Angus helped Redlynn to her feet, and the three caught up to the girls, several yards ahead. There was a buzz of nervous energy surrounding the group as they walked.
"Red," called Lizzy. "What do we say to our parents?"
"We tell them that you were taken by vampires. That you were saved by wolves, and that you will fight them no more."
"But we've always fought them," said Sasha.
"No," said Redlynn. "We haven't."
***
The group reached the forest's edge at nightfall. The lights of the huts in Volkzene village still burned bright. With her eyes opened to how much more there was in Fairelle besides Volkzene, it seemed so insignificant now. From their vantage point, Redlynn saw that a Sister stood guard on each gate. It was an improvement, but now, completely unnecessary.
"It'd be best if I remain here." Angus stopped inside the trees. He stared at the village, as if deep in thought.
"If you don't mind... I mean..." Redlynn swallowed. She didn't want Angus to go so soon. "If you'd stay... with me..."
Angus met her eye, and then glanced at the village. He swallowed. "Alright."
Redlynn blew out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I'll have to try and sneak you past the guard at the gate, but—"
"I know how to get around them." Angus nodded, heading down toward the side of the wooden city wall.
Redlynn watched him leave, and then turned to the girls. She nudged Lizzy forward with an encouraging smile. "Come on."
***
Word spread like brush fire from house-to-house that she'd returned with the stolen girls. Families ran into the square, screaming and crying for their daughters. The girls ran into their parents' waiting arms, shedding tears of pain and joy. Redlynn stood off to the side, watching the joyous reunions, knowing that there was no one to welcome her, or to shed tears of joy for her return.
Lillith scanned the reunions, her eyes wide in surprise. She spotted Redlynn and headed over. Leaning against the town hall, a fiery anger rose within Redlynn. All these years, Lillith had been filling them with the lies of Adrian's mother, Irina. Did she know the truth, or did she truly believe the lies she'd spread? Somehow, Redlynn doubted it was the latter.
"I forbade you to leave," Lillith said icily. "You disobeyed a direct order."
"I did." Redlynn lifted her chin, standing her ground.
"It's well and good that you brought home our young Sisters, but tomorrow you shall stand before the council and explain why you should not be cast out."
"I will stand tomorrow, but not for that." Redlynn spat on the ground, and Lillith sucked in a shocked breath. Redlynn turned and headed for her home. She didn't look back.
When she opened the door, a fire was already lit in the fireplace. Angus had taken several herb jars down from their shelf and was preparing a pot of tea. Redlynn smiled.
"What? You think I don't know how to make tea?" he questioned.
She shrugged and set down her bag. It was strange, being home. All of the things she'd held on to as hers, and cherished of her mother's, seemed no longer important. The herbs and bottles, tea cups and linens, made Redlynn realize just how out of place she truly had been here in the village.
"Are you hungry?" Angus paced like a caged animal. Guilt swept over Redlynn for having asked him to stay.
"I can catch us something." She picked up her bow.
"No, that's not what I meant, lass. I can more than bring us food. I just wondered if you'd eat it."
Angus was trying. A thought occurred to her. "It's hard being here, in my mother's home, isn't it?"
His gaze drifted around and rested on Redlynn's mother's cloak and satchel that still hung by the front door. "She's everywhere here," he whispered. "I can smell her on everything. You smell like her, but different. Like how she would've been, if she'd been a wolf."
"I'm sorry. I can't imagine what you are going through."
"Give it time." He poked the fire and then poured water into the kettle.
"What do you mean?"
"You and Adrian. Being parted from him will cause an undying ache. You were meant for each other. The way Raeleen and I were meant to be together. Only it'll be worse for you, because you two have a destiny together."
"Who says I want to be parted from him?" Redlynn felt her she-wolf stir within her at the thought of being parted from Adrian.
Angus blinked at her, surprised. "Don't you? Isn't that why you came here? To sort out what you are and what you want, the way your mother did?" Angus hung the teapot by the fire and put the herbs away on the shelf.
"And you think I'll make the same choices she did?"
Angus didn't answer. Pulling out a chair, he sat down in it, his weight making it creak.
Would she make the same decision as her mother? She loved Adrian. She didn't want to squander her years in this village, wasting away like her mother. Dying a little inside each time she saw a happy couple walking hand-in-hand with their children. But being with the girls, and seeing the truth behind the lies, woke her up. She couldn't sit by and do nothing. She owed it to the girls to bring about change from how things had been done. She owed it to her mother, as well. Maybe she could divide her time between the two places. Her days in Volkzene and her nights in Wolvenglen. Redlynn hung her head in her hands, knowing that in the end, she'd have to choose.
"I'll get us something to eat." Angus moved to the door. "I'll stay the night with you, Red, but I can't stay here."
Redlynn nodded, but stayed mute. Neither can I.
Chapter Nineteen
The knock came early the next morning, but Redlynn was already awake. Angus came out of her old bedroom, his face stern.
"I made you some breakfast." She pointed to the fire. "I'll be back soon."
"You want me to come?"
She shook her head.
"I won't put up with them hurting ya."
"You'll know if I need you."
Angus nodded and Redlynn pulled open the door. She was greeted by several council members.
"It's time." The mayor peered past her into the house.
Redlynn glanced over her shoulder at Angus looming in the doorway. She shook her head and he backed up as she closed the door.
Stepping down onto the dirt, the council members moved away from her like she was diseased. Slowly, she walked toward the town hall. Unlike the last morning she'd spent in Volkzene, everyone was out this morning. Already having heard the news of the meeting, no doubt, they all wanted to be in attendance. There hadn't been a casting out for close to twenty-five years. Redlynn walked tall, her focus straight ahead, refusing to meet anyone's eye.
When they reached the middle of town, the group turned right, toward the village hall.
The room was already packed with rows and rows of men, women and girls. All of the girls that she'd returned home the night before sat in the front. Above them on a platform sat Lillith, front and center in the largest of chairs. The council members scooted around her and joined Lillith.
Redlynn walked to the middle of the room and faced her sentencers. When everyone was seated, Lillith began the meeting.
"I have called you all here to witness the council's mediation of the proposed casting out of Redlynn of The Sisterhood."
Murmurs could be heard from all sides. Several of the girls spoke to each other in hushed, urgent tones. She stood firm, awaiting her turn to speak.
"I expressly forbade Red from entering the woods, but she disobeyed me and went anyway. To disregard a direct order from The Head Sister demands the punishment of casting out." Lillith's angry gaze trained on her.
"But she saved the girls," came a call from the back. Murmurs of agreement rippled throughout the townsfolk.
"Yes. Yes, she did. But what if she hadn't? What if she'd angered the Weres further, causing them to come and take it out on the rest of us? Our numbers have been dwindling, you all know it. We cannot afford to lose any more of us. We won't survive if we do."
"The wolv
es won't hurt anyone," said Redlynn.
"Then I suppose it wasn't a Were who killed Anya, and took Sasha and the others?" Lillith countered.
"It was. But that wolf has been killed. He did what he thought best to save his dying pack."
Lillith laughed. "'Did what he thought was best'? And how do you know that?"
"He told me." Her anger rose.
Lillith's eyes widened. "That's not possible. The Weres are beasts—"
"No, they aren't. The werewolves are shape-shifting men. They shift into wolf form by choice. They are not our enemy."
Lillith stared at Redlynn, but did not speak. Whispers from the villagers grew louder around the room.
Redlynn pressed on. "It was not always this way between us. The Sisterhood did not always hunt the wolves. They used to be mates to them."
"Lies!" Lillith yelled suddenly, rising from her chair. "You see? She's been brainwashed, like her mother!"
Redlynn had anticipated this. Trying to box her in and discredit her, the way she had Redlynn's mother. Redlynn opened her mouth to speak again.
"No!" yelled Yanti rising from her seat. Yanti's mother tried to pull her down, but Yanti shook her off and walked to stand next to Redlynn. "The wolves helped us. Yes, we were taken by a few, but the rest saved us from the vampires."
"Vampires?" Mayor Helman squeaked.
"Nonsense." Nervousness crossed Lillith's face. "It is obvious that you are still suffering from your ordeal, child."
"I am no longer a child, and I suffer from nothing." Yanti's voice grew stronger. "Yes, it is true. What happened to me, to all of us, is something we aren't likely to forget. When one has been fed upon by vampires for months on end, it tends to leave an impression."
"It's true." Lizzy stood.
Several of the other girls stood as well, and moved to Redlynn's side in support. Forming a line, the girls stared defiantly up into the faces of the council. She looked at them in turn, and smiled to herself. A chill ran through her. Against all her life had taught her, she dared to hope. These were her sisters. These were the future mates to her wolves. These girls standing with her now, who had suffered so much, would change the future of the Sisterhood, and there was nothing Lillith could do about it.
Lillith opened and closed her mouth several times. "This does not change a thing. The fact of the matter is, Red disobeyed me and—"
"Disobeyed what?" Redlynn asked. "Disobeyed your order that I not venture into the woods? Why did you start forbidding us when you became Head of the Order?"
"Because Sisters have gone missing in the woods. I've been trying to protect our way of life."
"No." Redlynn shook her head. " No. Sister's have not gone missing in the Wolvenglen Forest."
"My sister Clara lives in Wolvenglen," Lizzy chimed in. "I saw her."
The buzz from the crowd grew louder, and Lillith had to yell to be heard now.
"The forest is dangerous. The Weres—"
"You knew I'd find the truth," Redlynn countered. "You knew that if I went into the forest, I'd discover what you've hidden from us all these years. And we, like stupid sheep, followed blindly without asking questions."
Redlynn turned from the council to face the villagers and other members of the Sisterhood. "You should all know the truth, so you can decide for yourselves. In the beginning, the Sisterhood were mates to the wolves. A hundred years ago, the king of the wolves betrayed his wife. In return for his betrayal, his wife, Sister Irina, took the Sisters and left, vowing to hunt them from that day forward. But no more. Women who we believed to have gone missing live now in Wolvenglen. They bear young with the wolves and live happily. These girls," Redlynn gestured to the line of girls standing beside her, "were taken by a misguided few, led by the vampires. But those men are gone, and the rest of Wolvenglen is committed to keeping us safe from the vampires. As they have done since the beginning."
"Lies!" Lillith yelled.
"Have you not wondered why we dwindle in numbers?" Redlynn's voice rose with frustration. "Why our birth numbers have gone down? Why our Sister ancestors lived to be over one hundred years old, but now we are lucky if we live beyond fifty? It's because Sisters were not meant to marry and bear children to farmers. Sisters are meant to be with our rightful mates."
"How dare you!" the mayor objected.
"You see?" said Lillith. "You see the lies she spreads? Cast her out, before she has the wolves tearing all of our girls away."
"Was it not you that said you saw three wolves come and take Sasha?" Redlynn yelled. "Then tell me, Lillith, if three wolves took Sasha, how did they get her out?"
Lillith glanced around, refusing to speak.
"If they are not men, if they are beasts only, how did they snatch her up? With their paws? Did they carry her between their jaws? I'll tell you how. Because it was not three wolves, it was two. Two wolves, and a vampire," Redlynn finished.
The crowd burst into an uproar. Yelling sounded all around the hall, bouncing off the walls, and echoing back on itself. Fear crept onto Lillith's face, and she clutched her red stone necklace.
The council huddled together, speaking quickly. Redlynn watched as everything Adrian's mother had tried to build came crumbling down.
"Quiet," said Mayor Helman. "Quiet!"
The noise died down, and everyone took their seats.
"This is a development that we need to discuss as a council. We will adjourn until this evening. At which time, we'll render our decision."
The council walked quickly from the room, followed by Lillith and the whispering crowd. Other members of the sisterhood joined Redlynn, gathering around her.
"What do we do now?" Yanti asked.
"Prepare."
"For what?" asked Sasha.
"For the future. You may no longer need to fight the wolves, but the vampires are still out there. With the death of the vampire king's son, Garot, war will come to both wolves and humans. The wolves will need us at their sides if we are all to succeed."
"Are you going to stay with us?" asked Lizzy.
Redlynn's heart squeezed. They needed her here, but she needed to be with Adrian. Her she-wolf lifted her head to listen for the answer. Redlynn swallowed a lump in her throat. "Let's see what the council decides first."
***
The day passed slowly for Redlynn. She kept to her home with Angus, who'd changed his mind and refused to leave until there'd been a decision made about her fate.
"What does it matter what they decide, girl? You already know ya aren't stayin' here."
"Because if I leave now, what will that do for the girls? If I stay, and take the judgment, no matter what it is, there will still be hope for the Sisters to return to Wolvenglen. I cannot run from Lillith, because it only reinforces her power over us."
Angus shook his head. "You're just like your mother. I'll never—"
There was a soft knock, interrupting him. Redlynn crossed to the door and pulled it open. There was no one there, but her step was covered in baskets and baskets. She stared at the sight, confused. Flowers and jams, loaves of bread and sweet rolls. Fruits, dried meats, and other miscellaneous items sat waiting.
Redlynn stared at the baskets, not sure what to say. She swallowed hard and tried to hold in the conflicting emotions. The townspeople had never wanted to help her before.
After several trips, she'd brought everything inside. There were anonymous notes attached to many of the baskets. Notes of gratitude for what she'd done, for rescuing their daughters. Several times, Redlynn choked up, overcome with emotion. Eventually she excused herself to her room.
Sitting down on her bed, she let her fingers run over a parchment thank you letter. Why now? Why did they choose to accept me now? After all this time, after all these years of protecting their houses, their children, their livelihoods. Why now, do they care?
All those years, her mother had served them, and her mother before her, but now they were finally willing to listen. Finally ready to believe. What had chang
ed?
"It's you." Angus leaned on her doorjamb.
"What?"
"What you were thinking. Why are they doing this now? That was what you were wondering, weren't you?"
"Yes," she whispered.
"It's because you're the one prophesied to return the sisters to the wolves, and to end the shedding of blood."
"What is that?" she asked confused. "Sage said the same thing."
Angus sat next to her heavily on the bed. "One will be born, with the mark of the wolf, to the Sisterhood of Red. And when she finds her destiny, the bloodshed she will end. Taken to bed by the mate of her soul, a reminder she will be. And then will the females follow her home, the cursed will be set free."
"Where's that from?"
"It was the first of the prophecies, given by the mages, to reunite the lands. After the brothers made their wishes to the djinn and the wars started and the prophecies began. No one knows where they came from. All that is known is that the mages wrote them down."
"And you think that is me?"
"Is it? Only you can know."
Redlynn sat silently. Did she know? She'd done most of what Angus had said. It was possible.
Redlynn smiled as Angus left the room. A pain hit her gut. Her she-wolf awoke again, letting out a mournful whine. Her thoughts turned to Adrian. More than ever she wished she'd asked him to come. Memories of his lips on hers, and his eyes when they'd said goodbye the day before, loomed over her.
"Mother," she whispered. "What do I do now?"
Chapter Twenty
Adrian ran through the woods; a giant white bear followed behind. His anger toward his mother had raged over the past week. The first night after Redlynn had left, he thought he might actually die. The pain of knowing that she wasn't near was almost too much for him to handle.
By the second night, he'd taken to the bottle to dull the pain, and Dax had taken to checking on him every couple of hours. When Angus didn't return on the third day, Adrian had resigned himself to the fact that she'd decided to stay in Volkzene, Angus as well. He couldn't blame Angus. Angus had lost his mate. To lose his daughter so soon after finding her would be all that much harder.
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