“Hush.” Silver pulled her tighter. “Don’t worry about that right now. I’m so relieved you’re safe.” Silver released her, turning next to Roxen.
Silver took in the bandages peeking out from his jerkin. “Are you all right?”
“Thanks to Lurenia, I will be, but it was close,” he admitted.
She embraced him as well. “Thank the Goddess for her then.” Wiping away a relieved tear, she backed up to address the whole assembly.
“Welcome, all, to the Southern Densite. We are proud to receive you and I hope what comfort we provide will console you after all you have endured. Our lead healer, Jaline, will take you to our spare dens, where she and our other healers will look you over.”
At Rayna’s urging, both Katrine and Kellan joined the Sylrians and Maenorens starting after Jaline.
Roxen, Mina, Channon, and Rayna stayed behind as Silver greeted the other leaders.
Silver clasped Seperun and Pheros on the shoulder. “I don’t know what to say. My niece and my pack members are alive because of your aid.” She smiled at Marielana. “When you ran off so suddenly, I feared what you had seen. But I am eternally grateful for your intervention.”
Rayna watched, a lump forming in her throat, as Silver’s eyes fell upon Kado.
“And this is…?” Confusion strained Silver’s voice. She must have noticed the Monil. Kado made no move to return her stare.
“Alphena,” Pheros said. “We've much to discuss. Where can we speak in private?”
Before Silver could respond, Marielana spoke. “Indeed, but before any decisions can be made, Rayna must be purified of Terayan’s influence. It was as I suspected, Silver. Terayan lured Rayna to him through dream manipulation. General, can you, the Beta, and the Regent escort Kado Aronak to the Alphena’s den, where you can explain what we know to Silver? Rayna will come with me.”
“Priestess—” Channon began.
“I’m afraid no one can accompany us, not even you, Channon Lyallt. We must not delay any further.”
Rayna nodded. “I’ll be fine,” she spoke to everyone, but took Channon’s hand. “I’ll join you as soon as I can.”
Channon squeezed her hand. She sensed his apprehension, but he still let her go. “Be careful, Ray.”
“Do you need anything for the ritual?” Silver asked.
“I will collect what I need on our way to the ritual site. We will see you soon.” At Marielana’s dismissal, the others left, except Pheros.
The General ground his teeth. Rayna knew how he hated to leave Marielana unprotected, but as always, he respected her wishes. “I'll see you soon Priestess, Miss Myana.”
Once they were alone in the sycamore grove, Rayna spoke. “Ritual site? Where are we going?”
“That will be up to you.”
“Me? Don’t you need a water source or…?”
Marielana shook her head. She wore her usual translucent veil, making her expressions difficult to read. “The purification ritual will be primarily rooted in your magic, not mine.
“My magic? But all I have are dreams, and they’re not safe.”
“Is that all you have? What about your wolf?”
“My wolf?” Marielana always spoke in riddles, but given the urgency of the situation, Rayna wished she would be less obtuse. “How can that help?”
“We are twice-blessed, Rayna. We have been given the ability to see through time and space, but this magic is attached to our Peninsular blessing. This means our personal magic can be used to direct, amplify—or in this case—protect, our seer abilities. I utilized Amne Vena to rid myself of Terayan’s influence. You must use your Fenearen magic to do the same.”
“But how can I? What can a wolf do to combat black magic?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but your wolf shape is only one aspect of your blessing?”
“I suppose.” Rayna wrinkled her brow, thinking. “The outside appearance is part of it, but there’s more. Being a wolf means seeing the world differently. I know things that humans can’t. My sense of smell, hearing, and instincts are all sharper.”
“Indeed. This is what you will need to defeat Terayan’s spell. I will use my magic to place you in a deep sleep. There, within your own mind, you must fight the dark influence using your instincts as a wolf. That is who you are, and all your divine power and magic is rooted in your wolf instincts, as mine are in water.”
“So, the ritual site?”
“It should be a place that speaks to your truest wolf nature—somewhere you feel connected to your pack. But it must be secluded as well.”
Rayna bit her lip. Connected but secluded—another riddle. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scents around her.
A hawk roosted in one of the sycamores, watching for prey. Sweet scents—honeysuckle, sassafras, and strawberries—soothed her. Lichens grew on a damp log behind her, slowly breaking the rotting wood down to feed the forest. A black snake slithered over the moss, seeking a sunny spot.
Suddenly, Rayna remembered a day long before: the first time she'd known the world in this deep way.
“I know where we need to go.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Pike dwarfed Laera as they walked together. He'd volunteered to inform her of Lonian’s passing, though Pike suspected Laera knew as soon as she saw Kellan without his uncle.
Pike led them to a secluded spot in the shade of a gargantuan red oak. He checked the currents to ensure privacy before he began. Laera—
Lonian’s dead, Laera interrupted.
Pike bowed his black head. Yes. I am very sorry for your loss.
I think a part of me has known for some time. I just couldn’t face it. She whined, lying down with her head on her paws. How did it happen?
The Kyreans made him fight for sport. He took his own life rather than murder his opponent. Pike kept as much emotion as he could from his speech. Laera deserved to know all he could tell her. He needed to stay focused.
He killed himself? Laera’s ears flattened. How dare they force him to that. Lonian was…he was. She broke off. I need to see Kellan, but I don’t know how to face him.
What do you mean?
I am—was—Lonian’s Crimund. It was my job, my purpose, to protect him.
Laera, we can't always protect our loved ones.
Laera turned away. Forgive me, Pike, but you do not understand. Do you know how old I am?
It seemed a strange subject change. I couldn't say.
Thirty-one winters—double the usual lifespan for my kind. Crimunds share a soul with our human partners. As long as he lived, I didn't age beyond my first few years.
Lonian and I have been together for lifetimes. And now he's gone. I'll start aging like any other dog. I am nothing. How can Kellan forgive me? How can I forgive myself?
Pike took in the broken creature before him. She looked like a wolf, with her pointed ears and long muzzle.
But she was not a wolf.
Laera was one half of a heart. It was clear from the pain in her two-colored eyes her half was broken,
You're right. I don't understand what you must be feeling. I don't share a soul with anyone, but I do know what it's like to fail someone you love. Pike pressed his snout against her neck. She smelled different than any wolf he had ever met—of ice and ash trees. What happened was not your fault. You did all you could to help Lonian.
She leaned her lithe form against his. But it wasn’t enough.
No, it wasn’t.
Laera pulled away, surprised by his response.
Pike continued. This past fall, I learned a most difficult truth: We cannot control everything that happens to those we love. Sometimes, fate, chance—whatever you’d like to call it—has other plans.
It wasn’t fate’s fault that Lonian died, growled Laera.
Aye, it’s the Kyrean Council’s. You must blame them, not yourself. I’m certain Kellan does.
Laera lay motionless, staring at the moss beneath her paws. You’re being kind to me. It’s s
trange.
Pike furrowed his brow. Why?
Every wolf I’d ever met before Rayna was an Ice Wolf. It is strange to interact with wolves as gentle as you.
Pike snorted. No one has ever accused me of being gentle before.
It’s not an accusation, Pike. It’s a compliment. Her eyes met his. They were strange—one a warm, agate brown, the other blue like winter frost at dusk.
Pike found he had to turn away from their intensity. I see.
She tilted her head to re-capture his gaze. You speak of loss from experience?
Aye. Last fall many of my brothers and sisters perished.
But there was someone in particular. It was not a question—Laera was quite observant.
Pike's fur bristled, not out of anger, but pain. My friend.. His name was Ash. He was killed, and I couldn’t save him. He called for me, but I didn’t reach him in time. The memory of Ash’s yelps, dead gaze, and bloodied mouth, haunted Pike every time he closed his eyes.
Perhaps you should take your own advice. I am sorry for your loss, but what happened was not your fault. It sounds like he was very brave. The warmth in Laera’s words belied everything else about her sharp, northern appearance. With her narrow frame, curved tail, and thick fur, she was clearly a creature of the cold.
But her soul was anything but frigid.
Ash was the best of us, said Pike.
As Lonian was the best of me. Laera stood. You’re right about Kellan, but I’m not ready to face him yet. Besides, he needs more healing.
I could take you to the True Wolf dens, and show you our hunting trails. Perhaps we can compare hunting techniques?
Laera brushed Pike’s neck with her small, dappled head. I’d like that very much.
Rayna led Marielana through the southern forest. They reached a clearing fragrant with thyme. The herb-patches were well-nourished by a nearby brook.
Rayna ran her fingers along a boulder, thinking of the loss she'd experienced there almost thirteen years earlier.
“Rayna.” Marielana took in the view. “Why here?”
“This was the place where I shifted for the first time. And…” her gaze traveled to where a sharp quartz-veined rock used to be.
Bayne had dug up the stone and thrown it in the ocean the day after Rayna's mother’s head had been cracked against it.
“And,” Rayna continued, “it’s where my mother was killed.”
“I see. Yes, this place will do.” Marielana walked to the clearing’s center.
Rayna followed, anxiety slowing her steps. “How does this work?”
“Lie down here.”
Rayna obeyed.
The image of her mother lying beside her came unbidden to her mind. First, Rayna saw Mya laughing and smiling.
Then she saw Mya bleeding, her eyes staring and lifeless.
Rayna had passed through this clearing countless times since that night, but never lingered.
Marielana knelt by Rayna, smoothing her red hair in an achingly maternal way. “This will be difficult, but I know you’re not one to shy away from difficulty. I’m going to place you into a deep sleep. Focus on Terayan, and the fog that’s been shrouding your dreams. The shape that your battle against him will take I cannot say, but if you succeed, you will be free of his influence.”
“And if I should fail?”
Marielana pulled back her veil, revealing worry lines in her face. “You may be trapped in your dream and never wake.”
“Oh. I don’t know what else I expected.”
“If you don’t do this,” Marielana reminded her, “Terayan’s influence over you will grow until his hold is unbreakable.”
“Then let’s not delay any further.” Rayna closed her eyes. “I’m ready.”
Marielana’s skirts rustled. A drop of water landed on both of Rayna’s eyelids. Marielana’s thumbs massaged the water gently, while her fingers found Rayna’s throbbing temples.
“As you slip into your dreams, focus on Terayan and the fog blocking your sight. Good luck, Rayna Myana.”
Rayna pictured Tallis Terayan—his blond hair, square face, and pale green eyes. She thought of his lavish robes and the strange, blood-filled charm he wore around his neck. She remembered his cruelty, and the way he'd laughed as she'd choked on her own blood. Her claws extended into the grass beneath her fingers.
The next thing Rayna knew, she stood in the clearing.
Marielana was gone.
Rayna fought her disorientation—she had to keep her wits about her. She turned a circle in place, taking in her dream surroundings. It was dusk, and the forest was silent.
Movement registered in Rayna’s peripheral vision. Fog crept across the forest floor. But it was not natural fog. There was no mistaking its golden tinge. It spread all around her, encircling her, rising off the ground until it blocked her view.
Marielana had said the way to fight Terayan’s spell lay in her instincts as a wolf.
Rayna shifted. In her dreamscape, her senses changed as usual. Her vision sharpened, allowing her to glimpse shapes in the fog. She sniffed, recoiling from the strangeness.
The fog did not have a repulsive smell; it had no scent at all. The wrongness of that brought a growl to Rayna's throat. It wasn’t natural, it wasn’t right, and–-Rayna realized as she inhaled again—it wasn’t real.
She padded forward.
Everything had a scent—even dream-things. But the fog was a blank. Her eyes and mind told her it was there, but the wolf part of her rebelled against that. Was this what Marielana meant? It could not possibly be so easy.
She took another step forward, her paws gliding into the fog. As soon as she touched it, the fog churned like a thunder cloud. Flashes erupted around her. Images appeared—faces of people and wolves. Some disappeared too quickly for her to identify. Others were unmistakable.
Bayne tossed a much younger Rayna onto his back.
Coer smiled, but his freckled features were gone before she could blink.
But when a young woman with thick red hair appeared in the storm, Rayna refused to let this phantom go so easily.
Rayna chased after her mother.
All at once, the fog lifted.
Rayna froze. She did not remember re-taking her human form, and yet, there she was, standing on two legs. Something felt off, though. She was not as high up as she should have been.
Mya reappeared. Rayna’s mother raced past her, laughing. She was at least a tail-length taller than Rayna was.
Rayna was back in a child’s body.
“Rayna, keiri, keep up!” Mya’s musical voice called her.
Rayna started after her mother, bewildered, but excited.
They sprang over a thicket, re-entering the clearing. Mya flopped to the ground and Rayna tumbled after her, giggling.
“You’re getting faster,” said Mya. She leaned her chin in her palm.
Rayna had forgotten the exact shade of her mother’s eyes until that moment.
Mya’s eyes were like robins’ eggs—pale blue, but full of life.
“What do you say you try shifting again?” Mya asked.
Rayna had lived this before, but that awareness faded with each passing moment. Remembering this scene meant remembering what came next, and Rayna could not face that.
Rayna closed her eyes, attempting to shift. It did not happen easily. Her muscles had lost their memory as well.
Several tries later, Rayna's four feet hit the ground.
Mya barked for joy.
Rayna’s last hold on the un-reality of the moment slipped away. She lost herself to contentment as Mya spoke to her in Wolven.
Time passed and dusk gave way to night. It was only when Mya froze, sniffing the air as the scent of Maenorens surrounded them, that a shred of Rayna’s memory reasserted itself.
“No,” Rayna said. All at once, she saw what came next: her mother’s sacrifice, the Maenorens’ cruelty, and Bayne and Silver’s aid that came too late.
“…we have to head
back home now.” Mya spoke without the benefit of foresight. She acted her role, unaware of her impending death.
“No,” Rayna repeated. “Mada, you have to run. Leave me behind. Please—”
But torchlight already danced among the leaves.
Mya pushed Rayna into the brush. Time moved more quickly than it should have.
The Maenorens taunted Mya, they discovered Rayna, and Mya attacked.
But something strange happened as the men pulled Rayna into the open by her scruff. The attackers weren’t as she remembered them.
Their skin was peeling, their eyes shone oily black.
They were Da’ Gammorn.
“Rayna, run!” Mya’s screams cut short as one of the monsters threw her. Her head smashed into the quartz-veined rock.
This time, Rayna did not go to her mother. She kept fighting. She shifted, leaping onto the closest demon. She bit into its wrist, but it only responded with a hissing laugh.
It tossed her to the side. She landed beside Mya, her mother’s blood splattering Rayna’s face as she was forced back into human form.
Where were Bayne, Silver, and Roxen? She should have heard her uncle’s howl by now. They saved her.
But, Rayna realized as the Da’ Gammorn encircled her, maybe they didn’t here.
“Rayna!”
At first, Rayna thought her mother had woken up. But Mya had not stirred. The voice came from somewhere else.
“Rayna! Terayan’s magic is twisting your worst memories—keeping you from escaping his hold. Fight back!”
“Lumae!” Rayna heard the goddess’s voice for the first time in months. “Lumae,” Rayna called out in her child’s voice, “Help me!”
But Lumae was gone.
The Da’ Gammorn converged on her, black eyes glittering in the darkness.
Rayna shifted and pounced onto the closest.
At first, he did not budge.
She was a pup. It was a monstrosity.
But, this was a dream. Not only that, this was her dream.
The rules of reality did not apply here.
With a guttural growl that became a roar, Rayna pushed the Da’ Gammorn onto the ground. She tore into its neck, ignoring the horrid taste of decaying flesh. She snapped its spinal cord between her jaws.
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