The Wolf's Heart

by Rain Oxford

  “She does not need a husband now, but she does need you.”

  “I can’t see her again.”

  “If you reject her now, when she needs you, you will never find her again when you need her.”

  Gmork turned to her. “What do you mean? She’s in danger?”

  “Her life will be threatened many times before she will be ready to leave her parents and marry you.”

  “She needs me? No one has ever needed me before.” He seemed shocked by the concept. He turned away from the window and leaned against the table. “Maybe I should watch over her. I may never have a wife, but she’s an innocent child. If she needs someone, I can be there for her.”

  * * *

  I saw years pass in moments as he saved her from all kinds of danger, from monsters to quakes. She was extremely unlucky, as if something wanted her to die. It wasn’t always about danger, though. Whenever she needed someone to talk to or play with her Gmork was there for her. Watching this was painful, because I knew it was devastating for Merlin.

  Gmork grew close to her parents as well and they trusted him to protect Nimue. When times were hard, they would send her to stay with him for her own good. He taught her light magic, such as spells to heal plants and communicate with animals. The fairies that protected her never feared Gmork, because the darkness of his necromancy was always kept far away from her.

  * * *

  Their love for each other was platonic, but very deep. Unfortunately, as she became an adult, his love for her changed, while her love for him didn’t.

  When he was ready, he went to her father and asked to marry her. Nimue’s father knew Gmork would cherish and protect her, so he agreed readily. Gmork met her under the Willow tree, which was their favorite place to meet. She smiled brightly when she saw him.

  “What did you want to talk to me about? You sounded so excited in your letter.”

  He ran his hands through her golden hair. “The years I have known you have been the best of my life. You are the most important person in the world to me. Your smile brightens my day more than the sun. I don’t want to live a day without you.”

  Her smile slowly faded. “You’re not leaving me, are you?”

  “No, of course not. It’s just the opposite, in fact. I’ve spoken to your father and he has agreed to give me your hand in marriage.”

  Her expression fell with confusion. “I don’t understand. You want to marry me?”

  “Yes. Don’t you want that, too?”

  She stepped away from her, something like disgust crossing her face. “No. You’re like a second father to me. You were here since I can remember.”

  “I’m not your father. I love you. You’re my soul mate. Just give me a chance and you’ll see that we’re perfect for each other.”

  “You didn’t even ask me.”

  “I just got excited. I’ll be patient and wait as long as you need.” He reached for her arm, but she smacked his hand away.

  “No! I won’t marry you! Never! It would be too weird.”

  The heartbreak on Gmork’s face crushed me. I couldn’t imagine how Nimue could stand it. I looked at Merlin, whose expression matched Gmork almost exactly.

  A moment later, we were in Gmork’s magic room again, but there was a different fairy with him. She had white hair and a blue dress, and she looked sad.

  “I have to do this. Her disgust nearly killed me. I can’t stand to see that again, but I also don’t want to live without her. Make her forget she ever met me. Do the same to her parents. Keep our engagement, though. I can make her love me the right way.”

  “Be warned, necromancer. If we do this, it will leave a hole in her heart that another man will try to fill.”

  “I am her soul mate. No one else will hold her heart.”

  * * *

  Time skipped forward again to show her being led into the castle by Quinn. She wore a lacy white gown and her hair was decorated with glittering jewels. The worry on her face was as clear as day and only her obligation kept her moving forth. She looked like a sacrifice.

  Quinn led her out of the sunlight and into the throne room, where Gmork was waiting. She glanced around the massive room with awe, having forgotten visiting the castle as a child. When she looked into his eyes for what she thought was the first time, she blushed. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Nimue.”

  He reached for her hand and she let him take it easily. “I am Gmork,” he said.

  “That’s an interesting name.”

  “It’s a very old name.”

  She shivered.

  Gmork frowned. Although I knew it was worry, it looked like he was scowling at her. “Are you frightened?”

  “No, I’m just cold.”

  Gmork took off his cloak and draped it over her. Then he made an offhanded gesture to the fireplace and it roared to life. “I will have Quinn open more windows to allow in the summer warmth.”

  She smiled. “Thank you. Aren’t you cold?”

  “I keep better in the cold.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  He smirked. “You will someday, but for now, allow me to show you to your room.”

  “My father said we would be sharing a room… and a…”

  “You will have your own room and bed until you choose otherwise.”

  He showed her around the castle, treating her just like he had before. She was fascinated by the history of the castle, but when she asked why he wasn’t living in his parents’ castle, he just said that there were too many bad memories.

  After a few days, Gmork showed her his mother, who was still under the curse. He kept her in a glass coffin, on a satin bed with fresh red roses. She looked just as youthful as the day she had fallen under the curse. “Never open this no matter what, or my spell will fail and she will die.”

  “How long has she been like this?”

  “For hundreds of years.”

  Nimue gaped at him. “You can’t be that old.”

  He scoffed. “How rude.”

  She blushed. “Sorry. Who did this to her?”

  “Her sister. I have her imprisoned, but you need not worry about that.”

  “What are the roses for? Did she like them?”

  “No, she didn’t. The roses will warn me if my spell is starting to fail. As long as they don’t wilt, I know I still have time. They were cut on the same day as she was cursed.”

  “Are you close to knowing how to cure it?”

  “I tracked down the tree and bottled its sap to find the answer, but you…” She frowned at him when he stopped himself. “A little girl once wandered in and found my ritual room. She was a very accident-prone child who didn’t like to wear shoes. When she dropped the bottle, I barely pulled her away in time.”

  “I can imagine myself as that girl,” Nimue said. “If there’s anything dangerous in the castle, I’ll find it. Please hide the sap from me.”

  “Do not fear; after that incident, I destroyed the sap. All but a drop on a dagger that I keep locked up.”

  She frowned. “Why did you destroy it? Doesn’t that make it harder to save your mother?”

  “It does, but the risk wasn’t worth someone getting hurt.”

  “She must have been a special little girl.”

  “She was.”

  Two weeks passed quickly since her arrival. I saw the important moments as they grew closer. Gmork was gentle and kind while she slowly figured out that she wasn’t a prisoner. He wasn’t making her do anything she didn’t want to. She had even told him that she wanted to wait for marriage until she was in love, and he promised to wait as long as she needed.

  He entertained her with stories of adventure and history, most taken from his childhood with Merlin. He described the places they could travel to and the things they could see there. He wowed her with displays of magic that were all new to her.

  When she asked if she could plant a simple rosebush, he created a lavish garden, and to celebrate her, he filled the sky with expl
oding, colorful lights. They sat in the garden watching with Gmork’s arm around her. She said she didn’t need a cloak or blanket when he was holding her.

  Yet, since she arrived, she never seemed truly happy. Gmork knew her better than anyone and could see that something was holding her back. He was willing to do anything to make her happy. “What troubles you?” he finally asked. His colorful display faded.

  “Nothing,” she lied, lowering her face.

  He touched her chin and gently forced her to look at him. “I know something is.”

  She licked her lip as she considered how to tell him. Finally, she said, “A few days before we met, I was thrown from my horse and ran from what I think was a wolf. I fell into a pit.”

  Gmork wasn’t surprised.

  “As I called for help, I somehow felt like I had always been a victim. I realized I didn’t want to be saved; I wanted to be found. I know that doesn’t make sense.”

  Gmork obviously knew what she meant, but he stayed silent.

  “A wizard saved me. He was very kind.”

  Gmork narrowed his eyes. “Did he touch you?”

  “No, no. It was completely innocent. He just wanted to help me.”

  “Right. He wanted to win your heart slowly.”

  Nimue blushed. “I asked him to let me stay. It was before I met you. I told him that I was engaged to a wizard I had never met before. He said to give you a chance.”

  “How long a chance?”

  “A week.”

  Gmork’s eyes softened slightly. “It has been more than a week. Does that mean you chose me?”

  “I agreed to marry you and someday I will, but… I can’t forget about Merlin.”

  I saw it in his eyes that he knew she was talking about his childhood friend. Fate was cruel. “Then go to him.”

  Her eyes widened with shock. “What?”

  “I do not want you here under duress. You know what life is like here and how much I would cherish and protect you as my wife. I’m afraid you will never be happy until you know what life would be like with him instead. If he can make you happy and I cannot, then stay with him. If you find that it is not all that you hoped, return here and be with me without regrets.”

  She kissed him and stood. “Thank you.” And then she left him.

  * * *

  Gmork woke to Illya sitting on his pillow. “Why did you send her away?” she asked.

  “She will find her way back to me. I love her enough to wait for her. I’ve waited so long already.”

  “Taking away her memory of you was cruel.”

  “It was necessary.”

  “If you do not make things right between you, you are ruining her life as well as your own.”

  “She will come back to me. If I have to wait another fourteen years, so be it. She will do it because she wants to, not because I’ll make her.”

  * * *

  The next two months were miserable for Gmork, as he threw himself into his work. He rarely ate. He couldn’t look at the garden. When he made advancements on his necromancy, he felt nothing. It didn’t mean anything if he couldn’t share it with someone.

  For the first time since the morning after Nimue left, he called Illya and asked her for her advice. “I thought I was doing what was right for her, but maybe she doesn’t know what that is.”

  “Merlin did not steal her away. He most likely does not know you are the same Gmork from his childhood. If you do everything right, you could get Nimue and Merlin back.”

  “I can’t believe Merlin is still alive. All these years…”

  “Do you want him in your life again?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then take it slow and tell him the truth.”

  Gmork shook his head. “He left all those years because he couldn’t handle what I was becoming. If he is willing to accept me as I am, we can be friends. He can help me save my mother. Neither of us would have to lose anyone ever again.”

  “You are talking about using him,” Illya said.

  * * *

  Time skipped forward. His ill-conceived attempt to reach out to Merlin failed. The following two months were even worse than the previous. He went days without eating until he would pass out. The servants of the castle did their best to take care of him, but he would fight them and lock them out.

  Then the roses in Sigrid’s coffin began to wilt. He knew it was his broken heart that was weakening his magic. The servants sent word for anyone skilled in magic (particularly necromancy) to come to the castle if they wanted to be his assistant. Many came, but between his high standards and horrible temperament, none stayed…

  Until a woman showed up on the castle doorstep with the flyer in one hand and a bag of dark magic tools in the other. When Quinn opened the door, she smiled. He shuddered. She was beautiful, but dark magic emanated from her in a way he hadn’t before seen.

  “Hello. My name is Erica Baltezore, and I’m here to help your necromancer master.”

  Quinn tried to scare her off by telling her how terrible Gmork was, how dismal the pay was, and how strenuous and disgusting the labor would be, but she wasn’t put off in the least. Quinn didn’t want his master to be disappointed again. “You will have to dissect animals.”

  “Live ones?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Pity. Will I get to dissect people?”

  “I guess you can, but you won’t get paid for it.”

  “Great. Where is this mother I’m to cure? I’d like to finish the assignment quickly and I expect tea and a proper meal afterwards.”

  “That’s not the interview,” Quinn explained. “My master has been trying to save her for hundreds of years. If you can help him, that is all that is asked of you.”

  She scoffed. “Life and death is easy. I need a woman of identical stature. How old was she? How many children did she have? Did she have a husband, and if so, how long had they been married? Bring me a woman identical in value.”

  “Why?” Quinn asked. By this time, a dozen servants had been drawn to the commotion.

  “Are you paid to ask questions? Do you want your master’s mother awoken or not?”

  “Yes, I do, but… how did you even know about her? It wasn’t on the flyer.”

  “I like to know who I am working for.”

  “And I like to know who is working for me,” Gmork said, descending the steps. He looked horrible.

  Erica smacked her hand to her chest dramatically. “Oh, you poor, ghastly thing. Are you all blind? Someone get him food and a bath immediately.”

  “Who are you?” Gmork asked, ignoring as his servants rushed off to obey her orders.

  She grinned. “My name is Erica. I’m here to help you with your mother and any other problems that arise.”

  “You know about my mother’s curse?”

  “Of course. The Inewar tree is native to my world. I have known the cure since I could walk.”

  Relief nearly caused him to collapse due to his weakened state.

  He showed her to the body and she said there was plenty of time. However, Quinn was unsuccessful even after several days of searching for a woman similar to Sigrid. “Why do we need another woman?” Gmork asked.

  “You know the price of life, Gmork.”

  “Death, but she’s not dead.”

  “No, she’s not. Nevertheless, the price is the same. We must sacrifice someone of the same---”

  “No,” Gmork said. “There has to be another way.”

  “Isn’t your mother’s life worth more than the life of someone else?”

  He swallowed. “There must be a way to do it without killing.”

  She shrugged. “We can do it, but you will not like the consequences.”

  “What are they?”

  “She is what? Two hundred? Three hundred? If you sacrifice a woman of the same cosmic value, she will retain her youth. Without the sacrifice, I can wake her, but she will rapidly age until her body reflects her true age. You can keep her alive, but it will no
t be pretty.”

  “I can deal with that. There are spells to keep someone beautiful. How long would it take to reach her age?”

  “The greater the difference, the faster the aging, but I would say about ten years. Faster if she is exposed to heat. Furthermore, she could never leave the castle after a few years, because she would need your magic to sustain her.”

  “We will do it.”

  Using the same cure as Gmork had taught Merlin, they woke her. At first, she was happy. She was beautiful and healthy as the day she had fallen victim to Gaya. Gmork was thrilled, even though he sensed something off about Sigrid.

  Erica was also an enthusiastic assistant. She taught him magic far more powerful than anything he had dealt with before. Every time he did well, she praised him and told him how wonderful a student he was. When they weren’t doing magic, they were talking about their pasts. Erica insisted she wanted to know everything about Gmork. Eventually, he felt comfortable enough with her to tell her about his adventures with Merlin.

  When he told her how Merlin left, she was sympathetic. “It sounds like he thought he was better than you because he didn’t use dark magic. He was afraid of actually working for what he wanted, and so he took it out on you. He was jealous of your bravery.”

  Gmork considered this. Over the next four years, everything good he told her about Merlin was twisted around so that Merlin was made out to be a greedy manipulator. Eventually, he grew to believe it.

  Erica wasn’t just turning him against Merlin, though. Over the years, her compliments and apparent adoration turned to subtle touches. She listened to him talk about his past or ideas with enthusiasm. He felt respected and important. Instead of him constantly trying to protect Nimue and make her happy, someone else cared about him. Unlike with Nimue, he didn’t have to hide his darkness from her. In fact, Erica encouraged him to embrace the darkness and take what he wanted by force. She convinced him that he didn’t have to let others take what belonged to him.

  Despite the fact that she wasn’t his soul mate, he grew to love her.