by Skye Winters
I watched her as I spoke, craning my neck to study whatever she had in her hands. She frowned, put the bottle down, and reached for another. The process continued, and by the time I finished explaining what had happened, she'd collected five different potions and had them sitting on a table between us.
She pressed her palms on the table and had a look of defeat on her face. Her shoulders dropped as she glanced at the vials, picking up each one in turn before setting them aside. "The deep magic I wield and the agreement I made with your mother forbids me to interfere in pack society." When she looked at me again, a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "That said, all rules drop when foul play is involved, and it sounds like we're on the right side of that very thin line between following the law and abusing it for personal gain. And that’s something I can work with. Here."
I joined her on the other side of the table to study what she'd collected in the center. There was a single vial with golden liquid inside as well as a book nearly identical to the one my father had given me.
She stilled my hand when I reached for it. "We'll get to that in a bit," she promised, dragging it closer to her side of the table. "This is what we need to discuss right now. Are you familiar with what this is?" She nodded to the vial.
I furrowed my brow, but without being able to smell the mixture, it could've been any number of things. "Hard to say just by looking at it."
"Oh, Honey, this isn't something you'd want to experience with your other senses." She almost laughed as she drew it away from me. "Care to take another guess?"
"Wolfsbane."
"Right you are."
"But how? Just touching the stuff can make you sick."
She held up the vial so it caught the light coming in through the window. "This is only made from the roots, boiled down and heated again. I did, however, take some liberties of adding other herbs to make the effects more... controlled against wolves."
I stared at the clear, amber liquid. There must've only been enough in there for a single wolf, unless she'd planned to use it for non-lethal reasons. There was a fair amount of Wolfsbane within the boundary. All wolves avoided it. Getting close enough to smell or touch it left our wolves sick. Same for humans, or so I'd been told.
We never would've been able to cook it let alone find a way to use it against other packs without risking our own pack's health.
Until now.
Surrena really was going to even our odds.
"What will happen once it's used?" I asked as she placed the vial in a pocket along her belt.
"If given to the wolf, it will force him to shift and will wipe all memories of pack life. He'll be unable to shift and will become another senseless human running about without a thought in the world for anyone but himself."
"Sounds like Devlin's already got the right mindset."
"Yes, it would seem so. But I must reiterate, only inject this into a wolf's pelt, otherwise the exact opposite will occur. A frightened human with a recent memory wipe isn't a threat, but a freaked out wolf still has the tendency to bite. And one infected by the Wolfsbane can bring even more harm to your family."
I checked the shelves behind her, but I'd only seen a single bottle of poison. "And the other wolves?"
"Unless they're as hell-bent on becoming alpha as this Devlin is, they should disperse once he's been dealt with. At the very least, a pack without a leader means they'll have no unified direction, and then you can pick them off however you like. Hell, you could kill this lead wolf for all I care, but it’d be better if you inject him to set an example to other rogues who may come into the area."
"You sure know a lot about our kind without being a wolf."
She laughed then. "I had some very formal training." Surrena handed me the book of herbs and opened it to a page toward the back. "This will reverse the effects of the Wolfsbane if it should touch any of your wolves outside a lethal dose. It's fast acting, so long as you have the herbs available. It may not become a concern, but like with any weapon, you must be prepared if it backfires."
I nodded and hugged the book to my chest. "My father had a book just like this."
Surrena agreed. "A gift before I left. I thought he may have gotten rid of it by now—"
"It was destroyed in the fire."
"Which is why we'll be taking that with us. Even if there's no need for an antidote, the information inside is invaluable to both human and wolf alike. If your mother is ill, chances are we'll find the answers we seek in there."
She double-checked the belt around her waist and knelt in front of a bookshelf, pulling out a handful of books to reveal a small compartment where she kept her gun. I got a better look at it as she stood, shoved it in one of the leather pockets of her belt and snapped it in place.
"You were the one who gave my father his gun." It wasn't a question, and the way she froze just then, I knew it was true. "But why? If you were both at such odds—if dark magic doesn't allow you to interfere—why give it to him?"
She exhaled and the illusion around her form flickered, then dropped to reveal a woman much older than myself. "Because." Her shoulders dropped as though every bit of resolve cost too much energy. "He knew. He knew about my attraction to your mother and hers to me. He knew I would do anything—anything to protect her as well as her family. Back then, the packs were fighting over territory that at one time had been shared without conflict. As is with most generations of wolf, one young wolf got too cocky and tried to throw out the current alpha. Your father."
I'd heard this story before. It hadn't been Devlin, but it was much of the same. One wolf not agreeing to pack law and wanting to make a name for himself while tossing out any wolf who got in his way. But the causalities back then were nothing compared to what we'd faced recently.
"The deep magic would push me away from your mother if I agreed, but there was no way I was capable of, let alone strong enough, to protect your pack at the size it was back then. My reach is limited, and every illusion I make outside my own body is taxing, to say the least. So I did what I could and found your father a gun no human would miss."
"But if the magic would keep you away, how can you help us now?" And are you any stronger than you were back then?
We wouldn't need just one illusion. Our pack needed whatever she could offer, even herself if it came down to it.
"Because, you are the new generation. You're old enough to lead, and like it or not, you are an alpha. You coming here breaks the veil that would keep me out, and if you'll let me, I'd very much like to return to the woman I love before she is lost to this world completely. Do that for me, and I will do whatever it takes—whatever you ask. I will do that and more."
"Even if it means sacrificing your own life?" I snapped my mouth shut, but the words had already passed over my lips.
"Yes." She didn't hesitate. She didn't even blink. Was she expecting to die? "I don't take matters lightly, especially those involving your pack. But this call, your mother's summon... it’s one I cannot ignore. Even if my body were cemented in place, my heart would still find its way back to her, and I'd very much prefer to do it in person. Not the afterlife. Though I don't expect an alpha to understand that unless she shares her heart the way I share mine."
She was the best chance we had at saving my mother and dealing with Devlin, and even if I hadn't shared a bond with another female—even if I didn't share her views, I still would've accepted her help. The way she guarded herself then told me I wouldn't get anything else from her unless I allowed her to come with me. And that was something I had no problem doing.
The pack had faced worse within the boundary from other wolves. If my mother trusted this woman, if she loved this woman, I had no reason to shut her out. If I did, I would've been no better than my father.
But he gave you his blessing.
Not in the beginning. I couldn't hold this huntress back. But until I formally invited her, until I took her to the edge of our territory, there was no way she could joi
n us in our fight.
"You can tell me more about what you plan to do on the way. With luck, we can reach the border before dusk and remain at your cabin until I can get some information from inside."
Surrena gathered a few more items, including a bow and arrows. "Anything else before we leave?"
My stomach growled, loud enough for her to probably hear, but I shook my head. "Let's go."
Chapter Five
The walk back to the cabin was more taxing than expected without something in my stomach. Granted, Rowan wasn’t due back for a few more days, but I also didn't want to risk someone else moving in while I was away. So, along the hard roads and paths we went, sharing silence as our minds wandered in different directions.
Surrena slung her bow over her shoulder, adjusted it, changed arms and adjusted it again. The bowed wood didn't seem that heavy and appeared to be expertly made. I figured she was restless and it was the best thing she could find for her hands to do.
I shoved mine in my pockets to hide them whenever I clenched my fists. My wolf was still very much asleep, but every time a branch snapped beneath our feet, my heart skipped and my stomach tightened even more.
Outside the boundary, there was the possibility of getting attacked from all sides. Both humans and wolves had the ability to kill. Jaws or iron—it made no difference to me. I swallowed hard and set my eyes on the tree line ahead as Surrena balanced her life between worlds.
I breathed a little easier once the orange glow from the human settlement shrunk behind us and gave way to a starlit night. The sky was clear without a single drop of rain hanging overhead.
Moonlight pierced through the dark velvet atmosphere and fell onto our backs the closer we got to the cabin. There was just enough light to see by so long as I didn't go searching the surrounding tree cover for wolves that may have decided to drop by.
"You mentioned an informant earlier," Surrena said, her voice booming compared to the quiet night. "Can your wolf be trusted?"
I didn't even think on it. "Yes. I'm as sure of that as I am my own life."
She paused and knelt down to pick a handful of dried branches from the ground. "That's a bold statement, comparing your trust with an individual to the life of an alpha. Tell me something. When do you expect he'll be back?"
"She," I corrected her as I kept my eyes on the tree line.
"And you're expecting her soon?" Surrena looked at me, following my line of vision moments later to the emptiness I continued to search among the trees.
"Not really." I pulled my attention away from the wooded area to meet her gaze. "There wasn't a set time. She comes every few days."
"And her last visit?" Surrena pried, dropping her load of branches into a pile not far from the cabin.
"Yesterday morning." Something coiled around the base of my spine, but I shook it off. "She's been going between myself and my mother."
"No one's taken notice of her absence? Your informant I mean."
I shook my head. "She's an omega. She isn't a huntress, an alpha or anything remotely close to a threat as far as Devlin and his wolves are concerned."
"And you?" Surrena shoved a knee into the dirt beside the pile of dried timber and glanced in my direction. "There must've been a reason as to why you chose her over your family. What of your brothers?"
"Too obvious."
"I understand that. What I mean is, why pick this wolf over them? You say she's trustworthy, but how can you be sure?"
"I don't think that's any of your concern."
"Oh, but I do." She continued to talk in another tongue, bringing the branches to life with an orange flame.
"What are you doing?" I almost screamed, pulling one of the branches from the pile to roll it in the dust until the fire went out. "Are you trying to get us killed? They don't know we're here, and if it's okay with you, I'd like to keep it that way."
Surrena frowned, stood up and brushed her hands off on her shirt. "You said you aren't expecting your wolf for a while. Time is critical. How else are we going to get your informant's attention?"
You mean along with everyone else? I bit my tongue and shoved my hands in my pockets. Problem was, I didn't have an answer for her. Without knowing exactly where Devlin was keeping my family, I couldn't walk blindly into the boundary. One wrong move and you'll end up joining them.
No thanks to Surrena.
I took a breath and let it out slowly. My temples throbbed as my heightened sense of alarm passed. "I... I don't know."
"Well, we can't stay out here forever." She stepped away from the remaining embers and headed into the house.
I looked at the dying branches one last time, kicked some dirt on top for good measure, and then followed after her. "I wasn't planning on staying that long," I said, closing the door behind me as Surrena lit an old lamp with her magic.
She dropped her bow and arrows on the bed and settled down beside them. Her eyes were closed, and at first I thought she was ignoring me, but soon the room around us came to life, taking on what must've been its original form. The cracked glass was no more, and the few holes in the roof disappeared.
The stain on the floorboards dried up and shrunk until it too was a faint memory.
I studied the warm illusion surrounding us and sat in a small chair that I hadn't noticed when I'd come here on my own. "This isn't going to disappear once you open your eyes, is it?"
She smiled but kept her eyes shut. "These fibers are used to changing shape and remaining that way so long as I'm near. If this were a new area, something that’s never experienced my magic before, then yes. It would vanish as soon as I lost my concentration."
"Which means making illusions and keeping them within the pack will be very short-lived."
"Perhaps." Surrena drew her quiver of arrows into her lap. "Do you know why I brought this with me?"
I shrugged. "Defense?"
She smirked. "Illusions are the only thing I need to keep harm at bay."
"Then why carry them with you at all?" There must've been at least thirty arrows inside the quiver, and the way Surrena had kept adjusting their weight on our way up here, they must not have been very light.
She removed an arrow and played with the tip on the end of her finger. "These are familiar with my magic. We're old friends, the arrows and I."
Okay. Clearly years of using dark magic had gone to her head.
"Think about it," she said as she studied the arrow. "What reason would I have for these if I brought a gun with me as well?"
"More protection?"
"The gun, possibly. These arrows though..." She stood and handed one to me. "Do they feel heavy to you?"
"No." In fact, they were evenly balanced.
She waved her hand and smiled when the arrow morphed into a snake that coiled around my arm.
I blinked, and the illusion was gone.
"Just like this beaten old house, I've spent more time turning those arrows into something they're not instead of keeping them as they are. Whenever I brought humans up here to hunt, the animals I made them see were connected to these small projectiles. I never missed a shot because, in essence, the arrow and its target were the same thing."
"Okay," I said, handing the arrow back to her. "You've told me what you can use them for, but I still don't understand why you brought them all the way up here."
She added the arrow to her quiver and set them aside. "Because, those arrows will become your packmates. They will be complete copies, ones that not even you can tell apart. It will give your pack the strength in numbers it requires in order to push back Devlin's wolves."
"But an illusion is just that. Once you touch it, shouldn't it disappear?"
"Did that snake disappear once you realized what it was?" She smiled. "These can hold an illusion that tricks the senses. Touch, smell, taste, sight—and the illusion will remain so long as a normal wolf would on the battlefield."
"How is that possible?"
"The ease of using something I've used b
efore allows me to make the illusion stronger and more reliable. Believable. That said, distance has its limits. If an illusion should venture too far from me, or if something should happen to force me out of my trance, then the copies of your wolves will fall and only an arrow will remain."
"And where will you be during all of this?"
"Far from battle, beside your mother. She may be ill, but her nearness can offer me strength. Your wolves must be mindful of where they step. They must keep Devlin's pack close to your haven so I can keep the copies alive as long as possible. They'll have minds of their own, so it's crucial we gather the wolves in a central area."
I chewed at my lip. "You mentioned how taxing a single illusion can be."
"When hiding a wolf inside a human city? Yes. And every copy will drain me to an extent, but not nearly as much as using an object I've never worked with before."
"Okay, so what do we do now?"
"You tell me about your wolves. Their size, numbers, color—anything you can think of so their copies can't be told apart. Once your spy arrives, we can worry about getting in."
******
We didn't sleep that night, and come morning, I think I was more exhausted than Surrena was. Either that, or her illusion within the cabin included her form as well.
"Again," she said, nodding to an arrow she'd placed in the middle of the floor. "Your youngest brother, what does he look like?"
I was losing my mind. My eyes had gone cross hours ago, and no amount of preparation would make one bit of difference if my pack didn't look the same way I remembered them.
"What if they're injured?" I asked, holding my head in my hands as I massaged the area behind my temples. "What if the descriptions I give you now are nothing like the real thing? I know Devlin's been pushing them hard. They could have new wounds." In fact, I knew they did. "Markus had one the last time I saw him. And Caine—" Caine I hadn't seen since I sent him into the bunker with my mother.
"We can adjust the illusions later. But so long as I have a general idea, it means less preparation once we're within the boundary," Surrena explained. "Which means we'll be quicker to react should any of Devlin's wolves feel like snooping around."