Freya's Inferno (Winging It Book 1)

by Sonja Bair

  It seemed to the rest of the group to be a logical plan. Thank goodness it was a Friday; I thought I would be a pile of mush after this crazy week. We split up into two groups: David, Meng, and Wen would take the north side of town; Alrik, Elin, and I would take the south side of town. David printed out a couple pictures of the make and model car she was driving, and Meng and Wen were able to provide a picture. We put these together into one flier that we would hand out. Each group traveled around the city, stopping at different spots and handing out fliers and asking for information. No luck. San Luis is not a big city, so I was somewhat surprised that we got no hits. This probably meant that Jia was staying out of town somewhere. Unfortunately, there was a lot of open space around town that would be fairly easy to hide in. Fortunately, at about nine p.m., there wasn’t much more we could do in town, and it was too dark to explore the outskirts. The Yus checked into a hotel despite the offers from everyone to stay at a house. I suspect that they were overwhelmed by the day and needed some time to themselves. I knew I needed time to regroup and reenergize. Tomorrow the search for Jia would continue, and I had a nasty feeling in my gut that Jia had more surprises in store for us, either of the violence or fraud variety.

  Chapter 17

  I slept in until eight the next morning when the smell of coffee woke me. Mmm... There were some benefits to having a housemate. I took a quick shower, then joined Alrik in the kitchen. Alrik handed me my favorite mug full of milky, sweet coffee. He knew me well.

  “David called your cell when you were in the shower. When you didn’t answer, he called my cell and let me know that he and the Yus were expanding their search to the outskirts and other towns to the south of SLO. He will call and give us updates throughout the morning. I said that you and I will explore North County today.”

  “Correction: you, Elin, and Drew are going to explore North County. I want to hang out with Meng and Wen today. They absolutely fascinate me. Could you imagine being able to fully share the human experience?” I took a swallow of coffee without testing the temperature first and promptly scorched my throat. It struck me that my actions were probably an analogy of something, but then I decided it was too early in the morning for deeper analysis. Alrik took a slow and cautious sip of his own coffee, looking at me above the rim. I continued talking, ignoring the blatant continuation of the unwanted analogy. “Plus, I can get in some talk about the USN. Maybe I can get them interested.”

  Alrik shrugged. “Do as you want. I want this situation wrapped up.”

  I finished off my coffee with a few more big sips. My throat and tongue were already crispy; I might as well drink it fast anyway. I grabbed a sweater, said good-bye to Alrik, and headed out to my car. Halfway across the outside patio, I paused. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I looked around. What was it? Nothing was out of place. I took a deep breath. The only supernaturals here were Alrik and myself. I turned in a small circle, scanning all around, including the trees around me, listening for anything that didn’t belong. Again, nothing. I shook my head and continued to the car. Perhaps I spooking myself, perhaps not, but as soon as I was in the Eagle, I locked the doors.

  I met up with David and the Yus at a park south of town. Meng and Wen looked tired—probably jet lag was adding to their misery. We exchanged pleasantries about the morning but got to business after a few seconds. David had already pumped Meng and Wen for any personal details about Jia that could help find her. According to their accounts, Jia was originally more calm and shy than Qiang. She had taken refuge in books and the outdoors and had struggled to make connections with other tribe members and naturals. She would often escape the school in the beginning of her training and be found in the surrounding woods, sitting high up in a tree, reading a book. As the bond between her and Qiang strengthened, she was able to absorb some of Qiang’s natural exuberance and people skills, and Qiang had become more observant and analytical. Before and after the bond, Jia was very intelligent and resourceful.

  Another clue came from interviewing an employee of a convenience store who had recognized the car and said they had seen an Asian woman driving it. He didn’t provide much more information other than she bought several newspapers and turned south on the street after she left.

  Based on the input from Meng and Wen, we all agreed that we would not find Jia in a motel or any other group setting. So we were going to focus on natural spaces, where she could retreat from people. Of course, Jia post-Qiang had shacked up with two strange men, so really she could be anywhere. Any guess would be just a guess, but we needed someplace to start.

  David and the Yus had already searched the park we were meeting in, so we headed to a different one. While David drove, I checked my phone for local news. I did this for two reasons: one, Jia’s behavior was becoming so erratic that I figured her next move would make the newspaper as well; two, Jia had bought a bunch of newspapers and I wanted to see if there was some obvious reason. The newspapers had articles about a drunk driving accident and the football victory for the local public high school—no connection that I could see. I decided to download a copy of Dante’s Inferno to my phone as well. David’s list was handy for a quick reference, but maybe there were clues in the text itself. While the book was downloading, I turned to Meng and Wen in the backseat. They were sitting right next to each other, again holding hands. Wen had her eyes closed, but her upright posture suggested she was not asleep. She must have felt me glance back since she opened her eyes. She gave a half-smile and said in a gentle voice, “You could have been a friend of Jia’s in another life. Perhaps this is why she has focused her behaviors around you.”

  “Ms. Wen, in Jia’s flashback that I saw in the guest house, Jia thought of you. It seemed as if she was your student?”

  She smiled again, but this time with more than a touch of melancholy. “Yes, and she was a difficult student. She had a hard time accepting the merge with Qiang. She fought against what she thought was losing herself to someone else. I spent many hours teaching her that life was so much bigger when experienced with someone. But she liked her independence. ”

  I smiled. Perhaps Jia and I would, indeed, have been friends. Wen continued, “Jia also had trouble with one of the main duties that she and Qiang had. Pairs in our tribe are the judges and peacemakers of our people. Jia never felt she could judge others, but Qiang felt very comfortable, probably too comfortable, judging others. Again, together, they made a well-balanced team.” She sighed. What she didn’t say was clear nonetheless. Sun/Moon couples were not supposed to live without their partners.

  I turned in my seat to face forward again. David glanced at me briefly. “We will find her,” he said. “She has not caused any irreparable harm. The church had insurance and will build again.”

  I nodded. I sincerely hoped he was right.

  The first natural area outside of town was a barn and field where people boarded their horses. There was a large field in front of the barn, and more interestingly, a large, wooded, hilly area in the back. People ride their horses on the trails winding through the hills; there were miles of paths weaving through the property. It would be a perfect place to disappear in and yet remain close to town. The problem, however, was that it was a perfect place to disappear in. I pulled David aside to discuss the possibility of splitting up to cover more ground. He could take the ground and use his scenting abilities better and I could take the air and visually cover more area. Meng and Wen would explore near the car and I would carry a cell phone to stay in contact with them in case they ran into trouble. David agreed with my plan, as ultimately did the Yus. I took off my shirt and released my wings. Behind me, I could hear David turning into his wolf form. I saw the Yus both take a step back. Maybe hearing about shape-changing supernaturals and seeing them in action are two different things.

  I took to the air and landed on a top branch of a live coastal oak. It was a breezy day and we were currently in a wind tunnel formed by two ranges funneling the wind from the ocean.
The air passing over my wings chilled them, but felt good nevertheless. In Sweden, there were some Alva properties that had high cliffs that bordered the ocean, so the wind was a constant presence. We used to play games by angling perfectly so our wings would catch the updrafts and be pushed up into the air without extra effort on our own part. We would also play games of chicken, Alva-style, falling off the cliffs and seeing who would be the last to open their wings. Alrik always won that game. I often wondered if ice ran through his blood.

  I scanned the ground and surrounding hills for any sign of Jia—or, for that matter, any sign of other humans. This area was a lot closer to people than I usually like to fly, but it seemed to be clear. David was running down a path, nose to the trail. Again, I was struck at how beautiful he was when he ran. His black coat gleamed in the sun. If he ran into any humans, it was possible they might think he was a very large dog, or maybe a dog/wolf hybrid, but a second glance would probably send them running. Power seemed to roll off him. I smiled.

  I flew low, skimming the tops of the trees. Nothing caught my eye besides a couple of small rabbits and the hood of an old pickup truck. The first small trail looped back to the parking lot. I passed over Meng and Wen and waved down to them. I picked another trail; this one seemed to go in a straight line into the forest and was possibly longer. After about ten minutes, I heard a sharp bark. It was deeper than a dog, and if I had to guess, sounded like a werewolf noise, though I had never heard David make a sound in this form. I scanned the ground. I didn’t see him, but I landed anyway. The bark came again from off to my right. I walked past a couple of trees and jumped a fallen log. There was a large boulder; I guessed that was David’s location, though I was a bit annoyed that he wasn’t telling me what was going on.

  “David, what’s up?” I called.

  A blur of grey flashed to my left and behind me. Before I could even turn to see it, a massive weight knocked me to the ground. My left wing, which I had yet to retract, was pinned to my face by what I assumed was the blur’s leg, blocking my sight. I felt sharp claws dig into my back, and most disconcertingly, sharp teeth surrounded the back of my neck with the right amount of pressure to hurt but not break the skin. Strangely, I didn’t panic—perhaps because this was the third time in a week that I had been attacked. It had been an odd week. Instead, I realized that I was either getting attacked by a very large, rabid dog or another werewolf. The canine attached to my neck was growling but not pressing the attack. I had a feeling that it was waiting for something, but I wasn’t about to hang around and see what. Carefully, I looked around as much as I could without wrenching my neck and causing the teeth to break my skin. Under my wing, hidden from view of the creature on my back, was a stick. I grabbed it with my right hand and, using all my speed, pulled it out from under me and backhanded the creature over the head. Because of the angle, I couldn’t put much force into the hit, but luckily, the hit had surprised the thing pinning me. At the same time, I retracted my wings into my back, which threw the beast off balance. It released my neck for a split second. I had a feeling that it would regain its control almost immediately, so at the same time, I pushed as hard as I could with my free hand to flip over, which, again, caused the beast to have to reposition. I still had the stick in my right hand, and I jabbed toward its eyes.

  I missed, as the creature jerked back its head. But rather than sinking into an eye, the stick jammed into its mouth, past its teeth, and down its throat. There was a squishy, gagging sound. It bit down on the stick, but that only caused the stick to break with the majority still stuck down its throat.

  With the werewolf, and now I could see and smell that it was a werewolf, occupied for a few seconds, I decided it was high time to scoot. I released my wings again and took to the sky. Even with my heart pounding and adrenaline kicked up, I realized something was trickling down my neck. I reached up and touched something wet. One look revealed that it was blood, not exactly gushing out, but coming out at an alarming rate. Twisting around, I discovered that the werewolf’s teeth had cut through my neck. Thank God it was not the jugular that got sliced, although I knew there were plenty of other critical blood vessels throughout the neck. Once I was to the top of the tree line, I landed on a sturdy branch and looked down. The large grey werewolf was looking right back. It had gotten the stick from its throat somehow, and there was copious blood around its muzzle. My blood, I was guessing.

  Never breaking eye contact,it slowly and deliberately licked my blood from around its mouth. After it was gone, the wolf smiled up at me, one lip curling up. It looked pleased with itself, even though I had gotten away. With one last disdainful flick of its tail, it lowered its head and broke into a run. I watched it go, still replaying the bizarre series of events in my mind. After a few moments, the werewolf was gone, hidden by the underbrush.

  My hand drifted back to my neck. The blood had slowed to a drip. Once again, thank you Alva genes.

  I took a second to assess the situation. I was safe, and since the werewolf had run away from the area I last saw Meng and Wen in, they were safe, too. But werewolves ran in packs. There might be another one around. I launched myself off the branch and headed back to the car. It was a long flight back to the field, or at least it seemed to be. I sighed in relief when I saw two figures ahead walking together in a field with nothing supernatural around. I landed in front of them, with plenty of space between us, to let them spot me coming in. I barely had my wings tucked away when I smelled a werewolf approaching rapidly from behind. My first thought was something along the lines of this is getting old; the second thought a millisecond later was to glance at Meng and Wen’s faces. They were watching the werewolf approach, but didn’t have a look of concern on their faces. David, I thought, and my stomach unclenched a little more. I turned and watched him arrow across the field at us. He barely slowed down as his four feet became two and the fur disappeared. I heard Wen give a little gasp and I assumed it was because of his distinct lack of apparel. I looked around for his clothes but didn’t have a chance to find them because for the second time in ten minutes, I was attacked by a werewolf. Thankfully, this was a much more benign attack, consisting of David crushing me up into his arms and squeezing me so tight, I couldn’t draw a breath.

  Chapter 18

  “Can’t breathe, David,” I said, using the last of my air.

  He loosened his grip immediately and let me down. “Where did they attack you? Are you okay?” His hands pushed my hair away from my face and his normally carmel-colored face paled a few shades.

  “I’m okay, I promise,” I said, pushing him away. I heard Meng clear his throat behind me, so I turned and looked. He was holding David’s clothes out and politely looking at the sky. David ignored him. Taking pity on the older couple, I grabbed the clothes, forcing them into his hands. “I’ll tell you as you put clothes on.”

  With my back turned to David, I recounted the strange bark and the sudden attack. He asked several questions, mostly about how the werewolf had acted after pinning me. Somewhere between questions, it occurred to me that David had returned to the field and knew a great deal of what had happened before I even said anything. I interrupted his incessant questioning by putting up one hand and turning around. “Hold on there, buddy. I have a few questions for you now. First and most important, how did you know that I had been attacked? Why did you know to meet me here?”

  David paused for a moment. Meng and Wen looked at David with a puzzled expression as well.

  “I heard the attack?” His reply sounded more like a question than answer. Wen clucked her tongue at him, a disapproving glare in her eyes. Crossing my arms, I didn’t say anything.

  “I knew. I just knew. Can you accept that for now?” He looked off into the distance, staring at a far-away fence line.

  “No.” I snapped, “I’m tired of you giving me evasive answers concerning your pack. A strange werewolf attacked me a few minutes ago and could have killed me. I have the right to know if I’m in danger some
how.”

  “Robert wasn’t planning on killing you. Or at least not today.” David looked back at me and took a step forward. I took a step back. A twig cracked under my foot, but otherwise, silence surrounded us. My stomach was reclenching.

  David didn’t try to approach me again; he stood staring at me. So I stared back. Wen took Meng’s hand and turned him toward the car. They walked away.

  “Robert was holding you and waiting for Maria to show up. Together, they would have both given you a non-lethal but very serious bite. This wound may have allowed them to have some mental control over your thoughts. It also may have allowed them to get a general sense of your location at any given moment. Basically, what they were trying to do was bind you to their pack as an honorary werewolf.”

  “But only Robert bit me, and it wasn’t too serious. What does that mean? And what kind of mental control are you talking about?” Life was getting complicated.

  “I don’t know. There are a lot of things about you, Freya, that I don’t understand.” I guess my face betrayed my thoughts because David rushed on, “Of course I’m not blaming you—I’m treading in completely new water here. Werewolves are creatures who have been tradition-bound since the earliest ages. But things are changing in ways that I have never heard of, and I am trying to improvise as best and as fast as I can.”

  “You have said a great deal of nothing, David. Get to your point,” I said between clenched teeth. Maybe he thought he could sidetrack me, but I was like a dog with a bone. Bad analogy. Let me rephrase. I was determined to get to the bottom of whatever mess this was.