by Melle Amade
“So, mostly I’m just worried about the two bears that are going to flank him.”
“Well, there’s probably a lot more to worry about than that, but in the initial stages, yeah, I’d say that’ll do it. What you need is a distraction,” he says. By the way his eyes are shining, I think he might just be making an offer.
“Roman?” I ask, the ice in my veins melts a bit. “Are you going to help me figure this out?”
He shakes his head. “No. No, Shae, I’m not.”
“But, then-”
Roman holds up a hand, cutting me off. “I’m going to help you do it.”
“You can’t!” The words are fierce and sharp like icicles.
“Look, I’ve always known you’re crazy. Crazy about your family, crazy about your friends. But until this morning, I never realized exactly how insane you are.” He smiles the biggest smile I think I’ve ever seen. “Taking out El Oso.” He lets out a low whistle. “Now that is some irrational decision making. I like it. He’s an irrational problem and it’ calls for an outlandish solution.”
A burst of nervous laughter erupts from my chest. “I can’t let you do it, Roman. I can’t.”
“I don’t think you have a choice,” he says. “You can’t do it alone. It’s impossible. That bear has got a sense of smell like nobody’s business. He’ll smell a raven coming at him, and the other bears will turn on you before you even know what hit you. You’ll be pulled out of the sky and eaten for breakfast or lunch or dinner, or whenever that stupid ceremony is.”
My stomach aches at the thought of the bears lunging at me.
“What you need, my little black bird, is a distraction. And distractions are my specialty.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask. “Karaoke?”
“Ha,” Roman says. “Now imagine, if you will, El Oso standing…here for instance.”
He moves my bear mock-up so it’s under a tree branch. Then he transforms into a frog, and in two jumps, he’s up the trunk and out on a branch. I stand there watching him, trying to figure out exactly what he’s doing. Even up in the tree and out on the branch, he seems a long way away from El Oso. But then he hurls himself through the air and across the distance. I didn’t think it was possible, but he lands directly on El Oso’s head with his webbed feet right over the big bear’s eyes. A crisp sizzling fills the air, and the sack starts to fry under the poison that flows from Roman’s glands.
This is my moment.
I transform into a raven and fly up above the gunnysack. I transform once again in the air, yanking the Bowie knife from my thigh strap, and stab the sack. Roman rolls to the side as I land on a bent knee. He shifts and sits up, smiling at me.
“Good start,” he smiles. “But the end needs some work.”
“I landed perfectly.”
“And you’d be dead right now if you do that.” He points at the two gunnysacks that represent Patch and Polaris. “What you need to do is shift back to the raven midair. I’ll jump on your back, and we’ll take off. Bears can’t catch birds in the air.”
“Holy crap,” I say. “But we’ll be on the run.”
“Where you thinking we’d be? Having tea with the Berzerkens after this?”
“No, but…well,” I stammer.
“I’m going to do this with you,” he says. “But I won’t do a suicide mission. We have to have an exit strategy.”
“I guess I didn’t think that part through. You shouldn’t help me.”
“Well, it’s a crazy thing to try to do alone.” Roman smiles. “Heck, it’s a crazy thing to try to do with two people. But I’m a little more than just a person. I’ve got some bad assery frogginess about me.”
“But why?” I ask. “I know why I’m doing it, but why are you?”
“You should see my cousin.” He makes a face. “There’s no way I want to marry her.”
“Stop it,” I say. “This is serious.”
He stares at me. “Have you ever wondered where I’m from?”
“No,” I said. “You’re from Costa Rica.”
“Which Muiderkring do you think Costa Rica belongs to, Shae?” he asks.
A chill moves over my skin as I realize the answer. “Muiderkring South,” I say. “Why are you here? Why do you serve Muiderkring West?”
“My family was under suspicion. Not my parents. Not me. But my father’s brother was under suspicion in Costa Rica.”
“For what?”
“Consorting with humans,” he says. “But not just any humans. The worst kind. The shifter hunters.”
“What the—”
“The stories are real,” he says. “There is a group of humans who know about shifters, and they hunt us. My uncle worked as a tracker for them.”
“That’s horrible,” I say.
He nods. “Everyone has their reasons. They executed my uncle, and the Order wanted to execute the whole family. But instead, they banished us out of Muiderkring South. I don’t know a lot of the details. My parents never told me. Just when I was very young, we packed up and moved here, to Topanga. It’s a tiny alcove of shifter abnormalities. They wanted to keep us away from where the real power is. My parents are fine with that. They just wanted to raise me quietly and peacefully.”
I got that. It’s exactly what my parents thought they were doing up here, too.
“But it’s taken my family away from their home, away from their people. It’s taken us away from the tropical forest of who we are. We can never go back, and that is all the El Oso’s doing. Without him, the Order will crumble. Without the Order, we will have freedom. I will do this for my family.”
I launch myself at Roman, grabbing him in a tight hug. He squeezes me quickly and then pushes me away, his dark eyes boring into mine.
“This isn’t a joke, Shae. This isn’t something we do for fun. This is the real deal. El Oso isn’t someone to mess around with. If we’re going to do this, we must do it right. And if we do it wrong, we’ll be killed. You are aware of that, right?”
“Yes,” I say. “Yes, I understand. But what I keep thinking about is how many lives we will change and save by doing this.”
“Then come on. Let’s get it right,” he says, standing up the hulking strawman of El Oso.
21
We walk through the great hall of the manor, making our way to the terrace. The dress code for the evening is formal white evening wear. We shine in the pale moonlight that pours in through the doors. Roman escorts me and holds my arm tight. But I don’t need it. My blood is cold. Ice cold. I am ready for this.
This is the moment I was made for.
This is the moment when it ends.
El Oso thinks he can rule with an iron fist? That he can make decisions and drive death and fear into the hearts of shifters everywhere? That has to stop.
I know that no matter what happens, this is the most important thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. With El Oso out of the way, the Berzerkens will fall. They will lose their grip on the Order, and it can fall apart. Muiderkring West and East can rise new and better than before without all the fear. With the death of El Oso, we will step into modern times. We will save the lives of countless innocent people who are being killed just for their bloodlines. I think of my family lying burnt and bloody on the ground. I think of Zaragoza’s head being severed from his body by Polaris at El Oso’s command. Never again will his words ring out and insist on people being murdered. Whatever reign of terror he has subjugated the shifters to, it will end tonight.
Roman and I have carefully rehearsed our plan. He has convinced Callum that the event should be held outside at twilight under the rising full moon. This will give me a better chance to get away.
If there is a chance to get away.
But even if there’s not, even if it’s a suicide mission, I don’t care. I’m ready for it. As much as I want to live, I don’t want to live under these rules and restrictions. I don’t want to live in fear for my life or the life of my family. I don’t want to be
afraid that some outside force will discover who we are and kill us.
Roman has gone through careful lengths to position himself and El Oso in a way where he can easily leap down on the giant bear from above. There’s a low overhanging tree that gives him access to the supreme leader’s head. Everyone will be so distracted by Callum and Iona, they won’t notice that Roman is missing. When they call the couple forward, that is his cue to act.
I have never been to a matching ceremony before, but Zan told me the girls to be matched wear all white. But not Iona. She comes out onto the terrace dressed in black. A billowing skirt floats around her, and a tight bodice hugs her body. Her hair flows freely down her back, her pale skin is flawless, and her lips are lifted in a slight smirk. My heart clenches. It might as well be her wedding day.
Aiden comes out with Callum at the far end of the terrace. Callum looks slightly green around the gills. I stare at him sadly. If he’s willing to go through with a betrothal he doesn’t want, then he’s not the man for me.
These guys play by the rules. They play it safe. They’ve been so indoctrinated into the system, into this world, that they can’t imagine another way. They don’t see the reality like I see it. They don’t see that there can be another way. That we can provide a path for something different to happen. I guess everyone else wouldn’t think of assassinating El Oso.
El Oso is the last one to enter the terrace. He waits until the end because he wants to have everybody’s full attention. It’s almost as if he is the future groom at the event and not Callum. But Callum doesn’t look well. It looks like he hasn’t eaten in days. His skin is white and sallow, practically clinging to his bones.
Lord Van Arend is nowhere to be seen. I’m guessing Aiden came on his behalf, and Van Arend’s hiding somewhere with a bottle in his hand. That’s okay. Once El Oso is dead, Aiden can rise and lead the Muiderkring West.
El Oso stands exactly where it was agreed that he would be positioned. Zan stands between her parents. It’s obvious she’s been crying. I can’t afford to feel guilty. I must focus on what needs to be done.
The Ravensgaard stand en masse. More than half the crowd is Ravensgaard. I hope I am right about them. I hope I am right about Callum and that the Ravensgaard are against the Order. But even if I’m wrong, this still needs to be done.
El Oso steps forward. “Gathered shifters of Muiderkring West, Muiderkring South, and Muiderkring East.” He glances at Lady Heather. She’s the only representative of Muiderkring East. “The Order has gathered today to have a ceremony which is often known as the Matching. However, under the circumstances of both the age of the woman in question, who is about to turn nineteen, and the nature of the loss of her former betrothal, we have determined that instead of having a Matching ceremony today, we will, in fact, simply have the wedding and bind these two in eternal matrimony together.”
I block the words out. It can’t throw me off my game. It doesn’t matter who Callum marries. I have a larger purpose that I must stay focused on.
The Ravensgaard let up a loud cheer as if nothing could make them happier than to find out that their favorite daughter will be married today to their Ridder.
My head is light. I feel like I’m gonna pass out. I gaze at Callum. He’s staring at me, his eyes a wretched swamp. I tear my eyes away. I must let it go. I have to be focused on what I’m doing here. Not on what event this is. Not on whom Callum will be married. If he chooses Iona, then so be it. I choose freedom. Not just for me, but for all the shifters. Whether they want it or not.
“Can the two parties step forward, please?”
This is our moment, and I know Roman is waiting for it. I glance up in the tree branches, but I can’t see him. Of course, he’s too small.
What the hell is he waiting for?
My body is on pins and needles. I wait for Roman to land on El Oso’s head to distract him. The Bowie knife strapped to my leg weighs heavy. I’m anxious to get it out, to lay it into El Oso’s shoulders. A murderous rage rises ice cold inside me, but I see it is the end of tyranny. And I will gladly do it. Callum and Iona stand before El Oso.
“Today you two shall be wed,” El Oso says.
Deathly quiet settles over the crowd as they wait for the wedding to take place. I wait for Roman, but nothing happens.
In the silence, one voice speaks.
“I refuse.”
My head whips away from El Oso. Callum is staring straight at me. I look away. I have to. He will see my heart in my eyes. He will see how relieved I am. But he also might somehow see what I plan to do. Iona stares at him, her mouth agape. A few smiles move through the Ravensgaard.
“You refuse me?” El Oso’s eyes narrow on Callum, but I’m sure he’s keenly aware of the crowd behind Callum, the crowd of warriors who will support their Ridder at any cost.
But Callum’s focused on keeping the peace. I take a deep breath and collect myself by staring at my feet for a moment. Steadying my heart. Focusing my head.
It doesn’t matter what Callum says.
Roman and I have a deal. When Roman attacks, I must also.
I stand poised and ready.
“I have respect for authority.” Callum turns his back on El Oso and addresses the crowd. “And I will make a good match to a good raven woman.”
I do not look at him even though my skin burns. I focus on El Oso.
“As the Ridder and leader of the Ravensgaard, I have the right to choose my mate, and I have the right to dictate when I am ready. I am only sixteen. In the old days, that was the right time, but today it is not. Today I am too young to choose a lifelong mate, and although Iona is a more than worthy mate for me, I may not deserve her. I choose my right as the Ridder to postpone my decision and my match until I decide.”
“Control yourself, Ridder,” El Oso growls.
“He follows the law.” Zan steps away from her parents. Whatever animosity she has for Aiden and me, she does not have it for Callum. “He follows the law. Jon was betrothed to Iona. It does not necessarily follow that Callum must marry her.”
My breath comes deep and my heart soars with pride for my friends in that moment. I want to run and hug them both. Callum and Zan stand in the face of tyranny. They stand united. And I stand with them.
El Oso lets out a deep roar of dissatisfaction. At first I think it’s simply because he’s angry and upset at Callum. But then I realize it’s not that at all. Roman has come out of the branches, landed on him, his webbed feet planted solidly against El Oso’s eyes.
It is time.
Whatever I have set in motion is happening.
Now.
I cannot let it happen alone. It must be done by my blade. I leap into the air and fly forward as a raven.
“Shae, no!” Dad screams, but nothing will stop me.
I race fearlessly straight at El Oso, whose arms flail in the air as he stumbles backwards. His great hands cup his eyes. He roars and tries to shift. If he does, he’ll start to heal. I beat my wings faster.
I’m right above him. In a flash, I shift back into human form. I go for the blade against my leg and raise it. I fall through the air with my blade aimed directly below his shoulder where I know it will penetrate and rip into his heart. Roman leaps onto my shoulder before the blade hits. It descends as I start to shift.
The blade touches his skin, and with a roar that shook the heavens, El Oso falls backwards as his body ignites with a bright green force field. The Bowie knife shoots away from the tyrant bear, repelled by the verdant energy that flies off his skin. Nothing can touch him.
I beat my wings, desperately trying to rise into the sky away from them. His eyes are bright green lightning bolts of rage as he leaps to his feet and reaches up with a massive paw, his body a bear before I can blink. He grabs both Roman and me in a crushing blow between both his mitts. We sizzle against the force field on his skin before we tumble to the ground.
El Oso’s paw squashes the breath out of me. His snarling face descends toward my
face, fangs drooling saliva. A scream surges from deep within me.
We have failed miserably.
Now we will die.
22
The crowd is deafening and crowding in. But the world darkens as the air is squeezed out of my lungs by El Oso. He is going to kill me right here, right now. I have made a grave mistake, and there is no way back. Each tiny molecule of oxygen is pressed out of my lungs, draping my weak last breath with darkness.
Roman.
My head flops to the side. He is crushed beneath the other paw. A small frog foot sticks out. He hasn’t shifted back. He didn’t survive being smashed from the sky on whatever insane force field that was around El Oso.
El Oso’s bellows above the deafening roar in my ears.
And in the cacophony of sound, the world goes quiet.
I have been here before, in this moment, with silence, airless and dying when my mother held me under the bath water. But this is different. This is not an uncontrollable rage caused by a mutation that was never addressed. This is a Berzerken fully justified in executing someone who has tried to assassinate him. By shifter law, I deserve this. Even by human law, this crime deserves punishment.
There is nothing anyone can do to stop him.
It might as well be now.
But the paw lifts off my chest, and air is diving into my lungs with sharp, stabbing pain. I’m filled with desperately needed oxygen. My stomach heaves up and down as if I’m vomiting air, but nothing comes out. I roll over on my side, not able to speak. Through the crack of my eyelids, I search for Roman, but I can’t focus.
Then I see him. He’s shifted back to human form, but he’s not moving. Deep red blood pools around his head.
“Roman.” The word is a gasp of air escaping, but it doesn’t say anything because my lips are chapped and dry and brushing against each other like a desert wind.
I wanted to assassinate El Oso, but instead I killed my friend, the one who always had my back. My eyes sting. I know I’m not far behind him, but my view is ripped away from Roman’s body as I’m yanked to my feet and held tightly by Patch and Polaris. The two massive Berzerkens push me to my knees in front of El Oso.