The Hunger

by Melissa Haag

  He gave an aggrieved scowl then paced the room impatiently while Dad fussed over Mom, asking if she was sure she had enough to eat. I felt the same worry. She didn’t look like her usual self. But she looked far better than she had while passed out on the floor.

  “I’m fine, my darling. I’ll be sure to eat again before we leave.”

  “We can leave now,” he said.

  “I’d rather wait to hear what Megan discovers. The Council may want to pretend that these quakes are nothing, but I’m not willing to take that chance.”

  Fenris wrapped his arms around me and held me as we waited. It didn’t take long.

  In a burst of flames and irritation, Megan appeared a few minutes later. Her gaze searched the room until she found Oanen.

  “I’m sorry. It had to be done.”

  “With me at your side, Megan,” he said.

  “And let that snake touch you? No way.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What did she do?”

  “She told me what we needed to know after I threatened to put a new handprint on her table. One of the gods is awake, and he needs to be appeased before he’ll go back to sleep. Anyone know how to appease a god?”

  Mom swore vehemently, and a sick feeling settled into my stomach.

  “The Council needs to know, Megan. This isn’t something they can continue to ignore.”

  “Agreed.” Megan looked at me. “Think Adira will answer my call now?”

  “Probably not,” I said. “Call Mrs. Quill.”

  Megan shook her head.

  “It’ll be faster if I just hell gate there.”

  “It may be faster,” Mom said, “But you’ll be the first one there. You have information they want. Call Mrs. Quill so she can assemble the Council. Then, use the excuse of driving back with Eliana as the reason for your late arrival. Make the Council wait for the information they want so they understand what clueless waiting feels like.”

  “She has a valid point,” Fenris said. “Don’t report to them like some lackey or they’re going to think they can treat you like one.”

  The fire flared in Megan’s eyes.

  “I’d like to see them try.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The ride to the Quills’ was tensely silent. Oanen drove, and Megan took shotgun. I snuggled next to Fenris in the back. It terrified me that one of the gods was awake. They’d been absent from our world for so long that Mount Olympus was nothing more than a tourist attraction. What would it mean for the world if they returned? Nothing good based on how Mrs. Quill reacted to the news during her conversation with Megan.

  “Can you please drive faster?” Megan asked.

  “If he does, we’ll get there before the Council, and you’ll be back in the puppet seat,” Fenris said.

  She turned to glare at him.

  “You were more helpful when you needed me for hugs.”

  Fenris laughed and nuzzled my hair while inhaling deeply.

  “This is much better than secondhand.”

  A shiver ran through me, and my hunger stirred with more insistence.

  Megan’s annoyance faded, and she grinned at me.

  “You two are so adorable.”

  I wrinkled my nose at her. “Turn around before Oanen scolds you. I can feel his frustration over your improper use of that seatbelt.”

  She gave an aggrieved sigh but returned to the correct position.

  “At what point are you going to stop obsessing over my safety?” she asked him, pouting.

  “When you start taking it seriously and stop disappearing from my side in a poof of flames.”

  “Poof? Please. What I do is more impressive than a poof. Apparently, I need to do it again so you can describe it better.”

  Oanen looked away from the road, an indication of how not funny he found Megan. Beside me, Fenris started to shake with his silent laughter.

  “Okay, okay,” Megan said quickly. “No repeat performance. Got it.”

  The driveway at the Quills’ was once again packed with cars.

  “I didn’t think the Council was that big,” Megan said.

  “It’s not,” Oanen said, pulling around to the garage. “I imagine there are a lot of people who want answers, though.”

  He wasn’t wrong. When we entered the kitchen, we could hear the raised voices coming from the front entry.

  “Those earthquakes aren’t natural,” a voice said. “It’s not just where they’re happening. It’s how they’re happening. Some of us could feel the power behind it.”

  “The Council understands your concerns and shares them. We’ve been working diligently to follow every lead. The furies are even helping us by making inquiries around the world.”

  Megan snorted and strode forward. Adira stood on the stairs with Mr. Quill and Raiden flanking her. They all faced the dozen Uttira residents that gathered before them.

  “Hold up,” Megan said. “Do not make it sound like I’m acting on the Council’s behalf.”

  Only a few steps behind Megan, I could see the way everyone’s attention shifted from Adira to her. I also saw the worry that erupted in Adira’s expression before she composed herself again.

  “Of course not, Fury. You are a separate entity who answers to no one but the gods,” Adira said quickly. “And the Council is in your debt for caring enough to look into the matter of the earthquakes.” She addressed the crowd of people once more. “If any of you have any information that can help us, please step forward now. We’re all tired of living under the strain of fear and want answers.”

  The people gathered began to shuffle uncomfortably in the silence, and Adira looked at them in disappointment.

  “I see. Well, I thank you for your interest in this matter. Please allow the Council to reconvene so we might determine our next course of action.”

  “And what will that be?” a man demanded.

  “It’s hard to say when we have as little information to go on as you do. But we will strive to do our best and prove that you have not misplaced your trust in us to lead this stronghold.”

  There were some grumbles as the people started to leave. Once the entry was empty, Raiden turned his attention to Fenris.

  “Fenris, it’s time for you to go home.”

  Hurt and shame welled up within me. It was obvious Raiden was sending Fenris away because I was there. Based on the swell of anger from Fenris, he knew it too.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s not past my bedtime,” he said.

  Megan snorted. “This isn’t a holiday dinner where you send the young people to the kids’ table, Raiden. Fenris stays. They all do. They help me use my words when I’m angry, instead of going around throat-punching anyone who annoys me.”

  Raiden inclined his head, but I could still feel his frustration and worry.

  “Shall we go to Lander’s office?” Adira asked.

  “Why the hell else—”

  I reached out and set a hand on Megan, stealing some of her annoyance, and answered on her behalf.

  “By all means, Adira.”

  Adira’s gaze shifted between the four of us, and I didn’t miss the glint of amusement in her gaze. The woman had a death wish. And based on the way that Megan’s anger increased with each step as we followed Adira up the stairs, she was about to see what happened around an angry Megan.

  Mr. Quill sat behind his desk with Mrs. Quill standing beside him when we entered.

  “Anwen said you went to the Oracle,” Adira said. “Would you—”

  “How am I not dragging your ass to hell?” Megan demanded. “If anyone deserves a hell ride, it’s you.”

  “Being a pain in your ass isn’t against our laws or a sin, according to man. It’s merely inconvenient for you,” Adira said patiently.

  “You’re more than a pain in the ass. People are dying under your watch. How many humans are you up to now? At least three since I’ve been here. You don’t value life. You meddle in the lives of creatures you deem worthy. Then, when your meddling co
uld really make a difference, you wash your hands of things. The brownies are a good example of that.”

  “The good I do outweighs those trivialities. Look at how I’ve helped Eliana.” She smiled at me. “Without my so-called meddling, she would still be refusing to eat.”

  “Perhaps if you would meddle less, she would have found a better meal,” Raiden said, interrupting.

  “Raiden, now isn’t the time,” Adira said.

  “You’ve been saying that for the past week. Enough is enough. I want Fenris home with the pack at night, where he belongs, spending time with the females who might actually be his mate.”

  Each one of Raiden’s words was like a tiny knife to my heart.

  “Dad, that’s enough,” Fenris said, taking my hand. “I already told you Eliana is my mate.”

  His thumb smoothed over mine, lending me comfort.

  “See?” Raiden demanded, pointing to Fenris while looking at Adira. “She has him so twisted up he doesn’t know what’s real anymore. Lust and the love that comes when you scent your mate for the first time are two different things, son. Trust me.”

  All my old doubts came flooding back, and the weight of my guilt stifled me.

  “Raiden, the lack of a previous, successful succubus and werewolf pairing doesn’t mean it’s not possible,” Mrs. Quill said. “You need to be more open about this. And even if Eliana isn’t his mate, no permanent harm will come to him. You know that.”

  “No harm?” He returned his angry gaze to Adira. “He’s using Eliana as an excuse to avoid making a choice. He’s my son and a member of the pack I lead. When you pushed for the pack to support the Council, you swore the Council wouldn’t interfere with pack practices. By allowing this to continue, you’re interfering.”

  Adira looked at Fenris and me.

  “If she’s your mate, why aren’t you mated?”

  Fenris answered for us.

  “Eliana’s been forced to do enough to appease the adults in her life. I won’t push her into having sex just so my dad will finally believe that we’re meant to be together.” He looked at Raiden. “Your disbelief isn’t my problem. It’s yours.”

  “That’s unfortunate and leaves me little choice,” Adira said. “Until you’re mated, you need to listen to your father and return to pack territory to spend time with your females. You can see Eliana at the Academy tomorrow.”

  Rage unlike anything I’d ever felt exploded around me. And it wasn’t all from Fenris.

  My gaze spanned to my best friend.

  “For the love of the gods, are you fucking serious right now?” she asked. “A god has awoken, and you’re both sitting here, bitching about the love lives of only two of the thousands of lives this Council is responsible for? You all need perspective. And some damn focus.”

  She reached out, set a hand on Fenris’s shoulder, and disappeared in an explosion of flames. I wasn’t the only one stunned by the pair’s disappearance.

  “Try arguing with her,” Oanen said under his breath. Then he moved closer to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine.”

  “He better be,” Raiden said.

  Megan reappeared a moment later. “Now that I’ve gotten rid of the distraction, let’s talk about the earthquakes. You know, the real reason we’re here tonight.”

  “Of course, Fury,” Adira said with a warning look at Raiden. “We understand that you believe the Oracle told you that a god has awoken. Please tell us exactly what she said, and we’ll help you interpret it.”

  Megan crossed her arms and gave Adira a cold look. “There’s nothing to interpret. Her exact words were ‘A god has awoken. His wrath will continue to tremble the world until he’s appeased.’”

  The adults looked shocked, and Megan shrugged.

  “This isn’t my first visit to the Oracle, and it probably won’t be my last.”

  “Yes, it will,” Oanen said softly. Megan continued as if she hadn’t heard him.

  “She knows I won’t put up with her evasive, riddly answer bullshit and spoke straight, so I’d leave faster. After she told me that bit about the god, I asked how to appease him and where to find him. She said that the gods were the first of us and that a creature just as old would have the answers I seek.”

  Mrs. Quill looked pale, and I wasn’t the only one to notice.

  “What?” Megan asked.

  “I worry about the price you paid for so much information.”

  “I don’t know what kind of arrangement you have worked out with the Oracle, but I don’t pay anything. I only set my hand on her fancy carved table and told her to start talking.”

  “Did she tell you which god it was?” Adira asked.

  “No. As soon as she understood what I was doing, she ran from her cave yelling her answers back to me. I had to chase her to hear everything. The last bit, about the creature, she said just before diving into the water.”

  “So you have no idea which god?”

  I could feel Megan’s mounting anger.

  “Do you have a list of what appeases each god or something? Because if you don’t, knowing the god isn’t going to matter, is it?”

  Adira inclined her head at Megan before the frost giant’s gaze flicked to me.

  “I’m not calming her down,” I said. “Ask annoying questions, get an annoyed fury.”

  However, my words did help calm Megan.

  “I’ve done more than this Council or any other stronghold Council has managed to do. We know what’s causing the earthquakes. Yay me. Now, do you know of a creature old enough to remember the gods so we can find out how to appease whoever it is? And it better not be a human sacrifice because I’m not okay with that.”

  “There may be a creature as old as the gods still living,” Adira said.

  “Good. Where can I find this creature?”

  “At the bottom of the ocean, hidden in the deepest canyon.”

  “The Kraken,” Oanen said before looking at Megan. “You’re not going.”

  “You can’t—”

  “He’s right,” I said. “Think of how old that creature is and how the gods used it to destroy whatever they wanted. It would be safe to say that it’s killed more humans in its life than any other creatures you’ve ever encountered. If we want answers from it, it can’t be you who goes.”

  Megan conceded to my point with a frown.

  “Even if you can hold your breath that long,” Adira said, “it’s a creature of Poseidon and unlikely to speak any language you would understand. We’ll need to collaborate with the mermaid leaders for help.”

  “I want to be there when you talk to them,” Megan said.

  “There’s no need for that. I know you have other obligations,” Adira said smoothly. “The Council can take it from here.”

  “I’ve seen how the Council takes care of things and am not impressed. This governing body does not have the best interest of all species in mind, and that needs to change, starting now.”

  “Of course, Fury,” Mr. Quill said, speaking for the first time. “I’ve already made progress toward establishing permanent deliveries to the marshes through the winter months. And, there’s land not far from the marshes that can be used to cultivate fresh produce and give the brownies a means to support themselves.”

  “We’ve also reached out to a few of our druid contacts to see what can be done to ensure their safety in the marshes and the fields,” Mrs. Quill added.

  Megan calmed slightly and thanked them before looking at Adira.

  “When was the last time you checked on Kelsey and Zoe?”

  “Kelsey told me she would message me when they are ready to start attending the Academy.”

  “But have you checked on them like you check on us? You know, get up all in their business with all the good you do here?”

  Adira was smart enough to remain silent.

  “And you,” Megan said, looking at Raiden. “Watch yourself, or I’m going to pull out that stick you have up y
our ass and beat you with it the next time you belittle Eliana.”

  He flushed and looked at me. “You’re a good person, Eliana. You’ve proven that by helping me in the past. Please send Fenris home when you see him next. There’s a reason the elders push for wolves to be mated as they grow older.”

  “I’ll see you home,” Adira said, disappearing with Raiden before Megan could respond.

  Megan exhaled slowly and looked at Anwen.

  “Adira’s walking a fine line. I don’t appreciate that she just blew off answering me. I will be there for the conversation with the mermaids. Does the Council understand?”

  “We do,” Mr. Quill answered. “I’ll ensure Adira contacts you with a time and place for the meeting.”

  She smiled at him.

  “Thank you. Now, I think it’s time we head home so Oanen can lecture me for taking off on him.” She took Oanen’s hand and looked at me. “Don’t let the asshat get into your head. You’re beautiful, and I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t been brave enough to be my friend.”

  With that, she disappeared, leaving me alone with the Quills.

  “Any idea where she might have taken Fenris?” Mr. Quill asked. He lifted his phone from his desk. “Raiden just messaged and said he wasn’t at home.”

  “If you’re asking if Megan discussed her actions with me beforehand, she didn’t. Raiden might want to check her house. Or maybe not, given her mood. Fenris knows he can’t avoid going home. He’ll show up when he’s ready.”

  Mr. Quill nodded, and I left the pair in the study. The day hadn’t gone well, but in Uttira, did any day ever go well?

  That made me think of Kelsey and Zoe, and I sent a quick message asking how they were doing.

  Kelsey: A little freaked out over the earthquake.

  Me: Megan’s looking into why they're happening. If you’d like some company and conversation, I can stop by after school.

  Kelsey: Will we be safe with you?

  I felt a surge of pity for the pair.

  Me: Yes. But be ready for part of our conversation tomorrow to cover how many of the creatures here will lie to you about that if you ask them the same question.