by L. C. Davis
“She did that to you?” I whispered fearfully.
“I'm lucky She showed this much restraint,” he murmured darkly. “A fool I was then, trying to raise the dead. I learned that day that our Lady's mercy is abundant, but She will not withhold punishment from Her servants if she thinks it will spare us further pain. A lesson you should make note of yourself, even if your path is not that of the priesthood.”
“Hunter would never do anything like that,” I said earnestly. At least, I hoped not. I had never been through the pain of loss simply because I had never had anyone to lose until recently. There was no way I could understand what Hunter was feeling, but I couldn't imagine that he would go to such lengths. Revenge was one thing, but necromancy?
He gave me a tight-lipped smile and slid the paper to the middle of the table. “For all our sakes, I hope so. The first ritual was a success or your friend wouldn't bear Her mark. That means his skill as an amateur vastly surpasses mine after ten or twelve years of training. I shudder to think of what he's capable of without the proper guidance.”
“I'll make sure to pass on the information,” I promised.
“Thank you.” He leaned forward and tapped the sigil on the paper. “What's this?”
“Oh,” I said, glancing at it. I had forgotten in the chaos. “It's a sigil he needs for the larger ritual. It looks a lot like the sigil he used to banish the hunters from the Lodge, but he's never seen that variation.”
“That's because it isn't a sigil at all,” he scoffed, taking out a pen to trace along the sign. “Do you see these sets of squiggly lines? They represent blood in the ancient language. This symbol is used to represent an ingredient in a recipe. Think of it as a more complex version of an elemental symbol.”
“An ingredient?” I asked in surprise. “What kind?”
“Hunter's blood,” he replied. “Hunter is wrong about the ritual, at least in terms of scope. If it worked, it wouldn't just protect the territory. It would stop all of the hunters.”
“And if it doesn't work?” asked Sebastian.
“A far more likely scenario, considering the amount of divine energy that would need to be harnessed,” Alex admitted. “It would destroy the one performing the ritual and everyone around him.”
“There has to be some mistake,” I said. “Hunter wouldn't take that risk.”
“A mistake is the likely explanation,” said Alex. “Without proper tutelage, the ancient texts can say a myriad of things. I would say he's lucky the last ritual went the way it did but the truth is, it was nothing short of divine intervention. I'll send the ingredients with you, firstly because it's better than him getting them from some snake oil salesman online, and second because he stands far less of a chance of obtaining hunter's blood than getting struck by lightning twice.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, more concerned for my friend now than ever. No wonder he didn't want to come to the temple on his own. He was toying with blasphemy.
“You're welcome,” he said, holding out the piece of paper to Billy. “Be a dear and ask Val to gather these while I discuss something with our friends?”
Billy snatched the list and grumbled something about Alex doing his own damn errands, but he stomped off nonetheless.
Alex waited for him to leave the room before he turned his attention back to Sebastian and I. “Forgive the intrusion, but there is something I must ask. Have you chosen?”
“I, uh, pardon?” I stammered, unsure of how to answer in front of Sebastian.
“Forgive me,” he smiled apologetically. “I don't ask for my own curiosity. She wants to know and has had a difficult time getting in touch with you between the repression of your werewolf half and the psychic blocks.”
“She?” I blinked. “She as in the moon? The moon is asking questions about my love life?”
“Of course,” he said as if he could see no problem with that. “She's concerned with all your affairs, but this is particularly pertinent considering the approaching harvest moon. Especially since the last one didn't go as planned.”
“The last one?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yes, did you think your psychic abilities awakened on their own at such an opportune time by sheer coincidence?” he challenged.
“How did you know about that?”
“She gives me visions, my dear prince,” he said patiently.
“Right,” I murmured, looking to Sebastian. He was listening intently and I could tell from the look on his face that he didn't know what to make of Alex's words either. The temple was the last place in the world I had wanted to find Victor moments before, but suddenly I found myself wishing desperately that he was there.
Alex sighed heavily. “I don't mean any disrespect, but you really should be beyond the disbelief and skepticism. I'm sure all the psychic intervention isn't helping.”
“But my mind is clear now,” I said. “Aside from a small push from Victor to keep me from sneaking out, I haven't had any psychic blocks up in almost a year.”
His eyes and flickered subtly between Sebastian and I. “Hm. I see. Must be something else, then. In either case, She'd like to know if you're close to making a decision.”
I wasn't sure how to feel about being pressured by an ancient deity who brought in the tides. My emotional state hovered somewhere between flattered and creeped out.
“I don't know how to answer that.”
“Might I have a moment alone with him, Sebastian?”
Sebastian looked at me and I nodded my assent.
“Fine,” he muttered, standing stiffly. “My legs are about to snap off under this table anyway.”
Once he was gone, Alex settled his attention on me once again. “You know, if you truly want to find out where your friend is, you could enter the scrying room and ask Her yourself.”
“Scrying room?” I asked warily.
“Since your mind has been compromised, you need to be the one to connect with Her first,” he explained. “Scrying is the ancient art of divining through gazing into a reflective surface, fire or even smoke. Here we have a rather unique system for it. I can show you, but it must be done quickly,” he said, glancing at his watch. “Only when the moon is at its peak will She respond.”
His offer was tempting, but caution won out. I had come to accept that there was at least some supernatural entity pretending to be the moon, but after seeing what She had done to Hunter and now Alex, I was more wary of Her than ever. “Maybe another time,” I said politely.
Disappointment was unmistakable in his sigh. “Very well, but do try not to delay Her call much longer. It never works in the long run and you'll only end up hurting yourself.” He glanced at the door. “Not to mention the people you love.”
“I'll keep that in mind,” I said, standing. He rose with far more grace.
“When you are ready to embrace your destiny, you know where to find me,” he said, extending his hand. The offer was genuine, if a bit presumptuous, and I reached out to return the handshake. Instead, he grasped my fingers and placed a gallant kiss on the back of my hand before examining it. He did the same with my left.
“Ah, yes,” he mused. “I see why you're in such a conundrum. In all my years, I've never seen a mark as strong as these. It's a dead even match, I dare say.”
He let my hands fall away and I pocketed them awkwardly. “You seem to know a lot about the marks.”
He smiled. “Yes, and when you return to give Her your answer I shall tell you as much as you could ever hope to know about them.”
His smile was infectious. “I have to admit, that's the politest blackmail I've ever experienced.”
He chuckled. “When you're a holy man, sometimes a captive audience is your only option.”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” I said, reaching into my pocket to pull out the wad of cash Hunter had given me. “This is for the ingredients. If you need more --”
He recoiled. “I would never take compensation for helping a fellow priest, and a friend of the hybr
id prince, no less.” He folded my hand over the cash and pushed it away. “Tell Hunter if he truly wishes to repay me he can start by paying me a visit.”
“I will,” I promised. After everything Alex had told me, I was convinced that the visit was long overdue.
“Are you turning down donations again?” came a woman's voice from the door. She had moved so quietly that I hadn't even heard her come in.
When I turned around, I could see why. She was a tiny, doll-like person with a thick black mass of spiral curls and flawlessly smooth brown skin. Her brown eyes took in everything with keen perception.
Alex scoffed. “You tend to your dogs and leave me to manage my temple, Val.”
“Val?” I smiled. “You must be Billy's wife.”
“You sound surprised,” she said with a grin, offering her hand. “What were you expecting?”
I returned the handshake, relieved that someone in this strange place knew how to give a normal greeting. “I'm not really sure,” I admitted. “A female lumberjack, I guess?”
She laughed and a warm sensation spread out through my chest, giving me the strangely familiar feeling that all was as it should be in the world. I lost my train of thought completely and found myself gawking helplessly at her.
“Oh Val, really, must you use your parlor tricks on royalty?” Alex scolded, breaking whatever trance I had succumbed to. “We hardly get interesting visitors as it is.”
Val's eyes twinkled mischievously. “Royalty I'm not so sure about, but I know perfectly well who he is. You're not the only one who can read, you know.”
“It is a dwindling skill among our kind,” he muttered, turning to me. “Remus, accept my apologies on Val's behalf. Like her husband, she's spent too much time running with the wolves and not enough having civilized conversation.”
“Please don't apologize, but what are you apologizing for?” I asked, bewildered by what had just happened.
“By this point I hope you're at least aware that most supernaturals—werewolves and vampires, in any case—have some type of unique gift or strength. Val's gift is hypnotic induction, which you just experienced.”
“You put me in a trance?” I blinked.
Her grin widened. “Sorry, but I've heard you're resistant to mind control so I was curious to see if it would work.”
“I'm not completely resistant,” I said dryly. “I've been brainwashed more than enough times to know that.”
Alex muttered something unintelligible under his breath and Val gave him a strange look. “Anyway,” she said. “It's nice to finally meet you. No offense, but we're getting tired of hearing this one's constant yammering about the hybrid.”
“None taken,” I said earnestly. “So you're the one who runs the sanctuary?”
“Mostly me when the brute isn't home.” She said brute in a way that was clearly meant as a term of endearment. “It started out as a way to hide in plain sight back when folks around here weren't as quick to dismiss the idea of the supernatural. It explains any weird sounds or sightings. Over time it turned into a passion.”
“The wolves are beautiful,” I said. “You rescued them all?”
“Sure did. Only some of them are wolves though,” she admitted. “Others just have enough in them to make them beyond the ability of your average pet owner. Folks get these animals, sometimes even pure wolves, as pups thinking it'll be fun to 'tame the beast' and post pictures of their exotic pet all over social media. It usually isn't until their 'spirit animal' is a hundred and fifteen pounds and chewing through the drywall that they realize they got in over their heads.”
“That's terrible,” I murmured. “I've always been afraid of dogs, but they didn't seem that aggressive to me.” Even the gray one with the scar had just been protecting his pack from intruders.
“They're not usually, not unless they have reason to be,” she said. “Like any dog, there's always that risk if they're handled by people who don't know what they're doing. Unfortunately, wolves and high-content wolfdogs are capable of a hell of a lot more damage than a normal dog and they're liable to be put down first when their owners screw up. The lucky ones end up here before that can happen.”
“I can see why Sebastian loves coming here so much,” I said. “You're doing a really great thing.”
“I was working as a vet when I met Billy and he roped me into all this,” she said, gesturing around her, “with the whole soulmate schtick. I told him if I was going to live in some stuffy temple while he went off bounty hunting, I was gonna do my own thing and the sanctuary was born. I'm no pious priest like Alex here, but it's how I show my devotion to the Lady.”
“So you follow the same religion?” I asked, curious. If someone like Val believed in it, and she was a vet no less, I felt a bit less silly for my own fledgling faith.
“Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper,” she said proudly.
“Wait, so you were able to shift before you met Billy?”
“I'm a fleur wolf like you if that's what you're asking,” she said. “We're rare, but not as rare as they'd have you believe. For some of us, Her call is so strong we can shift long before we meet our mates. Had to keep him in line from the start,” she teased.
“She's right,” said Alex. “I believe that to be the case with your friend Hunter, all things considered.”
“That's fascinating,” I said, even more impressed with both Hunter and the woman standing in front of me. When my phone rang, I jolted in surprise and gave a mortified look as I fumbled for it. “I'm so sorry, I can't believe I forgot to turn it off before coming into a temple.”
“Why? I never do,” Val said, earning a glare from Alex.
I frowned at the unknown number on my screen. It was our town's area code, but I felt sure I had never seen it before and no one outside the Lodge had my new number. “I'm sorry, I should take this. It might be Victor.”
“Step into the room behind the desk out there if you need some privacy,” she offered.
“Thanks,” I said, walking down the hall. The room was full of what seemed to be logbooks of guest visits, legal documentation and other things related to the sanctuary. I shut the door and sat down at a small table before answering the call.
“Hello?”
“Are you alone?” The male voice was familiar but it was low, like the caller was either trying to distort his voice or prevent someone on the other end from hearing him.
I hesitated, unsure if I should answer that. “Who is this?”
“It's Clarence,” he said. My relief that it wasn't a hunter playing games was short lived when I heard a man—or maybe it was a boy—scream in the background. The sound was cut off immediately.
“Is everything okay? Is Hunter --”
“Hunter is fine,” he said. “He told me you're at the temple looking for Victor, but he isn't there.”
“Yeah, just figured that one out,” I said, glancing at the door. “How did you know?”
“Because he's here with me.”
His words filled me with hope but his tone stripped it away. “You say that like it's a bad thing. Were are you? Is he okay?”
“At the Bergendorf hotel,” he replied. “He's fine but you need to get here as soon as possible.”
“Okay,” I said, jumping to my feet. “Yeah, we're about four hours away but I'll go find Sebastian and we'll leave right now.”
“No,” he said sternly. “No Sebastian. It has to be you, alone. I can't explain why right now but it's absolutely essential that you tell no one where you're going or why. In fact, wait until they're all asleep before you leave.”
The gravity of what he was asking me to do settled in. “But I'm not allowed to leave the Lodge by myself.” It was a futile reminder. Clarence already knew that, and he wouldn't ask me to violate the shred of trust I had been so painstakingly rebuilding with Ulric for nothing.
“The choice is yours, but if you say a word to the others you'll have blood on your hands.” His words sent an icy chill down my spi
ne. They sounded eerily like a threat. For a moment, I questioned whether it was really Clarence at all.
“Something is wrong with Victor, isn't it?”
He didn't answer. “We'll be waiting,” he said. The line went dead before I could ask him more. My hand trembled as I stared down at the phone. I tried Victor's phone for the thousandth time but it went straight to voicemail, as always. This time, I left one.
“Please call me when you get this,” I said shakily. “I need to know if you're okay. I'm coming alone, so I hope you're really there.”
There was no more time to waste. Pocketing my phone, I left the room and searched the lobby for any sign of Sebastian. Val found me a moment later, holding a small duffel bag.
“There you are. Everything okay?” she asked, frowning in concern.
“Fine,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Just my dad checking in.”
She laughed. “They never quit, not even when you're my age.”
“Your age?” I asked skeptically. “You can't be much older than Sebastian.”
She laughed. “I'm somewhere between being old enough to be his older sister and his mother.”
“Wow,” I said, eying her for signs of aging that I had missed. There weren't any. “You look good.”
“You know what they say, lupine is eternally fine,” she said in a singsong voice. I couldn't help but laugh a little. If the aging process really was that slow for wolves, it gave me hope that I wouldn't be getting mistaken for my suitors' grandchild any time soon. Not that it would matter if Victor was gone before I could even make it back to the Lodge.
“I'm sorry to do this, but I've got a really bad migraine all of a sudden. Do you know where Sebastian is?”
“You do look a bit peaked,” she said sympathetically. “Knowing him and Billy, they're probably out in the run playing with the pack and acting like grown children. You stay put and I'll go get them,” she said, handing me the bag.
“Thanks,” I said, taking a seat on one of the visitor benches. I occupied myself with the paintings on the wall and the various wolf facts overlaid on them in blocky print. The paintings were beautiful and somehow managed to escape the cheesy look of most wolf-related paraphernalia I had seen.