by Sarah Elliot
No words were spoken; no howls filled the air, just the silence of the snow falling and the occasional caw of a hidden raven in the darkness of the woods. Stefina approached, baring a flaming torch and flanked by her daughters who carried oil-stained rags. Slowly they moved past their mother, careful to not allow any of the embers to touch the precious burdens they carried before laying them around their fallen brother in a set pattern, the last being folded out to fully cover the body.
Ekata watched with horrified fascination as Stefina stepped forward and placed the flaming torch against the nearest rag. It burst into flames which then spread to the others quickly in succession before roaring over the body and sinking into the wood and moss below. It was only at that moment that she realised that each of the rags represented each of the immediate family members of the wolf who had fallen and she felt fresh tears pool into her eyes.
However, something stirred within her, a calmness which she had never felt before and unconsciously she shifted her stance. The forest around her became a wash of noise as the birds chirped back and forth to one another, the insects scurried about and the wind whistled through the ancient bark. The river where she had met Fiero babbled over the stones and the delicate white flowers which had appeared seemed to rustle in a breeze that brought out their natural fragrance swirling back towards the pyre. Raising her head, her hood falling away as she did so, Ekata stared directly at the flames which rose high into the darkening sky. Everyone else present had their heads bowed in respect and memory.
“Eldora,” she whispered, feeling the wind respond to her as well as a faint stinging in her eyes and along her arms. “Bring forth your brother.”
Fiero turned to his mate, believing that he had heard her whispering some form of prayer but instead finding himself staring at something extraordinary. Ekata was standing where she had been but her hands were now outstretched towards the flames, the silver swirls on her body glistening brightly in the moonlight but the biggest change was her eyes that blazed a stunning white. She stared directly at the funeral pyre and he turned when the heat from the flames suddenly erupted in a dazzling array of white flames almost as if the falling snow had become part of it. The wood beneath crashed into the pit below and instantly the pack was alert, wavering and panicky.
But then from the depths of the flames there arose a wolf of white hot flames, and a burning blue gaze which could only be that of Jared’s. The creature stepped towards Ekata, the snow around its paws melting away instantly to reveal the soft spring-green grass and the gentle yellow of buttercups underneath. Ekata smiled towards the creature, her white eyes boring into the all-too familiar blue in an exchange of a silent conversation. The white fire wolf tilted his head back and let forth a howl of joy, youth and exuberance that spread through the hearts of all of those who were grieving. It was Jared’s call, the one that he had always used since he was a cub.
“Go now,” Ekata said with a smile. “We will wait for you.”
A sort of smile crossed the wolf’s face and despite being made of flames, the creature nuzzled harmlessly against the Volf before turning to his family and leaping playfully at them. Whether following some form of inner instinct or just the possibility that Jared was indeed back with them now, all of his brothers and sisters changed into their wolf forms and chased off after the white fire wolf with howls of joy and mischief almost as if they were cubs again. Rosario and Stefina stared on confused and bewildered but took off after their children after a quick glance between themselves and Ekata.
The female Volf was still staring in the same direction that she had been looking at before and as soon as the last tuft of grey fur disappeared into the distance, the white disappeared from her eyes and she collapsed to the ground. Fiero quickly moved, catching her and running his fingers across her skin which was burning hot but in a strangely pleasant way. “He is free,” she said, sounding overjoyed. “Fiero… I freed him. I didn’t…”
“Ekata?” he asked as the girl suddenly passed out in his arms, finding himself to be extremely confused and lost despite knowing deep down that this was something new. He glanced up at his Uncle Disreli, the only other wolf who had remained when the others took off after the fire wolf. “Do you know what has just happened?”
“Something that should be impossible.”
~~
Laid out to rest on the bed in Disreli’s room, Ekata appeared to be slumbering in the quietness of peace and relaxation. Something which Fiero had never actually witnessed her doing before. Gently he ran his fingers over the edges of her face and allowed a small smile to play across his own. “Even like this you are beautiful, my dearest.”
“If I wasn’t already fully aware that you had taken her as a mate, Fiero,” Disreli said with slow and deliberate words, “I would have more than suspected it by now. I am glad that you were her choice in the end.”
“In the end?” Fiero turned back to look at the elder, his fingers not quite leaving the human flesh which was a very good sign in the elder’s opinion. It spoke of a deeper connection; one that normally would have to be forged over months of courtship and tribulations. In comparison to some, these two had barely known each other a week and were already so well connected that they appeared to be an old loving couple.
Still he nodded slowly. “Yes, even though I have returned to my family over the last few years, I have kept a careful watch on our mysterious little guest for a long time. Longer than many would have been prepared to admit but I am pleased with this outcome for I believe it may prove to the darkest path that brings us to the point of true light.”
“You’re speaking in riddles, old man,” Fiero said in a friendly but rather warning manner, almost as if he didn’t like the idea of what the other was suggesting even though he had no possible way of knowing what it was. Another good sign, clearly the boy’s soul was far more ancient than anyone had previously guessed and that was a good thing.
Disreli smiled. “Your father used to say the exact same words when he was your age. I used to spend hours making him go crazy with them but I get the impression that would more than likely just annoy you.”
Curiosity caught, the young werewolf turned fully to look at Disreli. It was very rare that anyone spoke of his father, not out of disrespect as he had once foolishly believed but more strangely out of a great deal of respect for the other. He was sometimes told that he was very much like his father, in his mannerisms and things he would say but even Rosario would rarely talk about the other wolf in any great detail, simply saying that he was a man who Fiero should recall only when the time was right to do so. Fiero had accused him of sounding too much like Disreli and had promptly dropped the matter, something which was apparently a very likable if irritating habit, he had gained from his mother.
“What does he have to do with this?” He wanted to know so much more about the mysterious man but felt that there was something just a little more pressing him right now. “With what happened to Ekata?”
The elder sighed, shifting slightly. “He has little to do with this situation per se but he played a more important role in the beginning. Such a long time ago.”
Fiero was definitely curious now and leaned forward a little, “What role did he play? Please, Uncle, even if is a minor thing it may help us now. Can’t you speak of…” Suddenly the cub paused, turning back to look at his mate who had started to mewl quietly in pain. “Ekata?” Gently, he moved the girl so that she was leaning on his body as her temperature had dropped drastically.
Disreli took the opportunity to quietly flick a small bottle over that was just out of the eye line of the two cubs to his eyes and allowed the small purple dust clouds to drift over to the pair.
Slowly the amber eyes opened and the girl looked up at Fiero with confusion. “Is the blood moon rising?” she whispered before their eyes locked together.
Chapter 12
Blood Moon Rising
Siren watched as her brother paced back and forth in an agitated
manner, her eyes glistening slightly as mischief and mayhem rose in her mind. “What troubles you, brother?” she asked, tilting her head to the side childishly.
A snarl was her reward and the elder vampire continued to pace back and forth in the same pattern until the younger finally grew distracted enough to rise and start moving off. “Don’t you feel it?” The tone was bitter, confused and mixed with an unconfirmed emotion which was trying desperately to hide itself behind the others.
It was the first time that Siren could clearly remember hearing the other sounding concerned and it worried her far more than anything else about this situation. Slowly she turned to look at her elder brother, noting that there was a change to his stance, instead of standing tall and proud with a cocky air about him, Mephistopheles somehow seemed smaller, more gangly and less – the word escaped her when those light grey eyes landed on her and Siren felt a jolt of shock go through her mind.
However, before the thoughts could connect properly, the other vampire snarled dangerously, “Do you feel the change in the air, Siren?”
The girl pulled herself together. “You mean the atmosphere? Yes, I do feel it. Hence why I am going to hunt.”
Mephistopheles stared dumbfounded at the beauty of Siren’s voice, how it flowed and moved now instead of sounding like a whiny little child who had to be controlled and shouted at constantly. Standing before him was a vampire lady, not a broken doll whom he could manipulate and it just confirmed his suspicion that something was going on here that was far greater than he could understand. It had to do with that wolf of fire, or maybe that was the trigger or a result of what was going on. Something had shifted, something had changed and some inner instinct was telling him that it should be impossible for this to be happening.
“Are you not scared by it?” Mephistopheles said, seeming to come aware of his own voice for a second, how the pitch had changed and altered, going back to a more bratty tone rather than his cruel schooled elegance.
“No, I am hungry,” Siren replied, turning away from her brother. “You are free to join me should you wish though.”
For the first time in what felt like forever, the elder vampire didn’t want to be on his own. Normally he would crave the silence and the freedom from his mewling and pathetic excuses for siblings but tonight he wanted nothing more than to remain by the other. “I don’t know what you could be possibly hunting,” he scoffed but followed. “There’s only vile werewolves around here.”
“There’s a town not too far away,” Siren replied, moving through the growing darkness like water but never straying too far from her elder brother who was following along behind like some lost puppy. “With plenty of fresh necks ready to be drained.”
A smirk crossed Mephistopheles’ features; maybe that was what he was missing. He hadn’t drunk fresh blood for a long while as he had been so focused on tracking down that obnoxious bastard sister of his. Yes, that was a good enough explanation for him and devouring a few virgins would set him back on the right track. He let Siren lead, since she seemed to be aware of where she was going and pretended that he wasn’t disturbed by the fact that she knew and he didn’t. The Den’s defenses virtually shimmered in the trees, and the elder vampire frowned at them as he passed, noting that they were far more complicated than he had previously thought as well as being highly advanced. This was no ordinary pack defense system, these wards and curses were of a level that he had never personally seen.
All thoughts were driven out of his head about the wards when from in front of him a scream ripped through the night and his head snapped to the side. Siren had entered a patch of open ground and at first glance appeared to have tripped. Normally he would have scoffed at her silly movements and berated her for being stupid. But there was something about that wail which spoke instinctively to him and despite his years of not caring in the slightest for his younger siblings, Mephistopheles found himself running forward to grab the girl and pull her into a hug. She was still screaming as he tried to pull her away, incoherent nonsense spilling out of her mouth as per usual and the elder vampire raised his head up to the sky to see what could have possibly distressed her so.
His eyes widened in shock. “No, no way! This is not possible...” The grey eyes tore away from the horrendous object above him and instead focused on the wailing Siren. “Come on! We have to move. Rise, Siren, you have to walk, now!” Mephistopheles virtually dragged the girl upright and started pulling her away from the monstrosity in the sky. He took note of the shadows, how they were like deep pools of ink which were highlighted by the horrid grungy yellow light that was being cast around, the edges of the trees tinged with red. Only once had he gone through this nightmare and he never wanted to experience it ever again. Running blindly, keeping a firm grip on his sister, the vampire stumbled into yet another clearing but here there was a cave in the forest wall.
However, standing outside was a figure, long black hair flowing freely, shimmering in the strange ethereal light that managed to be cast about on this most dangerous night. The creature’s tanned skin seemed to glow from within and intricate swirls of silver glistered like distant stars. Mephistopheles just managed to slam his hand over Siren’s mouth to stifle the scream and felt his own heart beat rapidly. Some inner instinct was telling him to run, to get away from this monster but he didn’t dare make a move or a sound.
There was a sudden movement and the figure turned, the black of the robe she wore making it appear that she was cloaked in a deeper darkness than surrounded her and blazing orange-red eyes with black slits bore into the elder’s. He could feel the deadly power behind that gaze, knew that if she wanted then he would be dead in less than a second. So this is the real power of the silver, the rational part of his mind managed to think no wonder Mother craves it so.
Taking a step back when Ekata took a step towards them, exposing her glistening white fangs with the clear intention to devour their very souls, Mephistopheles found himself entranced. He suddenly couldn’t move, even though he knew that he needed to run and not look back until he was safe. The dark ethereal figure took a few more steps towards him and still he couldn’t move. He knew that if he didn’t then his death would be swift and unpleasant but there was nothing that allowed him to even break away from that deadly stare.
Suddenly an arrow thunked into the ground in front of the Volf from the side and the creature turned, snarling in the same direction. Mephistopheles didn’t need a second invitation, not even bothering to glance back over his shoulder to see who had unwittingly given them the chance to run and escape.
Raphael smirked to himself as he drew forth his own sword. “Always said that you were a coward underneath all of your abilities,” he whispered towards the retreating form of the vampire but kept his focus on the creature in front of him. “I won’t let you hurt yourself or anyone else tonight, my dearest little sister, at least until Fiero comes and pulls you back from the brink.” His own heart was hammering wildly in his chest but he had faced far worse than this situation in the past and wasn’t about to be taken down by his beautiful baby sister.
~~
Prying open his silver eyes, Fiero was surprised to find himself back in his own bedroom but something didn’t feel right. Automatically he twisted his head to the side; instinctively knowing that his mate was not beside him as she ought to be right now but there was something else. Something more pressing that had the guardian worrying. The house was silent, but not of slumber, it was a different kind. As if everyone feared to speak too loud.
The young werewolf frowned, an inner instinct telling him it would be foolhardy to try and break the silence but he also knew that he had to find Ekata before something terrible happened. He rose slowly out of bed, letting his senses roam freely but finding that the world almost seemed to be trapped in some kind of fog that blurred all of his senses to the point where he was just about aware of where he was in the room.
Flicking his ear, he listened deeply trying to focus but found t
hat it was far harder to do than it had ever been before. Almost as if the world was deliberately trying to keep him from something and that thought annoyed him. However, he was aware that something was different with Ekata, she was further away than he had ever expected her to go but she wasn’t too far. There was something though, something different about the way she felt. Almost as if something had been released, something that had been trapped for a very long time.
A feeling of dread passed over Fiero and he ran to the window, throwing open the curtains only to reel back at the sight of the full moon. Only this time, instead of being a blazing white, it was blood red. Fiero forced himself to look at it, fighting against every inner instinct that he had to turn tail and hide in the darkest corner until the horrible thing passed and pray that he never come across it ever again. But he knew that this was not the first blood moon he had seen, he knew that he had faced it once before and won out and he wasn’t going to be beaten by it this day.
“You won’t stop me,” he spoke aloud, fingernails extending as he dug into the windowsill to keep himself standing. “I will find her, for better or worse and I will not fear you.”
Turning away, he made a grab for his old haversack bag which held a few odds and ends which he always found useful. Throwing a few extra items in without really paying attention to what they were, Fiero willed himself to become a wolf, the change hurting more so than it had done in years but he simply gritted his teeth and made the full transformation. Taking the backpack in his teeth, the large black wolf made strong but slow steps throughout the den, taking note of every last detail and realising that most of his brethren were completely consumed by the raging fear.