by M. R. Polish
“Is she okay?” I asked. At least I think I said it out loud. My hearing was coming back, but it was like a long tunnel.
Ailaina’s head popped up and she ran over to me. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you’d be inside the flames. I saw the fire but not you. I am so sorry.”
Reaching out, I hugged her. “It’s okay. I’m fine and alive. You didn’t know.”
Ian helped me to stand. “Es, I was so worried.”
“I know, it was weird. One moment, things were going right, and then in seconds a fire filled the circle. I don’t know what happened.”
Julie strolled over, her arms folded across her chest. “You aren’t strong enough, that’s what happened. You couldn’t handle the fire element.”
I shook my head. “No, that’s not it. I am strong enough and can handle that energy probably better that you, but this was different, it wasn’t in my control.”
“Better than me?” Julie splayed her fingers wide across her bosom.
I stepped forward. “Yes, better than you. I don’t see you inside that circle trying to wrangle all the elements at once. So until you can do what I am supposed to do, then I don’t want to hear anymore snide remarks. Got it?”
She opened her mouth to say something when Jarak grabbed her hand, tugging her away. “Leave her alone, Julie.”
I looked at my mom. “So the spell didn’t work, but do you think it did anything?”
She shrugged. “Too soon to tell. But I’m sure you at least got Nicholas’s attention.”
Yesterday felt like years ago. I couldn’t help but feel a little guilt over not being able to complete the Reaping Spell, but at least I was alive.
Almost everyone left to research what went wrong with the spell. Well, everyone but myself, Ian, Ailaina and the two love birds. Julie wasn’t making life easy with her clear hatred for me, but I tolerated it the best I could. Given the chance I’d probably lace her drink with Belladonna.
Ian wrapped his arms around me as I stood beside the creek. “What are you thinking, Princess?”
“I’m thinking that I’m gonna kick your butt if you call me that one more time.” I giggled. It was nice to be loved.
“You wouldn’t do that to an old man, would you?”
I playfully elbowed him in the stomach. “I guess I would.”
He tackled me to the snow covered ground and kissed me. Pulling my hands above my head, he pinned me. “Princess, I think I’ll take that challenge.”
“Es, someone is coming,” Luna said before materializing beside us. Dregan was instantly there too.
Ian and I stood up and listened. It was distant, but I could hear someone trudging through the snow farther up the mountain.
All four of us took off toward whoever it was. A couple hundred yards away I spotted a man falling over. His body lay unmoving. Darting over to him, I rolled him over to see his face.
It was a Crossbreed. The scent of rotten metallic filled my nostrils. A faint tingle of energy flowed from his body. He was dying, that much was certain.
He gazed at me with cloudy eyes. “Help.”
“Why should I help you?”
He swallowed hard. “Something is wrong. All over, Crossbreeds are dying. They just started dropping. I feel sick.” His eyes closed.
I shook him. “Wait. What do you mean they are dropping? When did this start?”
“Yesterday. I was talking with some of my buddy’s when all at once we didn’t have the energy to stand. I looked over but they were already dead. It took all I had to get here, but I heard that you might be able to help.”
Ian sneered down at the man. “She’s the one who did it to you.”
The Crossbreed’s eyes widened.
So the spell worked, but instead of curing them, they were dying. I couldn’t help but think of Victor and his sister. My heart went out to them.
Ian bent down with us. “How many have died?”
“I don’t know. I only know that I’m the only one out of my group who’s still alive.”
I looked over at Ian. “It worked. The Reaping Spell worked.”
He hung his head. “No, but it started to. If it worked then all of them would be gone. There’s no telling how many survived.”
Ian pulled out a stake from his back pocket and without a warning, shoved it into the man’s chest. He almost smiled as he took his last breath.
“We need to let the others know.”
I nodded. “I guess that means a whole new chapter for this war then huh.”
“It means that this was only the beginning.”
Wolf Dream
Dreams are incredible magic to each person. Without them, we have nothing to look forward to. They know the deepest parts of our souls and can help us achieve the greatest things we never thought possible.
My husband and children are my dream come true.
Three Months Later…
One
Esmerelda
I could smell rotting flesh from the crossbreeds we buried a little over three months ago, as though they emerged from the ground, seeking revenge. The smell was so strong that I gagged, gasping for air as I ran through the darkened woods. I could feel Nicholas all around, as if he haunted the very air I breathed. The moon waxed over me, giving a vague light to the path I followed.
Off in the distance a wolf howled. It sounded like Luna, but I couldn’t feel her. I should be able to hear her in my mind, but nothing came to me. A hollow pit of despair rushed over me as I struggled to understand why I couldn't feel her.
I ran faster, needing to escape the woods before he found me. Limbs stretched out, grabbing me, tearing my clothes and scratching my skin. I cried out as I desperately pushed branches away, fighting my way through the brush. Climbing higher up the side of the mountain, my legs grew weak, wanting to give out. I glanced over my shoulder to see if he followed me. Nothing moved except shadows from the towering pine trees swaying in the breeze. The low-hanging limbs and thick brush surrounded me, making me feel trapped.
Turning back around, I stopped cold in my tracks. Nicholas was there, standing directly in front of me. A smug grin spread across his face. His muddy brown eyes looked more hollow than before with deep, dark circles surrounding them.
“I told you I’d be watching,” he growled, his voice sent a shiver up my spine. “I’m always here, waiting for you. Even in your sleep.”
The air around me seemed to vanish. Struggling for air, I sat up in bed, clutching the shirt that clung to my chest. Each time I tried to breathe it came in short gasps. Looking around, I needed to focus on reality. Something to help my mind remember that the dream was only a dream.
Sunlight shone through the massive front window, warming the cabin, the heated rays landing on my bare arms. I was safe, in the cabin. Slowly, I released a steady breath.
It was the same dream every night for the past three months. Shaking my head slightly, I slipped the warm comforter off my legs and slid out of bed.
The folded blankets for Ian’s makeshift bed were stacked on the floor next to the loft railing. I smiled. Since Tennessee, he never strayed too far from me. He didn’t want to leave me alone at night, but said he was man enough to respect me.
I took a deep breath, releasing it slowly—albeit a bit shaky. I wouldn’t mind sharing the bed with him. Maybe I could dream of that instead? Ha, I wished. The thought of sleeping next to him brought a rush of heat to my cheeks. I was sure that I was falling for him, but I also wasn’t sure how far I was ready to go. I felt ready to move faster in our relationship, but what if I was wrong? What if I was just a fling to him? My stomach rolled with the thought. I definitely wanted something more with him—something more than just a fling. A lot more.
It’s not like Ian had to compete with his brother. Jarak couldn’t compare to Ian in my eyes. Not anymore. Not that he ever really had in the first place. I think it had always been Ian, I just met Jarak first.
But things with Jarak were harder to digest. His
constant separation from me made me feel like I had the plague or something. Julie wasn’t helping the matter either.
I sighed. I missed Jarak’s friendship. Even with everything that happened, Jarak let us all stay with him—and Julie. I couldn’t swallow the last thought, and shuddered. I understood that he loved her, but something was seriously off with her. It was like she had some strange obsessed control over Jarak that made me want to puke. Ian and Jarak both thought it was best that we all stay together for the time being; otherwise I would’ve gladly found another place to stay.
Standing up, I slipped on my cozy fleece slippers. Even with the sunlight and fireplace, the wooden floors were still too cold for my feet. I glanced at the piles of blankets one more time and resisted the urge to pick them up and inhale his spicy scent that I knew would linger there. The only thing that really stopped me was the fear of being caught. That would be mortifying to have him come back from his run with Dregan and find me sniffing his blankets.
I sauntered downstairs. It was toasty, with the fireplace omitting the best warmth—second being Ian’s body heat. I heard the pitter-patter of paws with claws on the wood floor. Without a glance, I knew Luna came to greet me. I could feel the instantaneous comfort that covered my soul in a peaceful blanket that her presence always made me feel, but it faded as emptiness began to take over. A shudder filled my insides, and a sudden urge to cry made me wonder what upset her. I pretended not to notice. Feeling her thoughts was much harder than hearing them, but having a spirit wolf I knew that sometimes a feeling was all I would get.
“Morning, Luna.” I yawned, still not fully awake.
“Did you dream it again, Es?” I could hear her voice in my head, just like all guardians could hear their spirit wolves.
I walked to the kitchen, grabbed a cup of water, and stuck it in the microwave to heat up. I wasn’t in the mood to wait for it to boil on the stove. “Yeah,” I said roughly. I also wasn’t in the mood to talk about the haunting dream that seemed to leave me on edge almost every morning.
Grabbing the can of hot cocoa from the cupboard, I turned to face her. Her thick grey and white coat was beautiful. She sat down by the fireplace in the corner of the living room near the kitchen.
“What is it, Luna? You’re too quiet this morning. Usually you bug me to tell you about that stupid dream.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” she whined, standing back up and pacing the floor. The sounds that came from her paws were like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.
“Okay, Luna, seriously—you’re gonna make me grumpy. Just sit down and tell me what’s wrong.” The microwave beeped and I took out my hot cup of water, placing heaping spoonfuls of cocoa in it.
“I saw it last night too,” Luna said in a humph, finally sitting back down.
The sound of a wolf howling in my head brought me back to the dark forest. That’s what was different last night. I heard Luna, and that never happened before. Although, I couldn’t tell it was her; I remembered not being able to feel her at all.
I walked to the couch carrying my hot cup and settled in. “I heard you, at least I think it was you, but I couldn’t see you, or feel you.” I tried to sound as if there was nothing wrong with that, but honestly, it bugged me—a lot. I glanced down at the cup in my hands, not wanting to look at her.
Luna walked over and sat in front of me on the floor. I ran my fingers through her soft fur. We needed to be comforted and this was the best way for both of us. Just being together for a bit was enough to assure ourselves that the other was okay. I knew how the dream made me feel, so I could relate to what she must be thinking.
Luna let out a whine and rested her head on my lap. “It was horrible. I could see everything, but I could never break through to help you.” Her voice was despondent. I understood how this disturbed her. It disturbed me. She was supposed to protect me, so not being able to help me frustrated her. I just hoped it wasn’t a foreboding of the future.
No. That wouldn’t happen; would it? A spirit wolf could never be separated from their guardian. At least not that I knew of.
My heart hit the wall of my chest with a thud. “It’s okay. It was only a dream.” I wanted to believe that myself. I encircled the hot cup with my hands, holding it close to my mouth, and just sat there, feeling the steam rise and warm my lips.
Footsteps on the porch caused me to look up from my daze. I heard a deep voice, one that I knew. Ian was home. He said something to Dregan that I couldn’t make out, and then he laughed. My heart skipped a beat and I felt the butterflies in my stomach start to flap their wings. I couldn’t believe he had that effect on me. It didn’t seem that long ago when I was disgusted by his pompous attitude and scared about the attraction I felt toward him. Life was so confusing and adding him to my problems didn’t help make it any clearer, but he also filled me with something I never had before: love and a sense of being wanted.
The front door swung open and they came in. Sweat trickled from Ian’s black hair, sliding down his exquisitely chiseled face. His blue eyes sparkled as soon as he saw me. He may not wear shiny armor but he was my knight, and impressive in his own right.
A playful grin widened across his face as he strolled over to where I sat. Oh no. I could see the mischievous look swimming in the azure pool of his eyes. I sat my cup on the coffee table and backed up, trying to get off the couch before he could get anywhere near me.
Holding out my arms, I squirmed and laughed. “Don’t you dare, Ian Thorne!”
Before I escaped, he wrapped his arms around me, enveloping me in a sweaty hug. I pretended to hate it, but I loved every minute of it. Even at his worst, he still smelled heavenly. I breathed in deeply the mixture of spiced apples and sandalwood that emitted from every pore on his body.
He continued to hold me tight. “Good morning.” His voice was husky. It brought an ache to the deepest part of my being, something no other guy has ever done.
I decided to play along with my façade of disgust. “Eww, you smell like a wet dog.” I did my best to hide the giggle, but it escaped and he held me tighter.
“Maybe you should help me into the shower then.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across mine. Even after three months, my heart still pounded fiercely when he kissed me.
“I think I’m gonna find food while you shower,” I said as I reluctantly pulled away.
“Fine, but you don’t know what you’re missing.” He smirked as he winked at me. “Just make sure you’re ready when I’m done.”
“Ready—Oh no. I’m not training with him. He’s being a jerk lately. You know that.” I folded my arms in protest. “Besides, Julie will want to correct every move I make.”
“Es, you have to be as one with Luna. If you can’t move in harmony, then you could seriously be hurt, or worse. That fight with the all the crossbreeds was too easy. Next time will be harder. Nicholas won’t take it easy on you, or us, forever.”
Luna rumbled deep in her throat and pawed at the floor. I knew she hated when anyone spoke about us as if we were still two separate entities. Every day our bond grew stronger. We could both feel it. But, it wasn’t like we had our whole lives to adjust to this, and I thought we were doing pretty darn good for just bonding a few months ago.
I watched as Dregan sat next to her and nudged her with his black muzzle. I pictured what Ian would do if the roles were reversed; not that I would be a wolf, but the same thing crossed my mind. He would also try to comfort me. It was weird to see how alike Ian and his wolf were. Scary almost. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more to being bonded than they told me.
“I don’t care,” I barely whispered. “Luna and I are just fine and don’t need his help.”
“You’re not talking about me, are you?” Jarak strode into the house with Maztic, his white spirit wolf. Jarak’s almost black hair was longer than when I first met him; he said Julie liked it better that way, but I couldn’t care less. His blue eyes gazed over me slowly before he clenche
d his jaw tight and his recently found hardness took over.
His whole demeanor changed as soon as Julie came back from the dead. I hated the fact that it was me who brought her back. I couldn’t help but wonder if I truly needed her witchy butt anyway, and if it was worth it.
I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m sorry. Did I mention an egotistical jerk?”
“Es. Not now.” Jarak looked at me as if I was a child in need of scolding. He turned his attention to his brother and nodded.
Ian released a long breath. I knew he just wanted me to feel comfortable and at ease, but since we all came back things had changed. Drastically. I could feel the tension build just by standing in the same room with both of them.
“Okay. Look. I need a shower. Can I trust you two to play together nicely while I’m not looking?”
“If you mean nicely as in not maiming him—maybe, but you better hurry.” I folded my arms in front of me.
“Yeah go ahead and go… She’d need all the help she could get hurting me.”
Ugh. I was not in the mood to put up with his crap. Without blinking, I sent a fireball soaring toward him faster than a lightning bolt.
“Ouch! What the heck?”
I laughed watching him pat out the small flame on his blue shirt.
“On second thought, why don’t you come up and keep me company?” Ian pressed his hand at the small of my back, pushing me toward the stairs. “Just ignore him.” He pushed me faster up the stairs and into the loft.
I flopped myself down on the bed.
“I’m jumping in the shower. Stay here, and we’ll go down together and talk to him about today’s training. Unless you prefer to join me.” He wiggled his eyebrows before turning to the bathroom.
I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him as he walked into the bathroom, only to have it hit the closing door. I wasn’t mad at Ian, but I sure as heck didn’t want to talk to Jarak again today either. Training was out of the question. Yesterday he almost killed me when he had Maztic attack me without Luna’s knowledge. I knew that pissed Ian off too. He yelled and threatened Jarak within an inch of his life. I loved that part, but that was the only thing I liked.