Rosie

by Jessica Cage

  “Funny, it feels like it is.” Ardyn pulled his hair back, tightening the holder that held the ponytail at the back of his neck. His hair was getting out of control, but he didn’t cut it because Zaria liked to play with the long, silken strands. It was the one thing he did that made her happy, he’d have to work on being better at that. Perhaps that would be easier when he wasn’t so consumed with thoughts of his former home.

  “How’s that?”

  “If I hadn’t come back here, none of this would have happened.” Of course he blamed himself. The only reason Ryesen had been exposed to any of what went down at The Peaks is because she’d been put on babysitting duties. If she hadn’t been tasked with keeping an eye on Ardyn and his friends, she wouldn’t have encountered any of it. “She would still be safe. My being here is the only reason Ryesen was in that damn field or put in a position of vulnerability.”

  “As I understand it, Akasha was the one to bring trouble to our door when she made a deal with the devil. How is that your fault? And if you hadn’t come, what would have happened? She may have succeeded in her plot, and countless lives would have been lost because of it.” Coming to Ardyn’s side, he placed his hand on his son's shoulder. “You did a good thing here. Casualties happen in times of strife. We wish like hell that we could avoid them all, but we simply cannot.”

  “I don’t know what to do now. I have to help, but I don’t know how.”

  “You can start by checking in on the bear king,” his father asserted. “Bukai has been out of commission for far too long, and rumor has it, he won’t be attending the summit. The implications of his absence will not go unchecked. We’re already vulnerable with everything that happened with Akasha. The shifters do not need anything else weighing against us. On top of everything else, Felidae is without a ruler, Magua won’t take the seat. That is our biggest concern.”

  “Has anyone tried to reach him?”

  “I’m sure they have. However, I haven’t and don’t plan on it. I have too much to do here. Perhaps, since my second is unavailable right now, and I have to go away on duty, you, my son, can step up and handle that for me?”

  “Me?” Ardyn couldn’t believe what his father was asking. This was official pack business, and last he checked, he was no longer a part of the pack.

  “Yes, I believe you are capable,” he responded matter-of-factly.

  “What do you need me to do?” Ardyn would not question his father a second time. He knew it was best to accept the gesture for what it was—an olive branch—and move forward. Perhaps his father wanted to take a step toward healing their relationship.

  “As I stated,” turning, he grabbed a sheet of paper from his desk to hand to his son, “start with the bears and work your way from there. Something is happening, and I can’t be sure what it is. You’ve been involved with this a lot longer than any of us You have a better chance than anyone of understanding what we’re up against here. Take that little spitfire with you,” he said in reference to Zaria, “and figure this out. You’re stronger than anyone here, and I know you can hold your own against whatever they throw at you.”

  “No escort this time?”

  “I don’t think you need one. Besides, they would only slow you down, and something tells me that this matter requires a bit of urgency.” He paused, considering the woman who hadn’t returned with Ardyn. “Where is your friend?”

  “She stayed behind to try to help Ryesen’s situation.”

  “Hmm, I like her. There is something about her that calms you. Even now, your wolf feels different than the last time you were here … not so lost, not as frantic.” He cocked his head to the side. “She did that for you, didn’t she?”

  “Yes, she’s helped me reconnect with him,” Ardyn replied proudly. “I lost him somewhere along the way, but we are in sync yet again.”

  “Good, a strong wolf needs a strong mate.” His father nodded. “It’s good that you two have found each other. Lost souls need good company.”

  “Mate …” Ardyn had thought of Zaria as such, but never thought he would say it out loud, and the last person he thought he’d admit it to was his father. He feared that the man would see it as another act of betrayal to him and his people.

  “That is what she is.” Kamshi tapped his son on the shoulder. “You two are bonded, son, your spirit to hers. The mated bond doesn’t only happen wolf to wolf. She is a shifter, just as you are. Even if the phoenix isn’t of this realm, their magic is quite similar to our own.”

  “You know?” Ardyn looked shocked that his father seemed so knowledgeable about things he had not divulged.

  “Of course I know what she is. She smells of fire and ash, just like a bird I knew once upon a time.” He smiled in a wistful memory. “This one is stronger than her, and she is like you, am I right? Changed by the magic of that warlock.”

  “Yes, you are.” Ardyn smiled. It was good to know that he wasn’t alone anymore, a solitary freak of nature.

  “Good, good. Well, get yourselves together. I trust that you will handle things well.”

  “Thank you, Father.” Ardyn nodded his appreciation for his father’s trust.

  “Yeah.” He turned his back to him but spoke once more. “Welcome home son.”

  The two djinns appeared outside of the frozen lands of the polar bears. Once on the endangered list, they were now the greatest population of bear both shifter and non. Their growth was largely in thanks to their current king and his magical list of ex-wives. The polar kingdom was a fortress that sat in the heart of the bear territories with other outlier habitats surrounding them. Ardyn and Zaria once again opted to continue to ignore the rules of the land and used their magic to move throughout the territories, taking them from the home of the wolves, directly to the gates of the polars. Their sudden arrival, however, was not easily welcomed by the bears who stood guard at the gates. Before the swirls of green and red smoke could clear, the massive beasts were on top of them. They were surrounded by six large polar bears, all with their teeth bared and bodies armored. The foremost growled a warning before shifting to its human form. Where once stood a tower of white fur was now a petite frame of a woman who looked far too small to house such a powerful creature inside of her.

  “Who are you and what do you want?” She demanded that they respond. Though her body was small it was muscular and covered in tattoos. The most impressive was a bear head that looked like the one she’d just shifted from. The ink stretched across her chest, slightly revealed by the cut of her armor, a badge of honor.

  “My name is Ardyn, and this is Zaria. We are friends of Bukai. We fought by his side at the Peak.” Ardyn paused to allow for the recognition to click. They knew exactly who he was but still they would not be easing up. He’d have to do a lot better than mentioning he knew the king. “I’m just here to check on him. There have been reports that he was hurt. I wanted to be sure that he is okay. And if he is injured, perhaps Zaria and I could be of some assistance.”

  “Your magic is not needed here,” the woman growled. “You stink of it! The same dark magic that brought this evil upon our territory. It is within you, both of you.” The woman looked as though she would spit on the two of them. “Leave, now.”

  “I think if you brought this matter to Bukai, he would have a different opinion on the matter,” Zaria boldly confronted her.

  “I think that your opinion, thoughts, concerns, and whatever else, are of no matter here. You will not enter. Leave this place.” The unnamed woman issued her warning laced with the threat of her people. They would not allow their intrusion.

  Ardyn’s wolf did not take kindly to the underlying threat in her tone. Zaria’s hand rested on his arm, a warning to her mate to calm down. This was not the time to fight. They would find another way to figure out what was going on inside of the polar kingdom.

  “Fine, we will leave.” Ardyn threw his hands up, but was sure to cast his own warning look at the leader. “We will be back.”

  “At your
own risk,” she spit back as the two vanished from the space in front of them. The bears roared, issuing the warning to the guards who watched over their boundaries. The dark magic had returned, and it wore a friendly mask. Before Ardyn and Zaria could leave they’d already reinforced their boundaries.

  “What are we going to do now?” Zaria whispered as they turned their back on the bears and walked away.

  Ardyn shrugged. “Visit an old friend and hope for a better outcome.” All they could do was hope that the rest of the shifters wouldn’t take the same attitude toward them.

  This time when they materialized, they were met with the business end of seven freshly sharpened spears pointed at their necks. Zaria rolled her eyes at the all but empty threat from the jaguar guards. If she wanted to, she could take them all out with the snap of her finger.

  “This archaic greeting is getting old, and fast.” Ardyn eyed the woman whose spear pressed against his Adam’s apple. If they were going to be attacked at every stop, their timeline was going to suffer.

  “Why have you returned here?” Danis, the head of the Jaguar guard, stood at her post with several more by her side. From the sounds of rustling in the treetops above them, Ardyn could tell that there were more than those who stood before him with their weapons sticking into his neck guarding their boundary. It seemed everyone had strengthened their borders to outside threats.

  “I’ve come here to see Magua,” Ardyn stated plainly, mentally preparing himself for the same rejection as before. The jaguars had even less reason to trust them than the bears.

  “Who else is with you?” Danis peered around them, realizing that they were missing the majority of the crew that came with them the last time.

  “It’s just the two of us,” Zaria answered.

  “Do not lie!” she forced through gritted teeth.

  “I swear, it’s only the two of us.” Ardyn pulled Danis’ focus back to him and away from his mate. “Everyone else is gone. I’m just here to try to figure out what the hell is going on. I’ve gotten troubling reports and I want to help make things right.”

  “Hmm,” she pondered for a moment. “It’s about time one of you assholes returned to fix the mess you made. You come here, destroy this land on your quest to save one girl, and then leave it to burn.”

  Zaria spoke again. “That was never our intention.”

  “Good intention is often the catalyst for total devastation. It might do you some good to remember that.” She commanded the guards to fall back, and the spear tips lowered from their faces. “Magua is inside, but I cannot promise that he will be welcoming of you.”

  The mechanical doorway that was hidden in camouflage behind them opened to reveal the jaguar city. “Use your magic, and go. You’ve already tainted our lands with it.” She shooed them away. The guards would not leave their post to escort them to the heart of Lagial.

  The inner city of their territory was nothing like it was the first time they visited. There was no sign of life. The pond at the base of the massive waterfall, which sat in the center of the city, was vacant. There were no children playing in the water, no adults to watch over them as they conversed. The homes sat facing the center, dark and quiet.

  “This isn’t right,” Zaria whispered, afraid her voice would disrupt the delicate nature of their surroundings.

  “Nothing here is right anymore.” Ardyn’s heart dropped. This was what Danis was referring to. Their magic had only touched the place for a moment, and in that time, it had left an ugly mark on their world. Everything and everyone were silent; even the grand waterfall—though it still flowed—felt still, and lifeless. “What did we do?”

  “Ardyn, brother, you've returned,” Magua’s deep voice called to him. “It is good to see you here again.”

  “Yet, I’m shocked that I didn’t get my head cut off at the door. The welcome was not so nice in the polar kingdom.” Ardyn was relieved to see that Magua, unlike the rest of the people they encountered, didn’t seem to hold any grudge toward them for the events that had unfolded. “If it’s anything there like it is here … well, I guess I understand the welcome party.”

  “Ah, yes, they’re on edge. Bukai is not doing so well.” Magua rubbed his head. “I’ve tried to reach out but to no avail. They are a private people. If something is wrong, they will handle it, in their own way, without input from the world.”

  “You know what’s wrong with him?” Ardyn asked with hope that the jaguar leader could offer them something of substance to go off.

  “Yes,” Magua paused, “I was with him when it happened.”

  “When what happened?” Zaria asked. She’d been hoping for more information, as much as they could get. She needed to understand what was happening if they had any hope of saving not only Ryesen, but apparently the bear king. She thought of the woman she’d left suspended in time. She’d tried to help ease her pain, but each cast of her magic only seemed to make matters worse. Freezing her in time and space was the only thing she could think to do to stall the progression of the infliction, and that would only last for so long.

  “We were wrapping up things at the peak. We’d returned in hopes of cleaning up the mess that was made and trying to get things back to normal. There were still a lot of people left without homes because of Akasha. We hoped to be able to fix the land enough so that they could start to get back their lives. I’m not sure the exact order of events. There was a lot of strange activity in the area after all was said and done. Bukai was on his own. I didn’t see exactly what happened, but I was on the north end of the field issuing tasks to my men when I heard him scream out. The scream turned to the most gruesome growl I think I’ve ever heard. I ran for him, and when I made it there, I found him standing where the altar was, covered in the blood of his own. He looked horrified. He stared at his paws as if struggling to understand what happened, and then, he attacked. It took ten of us to subdue him, and four hits with a very large tranquilizer to knock him out. Something was different, it was like he didn't understand us at all. When he shifted, it was as if the man was no more. He couldn’t speak to us, he couldn’t stop himself. There was something in his eyes, some part of him was holding on. Fighting against himself, but he was losing.”

  “Shit, I had no idea. Why didn’t anyone reach out? I would have come back.” Ardyn felt the guilt swelling inside of himself again. They had really left things in a bad way, and no matter what his father said, he knew if he hadn’t returned, things would have turned out differently for his friends.

  “No offense, but you and your group kinda hightailed it out of here pretty quickly. It was after you left that shit got bad, and no one knew how to reach you.” Magua shrugged. “A lot of people just assumed you got what you came for and this was no longer your concern.”

  “Damn, you’re right.” He nodded with full understanding as to how that may have been the message received by the people of his home.

  “Anyway, the polar guard got him out of there. I tried to visit, to check on him, but I was pushed away. Just like you were.” There was a level of pain in his voice that didn’t fit, but he quickly brushed it aside. “Like I said, they like to handle things in their own time and on their own terms.”

  “I hear there is trouble in feline territory and you’re avoiding taking your place as its new leader,” Ardyn stated, changing the topic.

  “My place is not at the throne of Felidae. I told you, Akasha was a paranoid bitch. I never wanted that. I’m where I belong, with my people.” Magua looked around his somber land and grunted. “That world, we aren’t a part of it anymore, and haven’t been for a long time. They’re all tantalized by magic. They’ve gotten away from the reason we chose to isolate ourselves here from the rest of the world. Magic, no offense, but the kind you wield now, it’s toxic and it infects anyone who comes in contact with it. They’ve abandoned our traditions and invited that into our world. Now look at this place. Look at what it did to us. The pull of power is too strong, and I want nothing to do wi
th it. I’d rather protect my people, those who have been by my side this entire time. If I go there, I leave them, and this home vulnerable. I will not do that.”

  “I understand your views. I’m not here to convince you to do anything you don’t want to do. As you aren’t assuming the lead here and won’t be attending the summit with the others, I would like to ask a favor.” Ardyn wanted to diffuse any suspicion that may be growing in Magua’s mind. His concern was not political.

  Magua raised a suspicious brow. “What’s that?”

  “I need to go there, to Felidae. My father has asked me to investigate things. Will you come with me? To visit, not to stay,” Ardyn added for clarification. “I have to do this. It means a lot that he has even trusted me with this … I can’t fail him.”

  “I suppose that won’t hurt. Danis can hold the fort here while I am away.” Magua scratched his chin, considering what other arrangements he would need to make before leaving. “There is much to be done before I can go.”

  Ardyn nodded. “Of course. Time is of the essence, but we realize that you have to take care of things here first.”

  “I hate to ask what seems like a rude question, but why is it like this here?” Zaria’s curiosity had finally got the best of her. “The last time we were here your home was so full of life, vibrancy.”

  “We are in mourning. We lost a lot of good men out there. The fight didn’t end when you all left. A lot of shifters turned feral, and … well, I don't think it’s over. We’re grieving over the loss and fearful for more to come.” Magua paused. “Jenai didn't make it back here.”

  Remembering the young girl who acted as their guide through the dangerous areas that surrounded Lagial and into the bear territory, Zaria covered her mouth and gasped. If it weren’t for her they wouldn’t have made it out alive. “Oh, no.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” Ardyn shook his head. “So much loss, and for what?”