Madly and Wolfhardt

by M. Leighton

  “Jackson, she’s headed for the woods,” I called as I ran toward him at the door.

  “She?” he asked as we made our way quickly down the stairs.

  “It’s Kellina. She’s Wolfhardt.”

  “How? Are you sure? How can that be?”

  “I don’t know how, but I’m absolutely positive. We have to get to her.”

  Together, with a small army of Sentinels trailing behind us, we ran across the yard and into the forest in search of Wolfhardt.

  As the woods widened, spreading out before us to the left and to the right, so did the Sentinels. They fanned out, two-by-two, to cover more ground as we went. Jackson and I took off at a run toward the path. We hadn’t gone far when something pale darted through the woods in front of my eyes. I didn’t need to ask if Jackson saw it.

  Speeding up, he veered slightly left, heading straight for a curve in the path up ahead. He was trying to get in front of whatever was running parallel to us through the trees.

  All of a sudden, I saw Jackson cut sharply right, leaping off the ground and hurling his body through the air just as a shape rounded a huge oak tree. I heard a grunt as the two bodies tumbled in a tangle of limbs to the ground.

  “It’s me,” a muffled voice said as Jackson rolled on top and sat up. “Ahh,” it screamed in agony.

  I recognized that voice.

  “Jackson, let him up. It’s Aidan!”

  After a split-second pause, Jackson came fluidly to his feet, extending his hand to help Aidan up. When Aidan was on his feet, Jackson turned to resume his chase through the forest.

  “Come on,” he called back to me.

  “Jackson, wait!” Aidan yelled, holding one arm across his stomach as if he was in pain.

  Jackson stopped and turned around, but didn’t come back.

  “Not now, Saint. Madly, come on.”

  “I can help you find her,” Aidan blurted, huffing heavily.

  On that note, Jackson did return.

  “How?”

  Aidan waved Jackson off.

  “Just trust me, I can. I have one condition, though.”

  “No, there’s no ‘just trust me.’ You tell me how or I’m leaving right now.”

  Aidan sighed, an angry exhalation that bled into a loud cry of agony.

  “I’ll be able to track her,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “How?” Jackson asked again, still skeptical.

  “Because in a few minutes, I’ll be a wolf, too.”

  If he’d reached out and slapped me, I couldn’t have been more surprised.

  “What? Aidan, why? How do you know that? You can’t know that?”

  “Yes, I can, Madly. I can feel it. I’m changing right now,” he said doubling over with a groan.

  “But you have to have blood to…to…”

  My heart skipped a beat at the thought of Aidan killing someone to get what was necessary for full transformation.

  “Not when you’ve been bitten. Wolfhardt completed the curse when he killed the blacksmith. Now, anyone exposed to the saliva is cursed as well.”

  “Then, Aidan, you shouldn’t be out here. You need to be somewhere safe, somewhere you can be protected and where you can be monitored.”

  I didn’t want to add that he needed to be somewhere that everyone else would be safe from him, too.

  “When I realized that Kellina was the Wolfhardt descendant, I knew I had to help her. I couldn’t let you kill her.”

  “How did you find out?”

  “When the moon rose, something inside me started to react to it, started to change. It was like all of a sudden I could sense something familiar in her, something I’ve not sensed before. As the moon got higher, Kellina’s eyes changed, like she wasn’t Kellina anymore. It was like there was someone else in there with her. I didn’t really put two and two together until she left. She hadn’t been gone long when I heard a howl and it called to me. Like…” Aidan paused, cringing as his muscles bunched and squeezed, his forehead shining wetly in the light of the bright full moon. “It’s hard to explain, but you’ve got to trust me. I just knew.”

  “But Aidan, you can’t be out here. Someone could get hurt. You could get hurt.”

  “I don’t care, Madly. She’s my mate. She’s all I care about. I love her and I can’t live without her. I don’t even want to. I have to do this. For her.”

  I understood that. I felt nothing less than that very same desperate bond to Jackson. It made no sense and it cared not for the comfort or preferences of the Mer. It was a supernatural tie, one that selected us, not the other way around.

  Of their own accord, my eyes darted to Jackson. He was looking at me, not at Aidan, his expression indecipherable.

  “Can you run?” I asked Aidan, my eyes still on Jackson. When Aidan didn’t answer, I looked back to him.

  Aidan’s mouth was open in a silent scream, his eyes wide and glassy.

  “Aidan!”

  He bent forward sharply and I heard a nauseating snap that sounded like bone breaking. Aidan fell onto his knees, pulling in agitation at his shirt as his agony finally made its way into the air in a loud cry of torment. Jackson and I stood helplessly by as an amazing transformation took place right before our very eyes.

  Aidan’s spine bubbled and stretched as his ribs flared into a deep barrel shape. His shoulder blades dropped down and moved forward, his arms lengthening and his elbows popping outward. With a muffled crack, his hips and pelvis shifted, pulling his legs beneath him in a crouch. A throaty whine slipped through thinning lips as Aidan’s nose thickened and elongated.

  Coarse, dark blond hair began to push its way through the fabric of his shirt and shorts until Aidan was covered in fur from his rapidly growing ears to the base of his spine and beyond, where the hair thickened into a bushy tail.

  When his body finally quieted, Aidan shook, his muscles twitching in succession from his nose to his tail in that uniquely canine fashion. As he moved, his shiny coat shimmered in the dim light. I was mesmerized, absorbed by every detail of his appearance.

  With one quick jerk of his head, Aidan looked up at me, his eyes the same hazel they’d always been, something in them still eerily familiar. Unsteadily he rose on his now-hind legs until he towered far above my head. Then, with a grunt, he let himself drop back onto his front legs. They still looked somewhat arm-like, only now they ended in long bony digits tipped with sharp claws.

  With a meaningful look at Jackson, Aidan put his nose to the ground and took off like a shot, leaving us to try and keep up. Luckily the uneven terrain provided a bit of an equalizer, slowing a newly-wolfen Aidan down a bit, too.

  Aidan stopped just ahead of us and we slowed in response. Jackson looked left and right, scanning the forest for signs of Wolfhardt. The tiniest of movements teased my peripheral vision and I turned my head sharply left. There, looking at us through two enormous trees, was Kellina.

  “Jackson,” I whispered.

  Keeping my eyes on the other wolf, I saw Jackson shift subtly in my direction so he could see around the trees. Kellina didn’t move. It was then that I realized that she wasn’t watching us; she was watching Aidan.

  “Aidan,” I whispered.

  Aidan’s head snapped up and he thrust his nose into the air. I knew the instant he caught her scent. He growled, a low rumble that I felt in my feet as if it vibrated the earth beneath us.

  Slowly, Aidan moved around in front of me. Gradually, I shifted back until I was standing beside Jackson and we were both facing Kellina.

  Aidan stilled and the forest fell silent around us, not even the creep of creatures to disturb the moment. I knew instinctively that a wealth of communication was passing between him and Kellina, but it was her distraction, her fascination with Aidan, that proved to be her downfall.

  As she watched him, the Sentinels had just enough time to maneuver into a position that made escape for Kellina impossible. When they struck, descending upon her, she had nowhere to go.

  S
he struggled ferociously, prompting two more Sentinels to step into the fray. It was difficult to see what was going on, but when Kellina yelped, I could only assume that the Sentinels were gaining the upper hand.

  At her distress signal, Aidan growled and lunged forward. But Jackson, ever ready and always a step ahead, quickly grabbed Aidan by his thin midsection and pivoted, throwing him to the ground.

  Jackson lay with his thick upper body across Aidan’s, his legs pinning Aidan’s to the ground, effectively subduing his struggles. When Aidan continued to growl and snap, Jackson moved slightly to secure his head. Aidan seized the opportunity, opening his big jaws and biting at Jackson.

  “Ohmigod, Aidan! No!” I cried, rushing forward. “Jackson don’t let him bite you.”

  With lightning fast reflexes, Jackson managed to avoid Aidan’s glistening teeth until he was able to secure his head safely. The entire time, my heart felt as if it was going to batter its way out of my chest like a jackhammer.

  The Sentinels pressed on until Kellina was contained. Though she continued to snap and snarl viciously, I saw no other movement. From the ground, Aidan began to whine, ceasing to struggle beneath Jackson’s heavy body.

  When the sounds of thrashing and scuffling stopped, a forlorn howl erupted across the forest, drawing all our eyes to Kellina. The sound was so woeful, it made the hairs on my arms stand up.

  Within seconds, Aidan chimed in, the two howls dancing through the crisp night air like two secret lovers, seeking comfort in each other’s arms. I looked back to Aidan, my heart breaking for him, and saw that his features were slowly returning to normal.

  Beneath the cover of Jackson’s body, I could see Aidan’s arms and legs returning to limbs that looked familiar, the claws shrinking back into closely shorn fingernails. Within a minute or two, he looked like the boy I’d grown up with, the boy who was supposed to be my prince.

  Jackson lifted himself off Aidan and helped him up, Aidan closely examining his skin, temporarily bewildered by the sudden change.

  “Stay here,” Jackson ordered Aidan. As he walked by me, he murmured, “Be right back.”

  Jackson jogged over to the group that was standing near Kellina and her captors. He spoke quietly to them, gesturing toward Aidan a couple times. When he was finished, he motioned to me as the Sentinels made their way to Aidan.

  Confused, I walked to Jackson, nervously fingering the hot band around my wrist.

  “What do we do now? How do I get Wolfhardt into the pearl?”

  There was a long pause before Jackson answered me, a pause where he watched me in such a way that I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say.

  “Madly, you know I would never hurt someone if I didn’t have to, right?”

  I frowned.

  “Of course I know that.”

  “And you know that I would never recommend any unnecessarily harmful actions unless there was absolutely no other way, right?”

  “Jackson, I know that. What are you getting at?”

  He paused again.

  “When the Lore were captured in olden times, most of the human bodies they inhabited didn’t survive the… the… extraction.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, still confused.

  “Madly, there is a good chance that we won’t be able to save Kellina when we take Wolfhardt.”

  “What?” I whispered, certain I must’ve misunderstood his meaning.

  “Kellina might die. But, Madly, we have to remove Wolfhardt. We have to,” he reiterated.

  “I know that, but…”

  “You know if there was any other way, I would take it. But there’s not. I’m sorry, Madly,” he said, reaching out to brush a wayward strand of hair from my cheek. “This is the only way. It’s our only chance to regain Atlas.”

  I closed my eyes, covering my quivering lips with my hand.

  “Jackson, we can’t let that happen. I can’t kill Kellina. I…I just…”

  “I’ll do everything I can to save her. You know I will, but we may not have a choice.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  I looked past Jackson to the still form of the wolf that lay beneath the bodies of two Sentinels. Though I couldn’t see her eyes, I had no trouble remembering Kellina’s them—my friend’s eyes—staring back at me from the furry face.

  I turned and my eyes met Aidan’s. In them I saw worry, distrust, fear and the pain of a desperate love that I understood all too well.

  We stared at one another for a few seconds, just long enough for Aidan to read something in mine that he didn’t like. Aidan started to shake his head back and forth, both to caution me and in denial of what had to be done.

  I turned back to Jackson. I saw the boy I’d thought I’d loved so long ago. I saw the man he’d come to be, the one I knew I loved now. I saw a dedicated soldier, a strong warrior, and, if need be, a killer. But I also saw a little piece of my home, a reminder of what I was fighting for. There was an entire civilization of people that protected humanity from some of its worst nightmares, and that civilization’s safety, its survival was at stake. Whether they knew it or not, millions of souls were depending on my strength to see them through this catastrophe.

  My strength. Our strength, I thought, remembering how Jackson affected my powers.

  In that very instant, I knew that there was a way to save Atlas and Kellina. There had to be. I just had to be strong, stronger than I’d ever been before. And part of my strength lay in my love for Jackson.

  Looking down, I reached out and took Jackson’s hand in mine. He didn’t resist, didn’t pull away. I stepped toward him, raising my other hand to his, my fingers at his palm. I rubbed my thumbs over the rope-like veins that lined the back of his wide hand. They were like winding roads on a map.

  As I watched, his long fingers curled around mine and squeezed lightly. I looked up and, even in the dappled moonlight, I could see his confidence. But this time, it wasn’t turned inward. His confidence was in me. It was there, shining in his face, strong and sure.

  You can do this, Madly.

  Jackson’s lips didn’t move, but I heard his words as if he’d spoken them aloud. I smiled. Jackson smiled. I don’t know how it happened, or why. I didn’t question it because I didn’t care. It simply was. Just like our bond simply was. And in it was strength, strength enough to conquer—conquer Wolfhardt, conquer fear, conquer the world if need be.

  Without a word, I laced the fingers of my one hand with Jackson’s and, together, we turned, walking in supreme confidence to where they held Kellina.

  There were eight other Sentinels gathered around her, just in case she managed to escape, and they parted as I approached. No one said a word. No one made a sound.

  I stopped in front of Kellina and, letting go of Jackson’s hand, I knelt at her head. One beautiful eye rolled up to watch me suspiciously, but she remained silent. I knew that, though Wolfhardt was in there, Kellina was in control at that moment. I could feel it as if she were sitting right beside me, a kinship emanating from her spirit. She trusted me not to hurt her.

  “Madly, no!” Aidan called from several feet away.

  I said nothing as I leaned in to whisper into Kellina’s ear.

  “Hang on, Kellina. We’re going to get him out of there.”

  She whined once.

  “Madly, no!”

  To my right, I heard the rustling of leaves and the grunts of men as Aidan tried to make his way to his love.

  “Madly, please don’t. You can’t do this. You can’t do this to me, Madly. Please!”

  The desperation in his voice tugged painfully at my heart. Again, I said nothing. I didn’t want to make a promise that I wasn’t be absolutely certain that I could keep. I believed I could separate Wolfhardt and Kellina, but I wouldn’t promise Aidan. It would be hard enough for him if something happened to her. I didn’t want to add the pain of betrayal to his anguish.

  Jackson knelt beside me. He took my hand in his this time, a blatant show of support and
unity.

  As if our bodies knew what was needed, I felt the hum of his power course through our entwined fingers and up my arm, vibrating through my chest and settling into my belly like a ball of electric fire.

  I closed my eyes, whispering Please God before I placed my other hand on Kellina’s head, right between her taut ears. Immediately, the bracelet on my right wrist began to burn again, pulsing and throbbing as it took on a life of its own.

  Through my palm, I began to feel the familiar energy of the water, as if I were drawing it into myself. It puzzled me, but only because I knew that there was not a significant water source nearby. And yet, I could feel it bathing my cells in its precious power, singing in my veins and bringing my lips up into a smile.

  I was awash with the pleasure of my home element when I heard Jackson whisper my name. As always, I felt his voice as a sweet kiss on my soul.

  Reluctantly, I cracked my lids to look around. I was convinced I would see that the heavens had opened up to help me take the evil spirit of Wolfhardt from this place. And at first, that’s what I thought I was seeing.

  All around me in the dark forest, I could see crystalline drops of water rising from the ground and hovering in the air. They looked like earthbound stars, twinkling in the woods as they caught and held the heavenly glow of the moon.

  One by one, the drops began to move toward me and I could feel the delicate patter of a warm rain as they touched my face and became one with my thirsty body.

  As if invigorated by the moisture, my bracelet began to warm all the more, growing hotter and hotter until I cried out. Looking down, I was taken aback by what I saw.

  Gone was the wolf I’d knelt beside. The hair I felt tickling my palm was the hair of a human, of a girl I knew and called friend. I looked into the gray-green eyes that I recognized, but in them, I saw a silent terror. I felt it creep into my heart and take root as I looked into her desiccated face.

  The flesh that was plump and vital only hours before was now shriveled and shrunken, clinging to the bones beneath like that of an elderly woman with failing health. Her dry, cracked lips worked themselves open and closed forming words that were muted by a parched tongue. I didn’t need to hear them to know what she was saying, though. It was there, written in her eyes and in the stricken expression on her dehydrated face.