Wynter Reign

by Emmy R Bennett

  The dogs start playing with each other, unaware of us approaching. “Okay, stop,” Nora chokes out.

  I turn to her and stare. “I’m listening.”

  “Moyer tasked me to sniff out the intruders who arrived on the grounds of Storm River Manor.”

  “Right. Because you’re good at tracking.” I remember Aoes mentioning it’s an Iknes Shaw trait.

  “Wow, you know more about me than I thought.”

  “Call it intuition.” I didn’t dare tell her how I really know. At least not until I’m convinced she’s playing on our side.

  Nora looks down at the ground. “Anyway, after your team released her prisoners, she caught me and threw me into the chambers below. She said she was done with me, and I was to burn at the stake, along with the others. That I failed to bring you and your group to her.”

  “Others? There wasn’t anyone else in those cells but us.”

  She smiles, as though she knows she caught me off guard. “Did you think with all this land the compound sets on, that there is one catacomb?”

  I step into her space. We’re nose to nose. “Tell me what you know.”

  She gulps, and I sense she knows I can kill her. If only I knew how to change to a wolf, I would do it in a heartbeat. I won’t give up all my cards yet. Not to her.

  Nora takes a step backwards, so I’m no longer in her personal space. “A-at the opposite end from here, there are more catacombs Moyer has built. They are scattered throughout the compound.”

  “So, that’s how she is able to cover so much ground, isn’t it?”

  “I suppose, yes. She keeps them well fed and cared for by sending humans and other beings of similar nature and caging them in there.”

  I try not to act surprised from her new news.

  “How do you know my mother is safe? Do you know where she is?” Nora touches my sleeve, and I careen out of her grasp, knocking her to the ground.

  She lets out a surprised cry, drawing the attention of the dogs. They look up and begin to growl. “No!” she yells in a loud whisper. “Now look what you have done.”

  “Me? They can’t see me, but I’m betting they can see you.”

  “Please, get us away from here. I’ll tell you anything you want to hear.”

  “Anything?” I grin, reveling in the fact that I have her where I want her. Squirming. Wynter told me about the night when Nora bullied her at Storm River Manor. This is for her. Let’s see how she likes being on the other end for once.

  “They’re getting closer, please!”

  “How pathetic you are, Nora. You’re a coward.”

  By this time, the dogs have reached us, growling at the closed gate of the garden. Their attention is all on her, with their mouths showing fierce canines, drool dropping to the ground. The grass sizzles, turning the ground to mud below their feet.

  “They’re going to kill me. Please, I’ll do anything, just get us out of here.”

  “How do I know you’ll keep your word?”

  “If you know the Iknes Shaw so well, then you know once we make a deal, we never go back on it.”

  “So, you’re saying we have a deal? You’ll help us escape back home and defeat Moyer, once and for all?”

  “You have my word.”

  “Word? Don’t you mean we have a deal?” It’s all in the wording.

  “Yes, deal.”

  I also know that deals must be done the old fashion way, with a handshake. It literally seals the contract in some cosmic way until the deal is complete, and the cosmic magic between us will not be severed. We will be bound by law, until death. I reach for Nora’s hand and we connect. “Deal.” With my other hand the stone from underneath my skin glows, and we pop out of sight a short distance into the woods, outside the meadow.

  “As far as I know, Blair and Chad got your mom out.” I smile on the inside, knowing I pulled off a clever trade. I won this poker round.

  “Wait a minute, you said she was safe. You mean you don’t really know?”

  The other thing about the deal making under the Law of Ladorielle is you’re forced to be honest. “No, I said she was safe.”

  “You don’t know where she is, do you?”

  I’m forced by the will of magic to answer and shake my head. “The last time I saw Rosie she was leaving the Hall of History.” I can see the anger in Nora’s eyes, but she knows as well as I we’re stuck with each other. Why did I make this deal? I should have left her with the dogs. One less Shadow Walker to worry about I suppose. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to face Zak if he found out I met up with his sister and allowed her to die—a second time. He would probably kill me.

  Her eyes grew wide. I can see the sadness that she thinks her mother burned along with the books. “No, I sense she’s still alive.”

  The sun seeps deeper into the trees, and dark shadows begin to appear.

  “We better find shelter. They’re released, and they will sniff us out soon,” Nora says.

  The howls of the wolves grow louder, and I gather we’re closer than I originally thought. I point in the direction. I can hear faint sounds of voices. “Take my hand. We will jump closer.”

  We land near the gate leading out of the compound, where the bridge stretches behind it. “Let’s walk along the fence. But before we do, drink this,” I order, taking out a bottle.

  “Where did you get that?” Nora demands.

  “Never mind where I got it, drink. It’s an invisibility potion.”

  “Oh, I don’t need that, if you would release this cuff.” She puts her wrists out with the keyhole facing upwards.

  “Hmm.” I’m leery about letting her go.

  “Don’t trust me?” She smiles. “Feeling is mutual. Might I remind you we have a deal? We’re stuck together, whether we like it or not.”

  She’s right. As much as I loathe our temporary partnership, we cannot escape each other. I take the key from my pocket and release her shackles.

  She laughs and disappears; however, I can still see her. She no longer looks solid but is an invisible creature that camouflages with the trees and brush. The only clue I have where she is, is the grey cloud surrounding her form. “I have my own built-in invisibility.”

  “I see that. So do I,” I say and follow suit.

  “Tell me something,” she starts, “how is it that the sabretail prowlers didn’t see you?”

  I roll my eyes. This deal of mine is going to reveal all my poker cards. I groan, knowing I must reveal to her the truth. It’s not something I can avoid. She asked, and now I must answer. “A wizard gave me a charm, so I can hide from the undead enemies, such as those sabretail prowlers.” Half-truth. She wasn’t specific; therefore, I’m not bound to tell her more.

  She raises her chin and glares. “I see.” I can tell she knows I didn’t tell her the whole story, but without asking the right questions, she won’t get the right answers I know she wants.

  Together, we sneak along the fence until it blends into the bank. The rushing water makes it difficult to hear, but I know we’re close.

  I can hear the wolves in the distance, and we can hear people talking and the crunching of feet.

  Chapter 38

  Cory Storm

  Present Day:

  Storm River Manor Grounds

  The first full moon in January is hours away. We aren’t ready, and Moyer will be waiting with an army in tow. I can feel it in my gut. After my mother and Chad were freed from the maddening cuffs, their regenerating abilities came back full force within a matter of minutes. We did what Isalora asked and had Marc port both him and the children back to Ladorielle. Because of not being quite eighteen, he doesn’t have the porting tattoos of most druids. His only choice was to travel back to his home port, and Isalora isn’t revealing that location to us.

  Blair startles me from my thoughts. “Are you going to be okay, Cory?” she asks, as we case the river shoreline looking for clues as to which way they took Rory.

  I take in a deep breath. “
Yeah, fine.” My thoughts reflect back to when she and Chad filled us in about the many different crypts throughout the compound. “You?”

  “There are a lot more of them than us.” She walks beside me, as Chad walks ahead. I watch her look towards the sky. “Have you thought that we may never find Rory before the full moon rises in a few hours?”

  Zak takes up the rear, and the twins are on either side of us. Arryn and her cat pace a few feet in front. “The thought did cross my mind, yes,” I say.

  “We can do this,” Chad interrupts. “All we have to do is get to Redmae.”

  “Right. Without the antidote that Rory has. Did Isalora find her?”

  “No,” Arryn calls back.

  My keen eyesight allows me to see up ahead, and I begin to feel we’re not alone. I sense something, and it’s not the wolves, nor the Shadow Walkers. “Do you notice that, scent?”

  I turn around, and the twins both stare at me and shrug. “What is it, Cory?”

  “I sense it, too.” Zak stops. “I know that smell.”

  The cat roars, drawing attention.

  “Would you control your animal?” Zak hisses.

  The wolves howl. “Great, here they come. Get in the water,” Chad instructs.

  “We’re out in the open,” I say. “They will see us.”

  “We can lose our scent in the river. Follow me to the other side of the bank,” Chad adds.

  We keep up with my uncle’s lead. Soon we’re back into the woods on the opposite bank of the river.

  Now freezing, I say, “Fantastic, if we don’t die by the jaws of a wolf, it will be the frozen weather.”

  A wolf howls again. We jump, knowing they are really close. “Akira tells me they have lost our scent,” Arryn volunteers.

  “In the meantime, how are we to get warm?” Blair asks, her teeth chattering as she speaks.

  “Hang on a second.” Chad turns to me, saying, “You can conjure a tent, I bet. Something that will camouflage the outside.”

  “We’re not on Ladorielle…I can’t do that here.”

  He smiles. “Yes, but it’s a full moon in the same month of a Super Moon…I bet it will work. Try.”

  He has a point, so I take his suggestion and use my abilities to call nature for help. I sense the wind kick up, along with frozen snow, making drifts along the way. As quickly as it started, the wind is gone and there appearing in front of us, is a camouflaged tent.

  “I knew you could do it,” Chad says, smacking me on the back.

  We enter the tent, and inside it is as any other conjured structure I’ve made in the past. All of us gather about the stove to get warm.

  “Once we are rested, we’ll keep moving. There isn’t much light out, though,” I say.

  We hear a twig snap, along with the sound of footsteps outside and I put a finger to my lips. I unzip the tent and peer outside, not seeing anything. Although, I do see a grey cloud hovering near our small hideout. It can only mean one thing—a Shadow Walker is onto us.

  Gesturing with my hand, I ask Chad and Zak to follow. I bump into something I’m not able to see.

  “Cory?”

  I know that voice. “Rory, is that you? We thought you were dead.” She appears along with Nora. The others come out from the tent to see what’s going on.

  Zak’s expression is priceless. Nora runs to him and they hug.

  “Come on, let’s get back inside out of the cold and regroup,” I say.

  I see Rory squint, giving me a wry look.

  “The short version, it’s the magic of the full moon,” I explain.

  She looks up to the sky. “And we don’t have a lot of time before it arrives.”

  Rory warms herself by the stove along with the others, and both her and Nora catch us up.

  “Now that our team is back together, we should work on getting Redmae and get out. Where’s Isalora?” Rory asks.

  “Looking for you,” Blair says.

  “Well, how can we contact her? Cory, use your mind…thing.”

  I look over Rory’s shoulder to see Isalora is already in the makeshift kitchen. I smile, saying, “No need, she’s already behind you.”

  Rory turns around and I see her surprised look.

  “Did you miss me?” Isalora teases.

  Rory’s face turns red. “I –I was concerned you would be wasting your time looking for me, now that I’m back safe.”

  Our conversation is disrupted by more howls. “The wolves know the moon draws near,” Rory says. “I can feel it. It’s like I sense what they know.”

  Nora remains quiet and nudges me with her shoulder. She nods, and then, unlike what I’ve seen in the past with Iknes Shaw, she transforms into a snake. Not half human, like on Ladorielle, but a scaly, slithering reptile. There isn’t any clue that she has one single bone in her body. We watch as Zak does the same thing. They both slither on the ground, as though waiting for us to proceed as usual.

  Dom hands me my quiver set. “We figured you would need this.”

  “Thanks,” she says. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

  “Don’t have to tell me twice,” I say and open up the zipped-up entrance. The snakes slither out first, heading through the dark woods. The sounds of leaves and wind make an eerie noise.

  We come to the clearing that butts against the meadow on the back of the compound property. There in the trees I see an army of Shadow Walkers spill out across the land. They line shoulder to shoulder, and in front of them are wolves.

  My keen eyesight can see their growing teeth swimming in saliva. “Those aren’t any ordinary wolves,” I hiss. My mood changes, and I realize I haven’t any choice but change into the beast I try so hard not to be. I must protect my family. My skin burns, and I feel the blood blister through my veins.

  “They’re werewolves,” Thom says. “I can smell their stench.”

  “Why are they not attacking?” Arryn asks. I watch as Akira paces the ground.

  “They are waiting for him.” I nod in the direction of my brother, Casey, riding upon Redmae’s back. He comes to stand before the ledge of the shore and waits.

  I sense Rory’s anger and watch her take an arrow from her quiver set. “No, not yet. Be patient. One wrong move and this could get really bad, really quick.”

  I turn behind us and see more Shadow Walkers hover across the hills to the left and right. We’re nearly surrounded.

  “This isn’t good,” Chad adds. I watch my uncle’s eyes dart around, as though he’s trying to account for how many we’re facing.

  “Could really use a druid about now,” Thom squeaks.

  “Ya think?” Dom remarks.

  “Knock it off,” Rory spats. “This is no time for jokes. Besides, I’m not porting us out until I have my sister in my clutches.”

  “Oh, you’ll all be dead before that happens.” A roar comes from the clouds, as though the gods above are speaking.

  We all look around. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s trying to distract us, making us think the sky is talking,” I say.

  “How is she doing that?” Rory asks.

  “Because it’s Sarmira and not Moyer speaking, that’s why.”

  “She’s not a goddess, is she? Cory this is nuts,” she says.

  Lightning strikes the ground and rain begins to pound instead of snow. “This is going to be fun. Hope you all know how to ice skate,” I say.

  “What about them?” Dom asks. He points to the Shadow Walkers.

  “They hover above ground, not needing their feet. Although, the wolves might have issues,” Rory says sounding worried.

  More Shadow Walkers appear from the trees and brush behind us, including Cole. They’re a few yards away. With him, is Moyer. I can see the snide curve of her lips.

  “What does she have up her sleeve?” I murmur. “The snow isn’t as deep in the woods. At least there, we might have a better advantage. Guys, back up. Let’s see if we can lead them into the forest.”

  “Remember, Cory,”
Isalora begins, “you mustn’t strike at Moyer, tonight. Doing so will release Sarmira prematurely. We get Red and get out. Don’t let Moyer get to you.”

  Moyer flashes a wicked grin. “Good to see you again, Cory. Leaving so soon?”

  “Keep moving,” I say under my breath.

  Moyer glides closer. “You’re the one person who has quite annoyed me. Always slipping through my fingers. I see you have managed to pull a few former loyal members from my team. How convenient. No matter, none of you will live to see another day.” Coming from behind her is Derek with his hands tied behind his back, and his mouth stuffed with a cloth.

  Daniel stands next to him, keeping Derek close, acting as Moyer’s prison guard. Now, I’ve seen everything.

  “Daniel,” I shout. “Can’t you see what she’s done to you? Derek is your brother.” I’m angry it’s come to this. “A true Storm would fight for freedom, not hide behind the skirt of his aunt. Moyer isn’t even a Storm. You do realize that, don’t you? Daniel, listen to reason. Don’t do this.”

  “Silence!” Moyer screams. She stands there like a puppeteer handling a marionette while he waits to have his strings pulled. He’s under her control, along with my brothers.

  “No, Sarmira isn’t a Storm,” Chad agrees. “She’s a fallen necromancer gone mad with power, seeking revenge because Bryce has shown her daughter the light of good.”

  “What?” I’m shocked hearing the words coming out of my uncle’s mouth.

  “Go with it. I’ll fill you in later,” he murmurs.

  The Shadow Walkers begin to glide, shoulder to shoulder, across the meadow.

  I hear Casey yell out, “Are you sure you won’t change your mind, Cory?” He rides Redmae like he owns her. “We can end this now. Come back to us, and we will wipe the slate clean.”

  “What is there to clean? Clearly, we do not see eye to eye, brother,” I say.

  He lets out a big laugh. “Brother? Is that what I am to you?” The evilness within him is eerie and loud.

  “Casey,” Blair says. “There is still good in you. I can see it.”