by C. Larsen
Finally! There's only one bar, but it's enough. Dialing a number, I hesitate a moment before hitting send. When Madelyn answers, I quickly relay the information, telling her that Arianna was captured by Caroline and I think Gray, Grant, and the others have been captured as well.
Her reaction is as bad as I expect it to be.
"Why on earth would you guys agree to something like this without informing me and Nikolay?"
"Because I knew Nikolay would forbid Gray and the others from helping us find Arianna," I say honestly. "And because, at first, I thought he might be responsible for her disappearance."
Madelyn scoffs. "Nikolay may be a stubborn ass, but he's not stupid. What would harming your friend achieve? Now, you listen here: DO NOT do anything until we get there. You wait there, you hear? We’ll be there shortly. I mean it, Emerson. Wait until help gets to you." She hangs up, leaving me feeling like a disobedient child.
Caiden is just getting off the phone with Mirowski. "He said he's on his way. He wants us to meet him back at the cars."
"I'm not leaving Arianna!" Ethan says. "They could be doing anything to her right now!"
"Shhh. Keep it down," I tell him, peering into the trees nearby. "I'm not leaving either. Mirowski and the others will just have to follow the service road up. Silver Ridge should be here at about the same time. They can lead him the rest of the way."
"And what will we be doing?" Caiden asks.
"We'll be finding Arianna and the others."
I know I need to shift now, while we're safe, but in one last moment of procrastination, I decide to first try contacting Gray, hoping to get some information about what we're walking into.
All I can get through my telepathic abilities is static, like a garbled radio signal. I have a little more luck through the pack bonds, but only enough to feel his pain and rage. Focusing on the pack bonds, I attempt to go deeper, combining my telepathic abilities to strengthen the pack bond between us. I send my energy down along the thread, reaching out as far as I can. Then, suddenly, I'm in. My consciousness has somehow been transferred into his body, the way it sometimes happens when I heal someone.
Looking out through Gray's eyes, it takes me a moment to get my bearings. Dim light filters in from windows caked in years of dirt and grime. Dust hangs in the stale air, cold concrete radiating through the sensitive pads on his paws.
My presence in his head registers to Gray. *Emerson? What are you doing? You have to get out of here before she comes back! If she notices you, you're dead!*
*Who? If who notices?* As I say this, I feel his wolf shift, snarling with rage.
I jump, hands flying up to protect myself, but he doesn't attack, just growls. His frustration and rage is palpable in every snarl. His wolf has never reacted this way to me before. It's acting just like Sebastian's wolf did after it was caged by that soul-binding spell.
Searching through Gray's layers of consciousness, I search for his wolf, surprised he's hidden so deeply. With Gray in danger the way he is, his wolf should be right at the surface, especially with Gray in his wolf form.
*No! Don't!* Gray says in a panic. *I don't have control over him! It's taking everything in me to keep him at bay!*
I gasp, almost recoiling in shock when I see his wolf. The poor thing is almost completely covered in thick black strands of magic. They're wrapped around nearly every inch of him, twisted around his legs, chest, stomach, neck. Instead of being caught in a net the way Sebastian's wolf was, his is wrapped up like a grotesque mummy. It doesn't seem to be in pain the way Sebastian's was, but it's still trapped, helpless and filled with rage.
As I approach him, he goes wild, rearing and bucking, as if sensing my nearness. His eyes roll wildly, fighting the bands of magic around him. The harder it struggles, the tighter the bands get.
*She's coming back!* Gray yells. *You have to leave, now!*
*Who? Who is doing this?*
*Caroline, and someone named Gabriella. You have to warn the pack. They can't come here! You have to warn them!*
With a mighty heave, he throws me out of his mind just as the door across the room squeaks open.
My eyes snap open. Caiden's face is in front of me, his lips moving, eyes heavy with concern, but I don't hear him.
Gabriella is behind this? She's working with Caroline? Gabriella is the leader of the Carrion Crow Coven. Earlier this year, when my powers first awakened, she tried to get me to join her coven, even going so far as to hurt me and my friends to 'convince' me. But then Caroline showed up and chased her off and I haven't seen her since. What would she be doing here now? And why doesn't Gray want the pack to come?
An image of Gray's wolf appears in my mind and I gasp.
Soul Binder.
The term fills me with dread. Is it possible? Could Gabriella be capable of this? She must have been the one to attack Sebastian the other night, too. The magic had a similar feel. But with Sebastian, it was meant to kill. With Gray, it seems more like the magic is intended to control.
I've never heard exactly what Gabriella could do; I was just told that she was powerful.
"Caiden, what do you know about Gabriella?" I ask, cutting off whatever he's saying. "What class is she from? What are her abilities?"
"She's from the War Gods Class. Like you." His brows crease in confusion. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Everything." War Gods Class. Like me. Like Morrigan. "Can she shape-shift?" I ask, a hint of panic in my voice.
"I don't know," he says, still confused. "I've heard rumors that someone in her coven could change into a raven, but I assumed it was just that, a rumor."
Chills skitter up my spine. The raven. The one in town, the one that seemed to watch me. I’ve seen it in Ashwood too, I realize with a start. The bird Margie was yelling at.
She's been watching me.
Me and Gabriella are both from the War Gods Class. From the same bloodline. The bloodline the werewolves tried to wipe out centuries ago. Descended from Morrigan. From Brannagh. Born with the power of transmutation. Which means Gabriella also has the ability to control the werewolves.
"Caiden, you need to get back to the cars. You have to warn the pack."
Chapter 47
"I'm not leaving you," Caiden insists after I explain about Gabriella and her abilities. "We're all going back to the car. We'll wait for the others and figure out a plan."
"There isn't enough time for that! I can track Gray to where they're being held, but someone needs to warn the pack not to shift, otherwise Gabriella will be able to gain control of all of them."
Caiden looks mutinous. “I’m not letting you go into this on your own.”
"I'll do it," Ethan says, surprising us both.
"Really?" I ask. He was so adamant before about not leaving.
"If you promise to keep going, to rescue her, I'll go back and warn the pack. You need Caiden to keep you from being seen, right?"
Caiden and I share a look. "It would be easier," I say.
"Then go. Find them. I'll tell the others."
We don't waste any more time arguing. I point Ethan in the direction of the road and he takes off, disappearing into the trees.
I know I have to shift now, before going any further. It might be my last chance. I turn to Caiden, trying to find the words to prepare him for what I'm about to do. I open my mouth, but freeze as the hair on the back of my neck raises. The mystery scent from before reaches me, and now that I know Gabriella is involved, this scent is instantly recognizable.
Leanne.
Just her name sends my wolf into a frenzy. Also from the War Gods Class, her abilities lie in physical binding. She can take control of a person with ease, moving their limbs or freezing their entire body when she wants, the same way Madelyn can. I don't know how I didn't recognize her scent earlier. I spent the better part of an hour trapped while she beat me bloody. No wonder my wolf was so riled up when I caught her scent earlier.
I spin around, opening my mouth to ca
ll a warning to Caiden, but the words die in my throat at the sight that greets me.
Leanne smiles viciously from behind Caiden. He stands stock still, eyes blazing, caught in Leanne's full body bind. Fear thrills through me as I remember the last time I came face to face with her. The only reason I was able to break free then was because Caroline showed up.
But now it seems her and Caroline are working together.
"Miss me?" she asks, a look of feral delight on her face.
"What are you doing here? Why would you be working with Caroline?"
"I'm just following orders, sweetheart. This is Gabriella's game. But don't worry. You'll get a chance to ask her yourself."
Fixing her with a glare, I gather my energy into my chest, preparing to attack.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She tsks, motioning to Caiden’s limp form.
I hesitate. If I attack, there's no doubt in her cold eyes that she'll kill Caiden where he stands.
*What are you doing?* Caiden's harsh voice screams inside my head. *Run! Get out of here! Find Ethan and Mirowski!*
“Now be a good girl and come along if you want to see your mutt friends alive again.”
I growl at her, my wolf straining at her bonds. Leanne laughs. “Oh, you are fun. I don’t even have to bind you the way I do Caiden, do I? No, you’ll come willingly. Anything to save those animals you’re so fond of.” She laughs again, turning away to lead us toward Caroline.
I briefly consider my options. I could fight her now, but even if I do manage to kill her, I won’t be fast enough to save Caiden. The fact that Leanne doesn’t even bother to waste energy on binding me is just rubbing salt in a wound. They have Gray. They have Caiden and Arianna and Max. She knows I have no choice but to follow her to Gabriella. To Caroline.
I’m just as helpless as if she had bound me with her powers. No choice but to willingly follow her to my death. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll be able to cause enough of a distraction to save Caiden and Gray and some others. Maybe.
If I had been in my wolf body, this wouldn't have happened. Leanne would never have been able to sneak up on me. My refusal to shift might have cost everyone their lives. I was so ashamed of my werewolf blood that I refused to shift when I needed to, and now it's too late.
She makes me walk ahead of her, Caiden trailing behind like a puppet. Though I have no choice but to go along with her plans, I'm not entirely helpless. Gabriella may have control over Gray and the other wolves, but I have my powers too. I don't know how much good they'll be against her, or against Caroline for that matter, but I also have my werewolf blood. They won't be expecting that.
Through the trees sits an abandoned looking warehouse district surrounded by barbed wire fencing. The main gate is locked with heavy chains and a thick padlock. I assume that way leads out towards the road. If I knew which road it leads to I could contact Mirowski or Vasily and tell them where we are, but Caiden and I have been hiking through the woods for more than an hour and I'm not familiar enough with the area to take a guess at what highways might be nearby.
"Why capture Ari and Caiden? Why not just take me?" I ask Leanne, hoping to distract her.
"You'll find out, soon enough. Now shut up or your boyfriend here will pay for it." At her words, Caiden’s body jerks, face screwing up with pain.
I subside into silence.
Leanne takes us through a smaller gate at the back, next to some old railroad tracks. There are several huge warehouse buildings, and many more smaller storage sheds. A thin black layer of soot coats everything, blocking out windows and covering everything in a thick layer of grime. The stale scent of coal drifts on the breeze. Maybe this was an old coal storage center. I know there used to be quite a few in Connecticut, but most have been shut down for decades.
I try to send a quick message to Mirowski about the coal warehouse, but before I'm even certain he’s close enough for me to contact, my knees buckle beneath me. Leanne has kicked my feet out from under me and now looms over me, foot drawn back in warning.
"Try to contact anyone else and I'll knock out your teeth."
Damn. She must have felt me drawing energy to send the message. I want to try again but Leanne means what she says. I look away, submitting for now. Once we're inside and she's distracted, I'll try again.
When I'm back on my feet, she shoves me through the door of the largest warehouse. I stumble, landing hard on my already sore knees. She yanks me up by my hair and shoves me forward again. I hide a wince.
After a series of hallways and doors, I'm tossed into a large central room without any windows. The air is stale, old lights flickering overhead. The scent of dozens of people assaults my nose. Could Caroline really have so many witches working with her?
"Emerson," Caroline calls out from across the room. "I'm so glad you could make it. Just in time too." She walks forward, her gaze shifting to Caiden. "Caiden. It's good to see you."
His eyes blaze, but he can't do more than glare at her. Caroline smiles sadly at him. "I know you don't understand right now, but you will. You'll see that this was the only way." She squeezes his shoulder gently, then gestures off to the right. "Put him there, for now," she says to Leanne. "I don't want him getting in the way and hurting himself."
Leanne moves her hand, and, like a puppet, Caiden’s body leans back against the wall, his arms raised above his head. Above him are rows of metal manacles. I spot Arianna chained to the wall next to Caiden.
“Arianna!” I run over to her, but my legs lock up after only a few steps. I crash to the ground, forehead cracking against the concrete below. I must black out for a moment because the next thing I know, Caroline is leaning over me, a sly smile on her lips.
"Why did you make me have to do that?”
“You?” I ask groggily, the knock to my head making my vision swim in front of me.
Caroline’s from the Messenger Class, which is how she knew about the prophecy. She also has certain abilities from the Love Gods Class thanks to Caiden blood binding himself to her years ago. But as far as I know, she doesn't have any offensive abilities.
“There’s quite a lot you don’t know about me,” she answers cryptically. “If you'd just cooperate for once, this could be over so much faster.”
I struggle to push myself into a sitting position, the room tilting and swaying dangerously. Something warm trickles down the side of my face. I wipe at it, fingers coming away bright red. "I’m going to..." My words come out slurred. I struggle to get my tongue to work properly. It stings, a metallic taste in the back of my throat. I must have bitten it when I fell. "I’m going to kill you," I finally mange to say.
Her lips stretch in the semblance of a smile. “No, I don’t think you will.”
I glare at her with pure hatred. The moment I get an opening, I vow to rip her throat where she stands. She’s attacked me and my friends for the last time.
As Leanne works on securing the manacles on Caiden’s wrists, Caroline turns to a petite brunette a witch hovering off to the right. “Bridget, put Emerson over there with the others.”
Bridget approaches nervously, dark eyes darting back and forth between me and Caroline. She looks familiar. I remember seeing her months ago when Gabriella attacked me in Chris’ house. She must belong to the Carrion Crows then, yet she’s taking orders from Caroline. Has Caroline taken over Gabriella’s coven?
Bridget pushes me back against the wall next to Caiden and works on my manacles. She stinks of fear, anxiety, and, oddly enough, guilt. She gives me a look that can only be described as sympathetic before stepping back into the shadows across the room.
Maybe not all of Caroline and Gabriella’s witches agree with what they’re doing. Hope swells in my chest. Maybe it’s not too late. When the fighting starts, maybe some of them will switch sides.
I lean forward to look around Caiden to Arianna on the other side. "Are you okay, Ari?"
"Of course she is," Caroline answers. "We wouldn't hurt our own."
"Y
ou won't get away with this," Caiden says. "When the rest of the coven finds us, they'll kill you."
"Oh, Caiden." She shakes her head sadly. "Most of the coven is already here."
His eyes widen. He glances next to him, where Arianna is also chained to the wall, her face set in angry lines. She nods, her glare never leaving Caroline.
"It's true. More than half the coven is here. Richard convinced them to split from Night’s Hollow and join Caroline."
"If it’s one thing all witches agree on, it’s that the world will be better off without those monstrosities in it,” Caroline says. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get everything ready before your other friends show up."
As soon as Leanne, Bridget, and Caroline leave, Caiden whispers, "You have to warn Mirowski, Em. He has to know that the rest of the coven is here."
"You're right." I close my eyes and try to send a message. He needs to know what he’s walking into, but when I focus my energy my head gives a nasty throb. I lurch forward, the metal cutting into my skin. The room spins sickeningly. My stomach heaves, bile burning my throat.
I swallow reflexively and squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the pain to subside.
"It won't work," Arianna warns, peeking over Caiden at me. "These manacles have some sort of spell built in. You can't use any magic. Not without it causing excruciating pain."
Caiden's eyes narrow, then he winces. "You're right. I can't even check on Emerson's head." To me, he says, "That was a nasty fall. The bleeding seems to have stopped, but you probably have a concussion. Are you dizzy? Nauseous?"
"Yes to both," I say. "Nothing we can do about it here. Shit. If I can't contact the others, they'll walk into a bloodbath. How the hell did she make cuffs like this?"
"Probably bought them from a Metal Smith," Caiden says. "Dammit!" He rattles the chains in frustration.
"At least Ethan got away," I say.
"Ethan was with you?" Arianna's face lights up.
"Yeah. When he found you missing, he called me and Gray to help track you. He was with us in the woods, but we sent him back to the cars to wait for Mirowski and Nikolay."