by Camille Rae
“There is not much time,” she said, and I crossed the room to stand near her.
“I have so many questions. Why are you here?” I asked, my tone hushed and reverent.
“Your place is not in Nos,” Flora said as though she hadn’t heard me.
I frowned, not understanding her.
“You must find Jude. She is where you already know she is,” Flora said, reaching to take my hand in hers. My ring made a tinny call as she brushed her thumb over it.
Where I know she was? If she had been taken by the Blues, it would only make sense for her to be in…
“Queen’s City?” I asked, but Flora didn’t bother responding.
“You have been missing my signs,” Flora said, and held out her other hand, opening her palm to reveal a small flower. A gladiola blossom.
“Your signs? The flowers in my room?” I asked, but Flora tilted her head away from me, as though listening.
“Don’t be afraid,” she whispered, and then in the same flash of light that signaled her arrival, she was gone.
Just as I was beginning to process what she had just said, the door to the cobbler’s shop burst open and three men stormed in. I stepped to the side and crouched behind a large stand of shoes on display, trying to appear as small as possible. I recognized one of the men instantly — it was the same man that had threatened me before at the uta stand.
At the same moment, an older man, the cobbler I assumed, came in from the backroom. He took one look at me, then at the men, and drew a dagger from his belt.
“Get behind the counter, Everallin,” the cobbler said, and before I could even question why he knew my identity, I jumped the counter, backing up to partially duck behind a shelving unit. My body buzzed with adrenaline, my muscles cried out to be tested from all of the self-defense training Cash had trained me on for the past few weeks, and I tried my hardest to project my S.O.S. thoughts to Loel. We needed help, and we needed help fast.
“Just hand over the woman, old man. We don’t want to hurt you,” one of the men said, but I couldn’t see which one.
“Who are you?” The cobbler asked, but the men just laughed. He continued, saying, “You are not citizens of Nos. You will not harm a hair on her head while I’m alive.”
“Then we’ll remedy that,” the man said, and for the first time, I realized he was dressed in green, so dark that it was almost black. He had been wearing beige and brown before, like most people of Nos did, especially those in the military.
One of the men stepped forward and plunged a sword straight into the cobbler’s belly, so sudden that I almost didn’t understand what I was seeing.
The cobbler crumpled to the floor, and I held a hand over my mouth in complete shock. I watched as the life left his body in a series of gasps and gurgles. That man had died so easily in an attempt to save my life. I wanted to crumple to the floor in defeat, but I had to get out. I couldn’t just let them take me after this man had died trying to prevent it. I looked around, trying to see if the back room had a door to an alley that I could run through.
As the men came closer, I realized how huge they were. They had large beards that made them look even larger, like fierce, rugged warriors.
I’d never outrun them. I looked around, trying to find anything I could use to protect myself. I grabbed a large wooden mallet and held it over my head.
“Don’t come any closer,” I said, holding out my other free hand, wishing more than ever for my powers to appear.
One of the men I saw had a gnarled scar across his jaw. He set his eyes on me and spoke what must have been a spell, because I felt heavy, realizing I couldn’t move my feet.
Panic began to course through my body, and I felt electric, as though power was surging just under the surface.
Work, you goddamn magic powers, work!
“He said to bring her unharmed,” the man who hadn’t advanced forward said in a bored tone to the other two.
“He said alive, not unharmed,” the man with the scar said.
The other laughed, and reached for me, gripping my upper arm in his hand.
I felt a surge of electricity flow through me, and then a flash of light flooded the room as though a bomb had gone off. The men flew back, falling to the ground in crumpled heaps.
The bells over the door jingled again and I saw Loel and Cash rush in, their swords drawn.
There was confused shouting as the men stood again, and Cash took down the man nearest the door with a swipe of his hand. I stared in horror as the stranger’s body fell to the floor, limp as a doll.
“Are you okay?” Loel asked as he strode toward me, distracting the man who had grabbed me.
“Yes, just… stuck,” I said, not having time to explain.
He let me go and I wavered slightly, still unable to move.
Scar Guy struggled with Cash, and then Lachlan and Silas ran in, but in their wolf forms.
The room was pure chaos. Shouts and metal clashing and growls mixed through the air, but with four against two, especially my four badass wolves, it was over quickly.
As soon as the scarred man fell, I was able to walk again.
Lachlan and Loel rushed to me as Cash rifled through the men’s belongings to see who the hell they were. Silas stood near the door, on guard.
I was shaking, and Loel held my face in his hands as Lachlan whimpered near me.
“Gods, Spark, we were so worried. We couldn’t find you,” Loel said, exasperated. He looked just as shaken as I felt.
“Are you hurt?” I asked, running my hands over their arms.
They both shook their heads, and I called out to Cash and Silas to ask if they were okay. They gave me matching solemn nods.
“What was that light?” Loel asked.
“I think it came from me?” I said, holding up my palms to examine them. They looked normal.
Loel raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Why did you leave?” Cash asked, his tone steady as he flipped through a pad of paper one of the men had with him.
“I saw Flora,” I said, and all four sets of eyes turned to stare at me in surprise.
I explained the situation, but stopped short of telling them that Flora told me to leave Nos. I knew they’d disagree with me, or worse, come with and leave behind everything they had worked so hard for here.
“And?” Loel said, fixing me with a hard stare.
“You came in just after I found her,” I lied, feeling immediately guilty, but knowing I had to.
“I’m not sure who these men were,” Cash admitted. “But it takes a lot of balls to come into Nos like this.”
“I’ll talk to the guard. Make sure they step up patrol,” Loel said.
“The Cobbler knew my royal name,” I said, pointing down to the man who had a small bit of blood splattered around him. I stared, the weight of the situation settling fully on me.
“Oh God,” I whispered, feeling strangely heavy again, like I couldn’t take a full breath. I knelt down beside him, looking into his far-away stare. Loel took me by the shoulders as the room began to spin.
“Caia,” he said, trying to make eye contact. “Stay with us.”
I wanted to.
But I couldn’t.
Chapter 20
Loel
Her body went limp in my arms and my entire world shook.
I set her down carefully, lifting her feet.
Silas shifted back into his human form, crossing the room. “This isn’t good,” he murmured beside me.
What wasn’t good? Caia fainting? Cascan men in Nos? Flora showing up and leading Caia into dangerous places?
I shook my head. “It definitely isn’t,” I answered.
We carried Caia back to the Citadel, where she’d be safe. Silas shifted back to avoid the awkward stares shifters get when they are in human form unclothed.
The Citadel doctor, an older woman named Bernice, was as confused by her unconsciousness as we were.
When I explained that I t
hought she used her powers for the first time, Bernice nodded slowly.
“She must have used all the energy in her body for such a spell. And without training…” Her voice trailed off as she took Caia’s pulse again.
I paced nearby, and the other Wolves did the same, though all had shifted or stayed in their wolf form. It physically hurt when one of our pack mates was hurt, and it was easier to take in our stronger forms, where human emotion impacted us less.
Theo had already gotten back to the Citadel when we had returned, but he didn’t come see her, even now.
“Why haven’t you been training her to use her powers?” Bernice asked, not meeting my eye. Her tone wasn’t curious, but instead, just chastising enough to make me feel guilty.
“I’m not sure. I’m not even sure what her powers are,” I confessed.
I sat in her bedroom all night, waiting for her to wake up, praying to the gods that she’d wake up.
She opened her eyes sometime in the night and began to scream. Where she had found the energy for that, I didn’t know.
I sat on the edge of the bed, calming her back to sleep. Lachlan curled up on the other side of her, his powers coming off of his fur in waves.
She fell back to sleep, clutching my hand in hers.
◆◆◆
We sat in the garden. I had uta brought in, since it was the most healing meal I could think of, and she was eating so much I was sure she would either be sick or immediately fall asleep.
Mika lay curled at my feet and Caia kicked off my slippers to rub her feet on Mika’s fur.
In my entire life of knowing Mika, I had never seen her tolerate anyone as much as she tolerated Caia. I grinned as she glared up at me, clearly knowing I was amused in my observation.
“Can I ask you something?” Caia asked.
I tensed, but nodded, keeping my expression blank.
“Could you see my thoughts yesterday in the Cobbler’s shop? You said you couldn’t find me but I was trying so hard to let you know where I was,” she said, her brow furrowing.
“I couldn’t see them very clearly, which is why it took us so long to find you. One of them might have been psychically blocking attacks, but Hull Road, where that shop was, is fairly notorious. I’m not sure why Flora would have led you there,” I said, my brows knitting together in thought.
I didn’t know why I couldn’t find her. She was mine. She was in my pack. I felt as though I had failed her. Guilt wrenched my insides, making my physically ill.
“Can I tell you something, though?” I said lightly, trying to change the subject, leaning back in my chair.
She nodded, leaning back, too, and turned her face towards the sun, soaking up the warmth. As the sun hit her hair, it looked completely aglow. I smiled, watching she turned to fire right before me.
She closed her eyes and said, “You can tell me anything, you know that.”
I paused, not knowing how to phrase what I wanted to tell her. She turned to me, shading her eyes with her hand.
“Besides yesterday, when I failed you—“ I began.
“—You didn’t fail me,” she interrupted.
I continued, saying, “I do feel like my power is stronger around you, even just having you around, since I’ve met you, really,” I fumbled through the words, a little embarrassed by the confession.
“How so?” She asked, still turned towards me, squinting in the light.
“I’ve never been able to share my memories without touch, and since I met you, I can. It was after Flora put the spell on us. I talked to Lachlan about it, and he agrees that his power is stronger, too. Even Silas agrees,” I said, not meeting her eye.
“Silas? I didn’t think Silas and Cash had magic powers,” she said, her tone teasing.
“Silas has a cloaking power, like a shield, but it can keep us hidden from enemies. Super useful when we’re sneaking up on someone,” I explained as simply as I could. “I think that’s what makes him so hard to read. He keeps that guard up constantly.”
She frowned and said, “Why didn’t he use it when we were in the woods?”
I raised a brow at the strange question. “He did. Every night. Why do you think we were able to have fires?”
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Wait, I remember him saying something about a shield when that man was hurting me near the stream, do you recall that?”
I nodded. “That was the only time I’ve ever seen his shield fail.”
She considered this, frowning. “I had no idea. What about Cash? What secret powers does he have?”
“Cash’s gift is harder to explain. It’d be easier if you see it,” I said, pressing his lips together into a tight line.
“Try,” she said, leaning forward on the table.
“It’s… hmmm,” I paused, trying to choose my words carefully. “He goes into this sort of trance when we’re fighting. It’s like he goes… berserk. Twenty times more intense than yesterday, even.” I shrugged. “He just goes wild and can take down twice as many people.”
She nodded, considering what I had said. “Maybe your powers feel stronger because of the protective spell,” I guessed. “Maybe Flora boosted you guys or something.”
I considered that for a moment. That made sense. I’d check in with Silas about it.
“I had an idea,” I said, trying to judge her reaction. “I know you’re healing, but I wanted to try something.”
She gave me a skeptical look, but the mischievous glint in her eye was unmistakable.
I laughed at her reaction. “I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not it,” I said. “It’s about your powers.”
“I didn’t think I had powers yet,” she said, her brow furrowed.
“What do you think happened yesterday at the shop? You went off like a blast of fire, Spark,” I said, blinking in disbelief. How did she not realize that was her?
“That was… me?” She asked, looking down at her hands as though they would shoot sparks at any moment.
I grinned. “I think I can explain better in the training room.”
Chapter 21
Caia
It felt strange having just Loel in the training room with me.
My stomach flipped at the idea of Loel pinning me down on the mats, and I quirked a brow towards him, wondering if he was thinking of the same.
I really had to start reeling in these sex maniac thoughts if I was going to stay protected in my time with the Wolves.
“This is just a theory, so I don’t want you to be discouraged if I’m wrong,” Loel said, walking around the gym until all of the shades to the windows were drawn and the torches were put out.
We stood in complete darkness, and I looked around, trying to determine how far away from me he was. He placed his hands on my hips, making me jump, but then I leaned back into him, feeling his strength behind me, reassuring me.
“When I call on my power, I simply clear my mind, and envision it happening, enveloping me. I want you to try the same,” he said his breath brushing my ear.
What would my magic be like? Would I be able to move objects or heal people? Would I read minds? Would it be invisible, like my guys’ magic, or would I be able to see it, like the golden swirls that surrounded the protection spell?
What if Silas was wrong and I didn’t even have magic?
I closed my eyes, trying to conjure something inside of me. I felt a warm pulse near my ring, but that was about it.
“How can I envision something I don’t know?” I asked, turning my face towards him.
“If you and Elestra are twins, the chances are you have similar magic, right? The royals have a different type of magic than most, which is what makes them so powerful.” Loel said, his voice growing animated with excitement.
“I’ve seen Elestra’s magic,” Loel said. “I can show you, and maybe that will help you conjure your own gifts.”
I stared into the dark void in front of me. “But why did you make it completely dark?”
“You’ll see,” he said in a hushed tone.
He reached for me and pulled me into his body, until I was pressed against his chest.
Then, before I even realized it, I was in a memory.
It was dusk. Elestra was standing in an open space in a wooded area, and there were two horses tied to a tree nearby. She was laughing and had a jug in her hand, drinking straight from it.
She set the bottle down and flipped her hair out of her face, then held out her hands in front of her, palms up. A blue, glowing orb appeared in her hand, and she flicked her wrists, sending it floating into the air. Her mouth was open in a wide smile and she looked young, again.
Happy, even.
She made seven or eight glowing orbs of light, and they floated upwards but staying low enough to light up the sky around us.
She reached for my hand — Loel’s hand, I corrected myself — and reached up again, sending vibrant blue flickers of light up out of her fingertips. Those melted almost instantly, and I got the sense that she was just showing off at that point.
Then she swung her arm over her head and a flash of blue light flew from her hand, sailing over the open space. It crashed into a tree, and even with the dim lighting, I could see leaves falling all around us.
I felt awe, though I didn’t know if it was Loel’s, or mine, or both.
I pulled myself out of the memory and looked up at Loel. What he had just shared with me had been even more personal than the last memory, and I reached up, holding my hand to his cheek, stroking down his jawline.
“Thank you for showing me that,” I said, and I felt his Adam’s apple bob in a swallow.
He was quiet for a beat, and then cleared his throat. “She was just playing around, but there were several different types of charms there, so I thought it’d give you a good idea of what to visualize. She once explained it to me as being as natural as breathing to draw light,” he said, his voice growing hoarse again at the end.
He cleared his throat once more, and I could have sworn he was getting a bit emotional.
I wanted to press myself back into him, to hold him until he either felt like talking more about it or until the emotion passed and he was able to regain control.