and supernatural pets that willingly provide food."
"Starting off with a bang, huh?" I grumbled, but he merely ignored me and continued talking.
"I was sent there to watch over her while her father traveled on business for the Queen." He paused. "But I was also sent so that we could get to know each other. My mother had picked her to be my wife, my mate—not me. She was never my choice."
“That’s why I saw you that evening. You were just arriving, weren't you?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Yes, we met the day I arrived, and since then, I haven’t been able to get your scent out of my mind." He got up, and I stiffened as he walked over to the bed. But he only sat down. "I never cared for her, Elinor. In fact, we scarcely spoke. From the moment I arrived, you were all I wanted."
He reached out and took my warm hand in his cold one. I bit down on my lip as a jolt of electricity ran up my arm, and I turned onto my side to face him. We sat in silence for a moment, just holding hands.
"She loves you," I murmured after a while, but he shook his head.
"She doesn't. She wants power, that's all."
"I wish you had told me, Will. I would have rather heard it from you than her." I closed my eyes, but he pulled on my hand gently.
"Look at me, Elinor. Wouldn’t you have tried to stay away from me, just like you tried to do when you were engaged to Elijah? I couldn’t lose you.”
I opened my eyes and reluctantly sat up. I craved for him to hug me. After what we'd both gone through over these past few hours, I just wanted to be held.
"Well, it’s not as if I successfully stayed away from you when I was engaged. I couldn’t. And since there wasn’t anything romantic between you and her, I don’t understand why she saw it as such a betrayal.”
His lips formed a thin line.
"Will, if you have any more secrets, just tell me now, okay? I'm tired of this happening, the back and forth. It's as if the universe is trying to tell us we shouldn't be together, that we’re trying to force something that just won't fit. We’re never happy for too long.”
He cupped my cheeks suddenly with both hands. “Don’t! Don’t even say words like that. I love you, do you hear me? I don't care what plans the universe has. I love you." He moved quickly, and in a flash, I was straddling him. "I have no more secrets. You know everything now. The only thing I haven’t told you about are the stories of when I was . . . like my mother."
"I . . . don't think I want to know about those." I chuckled sheepishly, and he smiled.
"Yeah, I don't wish to tell you those stories, either." He kissed my cheek, neck, and shoulder. "This is your first relationship, isn't it?"
I pulled away. "Okay, look, I know I'm not the easiest . . .”
He pressed a finger to my lips. "I was just going to say that, for all the centuries I've lived, I've never cared for anyone the way I care about you. I've never had . . . a girlfriend."
I made a face. “Yeah, maybe titles aren’t our thing. It sounds weird when you say it.”
He chuckled low, the sound a gentle rumble. "Yes, I agree. I don't remember my life before I was turned, but for the years I can remember, this relationship is a first for me, too."
There was something deeply sad about that. This was my first relationship, but I was also not thousands of years old. To live so long and never truly love seemed like a waste of life. I believed him, though, about Vivian. Maybe I was a fool, but I loved this man, and I was honored to be his first love.
I kissed him long and hard.
I pulled back and watched as his eyes turned red. I could feel his excitement against my thigh, so I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself to him.
"I'm still kind of mad at you, okay? I'm sick of your secrets, but I love you, too . . . boyfriend."
He made a face. “Yes, it does sound odd." He stared at my exposed neck, and his voice sounded lower when he said, "I prefer mate."
8
Skye
"Thank you, child," the elderly elf held my hand and squeezed it as I gave her the last blanket.
"You're welcome," I told her as she pushed her white hair over her shoulder and walked away, her pointy ears poking up through her hair.
There were two other lodge houses in town being used to house people for the night. Supernaturals and humans here worked well together, and while that wasn't unheard of, it was uncommon to this extent. Many houses had been damaged during the fight, but it was nice to see the townspeople working towards a shared goal. True, disaster had a way of bringing people together, but I could tell these people were close, like a large family.
Everyone seemed to know everyone. It was good to see. Come morning, work would continue and we'd be moving on.
I made my way outside and wrapped my arms around myself as I looked for Cyrus. I wasn't cold, but the sight of the damage was heartbreaking. I reached up and touched my head, my fingers moving past the hair to my scalp, where there was a small scar. Scars remained on werewolves only if the wound was deep enough, and even though my scar was a small one, it was a reminder of a wound that would not heal anytime soon.
I swallowed hard as I thought of my mother, and I closed my eyes briefly to hold back the tears. When memories I'd rather not think about began to intrude, I shook my head, growling with irritation.