4.0 - Howl Of The Fettered Wolf
Page 28
But how much more would she lose if she did go after them? The ancients’ power had not been an illusion.
The heat in her veins died away, and she bowed her head as her heartbeat slowed and her bloodlust ebbed. After a moment, she raised her gaze to Ara’s. “No.”
Her friend’s eyes blazed and her lips paled, but she said nothing.
Knowing her friend deserved more of an answer than a sharp decline, Vera sighed. “Believe me, I want to, but if Lozak’s leaders are almost ready to carry out their plans, the otherworld will need as many groups as possible to fight against them. The Collegiate might have declared me a traitor, but I still intend to stand against the darkness and do what I can to cast a light on it. I won’t stop until those demons flee back into the shadows.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “While I don’t relish the idea of meeting them again, Fendal and the others might still prove to be useful allies.”
A thought rose up after the words spilled from her mouth, and an involuntary smile touched on her lips. “I’ll be sure to reassess your offer after the situation has been dealt with.”
Ara’s grin grew to match hers, and her features lapsed back into their human tones. She chuckled softly, then twisted on her heel to face the wreckage. “If I can’t have my anger satisfied immediately, I guess I might as well put it to good use. I’ve been thinking about it since I came back yesterday afternoon, and I’ve decided I’m going to rebuild the shop.”
Vera reached for her hand. “I’ll help you.”
Ara turned around, her smile still in place. “No, you won’t.” Vera frowned in confusion, and Ara squeezed her fingers. “Yggdrasil will always be a partnership between us, but this is not where you need to be right now. You always say that you have so many responsibilities that require your attention. For once, you can delegate one of them to someone else.”
Vera wanted to argue with her, to assure her that she was up to the task of rebuilding the shop on top of everything else she needed to do. But she knew Ara was right. As usual. Although it went against everything she’d always believed about herself to leave her work in someone else’s hands, she had to focus on the bigger issue.
Ara’s smile warmed, her green eyes shining. “From the day Greg told me the truth about that book, my biggest priority has been keeping an eye out for you and making sure I was here when you needed me.” She flicked her gaze toward Gabe. “Now you have someone else to fill that role. I can stop being your guardian and go back to just being your sister.”
Vera wrapped her arms around Ara’s neck and hugged her tightly, projecting as much love and gratitude as she could into the embrace.
“Where would I be without you?”
“Dead on the floor from a heart attack, I imagine,” Ara teased.
Vera wanted to laugh, but her future stretched out in front of her as a shadowed road full of uncertainties, and she felt small in comparison.
“I don’t know what to do next.”
Ara pulled away, but kept her hands tight around Vera’s. “Of course you do. You’ll do whatever needs to be done.”
As though the words contained some magic spell of release, the weight fell from Vera’s shoulders, and she stared with a numbing awe at where her shop had once stood.
Ara was right. She knew exactly what she had to do, and the beauty of it was that she was free to do it. While the loss of her shop was a tragedy that would take her a long time to heal from, it also severed the chains that had bound her to her home and prevented her from stepping outside her comfort zone. Her safe nest had been destroyed, exposing her to the harsh light of the world. And if she ever wanted another haven, she would have to fight for it.
“I’m going to get the book back,” she said, and slid her fingers through Gabe’s, keeping hold of Ara with her other hand.
“How will you start?” Gabe asked.
She met his gaze through his dark lenses, and it was like they were no longer there. Even though she couldn’t see it with her physical eyes, she saw his expression as clearly as if he’d thrown his sunglasses into the wreckage with the rest of her past. “With you by my side, if you’ll join me.”
He smiled, which was answer enough for her.
Ara’s gaze drifted between the two of them. “Do you have a plan?”
Vera squared her shoulders. A moment ago, she’d had nothing but a series of possibilities, but now that she’d made up her mind on how she would move forward, her determination rose to light a fire in her bones.
Fendal had revealed the true power of the book. If the people who now had it in their possession managed to crack the DNA codes written on those pages, they would have control over every otherworldly species in this dimension. They could use that power however they wanted — to enslave or destroy. The gods were welcome to curse her to the seven hells if she didn’t put her life on the line to make sure that didn’t happen.
“Lozak’s leaders have the book, so the only way I’ll get it back is to track down Lozak’s leaders,” she said. Anticipation buzzed through her, and her smile grew. “I’m going to get in the way of whatever they’re planning and show the Collegiate what it really means to be loyal.”
She looked to Gabe and then to Ara, both of them walking definitions of loyalty in her life. Ara would stay here to rebuild her home, so that by the time Vera succeeded — if she succeeded — she would have a place to return. In the meantime, Gabe would be by her side, lending her his strength and giving them a chance to see what they could make of their lives.
She would have to rely on other people to make her plans work, but the idea no longer terrified her.
She squeezed Gabe’s hand, and her heart fluttered when he squeezed back.
Lozak and the Collegiate had underestimated her. They had tried to kill the fight within her, but they had only stoked the fires. She was the reigning vengeance goddess, and they would face the force of her wrath.
Regardless of what the Collegiate said, the Book of Universes was still her burden. The need to keep it safe was as much a part of her as carrying out her vengeance contracts. It was her legacy from her father’s bloodline. She’d constructed her life around creating balance, and now she understood why: the blood of the guardians ran in her veins, and just like them, she would fight to see justice done.
She hoped Lozak and his leaders were ready to watch their world burn.
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Acknowledgments
It was a great pleasure to spend time with some old characters in this book. In many ways, it was like getting back in touch with old friends. But it was also a great opportunity for me to get to know some new ones. Ara surprised me with her warmth and gentleness, and the Collegiate came as a complete surprise, though they set the ball rolling for the rest of the series, so I guess I should be grateful to them for stepping into my head.
Aside from the characters themselves, however, there are a number of real-life folks I need to thank for helping me make this book as sweet and action-packed as it is:
Sue Archer, my editor and voice of wisdom, who helped me tackle the sheer number of revelations that take place in this book to prevent it from being too overwhelming.
My cover artist, Ravven, who hit all the right notes for this story, and designed the gorgeous cover-within-the-cover for The Fettered Wolf
Many thanks to my beta readers — Tina Miles, Adam Couturier, Shannon Martin, and Wendy Smith — who caught all the little things I likely would have missed even after my
third proofread.
Kate Sparkes, who helped me polish and scrub, and bring out all the sparkling facets of this story.
Unlike with Allegra, I didn’t need to do quite as much self-exploration to hit on Vera’s personality, so my family were spared that particular pain, but they still needed to face my single-mindedness on hitting deadlines, and my inability to drag my mind away from work at any time. My husband, Chris Reddie, who was always there to support me and cheer me on from first draft to final, and who even managed to convince me to take an occasional walk to remember what the sun looks like.
And thank you, dear readers, for continuing on with me as we gear up towards the final books. Every installment has been an adventure, and I’m so grateful for the great company I keep.
Other Works by Krista Walsh
The Meratis Trilogy
Evensong
Eventide
Evenlight
The Cadis Trilogy
Bloodlore
Blightlore
Bladelore
The Invisible Entente
The Invisible Entente prequel novella
Death at Peony House
Song of Wishrock Harbor
About the Author
Known for witty, vivid characters, Krista Walsh never has more fun than getting them into trouble and taking her time getting them out.
When not writing, she can be found reading, gaming, or watching a film – anything to get lost in a good story.
She currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.
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At the local Second Cup coffee shop … but only if you come bearing a White Mocha