He was getting tired of this. The stench had worn out its welcome. “Get to the point Nightwalker or I will have no other choice but to show you what I can do.” He stepped right up to his chest.
He was a good foot taller than he was so he looked absolutely huge standing in front of him. It made him lose his train of thought. It took him a moment to find it again, and when he did, he said what he needed to say as fast as he could.
“Rana was involved in Devish’s efforts with your daughter Kalima. She helped Devish hide the truth from you.”
His rage instantly exploded with such fire that it nearly burned him up from within. His eyes flared, as his mind went blank. The wolf stayed ready to come out, but he didn’t let it—not yet. He would wait to use it if he must. As for what the Nightwalker said, he didn’t believe him entirely. He knew that he was lying to him. There was no way that she would help Devish hide his daughter. Until he knew more, until he asked her himself, he was just as content to show him this level of anger and let it go. He would use more of it later if he had to. To add to it, he decided to show him just a taste of his strength.
He moved so fast, too fast for a Moonwalker, and he grabbed his throat. With such overpowering strength, he lifted him off his feet until they were dangling beneath him. The air in his lungs vanished too.
He lifted him up to his face. “You would accuse her of being with Devish on anything?” He squeezed some. He wanted him to fear him, and by the sounds of his heart racing, he knew he succeeded with it.
Michael was doing all he could to keep from passing out. “I do…not…mean…” he tried to talk but couldn’t. The force was too great. Feeling his full force, feeling the raw strength of the wolf, he loved him even more. He just wished that he didn’t have to go through the pain to see it for himself.
He knew that he couldn’t tell him everything, so he relaxed his right hand’s grip. “What is she hiding Nightwalker? What lies do you wish to spread?”
Michael felt the air creep back into him, but only slightly. He was able to talk, so he did. “I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you about this Kalima. I know you love her, but Devish has his ways. He plays his games better than most do or ever could.”
This sounded like his brother, but he wanted more. He needed it. “What games are those?”
Michael caught his mind some. He readied himself for the next bought of strength, and when he felt ready for it, he began to play his last card. “Your daughter lives Kalima. She did not die that night over the human camp. It was a false memory. One that Devish plays all the time. She amplified it to you. Rana helped him to do everything.”
He blinked. He moaned. He couldn’t believe that she would do such a thing to him, so he knew that this bastard had to be lying to him. He wanted his help to get rid of Devish, and knew that by saying this he might actually do it. Why would he leave, why would he go with her if she had done such a thing? He wasn’t sure if he would, so he would stay. He would have to stay and keep to the other Walkers. What would he have left if not her?
Michael could see him thinking. He had to keep this going. “She regrets what she had done to you about this Kalima. She wants your forgiveness. She fears what you will do if you learned of the truth.”
He continued to listen, and for some reason, he still hadn’t squeezed. He wanted to, but stayed there just holding him up. He didn’t know why. He thought back to the last night that he was with her and remembered her reaction. He remembered how they parted, and suddenly he felt cold. He felt true fear. He felt something more than this.
She was scared of leaving. She has something that she fears I will learn. She was not telling me it. Thinking, pondering, feeling the hurt of this, he suddenly grimaced. No. It cannot be. It made sense, and it burned his heart. It tore at his soul like a blade cutting through his flesh. It roared inside him like a blast of lightning out of a clear and bright day. It told him that he was right. She did help Devish. She did hide the fact that Sima did live.
Michael watched tears form in both of his eyes. Seeing them, he knew that he must have accepted the truth. I knew he would.
“I am sorry Kalima. I knew this would hurt you but you needed to know the truth.” He tried hard to sound concerned. He tried hard to sound like a friend that had just seen his best friend’s wife with another man. He tried his best, so that when he felt him release his neck and he fell back to his feet, he knew it worked.
He saw her standing with his back towards him. He saw her tears. He heard her heart race and felt it nearly break. He felt her mind. She did it. Why? Why would she do that to me? He roared. The eyes at the back of his mind suddenly jolted forward with such force that it knocked him to his knees.
Michael watched him fall and turn. It was quite a sight.
The blackened skin flushed with the deepest black fur. His snout turned fast, as it pushed out from his face. His body moaned, bent, broke, and grew large as it reformed into a wolf’s body. When he stood back up, he was twice his size.
Michael blinked as he watched him stand. He gasped when he looked down at him, not knowing what he was about to do. Thankfully, he turned away from him.
He watched him head back to the trees in front of him and disappear back into the shadows. He was gone so fast that it blew his mind.
Alone again, he relaxed. Now all I have to do is wait here for the pain to burn him into confrontation. Then, we will see what comes of Devish. He hoped he was right. He had played his only hand and now it was time to see if his hand was strong enough to win the game.
14
She watched them from the trees, keeping high off the ground. Seeing Michael heading towards him, feeling his needs, she had to follow him.
When he found Kalima, she now, more than ever, had to hear what they were about to say.
She blocked Michael completely from seeing her there. She kept herself quiet, making sure to stay out of the sight and smell of the black wolf. From the top of this very large tree, she watched them. She listened to them. She felt delighted with what she heard.
Michael is trying to undermine Devish. The thought made her cringe, but at the same time, she understood what it meant. It seems that I am the only one left who is loyal to him. If this is the case then I can do a lot in the families. He will trust me to let me in to his heart and mind. I will have the chance to stand by his side. She loved this idea the most. It meant that she, not Rana, would be standing beside him. She will be the one to trust. She will be the one to love—to be loved by him. I will never let you stand alone. I will give you the love you deserve. I will be the love you wish for and desire.
She watched the black wolf lift Michael off his feet. From this angle, it made both of them look as if they were the same height. She loved seeing this. She loved watching his strength. She loved watching his downfall. Now, she couldn’t wait to tell Devish what she now knew. She couldn’t wait to see his face. She couldn’t wait to see the hatred and anger flood through his mind. She couldn’t wait to see how he would wreak that hatred onto all of those that now deserved it.
She heard the growls.
She heard the moans.
She watched him change.
Not surprisingly, she watched him as he ran off and disappeared to her right. He ran deep into the trees.
He will confront Rana.
She looked back to Michael, who was now straightening his overcoat.
And it looks like the Gorhan clan is going to need a new leader. This worried her some but not much. When the leader of one of the families dies or is removed from power, the leadership always fell to the next strongest Walker, usually a Nightwalker, but anyone strong enough would do, so she knew who would take over the Gorhan clan. She of course knew of Vincent Gorhan, and that is what bothered her. She didn’t know if she could trust him to stand by Devish’s side or not. In the end, it wasn’t up to her anyway. I will leave it up to Devish. He will take care of things as he always has.
Finished, she lifted off th
e tree and flew high up into the sky. The sun was now ebbing lower and it made her flight comfortable and almost serene.
She flew straight to the castle.
She didn’t waste time.
Now she couldn’t wait for the night.
15
“It will not be easy Kenar…Rochie. He has such a hold on them that some will fight with him no matter what. We will still be outnumbered by many.” Sharlia moved around the room following an almost complete circle as she moved. In other words, she was pacing hard. She just moved as she talked. She couldn’t help herself. Talking like this, planning the coming fight didn’t make it easy. There was so much to do. There was so much that could go wrong, that she didn’t know where to start. It was too much to take in all at once.
Rochie didn’t agree with her at all. “Convincing the Walkers to turn against him isn’t the easiest part of this. Convincing Jameson and the humans to help us will be harder than anything else.”
Kenar turned to him. “Do you think he will come to do this?” With the sun down again, it made it easy to see everyone again. If it weren’t for what roamed the night, he would love it so much. He felt normal in the moonlit nights.
Rochie shrugged hard. “I do not know if he would or not. It has been a long time since he has taken my council. Being wrong all the time, as we were, is very hard to overcome. He may not accept this, especially when so much rides on a Walker doing the fighting.” He looked at all of them, at Sharlia, to Sima, and back to Kenar again. “If I could show Jameson something about this it may make it easier for him to understand it. If I could show him the truth, he will have nothing to argue with me on it. He would follow us, I am sure of it.” In all actuality, he wasn’t sure of any of this. He was just talking and asking this out loud without any real thought. He knew that Rana would do her part in this. He also trusted that the black wolf would do it too. Kenar convinced him of that much with what he saw with Sima’s help. Everything else, well, they would just have to wing it. They had nothing else left to lose. At least he hoped so. There was always hope.
Kenar grinned to himself with everything Rochie just thought. He shared it. “I hope you are right about your sister. I know you trust her, but I am not sure about any of this.” He grabbed a small plaster cup and took a sip from it. The cool water they shared with him quenched only a part of his thirst. He wished it were something stronger. He wouldn’t mind getting lost within the juice of a grape right about now. It all seemed that bad.
The Seer listened intently, as she stood at the back corner of the room from the others. She stared at Sima. “Is there a way to show the humans what we have seen? Is there a way to show him what he needs to know?” If anyone would know, it would be her.
All of them turned to her. They waited.
Sima nodded. “Yes. Kenar can show him how.” She sat on the floor, drawing odd symbols and signs into the dirt floor.
Seeing her doing it, it made the Seer smile. At times like this, she saw only a young girl. She showed nothing of the great and powerful being she really was.
Kenar looked down at the floor. He watched her play, but inside his mind, he heard her clearly.
You need to take him to the flames. He must see her.
He thought hard about this but had no idea of whom she was referring. See whom? Whom does he need to see?
She looked up from the floor. He will know whom.
Kenar nodded. He didn’t need to know, so he left it at that. He turned back to the others. “Very well then, I will have to show him what he needs to learn.”
Rochie wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure that a human can see that place? I thought they passed on to someplace else.”
Kenar shrugged. “If Sima sees it, than I see it too.” He looked back to Sharlia. “Are you sure that the Walkers will help destroy Devish? I am still not convinced of that.”
Sharlia nodded. “I know of one very powerful Walker that has grown tired of Devish and his games. Michael Gorhan and others will be glad to see Devish overthrown.”
For Kenar, there was more to it than that. It was time to find out. “And what happens after he is destroyed? What happens to the war?” They had to be sure of all of this. The whole world depended on it.
Sharlia looked back to the Seer; saw her smile, so she turned back to the Wanderers. “If Devish is removed, I will convince all of the other Walkers and Elders that they would be best to work with the humans in peace. We can share this world as these people on this island do. The Walkers can have the night, and the humans can have the day. It is the only way they can keep the peace.”
Rochie wanted more. “And what should happen if one or the other breaks that peace?”
Sharlia looked down at the floor, thinking. It didn’t take long. “One of us should be placed in a position to guard it, to protect the peace we make. They can enforce it. Both sides will look to them for solving problems if they arise.”
Kenar laughed.
They all turned to him at the same time.
Sima giggled on the floor.
Rochie had to ask, “What is it?”
Kenar shook his head. “Sima says that there can only be one person who can do that.” He looked at his friend. “You.”
Rochie felt stunned with this. “Why me?” He truly didn’t want such a burden. He couldn’t stress this enough. “Both sides will not follow me after what has been done.”
Kenar touched his friend’s left shoulder with an open hand. “You are the only one of us who can do this. Your long life—your ability to live that life will be strength enough.”
Rochie couldn’t shake his head fast enough. “I am not strong enough to carry that burden, not for the entire world.”
Sima looked up from the floor. “You can and you will.”
He looked down to her, sitting there on his left. “And what of the trust?”
“You have lived with both in both worlds. They will come to trust you again.”
He couldn’t argue with her on that point, so he didn’t. He dropped it.
Kenar agreed with everything. “Then that settles this. If we are victorious, if the black wolf accomplishes this, and we win the humans back to the cause, we form this alliance—this truce, and Rochie will protect it through the ages. We pledge this now that if anyone shall break the truce their life, human, Walker, or Wanderer, must forfeit that life. We will fight to keep it.” He thought about himself in the future, that Kenna, Kenny, or whatever his name is, and wondered if he would be doing this then—being like he now is. It was a simple question, and a good one at that, but he didn’t know. However, he could wait to find out.
Rochie sighed.
All of them bowed their heads.
Shelley came to the back of Kenar. “I do not mean to interrupt this, but one of the Shades has said that there are riders moving towards the coast of the river. A lot of them are coming.”
They all turned to her at the same time.
Kenar looked into his mind, found the Shades thoughts as he always did, and saw what he saw. He couldn’t believe it, but they were already coming. They were almost there.
“It seems that we are not going to have to find Jameson after all.” He stood up, looked at Shelley and gave her a nod. “Please see if you can get the boat ready to make it back across the channel.”
She returned the nod and bowed.
Rochie also stood up. “He is here?” Hearing what he did, it made sense. “How did he know where to find us?”
The Seer looked down at the floor, as Sima looked up and gave her a playful grin.
The symbols she drew on the floor were no longer symbols but words and what looked like a map. It was a map for Jameson to follow to find the island. He did his job very well in deed.
16
“Ah Michael, it is good to see that you have come to see me again so soon.” Devish watched him walk into his throne room with a powerful stride. He looked like one of the human’s favorite foods—the chicken, or more precisely
, the rooster—as he moved. He tried looking powerful, but how wrong he was for thinking that.
Michael heard the mocking sound in his voice. He looked to Devish’s left and saw Elizabeth staring there with an overwhelming grin all over her face. He didn’t need to see her thoughts to know that something had happened. He just wondered what it was.
“You wished to see me my lord.” He stepped to the front of the throne, as Devish stayed seated. He had the look of pure pride all over his eyes. He looked pleased. He looked cocky. He looked like all of this and more.
Devish nodded to him softly. “Yes I did. I am pleased that my wolves were able to find you before you headed off for the night.” He looked to his left and motioned for Elizabeth to come in front of him with a wave of his left arm. “Would you please inform me and my lord Michael what you have discovered my dear?” He kept his heart light. He felt too good about all this. He just couldn’t wait to do it too.
Elizabeth moved from the side of the chair and stepped next to Michael.
She faced both of them as she began. “I had just told our lord Devish about something that I had overheard before dusk. I terrible thing has occurred.” She watched both of them as she stated this. Devish just grinned to her while Michael looked worried.
He was. He heard the time of day, and knew where he was and what he was doing. He didn’t see Devish’s thoughts right then, and that too made everything feel that much worse. He was blocking him well again, and it was for a reason. As for Elizabeth, he could never see her thoughts. He didn’t know why, and now, he feared all of this.
“Please continue my dear?” Devish also watched him closely. He, like his friend, could not see what he was thinking, but he didn’t have to because he could see it in his eyes. He knew what she was talking about and he loved seeing it. He had guilt written all over his face.
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