Broken Wolf

by Stacy Claflin

  Tap released a string of profanities. “I told her to forget about it!”

  Soleil’s expression grew tense. “We need to know everything you do. Then we have to make like hippies and blow this joint.”

  He covered his face with his hands and shook his head before looking back up at us. “Follow me downstairs. But one thing needs to be clear.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “You didn’t hear any of this from me.”

  “Didn’t hear what?” Soleil asked.

  “Exactly.” Tap glared at us. “The only reason I’m saying anything is because Victoria’s probably in severe danger.”

  My stomach twisted in tight knots.

  “I need to tell Quinn he’s on his own for a few. I’ll meet you down there in the meeting room.” He disappeared around the corner.

  Soleil and I headed downstairs and made ourselves as comfortable as possible in the metal chairs. A few minutes later, Tap entered, glowering at me. “I hope you realize what I’m doing for you.”

  “It means a lot to us.” I sat taller.

  Tap raked his stubby fingers through his hair a couple times before pacing. Finally, he sat across from us. “I really wish word had never gotten out about the wolf stone.”

  I swallowed, eager to hear what he had to say, but also dreading what it meant for Victoria.

  “Can it cure the curse of the moon?” Soleil asked. “I know that’s why most wolves have gone after it.”

  Tap pressed his palms against the table and took a deep breath. “Yes, it can rid all wolves of the curse. It can make it so they can shift at will.”

  “So, it’s true.” A small bit of hope coursed through me, but not enough to rid me of my worry.

  “The cure comes with a price.” Tap stared at me.

  “Do you know what that is?” I asked.

  Tap’s lips formed a straight line and his nostrils flared. He nodded.

  “What is it?” Soleil asked.

  “It will awaken the first werewolf.”

  My mouth dropped. “He’s alive?”

  “In a manner of speaking. You have to understand something.”

  “What?” Soleil asked.

  Tap clenched his fists and he made eye contact with Soleil and then me. “He’s the biggest, baddest werewolf ever to live.”

  Soleil and I exchanged worried glances.

  “You think your father was bad…” Tap’s voice trailed off.

  My stomach squeezed so tightly that it lurched. “Worse than my father?”

  Tap nodded. “Fenrisúlfr would call your father weak. Nobody—and I do mean nobody—ever dared to cross him.”

  The room spun around me.

  “I take it by his name,” Soleil said, “that he’s Icelandic.”

  “Just like most original supernaturals.” Tap took a deep breath. “If he’s awakened, there isn’t an alpha alive who won’t quiver in Fenrisúlfr’s presence.”

  I grabbed my hair and pulled. “And there’s no way to remove the curse without waking Fenri… Fenreisen… Fenwen… the first wolf?”

  “Correct.”

  I sat up tall. “Well, obviously someone overpowered him at some point. He isn’t running around terrorizing anyone now, nor has he at any point in my lifetime. Surely, we can handle him. We faced both Victoria’s father and mine.”

  “It’s complicated, Toby. And it involved a really powerful witch—if the stories I’ve heard hold any truth to them about his, uh, capture. Some of the tales contradict each other, but they do all involve a mighty witch—”

  “Like Gessilyn?” I asked. “You can’t get any more powerful than a high witch.”

  “Bringing down Fenrisúlfr probably killed the witch.”

  Blood drained from my body. “Oh.”

  Tap stared at me. “Oh is right. We can’t know for sure, of course, but many tales indicate it might be true.”

  I sat quietly, letting the news sink in.

  Tap narrowed his eyes. “There’s a reason the stone has been hidden so long and someone went to such great lengths to keep it that way all this time.”

  “What does this mean for Victoria?” I whispered. “She’s already in Iceland, searching for it.”

  “She may be close, but it won’t be easy getting to it. The secrets are heavily guarded by powerful vampires. They, more than anyone else, want to keep Fenrisúlfr in his slumber.”

  “Is his venom deadlier to them than other werewolves?” Soleil asked.

  Tap nodded. “It’s rumored that one bite from him can kill an entire line of vampires, regardless of where in the line the bitten vampire is. The deaths will extend out to older and younger vampires in the line.”

  I covered my mouth, feeling sick to my stomach. There were only ten original vampires. One bite from that werewolf could eliminate a full ten percent of their kind—if the rumor was true. “That can’t be right.”

  “Why not?” Soleil asked.

  “All of the original vampires still live. Either he’s never bitten a vampire or it’s a wild tale to scare people.”

  Tap shrugged. “I don’t care to find out which is true. You need to stop your fiancée before she wakes him.”

  Chapter 14

  Victoria

  Hale stopped walking and turned to me. “I’m hungry.”

  “My blood’s poisonous to you.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. There’s a cafe not far from here. Let’s get a bite to eat and figure out our next step.”

  I rubbed my neck. “As long as you mean actual food, sure.”

  Hale gave me a playful shove. “Funny. I have a few vampires in mind I can call about the map and stone. I’ll do that while we eat.”

  We headed toward a little restaurant. I probably should’ve been hungry, too, but I couldn’t focus on anything other than the warm spot on my side where the half-map rested in my pocket. The vibration I’d felt earlier was growing stronger—so much that my fingers were shaking. I’d stuck my hands into my pockets to keep Hale from noticing.

  “Let’s go.” I followed her toward a little shopping area in the distance. She spoke about some local vampires who might know something about the stone. I tried to focus, but between the warmth from the map and my inner vibrations, I could barely pay enough attention to keep up.

  We ended up at a little deli filled with people. Flecks of red filled her eyes.

  “Are you going to be okay?” I whispered.

  “I’ll be fine once I eat. I can go a lot longer without blood as long as I have actual food.”

  A waitress took us to a table in the back. We both ordered right away—Hale because she was so hungry and me because I didn’t care what I ate. Hale started making calls as soon as the waitress left the table. I listened with interest. The sooner I could find the stone, the better. The thought of all wolves being able to shift at will made my pulse race through my body.

  Even though I was sort of out from under the moon’s curse, I still couldn’t simply turn when I wanted to. I was a slave of my emotions, needing to rein them in if I didn’t want to shift and needing to get artificially upset if I did want to turn.

  The waitress brought our meals just as Hale was ending a call.

  “Did you find anything?” I asked.

  “No.” She grabbed her overstuffed sandwich and took a big bite.

  “Has anyone heard of it?”

  She swallowed. “The stone or the map?”

  “Either.”

  “Nope.” She took another huge bite.

  I sighed and nibbled from mine. Shrimp and avocado spilled onto my plate.

  Hale inhaled her entire meal before I was halfway through my sandwich. “I have a few more people in mind who might know something.”

  “What if they don’t?”

  “Do you know any more witches?”

  “Yeah, but they’re just as busy as Roska.”

  “You might have to wait for one of them to become un-busy.” She slid her fin
ger around the screen and brought the phone up to her ear. “Sven, old buddy! It’s Hale. I have a quick question for you.”

  I turned to my meal and half-listened to her side of the conversation. The vibrations and warmth were both growing stronger, making it harder to eat and concentrate on anything else. By the time I finished eating, Hale had talked with three more vampires.

  “Nobody knows anything?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “The only ones who did pointed me toward Frey. I’m running out of ideas. The people I just talked to are the most resourceful vampires I know.”

  I took a deep breath to calm myself. Both my hands were now practically shaking. “Well, at least we have this much. Half of a map is much more than we had this morning.”

  Hale sighed. “You don’t know me. I can’t drop something halfway—I need to know where that other half is or it will drive me crazy.”

  “What if it isn’t here in Iceland?” I asked. “For all we know, it’s in China.”

  “The dragon tunnels go to China.” She tapped the table. “Wait! I just thought of someone else who might know something.”

  I played with my crumbs as she made her last call.

  She put her phone away, disappointment covering her face. “I’m not sure who else to call. It looks like I’m going to have to start calling people from other places around the world. You could be right about the other half being somewhere else.”

  “We’ll figure something out.” My feet started tapping from all the energy pulsating around me.

  “You okay?” She finished her drink and rose from the chair.

  “Yeah, fine.” I got up, too.

  We headed outside. The air was chillier and the sky was already growing dark.

  “Maybe we should head back to the entrance to the dragon city,” Hale said. “Time to head back to the castle since we’re at a dead end.”

  The vibrations and the warmth were both growing more intense. I struggled to breathe normally. “Sure. Okay.”

  She threw me a curious look. “Are you sure everything is all right?”

  I nodded. “I’m just anxious to find the other half.”

  “Maybe you should call your witches. What if one of them knows something? We’re already in Iceland. I have a feeling we’re just going to have to return if we leave.”

  Could she feel it, too? I nodded and then pulled out my phone, debating who to call. I started to call Frida when a strong pull to the right nearly knocked me over. My feet stumbled and I barely regained my balance.

  “Did they spike your drink?” Hale asked.

  I handed her my phone and then the half-map. “I think I know where the stone is. Hang onto this just in case, though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I cried out, and in one quick blur, I shifted into wolf form, shredding my clothes in the process.

  Chapter 15

  Toby

  I rose from the table and thanked Tap for everything. “I’d better get to the castle and try to convince Victoria that we need to forget about the stone. As disappointing as this news is for all of us, I’m sure she’ll understand. After everything we’ve been through, the last thing any of us wants is to awaken another evil werewolf.”

  Tap smiled. “I’m so glad to hear it.”

  My phone rang. “Maybe that’s her.” I answered without looking at the screen. “Victoria?”

  “No, this is Stella.” Her voice was filled with worry.

  “Is everything okay at Moonhaven?” I exclaimed.

  Soleil and Tap both turned to me, wide-eyed.

  “We just heard from Hale. Do you know her?”

  “The vampire queen’s niece?”

  “Yeah. She says she’s in Iceland with Victoria and—”

  “What?” I exclaimed and fell back down into the chair. My mind raced, quickly putting everything together. I wasn’t sure what Hale had to do with anything. Was she after Victoria? Were they working together? This whole thing just kept getting stranger and stranger.

  “They have half a map. It takes both halves to reveal the stone’s location. Hale says Victoria thinks she knows where it is without the other half. She—”

  “Stop her!”

  “Hale can’t. Victoria shifted and ran off before Hale knew what had happened. She tried to follow the scent, but lost it.”

  I put it on speaker and closed my eyes. “Let me get this straight. Victoria knows where the stone is and she’s headed straight for it.”

  Tap swore and stormed around the room, muttering to himself.

  “Yeah,” Stella said, “but we have to find the other half of the map to be able to go after her. All we know is that she’s in Iceland, kind of near some underground dragon city.”

  Tap cleared his throat. “I have the other half of the map.”

  My eyes flew open and I jumped from the chair. “You’ve been holding out on us?”

  “You and every other werewolf who’s come this way looking for that damned stone! I told you to stay away from it. I told her to stay away from it.”

  I brought the phone back to my ear and closed my eyes. “You heard Tap. We’ve got the other half of the map, Stella. I gotta go.” I ended the call and turned to Soleil. “Can you teleport us?”

  She glared at Tap. “You’d better provide some of your extra-rich essence, former troll king.”

  “That’s troll king to you.” He scowled. “And the both of you better stop looking at me like that. The only reason I told you about the map is because Victoria’s in trouble. We have to stop her before she finds the stone and wakes Fenrisúlfr.”

  “Prepare to have your essence drunk.” Soleil stepped toward him.

  “Maybe I should see if one of the witches can get us there with rune travel instead.”

  “You two figure that out—and stay right here.” Tap fled the room. A moment later, things banged around from another room.

  Soleil took a deep breath. “We don’t have time to wait for the witches. I’m here.”

  “And you’ve already teleported the two of us from Egypt. It isn’t fair of me to ask—”

  “I’m not doing it because you asked. It’s because one of my best friends is in trouble. I’ll drink Tap’s essence and be fine. Better than fine, actually. Like I said, his is richer. I could take a village around the world with just a sip of his essence.”

  Tap ran back into the room, holding a rolled up, faded brown paper. “I’ve got the map. Let’s go.”

  “Prepare your essence.” Soleil’s eyes turned electric green and her wings sprouted out, tearing the back of her shirt.

  I stepped away from them.

  Tap tucked the map into his jacket and closed his eyes. “Just take a little.”

  “That’s all I’ll need.” She put her hands on his face and opened her mouth. His opened in response, and a moment later, a blood-red mist swirled from his mouth into hers. Every other time I’d seen her drink essence, it had always been purple. Nearly as soon as it came out, it snapped back into his mouth.

  Soleil turned to me. Her eyes were glowing green—brighter than ever before. “Are you ready to go to Iceland?”

  “Yes.” I stepped closer.

  She put a hand on my shoulder and the other on Tap’s. She spoke in a foreign language. The room spun around me. I closed my eyes, feeling like I’d vomit. When salty sea air tickled my nose, I opened my eyes. We were in Iceland. I’d been there enough times to recognize it.

  It took a moment for the dizziness to wear off. I reached for my phone to call Hale.

  “That was a rush.” Soleil shook her head and blinked several times.

  “You’re welcome,” Tap grumbled.

  “Hey, don’t blame me.”

  I reached for my phone. It rang several times before Hale answered. “Toby?”

  “Yeah. Where are you? We’ve got the other half of the map.”

  “You do?” she screamed into the phone.

  “Yes. Where are you?”

&n
bsp; “I’m at the Fyrsturae mansion.”

  “We’re by the dragon city entrance. We need to connect the two halves of the map.”

  “I’ll be right there.” The call ended.

  Tap turned to me. “Do you have any idea how Victoria discovered the location without the map?”

  I shook my head. “She has the fever really bad.”

  “So have many others—believe me, I’ve seen most of them. But none of them have even found out it was in Iceland.”

  “Oh, I think some of them have. She figured out that much online.”

  Tap shook his head. “There’s something about everything online these days.”

  Soleil’s eyes lit up, still glowing green. “Maybe it was the combination of having the fever and part of the map.”

  “That’s not it,” Tap said. “I got my half from a werewolf who had the fever worse than anyone I’ve ever seen. He had no clue where the stone was.”

  Hale appeared in the distance. We ran over and met her halfway. She pulled her half of the map out from her purse. “You have the other part?”

  Tap dug into his coat and pulled out his map. They both unrolled what they had and held them together along the perfectly matching tears. The entire map lip up and a bright red line shone where we stood. It grew longer, heading toward the edge of Iceland not too far away. It stopped just before coming to the very end.

  “That’s it,” Tap said flatly. “The location of the stone so many have lost their lives trying to find.”

  “Right by the cliffs and caves.” Hale muttered something about vicious mermaids. “Let’s get to Victoria before she finds the stone.” She patted her overstuffed purse. “I brought some clothes—she’s going to need them.”

  I wished I could shift and run because it would be faster. Part of me worried that I actually could shift if I tried—what if she’d already found the stone and awakened the original werewolf?

  Chapter 16

  Victoria

  I opened my eyes. The cave was cold and dark—it chilled me to the bone as I lay with the cold rocks directly on my just-transformed human flesh. I pushed myself to sitting and gained my bearings. Water dripped from all sides of the cave, splashing into puddles. Some of the icy water splashed onto me. I rose and crept toward the back of the cave. It turned into a tunnel. Cold rocks pricked my feet.