“Fatavoce,” Gretchen whispered awestruck. “By the grace of Luna, a real Song Maiden!”
“What is a fatavoce?” Miriah leaned in whispering so as not to interrupt her.
“Exceedingly rare. The archives have mentioned them, but more like a myth.” Gretchen's eyes never left Zandria.
Maggie crossed her arms. “She doesn't look like a myth to me.”
Gretchen motioned for them to be quiet as Zandria continued to sing. “Later,” she murmured.
The song continued to weave and curl around them, then slowly it expanded, slipping into the breeze and was flung over the compound. Slowly, she swayed from side to side then rocked to and fro as if the song was a wave and she was caught helplessly in it. She raised her arms shoulder level and pushed the song further away, her back arching gracefully, her head falling backwards to spill a waterfall of pale gold down her back. Rising up on her tiptoes, she pushed the song forward again, her arms cupping in that direction, her head falling to the front again. The song slipped from her lips, tempo turning urgent, and no matter how hard they strained to understand the words, the meaning slipped from their consciousness like sand through fingers. The song continued for several moments and then she held one note, pure as crystal, as lovely as the breaking of dawn, her body trembled and then abruptly it was gone. She collapsed to her knees, gasping great breaths of air as if she were drowning. Cayson let out a strangled cry and fell to his knees beside her, his hands gently supporting her trembling body. Raising her right hand straight forward, she gritted her teeth. “That way, about five miles, that's where her resonance is.” She dropped her arm as it if weighed a thousand pounds.
Jeff took off at a lope, calling for wolves to join him as they phased and ran into the woods. Back at the compound, Cayson's concerned face looked over Zandria.
“Hey? Are you okay?” he asked, worry making his voice thicken. He cupped her chin and raised her face up.
For the first time, she didn't shy away, didn't close her eyes or look aside. This time, she faced him straight on.
Thunder sounded in his head and he reeled backwards slightly. His mouth flew open as those beautiful pale blue depths reached out and snagged him, pulling him headlong into them where he drowned in her soul.
Our mate!
His wolf howled in joy, dancing and strutting back and forth with excitement. She was his mate; the one that was created specifically for him. Slowly he was aware of a burning sensation just over his heart. Even without looking he knew what it was. He had seen mating marks on other couples before including his sister and Chase. He knew there would be a mark, dark red and pale white, resembling a fingerprint with whirls and lines, pulsing over his heart. A mark that he knew was a perfect counter to one that now graced Zandria's fair skin in the exact same spot. A mark that would never be duplicated - it was as unique as the fingerprints it so resembled.
“You... you knew, didn't you. That's why you wouldn't look at me, would never let me see your eyes,” he whispered. “It's because it takes the eye to eye contact of two wolves to create the link between life mates.” He frowned. “But you're human. I thought only wolves could be life mates.”
She smiled weakly, “I knew it and I fought it for so long. There's so much you don't know about me. I felt your song.” She frowned slightly. “Cayson, I'm not exactly just a human.” She swallowed and whispered, “so tired. Please, it takes too much out of me to do that for such a long distance. Please, we'll talk about this later.” The pale blue orbs closed slowly and she fell against him, too exhausted to fight it any longer. He sat in the dirt at the foot of the porch and cradled her body against his, rocking gently.
“I thought I had seen it all,” Gretchen mumbled softly. “A dreamer, an empath and a fatavoce all in the same generation.” She shook her head slowly.
Miriah's eyes never left her son's form. She could almost hear his wolf humming happily as he cradled her. “You never told us what that is. What's a fatavoce?”
“Fatavoce is a word from the old country; it means 'song maiden' because those that were blessed with the gift are always women, without exception. They are considered a myth, a legend. According to the stories, these women possess incredible power and can manipulate people and nature through the use of their voices. You know a bit about the stream that dreamers use? It's basically the essence of life that flows through every living thing. A dreamer can move up and down that stream from present to past to future but are only allowed to view a small portion of it. However, the flow is not just visual, it's also audible.” She nodded towards the couple. “For lack of a better way of putting it, Fatavoce are super dreamers, but they don't have to touch to enter the stream, and not only can they detect the stream, they can manipulate it and use it.”
Miriah looked at the girl, “I wonder why she didn't tell anyone,” she whispered in awe.
Gretchen licked her lips and curled her arms around her midsection. “I imagine she didn't tell anyone because she's in hiding and the more she spoke, the more apt that someone could figure it out. When I say they are powerful, I mean exceedingly powerful. That girl could literally change someone's life or even the lives of several people – a whole pack. It's happened in the past, or so they say. According to legends, it was a fatavoce that destroyed the vampire race. It almost destroyed our race as well.”
Maggie drew in a deep breath. “And we never knew. A most remarkable human.”
Gretchen chuckled. “Fatavoce aren't human. She's a wolf, a very special, very unusual, very different kind of one, but definitely a wolf.”
CHAPTER 16
The limited light streaming through the tiny window had faded some time ago and Carson could just make out the dim twinkle of the first stars to dot the sky when the door opened again. She cringed slightly as he strolled in and walked behind her chair. Cutting the ropes free, he pulled them away and tossed them into the corner. Her shoulders screamed in agony, muscles cramped from being tied in one position for far too long. He took a step back and pointed towards the open door. “There's your freedom. Go ahead.” He smirked at her and crossed his arms over his chest.
She stared stupidly at him then at the door, slowly licking her dry lips. “I can just go?” She narrowed her eyes. “Just like that? You're going to just let me go?”
He nodded. “Go ahead. Just walk right out that door.”
She coaxed her legs to stand even with pins and needles running up and down them. Taking a step, she almost stumbled but caught herself at the last moment. She took several steps towards the door then stopped with her eyes on him. He grinned and waved her on with one hand.
Rubbing her wrists, she took another couple of steps then gathering her nerves, shot out of the door and disappeared into the surrounding forest.
Micah grinned ferociously watching as she ran out the door. “Time to claim my mate,” he laughed to himself and cracked his neck. Stretching his body to its limit, he threw his head back and howled, the sound deepening as it changed from human to animal. With a bound, he was out the door.
Carson ran as fast as she could, given she was still in her human form. Several attempts at reaching her beast were met with silence, so she continued on best as she could. Though she had a wolf's stamina, human muscle was not created for long term exercise and she soon felt a stitch catch in her side. Slowing for a bit, she looked around wildly, searching for some indication of where she was. The kiss of autumn had taken a hold on the woods. Everywhere she looked, brightly colored leaves fell to the waiting earth below. Gold, brown and red, they rained down leaving skeletal arms behind. She could tell this was an old forest. All of the trees were tall, mostly hardwoods, their canopies towering far above atop thick wide trunks. The undergrowth was sparse, little could thrive with the limited light that could make its way to the ground. However, branches, roots and old vegetation coupled with a rapidly gathering mist filled the void making it hazardous to run. The forest was familiar but foreign to her, meaning they were defin
itely not on pack lands, but probably in one of the surrounding forests.
Suddenly she froze, her head snapping around to stare behind her. The unmistakable cry of a hunting wolf sounded out over the forest. “Crap crap crap” she mumbled, realization dawning on her. This is exactly what he wanted; it was his own personal mate run staring her as the prize. She reached down inside herself one last time, panic seizing her heart in a tight clamp. Come on girl, I need you. Please wake up!! But it was no use, her wolf was still incapacitated. “CRAP!” she screamed in frustration. “Damn that serum and Micah Simpson as well,” she swore.
Pushing away from a tree, she picked a direction and ran, hoping against hope it was the right way. The occasional thorn bush slapped at her, leaving scratches and welts on her skin. Looking up as she ran, she was able to make out the pale glow of the moon as it peeked through the trees, giving her a glimpse of the littered ground. She was thankful for it for without her wolf's augmented sight, she was all but blind.
Even without her acute hearing she could tell something was running right for her; running fast. She stumbled, falling to her knees then quickly scrambled back up ignoring her scraped shins. She sprinted off again, plunging through the trees trying to stay as quiet as possible without sacrificing speed. The thick trees finally thinned marginally and she found herself at the bottom of a small hill. It was covered in thick brown grass and littered with sticks and rocks. Quickly, she clawed her way up it, hissing when her fingers found a rock and two nails bent back before breaking. Sweat poured down her back and her hair hung limply, sticking to skin. Cresting the hill, she rolled over on top, laying on her back for a bit and gasped for breath. Closing her eyes, she panted then froze, when there was a snap of a branch. Quickly lurching to her feet, she crouched and peered down the hill. Thirty yards back the way she had run, she spotted two glowing eyes staring at her through the gloom. She took a cautious step back, keeping her eyes on his.
Her heart dropped into her stomach and she whimpered. One hand curled protectively to her chest, while the other reached behind her, feeling for something to use as a weapon. Micah took a step forward, stalking her silently, his lips pulled back in a grin. She began to shake, fear turning her blood, and the sweat running down her back, into ice. A soft whispered, “no” slipped through her lips as she took another careful step backward.
The beast never took his eyes off her but crouched low to the ground, stalking her silently. She licked her lip and tasted the coppery of her blood. She must have split her lip when she fell. Damn, could her luck get any worse? She took another step back, her eyes still locked on his, trying to not show the fear that had her almost paralyzed. Suddenly he threw his head back and howled and she startled. It was like she had been poked with a stick. Stumbling back, she tripped over an old log and landed hard on her butt. Immediately, she jumped up, turned and ran again as fast as she could. There was a crash behind her then she felt rather than heard the huge wolf as it topped the little hill. Ahead of her she saw a little clearing with several boulders stacked in the middle and almost cried. She had been wrong, they were on pack lands after all. That had to be Make-Out Hill. Throwing herself out of the ring of trees and into the clearing, her hand was almost on the rock when she was hit from the side and rolled over in the grass. Blinking the stars out of her eyes, she looked up into twin pools of glowing amber.
He had caught her.
“Please no,” she whispered as she scrambled out from under him.
He huffed then moved off of her. It was obvious that he was toying with her.
She felt the tears begin to fall as she crawled back away from him. “Please Micah don't do this,” she sobbed. “It's not right. Please don't.”
Her back pressed against the boulders and slowly she used them to stand up again, keeping her face turned towards him. He watched her impassively as she slowly made her way around them. Her eyes darted wildly from side to side, frantically searching for the path that led back to the compound. When she couldn't find it, it hit her; this wasn't their clearing after all. She almost screamed in frustration. Making her way to the edge of the mass, she turned and took off at a sprint once again, aiming for the woods. After only a few steps, he again leaped upon her, this time on her back pushing her to the ground. He wasn't playing this round. As soon as her stomach hit the ground, she screamed in panic. His jaws closed on the back of her neck and she howled bitterly.
“NOOOOO!!!”
.-~*~-.
As soon as Jeff gathered all available Enforcers, they shifted and sprinted into the trees in the direction indicated by Zandria. He had tried to talk Chase into staying behind, saying that it would be better if he waited in case she returned on her own, but he would have none of it. He soon realized it was a lost cause and now the healer ran with the pack with single minded determination. Having left their own lands behind, they continued to eat up the ground, running at full speed in the silent manner of their people on a hunt.
Chase's wolf growled and put on a burst of speed. Chase let him go, knowing at the moment he would be much better adapted to handle the situation than his human. Giving over to his animal had been easy, much too easy in fact and a portion of Chase wondered if the beast would relinquish control back once they found her. He would worry about that later; now they must find his mate, and soon. The longer it took, the less likely she would be found.
Pulling the air in through his nose, he sampled the scents; decaying vegetation, small game, his fellow pack members, but not her. He growled softly. Micah will pay for taking his mate, he'll pay with his life. Some portion of his mind rebelled against the thought of shedding blood; he was a healer, a physician, but he suppressed it. He knew without a doubt that he would gladly give up everything, his possessions, his career, his very life to ensure Carson was safe.
Chase was thrown from his thoughts by a sharp yip ahead. Silently, the pack instantly slowed to a walk, crouching and stealing through the scant underbrush. Breaking through the tree line, they stood facing a small structure squatting in a clearing bathed in moonlight. Every muscle of his body wanted to rush in, but he stayed back watching Will, Patrick and Ellis as they cautiously circled the building disappearing around the front. There was a pregnant hush as the rest of the pack waited, and then they heard “all clear” from Will inside. Chase raced to the front of the shack and shifted before walking in.
There was a wooden chair, four legs digging in the hard packed earth floor, sitting in the middle of the single room. All four walls were constructed of rough planks turned a dull grey with age and dust topped by a single filthy window perched under the eaves on one wall. Cobwebs hung thickly in the corners, except for one that contained a single bucket and a small pile of cut ropes. Chase marched over and picked up the coils and bringing them to his nose, inhaled deeply. There was a hint of lilac and vanilla along with the thick cloying scent of sweat. He growled. “She was here.” Tossing the ropes down, he glanced in the bucket and saw several syringes. Reaching in he picked one up and looked at it with brows knitted.
Patrick looked over his shoulder. “That must be how he administered the wolf's bane ser...,” he stopped when he heard Jeff hiss followed by a whispered “Oh shit.”
Chase's entire body began to tremble. “That mongrel used wolf's bane on her?” His tone was low and menacing. He whirled and glared at them. “You knew and didn't tell me?”
Jeff composed himself but there was an undercurrent of barely suppressed anger. “We knew,” he looked Chase straight in the eyes, not backing down even when the melted chocolate took on a golden glow. “And this is why. You are too close to losing it, Healer. You get a hold on your wolf now or you'll be staying right here when we continue on.” He continued to stare at him, pushing his authority until Chase regained control and force his beast back down. Lowering his head slightly, he sighed, “Yes, Alpha.”
Jeff clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man.” Walking back out the door, he split the pack up into groups of four
with himself, Will and Patrick heading each one. “Patrick you go north, I'll go south and Will take Chase and head east. She can't have gotten far – I'm pretty sure that this is where she was … recently.” Jeff didn't want to give out Zandria's secrets – that was her business and nobody's else. “There's no scent trail, so she's in human form. If you find anything, send up a howl. Remember that Micah is wily and has been captain of the Enforcers for longer than some of you have been alive. Be smart. Don't try to not take him alone unless a life is in danger. Just keep an eye on him and don't engage until everyone's there. Okay, let's go.”
As one, they all shifted, stretched a moment then bolted into the surrounding woods.
CHAPTER 17
She didn't feel different – in her heart she still longed for Chase, feeling a rightness that screamed he was her life mate and she, his. Inching a hand between her body and the ground to the mark on her chest, she could feel the swirls and lines still raised on her skin. Closing her eyes she breathed a slight sigh of relief, even though the sharp pain of fangs sunk into the back of her neck. Nothing had changed, she hadn't imprinted on Micah after all. Perhaps it was because she had her true life mate or maybe imprinting didn't work for dreamers. Then it hit her. Imprinting only worked with wolves and hers was still asleep. She suddenly felt very grateful for that damned serum. Stay asleep honey, she thought to her animal. You just keep on snoozing for a little while longer.
It seemed like an eternity before he unclenched his jaws and backed off from her. Pressure relieved, she pushed herself up to her knees, and her head bowed as her thoughts whirred in her head. He had said once she was imprinted, he would take her back to the pack. If she could make him believe it had taken, once they were back in the grounds proper, she could get help. It would be difficult but surely she could put forth a good performance and make him think she had imprinted even though she wasn't sure what one looked like. But then, maybe neither did he. Steeling herself, she forced her face in what she hoped was adoration and raised her head.
Shattered Dreams (Luna's Children) Page 15