Lost Little Wolf

by N. K. Vir

  Kieran had stayed close at hand. She could feel him hovering like a shadow behind her; his hands never out of reach. A few days ago the weight of shadow was an irritant; today it was a comfort. They too had changed last night.

  James and Kelly had been invited down. They were more than a mom and dad to the group. To date their assistance had been invaluable and their experience and knowledge had gained them a place at the table.

  Daisy felt different. She was barely sitting on her seat. Her small frame was barely containing the information she so desperately wanted to share. It was the first time in days that she wished she could see. She could only imagine her wiggling in her seat, her butt literally on the edge as she fought to contain the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

  “Most of us know that the coven meeting last night was nearly a bust,” she began. No one debated her statement; save Kieran who grunted in frustration. “I say nearly because I was able to gain some information from the doorkeeper,” Daisy said ignoring Kieran’s guttural response.

  “Matilda?” Kelly asked. “She was always a good friend to us and Marian,” she explained.

  “You might have all noticed the sudden change in Tanith’s eyes. I believe Matilda was responsible for healing the damage that the vampire caused to her aura,” she continued. “She also gave us cryptic clue. She felt sure that Tanith is from a world beyond ours.” Daisy fell silent allowing her information to wash over the group.

  Wills absorbed the information and began to pull from her extensive memory banks trying to fit this sliver of a clue into the theory she had been working on. Strange words began to circle around her head. Her interest peaked she leaned forward encouraging Daisy to continue.

  “Did she give you anything else?” she questioned pressing Daisy for more.

  “She said she believed that Tanith’s moonstone was a key; a gateway to another world,” she emphasized.

  Wills rocked back in her chair; stunned by the news. Everything she had been, quiet blindly, chasing suddenly made sense. Adam’s vague reference to the veil, her sudden obsession with the Ogham text and Kane’s seemingly intense fixation on Tanith; all these random events easily fell into place neatly fitting into the unfinished puzzle that had lain before her. Even the looming threat of Lucas’ ‘curse’ made sense. The invisible light she had been searching for miraculously illuminated before her blind eyes.

  “Oh, it all makes sense,” she whispered aloud. “It’s all intricately connected,” she explained.

  “There’s more,” Tanith said finally speaking up. “I remember. I remember it all.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The Problem With Hope

  The heat of the small confined space was nearly overwhelming to him. He had never been claustrophobic but the walls seemed to be closing in on him. He had spent many hours devouring the many books that lined the walls with Wills; but the small space suddenly felt too small to contain him. The small bombshells that were exploding around him made it even more uncomfortable. There were too many people crammed into the small room and he felt like they were all staring at him.

  She remembered?

  That was a piece of information she had neglected to share with him.

  This morning everything felt different; almost as if last night was a dream. With his mind slowly deteriorating it very well could have been. He had stripped himself bare last night; at least he remembered that much. It had felt amazing to be able to finally admit everything he had spent years hiding. He had been afraid he would have to swallow her rejection; terrified that her addiction to Kieran would stand in his way forever. She had not returned his words, but she had not rejected them either; instead she had fallen into him. The memory of the weight of her resting against him all night settled some of the irritation that was rapidly spreading throughout his body. Part of him felt healed last night; he tried to hold onto the warm memory but failed. He thought they had come so far in such a short space of time. This morning he was beginning to doubt everything; nothing made sense.

  He could feel himself splitting in two.

  On the one hand he was thrilled that she had recovered the memories she had lost. He could not imagine living with holes in his memories. His past had sculpted his present. He was the man he was today because of his past. He could have easily slipped into the same space his older brothers had occupied; entitled brutes, heirs to their father’s throne.

  The darker side of him was enraged. He should have been the first one she told. He had been with her since the beginning. He had run alongside her when she lost herself for days to her wolf; stayed up for hours when nightmares kept her from sleeping. He had always been there…he was still here; sitting next to her. He wanted to be the one that she turned to in the good times not only rescue her from the bad times. Instead Daisy had received that honor.

  Aware the congratulations were quickly spreading through the room he swallowed his angry growl of frustration and even managed a smile when she turned her regretful eyes to meet his. In that moment he almost forgave her…almost.

  “Last night Daisy unlocked my moonstone, which in turn unlocked my memories,” she explained to the room. “I come from a world-,” her voice trailed off as she fought for a word to explain herself. Her eyes flicked back to his before dropping to the floor.

  “Beyond the veil,” Wills supplied for her. “Adam had mentioned it to me once. He said the veil was failing and if it did everything would change.”

  “There’s more,” Daisy added glancing nervously over at Tanith. She nodded her head silently giving Daisy permission to continue. “Tanith’s sister is the one who originally cursed Kane.”

  “Great,” Kieran grumbled. “That gives him reason to hate us both.”

  “So both of our families are responsible for…,” Kelly let her words hand in the air above them as all eyes in the room shifted to him.

  He squirmed in his seat; uncomfortable with the sudden attention; even Wills’ blind stare fell upon him. Were they afraid that he would hate them as well? Even in his altered state he recognized that to hate Tanith and Kieran was insane. Kane had bought his punishment a long time ago; he alone carried the burden of his actions. At least he understood why Tanith hadn’t told him first.

  “I don’t blame you,” he whispered for her ears only. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He couldn’t look at anyone. He kept his head down and his mouth shut and hoped that there was some good news coming.

  “Tanith that’s great but does it help us?” Kieran asked. He had noticed that Kieran was, once again, never further than arms reach from Wills. He wanted to be happy for them but was having a hard time mustering the goodwill.

  “My blood runs in his veins,” Tanith answered. “Maybe we could use that against him?” she asked unsure if such a thing was even possible.

  “Blood magick is very powerful,” James added. “We might be able to with time…” his voice trailed off as he inadvertently revealed the true enemy; time.

  Lucas suddenly became very uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking. He had remained silent so far allowing everyone else to stumble through the potential possibilities. Wills already had the answers; she had been right days ago. Her solution was going to cost him everything.

  “The Celts,” he said looking directly at Wills. She couldn’t see him but she knew he was talking to her. She had been the only other person in the room who recognized that in order to save Tanith; they would have to sacrifice him.

  “Yes,” Wills quietly answered his unspoken question. “Kieran where is that piece of birch?”

  “Right here,” he said placing it on the table in front of her shooting her a confused look that was lost on her.

  Blindly, she walked her fingers to the branch, carefully wrapping them around it; he had spent an hour searching for in the dark. At the time he had thought she was just giving him tasks to keep him occupied; now he realized how wrong he had been. Blood magick, spells, magickal law
; none of it was going to work. In the end Tanith’s first inclination had been the right choice…she had to run.

  “Who has the moonstone now?” Wills asked the room.

  Tanith’s hand crept to the hollow of her throat where the stone that had started it all comfortably rested. “I do,” she replied.

  “Would you mind placing it on top of this book?”

  Lucas warily eyed the text that had given Wills so much trouble. They had all doubted her. He had been one of the loudest voices of opposition; but her newly inherited title had given her access to centuries worth of information they did not have. Whatever magick surrounded the title of Historian, coupled with her high intelligence had given her creative ways to solve a nearly unsolvable problem.

  Tanith carefully laid her moonstone on top of the old text and Lucas held his breath. “Kieran I need your help,” Wills asked as she place the piece of birch next to the moonstone. Once all three objects were connected a faint glow began to emanate from the book, projecting a flickering shadow onto the ceiling above her head.

  “No magick Wills,” Kieran hesitated.

  “No magick,” she promised. “Just put your hands on my shoulders.”

  Kieran did as she instructed. The instant his hands met her shoulders a bright light engulfed the room. Everyone screamed and shielded their eyes but Wills stared directly into it. She inhaled a gasp and exhaled a sad sigh.

  “I can see,” she exclaimed the heavy emotion behind her words moved everyone in the room but Kieran seemed more moved by her admission. “It’s beautiful,” she marveled.

  Lucas couldn’t see him; but he could hear it in his voice. “I’m so glad baby; but it’s very bright in here tells us what you see.” He stopped himself short of saying ‘before the rest of us go blind.’

  “I see words,” she gasped in awe. “Words I can read. Words written out in Ogham script; the alphabet of the trees,” she marveled.

  The heat from the light was starting to become noticeable; as it did more than just light up the darkened room. His sensitive skin began to feel as though it was blistering; he swore he could hear his flesh sizzling under the blazing heat. The air itself felt as if too was on fire. Breathing became nearly impossible and he was convinced that they would all suffocate just to give Wills a few precious seconds of sight.

  “Wills!” he barked unashamed of his tone. He needed the torture to end or else he feared the destruction he would cause. His body was already kicking into survival mode; threatening to bring out his wolf. He didn’t want to give in; not yet. “Please,” he begged unsure if he was talking to Wills or his animal.

  “Read it out baby,” Kieran encouraged. Lucas did not miss the pain in his voice.

  At the end and beginning of all things;

  On the eve of the light the full sun brings.

  The chosen child of two worlds was lost;

  Her welcome return not without great cost.

  Stone forged in moonlight will lead the way;

  Opening a path on Midsummer Day.

  “I can’t see any more so I’m guessing it’s safe for everyone else,” she concluded.

  Everyone in the room cautiously exposed their eyes. The light in the room returned to normal making the space feel more closed in and confined. Wills held the moonstone in her hand holding it out for Tanith to take back.

  “I’m sorry baby we’ll get your sight back,” Kieran promised sealing it with a kiss to the top of her head. It was a promise no one in the room believed; but an outcome they all wished could be true.

  “Do no harm Kieran,” she replied squeezing his hand. “You can’t hurt me. Don’t hold yourself to a vow that could put us all in danger in the future.”

  “What vow?” Kelly asked rubbing her eyes.

  “Kieran has made a vow to never do magick again,” she informed them.

  “Kieran,” Daisy gasped. “You’re our best…our only defense against the Trinity.”

  A small argument broke out as Tanith quietly took the moonstone from Wills and placed it once again around her neck. She glanced back over her shoulder at him; a heavy sadness covering her eyes. She understood the rhyming lines as well as she had. He wanted to rage against the unfairness of it all but couldn’t find the strength. She had to run and he couldn’t go with her.

  “So what does this all mean?” James asked putting an end to the argument that had popped up concerning Kieran and his magick.

  “It means Tanith has to go back on Midsummer’s Eve. It means Tanith has to go back tomorrow,” Wills sadly informed him.

  “What about Lucas?” Daisy asked turning her head in his direction. He lowered his eyes unable to look her or the other half dozen sets of eyes that were all staring sadly at him.

  Tanith had returned to him. She pulled her chair closer to him grasping his hand tightly under the table. He squeezed her hand in return as his two personalities melded back together. With her close he felt better. She would be safe. Kane would no longer be able to touch her; but neither would he.

  Tomorrow he would lose her.

  Tomorrow he would lose himself.

  “I will do everything I can to help you Lucas,” Wills assured her. “You won’t be alone.”

  He nodded his head grateful for her words but he knew the truth. The curse would take him far into the wilds. He would lose touch with everything he had once known; everything he had once loved. He would be in a place beyond help; beyond hope.

  That was the problem with hope. It always let you down.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Beyond The Veil

  The meeting broke up slowly.

  First his parents slipped away; excusing themselves politely, claiming that they had a major cleanup to tackle in the kitchen upstairs. Lucas had followed shortly after, pulling Tanith behind him. He hadn’t let go of her since Wills read from the unreadable book. He couldn’t imagine what he was going through. He thought about how he would feel if he was ever forcibly separated from Wills. He could barely imagine the torture of the heartache Lucas was about to suffer. Only Daisy had lingered.

  “There has to be another solution,” Daisy insisted.

  Wills shook her head sadly. “I can’t see one,” she replied honestly. “Tanith has to go and Lucas has to stay behind and-,” she broke off; burying her face in her hands.

  “We’ve been in impossible situations before where they seemed to be no escape and we’ve always found a way out. We will this time too,” he promised them both.

  “There is not another way out of this; not now you have no time,” Adam interrupted. Kieran flinched startled by Adam’s sudden appearance; but his magick stayed dormant; adhering to his vow. Adam raised a well-manicured eyebrow at him then glanced down at his silken dark button down. “I wore my least expensive shirt just for you baby witch,” he dryly joked.

  “Adam,” Wills gasped. “Now really isn’t the time.” She was frowning at him but pointed just slightly in the wrong direction. She was scowling at the wall.

  “Have you finally deciphered the Ogham text?” Adam asked ignoring the depressed energy in the room. He pulled the book towards him and flicked a few pages feigning interest in the book; while ignoring the three people staring at him.

  “The part that was important,” Wills replied to the wall unaware that Adam was barely paying attention.

  They had been through enough in the past few minutes without Adam introducing new drama to their tragic play. He gently squeezed her shoulders trying to offer some comfort in the difficult situation they found themselves in. He knew Wills had been hoping for more, a solution that fixed every problem they faced.

  Adam’s harsh features softened as he looked down at Wills. “I was too late last time. I’ve come hoping to fix that; although not with better news,” he added when Daisy perked up. “Kane will be here soon.”

  “We have nearly another two days!” Wills protested.

  Kieran kept her pinned to her seat when she tried to jump up. He kept his gri
p soft yet firm; he needed her to anchor him to the ground. Otherwise he was afraid of what he would do. With his hands touching her she kept him grounded; and calm.

  Adam pulled up a chair and planted himself in front of his daughter. It was still difficult to think of him in that light. His jet hair was still thick, without the trace of fatherly grey most men inherited after years of fatherhood. Adam was immortal and ageless. Time would drag Wills further along but Adam would always look the same. They never discussed how she felt about having Adam as a father. They never had time; the world around them had just spun out of control too quickly.

  He never met Wills mother but the pictures he’d seen showed a remarkable resemblance between them. Until now he never realized how much she looked like Adam as well. It wasn’t so much a physical thing, it was subtler than that. It was the tiny facial movements that made up individual expressions. It was the way their brow furrowed when they were concerned or confused; like they were both doing now. Mirrored expressions one confused and the other concerned.

  Adam reached out to take his daughters hands in his own. “You did have two more days,” he emphasized. “Lily had been touring Eastern Europe; keeping her legend alive,” he added under his breath. “She has returned early. Kane; along with your coven leader,” Adam said glaring accusingly up at him. “Have convinced her that there is no need to wait.”

  “They can’t do that!” Daisy wailed slamming her hands on the table.

  “Maybe this conversation would be better without the extra company,” Adam suggested not even bothering to look over at Daisy

  “No,” Daisy insisted throwing a balled up piece of paper at him. She hit him in the head forcing Adam to acknowledge her presence. Luckily his snicker was covered by Daisy’s outrage “No more protecting Daisy!”

  Wills nodded her head. “If Daisy wants to stay then she stays.”