by Sarah Noffke
Once in the lobby, Vera glanced up at Liv, her gray eyes undeniably full of rage.
“The bathrooms are through there,” the old woman said, pointing to a dark hallway like she’d overheard her conversation in the noisy tavern.
“Thanks,” Liv said, hobbling for the door. “I’ll be right back. I just need some fresh air.”
Vera didn’t seem to like this idea, based on the scowl that ran across her face.
The cool mountain breeze that blasted Liv when she stepped out was a welcome sensation over the stifling heat in the inn. She started down the road, realizing that she’d left her bag behind, but that didn’t matter. The only thing that was important was that she had her cellphone.
Fane was definitely a pack member. And Vera. And the six men in the tavern. And Sorin was the leader. It had been obvious to Liv from the beginning. And the bloodbath that by all appearances happened regularly in the tavern wasn’t something Liv was willing to let continue. However, she wasn’t in a place where she could easily stop it, not with her magic locked.
Bermuda’s book had stated that werewolf packs were comprised of ten—nine members and one leader. That meant she only had to locate one more of the werewolves.
She limped past the general store again, noticing that the old woman in the rocking chair, Claudia, was gone, although the rocker was still moving as if it had very recently been vacated.
Liv headed in that direction.
The rocker creaked eerily when Liv halted in front of the door. There weren’t any lights on inside, but the open sign was still displayed in the window, although the drapes were drawn.
Inhaling deeply, Liv opened the heavy door, starting when bells chimed, signaling her entrance.
She jolted at the sight in front of her, wanting to stumble back over the threshold to the door and sprint as far from the village of Lupei as she could get.
Whatever she’d expected to find when she’d entered this town, this wasn’t it.
Chapter Fourteen
Three faces looked at her from various places in the general store, their canine eyes glowing slightly. They weren’t werewolves, though. They were something between. Mostly human, but their faces covered in fur. Their jaws resembled those of a wolf, with long snouts, but their bodies appeared weak or elderly. Strangely, they were wearing clothes like they were half-dog and half-human.
Liv checked over her shoulder. It was midafternoon. How had these werewolves changed? She’d thought she’d have more time.
Expecting the three strange figures to charge her, Liv stumbled back with her cane in her hands, ready to use it if one of them lunged. She bumped into something.
Nearly screaming, Liv spun to the side, doing a roll and pulling her cane apart as she did, ready to defend herself with her two swords. There, standing perfectly upright, was the old woman who had been in the rocker: Claudia. She fixed her gaze on Liv and tilted her head mechanically to the side and, not at all deterred by the show of weapons, the woman took a step forward.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Claudia said in a voice that was more animal than human. It seemed to speak inside Liv, making her think that she would be haunted for the rest of her life by that voice.
“I-I-I…” Liv stammered, backing away and almost tripping as she hit the end of the porch. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” the woman said, twisting her head around to gaze at the inn for a moment. “Just get out of here, and never come back. Forget what you’ve seen here.”
Liv nodded. “I promise, I will.”
As if suddenly afflicted by her age again, the woman hunched over, hobbled in the direction of the rocker, and took a seat. She began to sway forward and back, making the chair follow her motion. The door to the general store slammed shut, and the bell chimed briefly before going quiet.
“Put it away before they see,” the old woman said so quietly that Liv thought for a moment she’d imagined it.
“What?” she asked, leaning forward.
“Now,” Claudia stated suddenly, her single word hot with urgency.
Liv slid her cane back together, and it sealed with a tiny spark.
Down the street, three figures exited the inn. Liv swallowed, realizing at once that it was Sorin and two other wolves.
With her heart pounding in her throat, she half-stepped, half-fell off the side of the porch and hurried down an alley. The werewolves in Lupei were supposed to be able to change every night, but not during the day. It didn’t make any sense.
And there were way more than ten among the town’s four hundred residents. Plus, she couldn’t fathom why she got the distinct impression that the ones in the general store were old and more human than wolf—or somehow stuck between.
Liv was sprinting for the edge of the village when she heard footsteps behind her. Someone was running after her. She picked up her pace, carrying her cane in one hand and ready to use it. Not having magic right then was the worst possible thing. There were wolves all around her—she knew it. Could Sorin and his gang change like the ones in the general store? What had she gotten herself into?
Slipping her hand into her pocket, she reached for her cellphone. Her heart nearly exploded in her chest.
It wasn’t there!
Running as fast as she could manage, she hooked the cane under her arm, digging in both her pockets for her cellphone. She’d put it there right after calling Clark and having her magic locked—she knew it. And yet, all her pockets were empty. Someone had taken it!
Her cellphone was gone, and with it, any way of getting back her magic.
Liv pushed harder, hearing the footsteps grow faster. They were closing in on her, and she couldn’t outrun them. They were too fast, and all she had was her father’s cane. She feared it wouldn’t be enough against three werewolves, and however many were behind them.
She wasn’t sure if getting out of the village would help. Could the werewolves leave? Were they unable to transform on any given night outside the village boundaries? She wasn’t sure, but she had to make a break for it. There was only one more row of buildings, and then the road. She believed with every fiber of her being that she could make it.
Liv sprinted, coming upon the last set of houses. She was so close. When she passed the corner of a dilapidated farmhouse, something reached out and grabbed her, holding her tightly and covering her mouth.
“If you want to survive,” a hot voice whispered in her ear, “then stay absolutely quiet and keep that damn cane away from me.”
Chapter Fifteen
The man’s hands covering Liv’s mouth smelled of wood and salt. She thought about biting him and breaking free, but something at her core told her not to try biting a werewolf. That was just bad form.
The figure yanked her in tighter, pulling them into the shadows of the neighboring house. Her breath was ragged from running and being grabbed by this stranger, and although she wasn’t sure what to do, she did keep the cane low. He’d said that if she wanted to survive that she had to stay quiet, so she held her breath.
A second later, the sounds of running footsteps halted, followed by rustling. Sniffing. A low growl.
“I think she got away,” a man’s voice called from the other side of the house, making Liv nearly gasp. She let out a slow breath, careful not to make a noise.
“Yeah, I don’t smell her anymore,” another voice called.
“Let’s get back to the inn and report back to Vera,” a man said.
More footsteps, then all noises vanished for a moment. When a sheep baahed in a nearby field, Liv jumped.
The man released her, spinning her around to face him with a force to impress.
It was Fane, and his face was deadly serious. He held a finger to his mouth, the universal signal for “keep your mouth shut.”
Liv nodded. She wasn’t sure why Fane had come to her rescue, or if he’d even rescued her at all. Maybe he was saving her for himself, his own personal meal that night that he didn’t want to shar
e with the others. He had offered to have her stay with him. However, there was something in his eyes that made her want to trust him. But with no magic and no way to get it back, and being stuck in a town with a bunch of savage werewolves, she didn’t really have a choice.
Fane removed the large coat he was wearing and handed it to Liv. She flashed him a confused look and shook her head. The gesture was nice, but she wasn’t cold. Actually, from the run and the adrenaline, she was sweating profusely and feeling quite hot.
Leaning in close, Fane whispered in her ear, “Put it on, or they will smell you.”
Oh, she thought. That made sense. Maybe that was why they’d quit tracking her? Fane’s smell had confused them or masked her.
Doing as she was told, Liv slipped into the huge jacket. It fit her like a dress, the arms covering her hands.
Fane peeked around the corner, checking. Having determined that the alley was clear, he grabbed Liv’s arm and yanked her out into the open area between the two houses.
Liv wasn’t sure why, because she’d thought it was only mid-afternoon before, but the light looked like that of dusk; like the sun was already setting. She gazed around, and then it hit her. The tallest mountains were to the west, blocking the sun and making for an earlier sunset. She should have planned for this. Soon the sun would be down in a village full of werewolves who could turn every night and apparently made snacks of tourists.
She reminded herself that she was one of those outsiders.
Fane led Liv through the town, taking a circuitous route that snaked between buildings. He stopped every few yards to sniff, his ears moving slightly toward different noises.
When they’d arrived at the lane where he’d indicated that he’d lived, he pointed to a modest house with a thatched roof. Liv waited for him to lead the way, but instead, he pushed her and mouthed, “Go.”
Unclear exactly what she should do but definitely out of options, Liv ran for the house, hesitating at the door.
He waved her on, urgency in his eyes.
She put her hand on the doorknob, indecision rolling around in her being. And then the male voice from before rang out on the main road, only two houses away.
“Any luck?” he called. It was Sorin, she realized now, catching his accent.
“None,” someone replied. “But if she’s around here, we’ll find her tonight.”
Liv pushed the door open as Fane stepped out from the building where he was hiding and raced toward the main road.
Liv slammed the door behind her, putting her back to it.
No werewolf was waiting to tear into Liv’s flesh once she was inside the small house. To her relief, there was only one person in the main room. The little girl from before was lying on her stomach in front of the fire, reading a book.
She pushed up at the sight of Liv, curiously looking her over. “Papa said you were out there getting yourself in trouble. You didn’t eat or drink anything at the inn, did you?”
The girl was about Sophia’s age, but she was taller, and her eyes were much more mature than a normal eight-year old’s. Her thick dark hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a simple dress and thick tights.
“No, I didn’t,” Liv whispered, searching the room as she tried to get her breath. The space was small and cramped, and its furniture was covered with thick blankets. On the side was a modest kitchen that included very limited counter space and no appliances, only a wood-burning stove and a small sink.
At the back was a cramped hallway that probably led to bedrooms.
“Is anyone else here?” Liv asked the girl.
She shook her head. “Papa and I live alone. My mama ran off with a different pack that’s south of here. Papa says we won’t see her again, but I don’t know. Stranger things have happened.”
Liv merely nodded, not sure how to respond to this, then she realized she was still wearing Fane’s coat. She tugged on the sleeve and looked at the girl. “Do you think I can take this off?”
“Yes,” she answered. “They can’t smell you in here. Papa puts up different things around our house to keep mortals safe.”
Liv shrugged off the jacket, suddenly feeling the chill in the small house. Even with the fire burning, it was still much colder in this place than she was used to—a cold that caused her teeth to chatter and made her think it would forever live in her bones.
“Your momma ran off with another pack?” Liv asked, noticing that there were little personal effects in the house, only books and framed embroidery. “Is she a…”
The girl nodded and pointed at the door. “Papa is coming back now. You should move away from the door.”
Liv did as she was told, and not a moment later Fane stalked through the door, slamming it closed, and latching four locks into place. When he turned to look at Liv, she stepped back two feet, not sure what to make of the brooding stare he was giving her.
“You’re safe for now,” he told her in a cautious whisper.
Safe for now, Liv thought. Does that mean safe until later when he shifts and eats me?
“Can you please explain what’s going on here?” Liv asked, pressing her cane to her chest for comfort.
Fane pointed at the kitchen, directing his attention to his daughter. “Alina, make supper, would you?”
She nodded and set off with her head down. “Yes, Papa.”
Fane marched over to Liv and looked down at her with an expression she couldn’t read. She tightened her grip on the cane, ready to attack if needed.
Fane swallowed, his large Adam’s apple hesitating in his throat, and his fists flexed by his side. He narrowed his eyes at the cane in her hands and shook his head. “Why did you come here, Warrior?”
Chapter Sixteen
Liv was speechless for a moment. Alina had looked up from the kitchen, curiosity covering her freckled face.
“How do you know that I’m a Warrior?” Liv asked, unsure if she should deny it. Everything about this situation was incredibly confusing.
Fane pointed to the cane in her hands. “That belonged to Theodore Beaufont. You have his eyes. And if you’re here, then it is because of the House of Seven, which would make you a Warrior.”
That was some fantastic reasoning, Liv thought, impressed by how he’d pieced so much together.
“How do you know my father? And how did you know this was his cane?” Liv asked, gripping the weapon even tighter, ready to yank it apart if needed. She really didn’t like that Alina was watching so intently from the kitchen, but what would she do if Fane attacked her? She had to defend herself, even if that meant doing so in front of his daughter.
Fane took a step backward, giving her some space. He sighed. “I knew your father. I’m sorry for your loss. I heard about what happened to him and your mother. They were…” He hesitated, a strange tenderness flocking to his eyes. “They were better than most.”
“What? You knew them?” Liv asked.
“I gave him that cane, actually,” Fane explained.
Liv’s eyes dropped in disbelief to the pure silver cane in her hands. “What? But you’re a werewolf. How…I mean, why? I really don’t understand.”
Fane nodded, seeming to understand her confusion. “Your parents, as good as they were, made a lot of enemies, but that was only because they tried hard to fight for werewolves’ rights. They knew that many of us were honest people who manage our curse the best we knew how. When your mother tried to corral a particularly vicious pack south of here, they took it personally.
“I was worried for your father, so I had that cane made and sent to him. It was my way of thanking him for protecting our village using the laws of the council. I knew the position he had taken as Councilor didn’t make him popular, and I was afraid the Bulgarian pack would come after him. Unfortunately, it seems that something else came after your parents, and I don’t believe it was werewolves.”
Liv’s legs shook, and she steadied herself by placing her hand on a nearby wall.
“You should sit
down,” Alina said, bring a steaming-hot mug to her. “Drink this. It will calm your nerves.”
Liv glanced at Fane uncertainly.
He nodded. “It’s only tea. I have no reason to want to drug you, Warrior. I’m not like the others.”
Liv took the mug and sat down on the straw bench in front of the fire, which was hard in places and lumpy in others. “I don’t understand what’s going on here. None of this was in the report. Who were those werewolves in the general store?”
Fane warmed his hands in front of the fire. “First, tell me why you’re here. Then I can fill in the gaps.”
“Well, the council has become aware of the attacks on tourists and hikers in Lupei,” Liv stated.
Fane sighed loudly. “I knew they would. I warned the pack they’d gone too far.”
Liv blew on the tea, enjoying the warm mug in her hands. “I was sent to find the names of the pack and alpha.”
“And they locked your magic so that you’d go undetected,” Fane guessed.
“Yes, and someone stole my cell phone, so I can’t have it reactivated. I’m stuck,” Liv explained.
“You are until morning,” Fane agreed. “At sunrise, you have to get over the ridge and hike to Palin’s house. It’s about twenty miles away. He’ll take you to the city from there, where you can reach your council and activate your magic.”
Twenty miles away. Hiking through the hills for that long in the cold wouldn’t be easy. Liv sorely missed her magic. Never again would she so easily have it locked.
Fane blew out a breath and took the mug of tea that Alina handed him. He nodded at her appreciatively. “It seems as though your parents kept their word and did not disclose the truth about Lupei.”
“The truth?” Liv questioned.
“Your council has asked you to identify the pack members and the alpha, which means they don’t know the truth.” Fane gulped his tea, running his hand over his beard. “Years ago, the pack from Bulgaria came up here, causing problems for us and attracting unwanted attention from the council. It was then that your mother was ordered to come here and put a stop to it. Similar to how the House of Seven tracks magicians, they wanted trackers put on us, but she knew it was wrong. She determined that it was the Bulgarian pack causing all the problems, so she ran them out of town and kept our secret, knowing that the council would do something extreme if they found out the truth. They have never put the trackers on us, thanks to her. To this day, you’re the only magician to know the truth about Lupei.”
