“Have you been kissed?” I ask on a hunch.
“Not on the lips,” she admits. “You?”
“Same, actually.”
She blinks a few times.
“I’m not lying,” I say.
“I know you aren’t.”
I stare at her. She said something similar to that before. Just like that, I know another one of her demonic abilities. She’s an empath. She can read another’s emotions, maybe their thoughts to some extent. She can sense if they’re telling the truth or not.
“But it is unbelievable, isn’t it?” I ask, mockingly putting on airs. “Since I’m so hot and all of that.”
She just gives me a long look that says volumes before she steps forward and kisses my cheek. Before I can say anything about her starting to cave, she takes my hand and transports us back to Moonstone Academy grounds.
Teleportation is weird. It feels like I’m being yanked out of my body and then returned to it, only I’m standing somewhere else a millisecond from the first place. It’s disorientating, and each time, I think I might vomit, but I’ve managed not to each time. Hopefully, that feeling will wane in time.
In time.
That’s a luxury I don’t have.
“It’s getting late. I have some work to do, and you should maybe be early to your first class so you can get whatever punishment Professor Rockhound will dish out done and over with sooner rather than later.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” I groan.
She wiggles her fingers in a small wave, and she’s gone.
“Don’t teleport too much!” I call even though she might not be close enough to hear me.
As I turn away, I sniff. Her scent lingers and not just because she stood before me seconds ago.
She brought me outside the small castle she lives in.
A small smile curls my lips. She wanted me to know where she lives.
With a chuckle, I shove my hands into my pockets and head to my own castle. Most of the time, I don’t bother to sleep in my bed. I prefer to sleep out of doors, under the moon. Who knows how many more times I’ll be able to see her shining face?
In the end, that’s what I opt to do. Sleeping outside brings me a little more comfort than being inside a stuffy castle with werewolves I don’t know and don’t care to know. That right there highlights the curse all the more.
I’ve lost my pack.
And I can’t have another one.
Lone wolves…
I'm in a field with wolfsbane all around me. I can't breathe. My wolf tries to jump, to race through the field to reach one of the towering trees in the distance. Each step has agony searing through my entire body, and I think I'm going to collapse, to fall down, to die, but I refuse to stop fighting. I refuse to lie down and die.
I’m fighting.
Why am I fighting? This pain isn’t worth it.
But I want to live.
Why?
What do I have to live for?
Finally, somehow, despite it feeling like my paws are going to fall off, as if there is a fire burning me from the inside out, I reach the nearest tree.
The branches are too high up, and my claws? They’re all dulled down to nubs. They hardly count as claws, and I can’t get any purchase on the trunk.
The wolfsbane, the pain, the agony…
I’m dying.
I wake, but my heart isn’t pounding, and I feel no fear. I also feel no relief that the nightmare is over.
Because it’s not over. While I might not be trapped in a field covered in wolfsbane, I’m still dying.
A cough sounds from behind me, and I sit up on the grass. I don’t have to sniff or look over to know who is there.
“Tran,” I say.
“Are you making any progress?”
I wince. “I think so.”
“You better start thinking faster, pup. You’re going to be in for it if you don’t get a move on.”
“I know,” I mumble. “I’ll get it done.”
“If you don’t…”
“I said I’ll get it done!”
“I heard you, but your actions… They leave a lot to be desired.”
I close my eyes. The moon is still in the sky, hanging low. I’ve slept for a few hours, but dawn is still not yet here.
“Are you trying to tell me that you’re spying on me?” I demand as I open my eyes.
Tran eyes me. The imp is perfectly visible despite the darkness around us. I chose a spot beneath a tall, bushy evergreen so that I would have a fair amount of shade, yet I can still watch the moon’s gradual descent.
His eyes are black and gold, inhuman, and he watches me a moment longer. “You’ve been warned.”
“I didn’t need a warning,” I spit out. “I know what’s on the line.”
“I don’t think you understand the importance of this,” Tran presses.
For once, I hear an undercurrent of fear and worry in his voice. This imp isn't like any other imp I've ever seen. He doesn't make jokes, do pranks, or any of that. He's not a trickster. Why he's so devoid of emotion, I'm not sure. Maybe it’s from hanging around demons too much. That has got to suck the life out of you. Apparently, the emotions too.
“That demon… if he lives… what’s been seen… I know you’re doing this for the curse, but you have to do this for the world.”
I howl with laughter. “For the world? You do realize I’m doing all of this for a demon? A demon who probably isn’t any better than that demon? None of them are good.”
“Some are worse—”
“Lesser of two evils,” I say idly. “Are you serious? That cannot be your argument.”
“It can, and it is.”
“Begone, imp,” I snarl, curling back my upper lip.
And just like that, the imp is gone.
I exhale and wearily drag a hand down my face. I don’t need Tran or anyone else to tell me what I already know.
My wolf is dying.
Chapter 17
Bellanore
For a few days now, the bullies have left me be. Even Mindy hasn’t tried anything with Robb after that first attempt, and maybe there’s a rift between my bullies and the rough crowd because they aren’t hanging out all together.
Speaking of not hanging out all together, Robb and I have talked a fair amount during our class together, but the rest of the time we spend apart, which is fine by me. I don't need to be around a guy all the time. We haven't figured out a time and date for our date yet, mostly because Professor Rockhound really has it out for Robb, and Robb has to go wallcrawling for four hours every night. He’s walking around like he’s dead, and I don’t know how he’s able to handle it all, honestly.
“I still can’t believe you lucked out of taking compass sense,” Ellamaria complains as we’re eating dinner.
“Do you think you can do what I did?”
“No,” she admits.
"Then, you need the course."
“Yes, but…” She glances around and then leans in close. “How did you do it?”
“Do what? Know where to go to return home?”
“Yeah.” She grimaces. “You didn’t cheat and use your demon powers any, did you? You’re too good at being a werewolf already. It’s not fair. You’re only half-werewolf!”
“Or maybe I’m one hundred percent werewolf and one hundred percent demon. Ever think of that?”
“But that’s two hundred percent,” she protests.
I wink. “I’m just that awesome.”
“You forgot humble too.”
“Yes, humble… What else?”
Ellamaria smirks. “Has great taste in friends.”
“Naturally.”
“But not boyfriends.”
I eye her suspiciously. “Why do you say that?”
“Well, why is he over there, sitting with Roald and his groupies? Why isn’t Robb over here with you? I can make myself scarce. I do have other friends.”
“You do?” I gasp. “No way. Unreal.
I can’t believe it.”
She heaves a sigh and holds up a hand. “I’m serious. I don’t have a good feeling about Robb and the company he keeps.”
“I’m not worried about it.”
“Why? How can that possibly be a good idea?”
“You don’t know Robb.”
“And you do? Has he taken you to meet his family yet? To see his alpha?”
I scowl. “We haven’t gone on one date yet, and you think I should meet his alpha? By the moon, you’ll have us getting married before another complete lunar cycle!”
“I don’t want you to rush things,” she protests. “I just don’t know anything about the Aline pack.”
“So?”
“Do you?” She gives me a look.
“Ellamaria—”
“I know you try to see the good in everyone, but not everyone is good. Come on, Bellanore.”
“What?” I ask, exasperated. “I should know that more than anyone, right? Is that what you were about to say?”
She glances away, her jaw set.
“There are things you don’t know about Robb, things I don’t feel comfortable sharing because they’re personal details that only he should say or not say. Can’t you trust me?”
“The whole point is that I do trust you. The one I don’t trust is Robb!”
“You saw the way he handled things with Mindy when she threw herself at him! What more do you want from the guy?”
“Wanting him to not be involved in a bad pack—”
“What Roald has isn’t a pack,” I snap.
“What do you even know about packs anyhow?” Ellamaria spits out.
“What did you just say to me?” I ask quietly.
She stays silent.
“What was that supposed to imply?” I demand, my tone sharper, maybe too sharp.
Ellamaria must realize she’s gone too far, but I can’t. I can’t handle this. I won’t.
“That’s a stab at me because my pack doesn’t want anything to do with me because of my dad, and here, I thought that you of all people would never do that. You know how much it hurts me that my own mom turned her back on me, that she’s turned the pack against me. It eats me up inside, but thanks for mentioning that.”
Ellamaria opens her mouth, but it’s as if she set off a short fuse because I’ve started now, and I don’t think I can stop.
“And you can’t talk to me about relationships, Ellamaria. You haven’t dated a guy before. You haven’t even been kissed on the cheek, have you? Not even that! But you’re giving me dating advice? Seriously? You don’t want me to be with the guy because of who he shares a few meals with, but you want me to meet his alpha which is something only super serious couples do. I’m sixteen. Sixteen! That’s far too young to settle down. Who knows if Robb and I will last? But why can’t you be happy that I’m happy?”
“I was. I am!”
“No, you were right the first time. You were happy for me. Now you aren’t. Why not? What changed?”
She shakes her head. “No. You aren’t going to act like this is all on me. I have your best interests at heart—”
“You don’t know what my best interests are!”
“Don’t I? Bellanore, I’ve been by your side for years. You can’t tell me that I don’t know you. We’ve been inseparable. No one’s been in your corner longer than I have. No one. Not… Not your dad. No one.”
Bitter tears sting my eyes. “When’s the last time you saw my mom?”
“Bellanore…”
“When’s the last time you saw her?” I spit out.
“You told me you would never ask—”
“I need to know.”
Ellamaria closes her eyes.
“Answer me.”
“Like I told you. You try to see the good in everyone, but—”
“Not everyone,” I growl. “I know not everyone is good. Just look at my parents. Neither of them is going to win any parenting awards. I’ve been abandoned, and I… My dad is probably involved in something nefarious. I just… I want to know what my mom’s been up to while she’s been away.”
Ellamaria’s eyes flutter open and closed several times.
“Just spit it out!” I grind out through gritted teeth.
“You don’t want to know,” she murmurs.
“I wouldn’t have asked more than once if I didn’t,” I argue. “You don’t know what I want and what I don’t want.”
“I’m telling you you don’t want to know.”
“Ellamaria!”
“Last weekend.”
“Last weekend. You saw my mom last weekend.”
Ellamaria still won’t meet my eyes, and I don’t have to use any demonic awareness to know she’s hiding something from me.
“You saw her during what? A gathering of the pack?”
“Not the entire pack,” she says slowly.
“Who? For what purpose?”
“Most of the females. For Christine. She’s pregnant. It was for a baby shower.”
I'm dumbstruck. I honestly feel as if she struck me hard in the gut.
“Christine’s pregnant? And you didn’t tell me? Why not?”
“I tried, but Christine… She…”
“She didn’t want me there?”
“More like she wanted your mom there, and she knew it was one or the other.”
“Why did she want my mom there over me?”
Ellamaria closes her eyes.
“Because Chrissy always called my mom auntie.”
Chrissy’s the name Christine went by for a long while until she became too mature for it. To call her that now is a bit of a dig, but I don’t care.
“Let me guess,” I continue. “I was the only female in the pack to not be invited.”
Ellamaria nods.
“Did you even mention me to your sister?”
“I did, but it was her call.”
“And when it’s your turn to marry, your turn to have pups, will I be there? Or will I continue to be ostracized?”
“You know I don’t care who your dad is,” she protests.
"But you are convinced that Robb is hanging out with the wrong sort of crowd, so I shouldn't be with him even though talking to him makes me happy. You think he's not good because of the people he associates with, but have you noticed how little he says when he's around them?"
“No, I don’t stalk your boyfriend. I don’t stare at him every chance I get.”
I scowl. “He’s not one of them.”
“Are you so sure about that? You don’t spend enough time with him.”
“You can give me as much grief as you want, but you can’t say anything bad about him.”
“I can, and I have.”
“You think Robb isn’t good for me,” I say slowly even though I’m repeating myself. “You think he’s a bad influence. You think he’s going to do what exactly? Bring out my demon side more? Is that what has you worried? You claim you don't care who my dad is, but that's your worry, isn't it?"
“No,” she protests.
“Be careful,” I say darkly. “I can tell when people lie.”
Her eyes narrow, and her fingers turn to claws.
“How cute,” I snap. “I’m the half-demon, but I have more control than you do. Maybe Robb has some of that too, and he won’t ever become like those he sits with.”
“But people become who they interact with. People change, and they—”
“Are you saying I changed?” I ask coldly.
"Yes, but you aren't the only one to have changed. I've changed too."
I nod slowly. “Is this it, then? Are we not friends anymore?”
“Bellanore, you have to stop. There’s no reason to go to the extremes. Yes, we’re fighting, but I…” She throws her hands up. “I never would’ve ever thought that we would fight over a guy, and it’s not even as if I like the guy too. You can have him if only he were a good guy.”
“What has he done that’s so terrible?”
&n
bsp; “His associates—”
“My mom abandoned me, yet you still spend time with her,” I say bitterly. “Should I think the worst of you because of that?”
“That wouldn’t be right,” Ellamaria protests.
“Right or not, you’re judging Robb.”
"So, that gives you the right to judge me?"
I point at her. "So, you do admit that you're judging him."
“I’m worried about you!”
“Because you’re questioning my judgment.”
Ellamaria glances away.
“You think I can’t think clearly, but do you think that because there’s a boy involved? Or do you think that because of what I am? Do you judge me for being a half-demon? Maybe you just hide it better than the others.”
“You’ve never been a half-demon to me,” Ellamaria murmurs. “You’ve only ever been my friend.”
I shake my head. “That’s just it, Ellamaria. What you and the others all don’t understand is that I’ve embraced who I am. I’m a werewolf, and I’m a demon, and if you can’t handle that, then I don’t know what to tell you.”
“When is the last time we’ve fought?” Ellamaria asks, her tone pleading. “We hardly ever fight. We’re almost always on the same wavelength.”
“Not this time,” I say coolly.
Ellamaria glares at me. A muscle in her jaw twitches, and then she stands. She shakes a finger at me, but then she just cocks her head to the side, turns around, and storms off.
And all I can hear in the back of my mind is Ellamaria saying, “You try to see the good in everyone, but not everyone is good.”
Only this time, I think she’s talking about me.
Chapter 18
Robb
I’m as close to feeling afraid as I can.
Not because my wolf is dying.
Not because I am dying.
Because I don’t want anyone to know.
But I’m also as close to feeling selfish as I can too.
Above all else, I don’t want Bellanore to realize I’m dying, but I also don’t want to stop spending time with her.
Selfish. Because if she grows to care for me only for me to die… Can there be anything more cruel when I know there’s no end to the curse? I can’t hope to break it. I am doomed.
Moonstone Academy: Year One: A Mayhem of Magic World Story Page 11
