by Abigail Owen
“Fear,” she heard Gideon muse thoughtfully. It took her a moment to realize that she was hearing his thoughts and that the wolf pack was hearing it along with her. “Very clever.”
It was almost like he was a connoisseur of gifts, so detached was he in his appreciation. The wolves seemed to laugh as they collectively shrugged off that feeling of fear. Ellie felt Lila’s sudden confusion and heard Griffin passing on Lila’s thoughts to them all.
Lila shook her head “It’s not that they are forcing me out. It’s more like my power isn’t working anymore.”
Ellie and Griffin both scowled and turned their attention back to the wolves. Gideon bowed his head in a patronizing manner. “Very well,” he agreed. “We will take our chances. See if you can defeat us this night.”
Chapter 35
An invisible signal must have passed through the pack. But it was a cue that not even Griffin had picked up on. As one, the wolves sprang out of the trees and rushed their small group. There were hundreds of them, all different colors and sizes, fur raised high on their massive backs, lips curling up to expose their sharp teeth. Only Gideon remained motionless, grinning maniacally in his wolf form.
Ellie and the others in the circle braced themselves as the wolves bore down on them. Ellie flashed their next step to them and then together they waited for her signal. To Ellie it felt like time slowed down and sped up in the same instant. She had to wait for just the right moment before springing her trap. But under the onslaught of the wolves, she weathered an internal struggle of immense proportions. Griffin and Alex gripped her hands tightly, both feeling the same terror she did.
“Not yet,” she thought to the members of the circle. “Just a little closer...”
When she could almost feel the hot breath of the wolf closest to her on her face, Ellie signaled Ramsey. Immediately, Ramsey sent up a wall of fire surrounding their small circle, cutting off the wolves’ charge. As soon as the flames appeared, Ellie heard the anguished howls of the Vyusher caught in the blaze. The other wolves hastily retreated, and Ramsey moved quickly to take advantage of their hesitation. He shot the wall of fire outward from its position around their circle. But just as the flames were about to reach more of the wolves, the magical inferno went out completely, as if it had never been there to begin with.
“I didn’t do that!” Ramsey exclaimed. In his astonishment he’d forgotten to communicate through only his thoughts.
The wolves didn’t immediately resume their charge, apparently awaiting new instructions from their leader. Ellie tried to use Griffin’s mind reading ability, but only silence greeted her.
“Griffin?” she thought. “Griffin?!” She mentally shouted for him.
Nothing.
She looked at him, a panicked question in her eyes. He just shook his head. He couldn’t hear anything either, not just the wolves, but everything. Suddenly it dawned on Ellie that someone in the Vyusher had the ability to stop any power they became aware of, possibly once in use. Ellie’s best guess was that Gideon was controlling them, but she couldn’t be sure.
She decided to test her theory. “Charlotte,” she yelled, “are you able to move us?”
Nothing happened.
“No!” Charlotte replied, panicked.
“Do not use your powers!” Ellie shouted. “The second they know a power exists, they can disable it somehow.”
Since wolves had excellent hearing, it would be especially difficult to coordinate.
“Griff?”
“It’s still there,” he confirmed cryptically, knowing what she was asking him. The defensive shield was still up. Not visible or obvious, so the wolves weren’t aware of its existence... yet.
Ellie thought fast.
“You all need to trust me!” she yelled, and turned to her twin. “Griffin… Turn it off for a second and do not attack.”
He nodded his understanding. They would use his shield as long as it wasn’t obvious.
Ellie tapped into Lucy’s ability to sense intentions. The pack’s new plan was to regroup and charge again, plowing right into her family and ripping them to shreds. The wolves, almost as one, wheeled like a flock of birds in flight and resumed their attack. The incredible roar of their fury for their burned members filled the night air.
Ellie waited until the last possible second. Then, as the first wave of wolves leapt, teeth bared, vicious snarls ripping from deep in their throats, Ellie tapped into Dexter’s power and turned their human wagon wheel into indestructible metal.
Wolves slammed into them, emitting howls of pain, some knocked unconscious, some limping to safety, others landing yards away, stunned. Ellie could actually see as Dexter’s power was turned off, the gun-metal grey glow extinguished, almost like a light switch being flipped off. The metal form they’d taken instantly vanished, leaving them vulnerably human again. The pack paused only for a moment. Then the next wave continued their onslaught.
“On my signal, everyone jump in Gideon’s direction!” Ellie yelled, once again hoping her meaning was clear. She tapped into Nate’s strength and speed and then spread that power through the circle.
“Now!”
As a coordinated unit, the circle sprang. With their amplified strength, they were propelled into the air above the wolves. They were almost back to the ground. Ellie could feel them each bracing to land when Nate’s power was doused. They slammed back onto the ground, the circle breaking apart as the force of the impact caused them all to release their holds on each other. They all somehow managed to come quickly back together. The pack wheeled and then paused in unison.
“I see that you have more gifts than I gave you credit for,” Gideon called. The pack rumbled. Ellie couldn’t tell if the sound was agreement or some other feeling they were sharing.
A wild idea occurred to Ellie. Gideon took away every power that they could use against the wolves, and they really only had three active powers remaining: Alex’s power, the most effective offensively; Griffin’s shield, which they needed to protect themselves; and her power to shift. Ellie knew, deep in her bones, she had to end this quickly. A swift closure was their only hope of survival.
If Gideon is the one responsible for taking away our powers, if I take him out, we’ll get our powers back, Ellie thought. Then they could defeat the rest of the wolves. Without their leader perhaps the pack would be lost and just give up.
Ellie gave Alex’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” was his immediate response.
His words skated along her skin and sank in to her heart and soul. She felt peace. And she knew what she was about to do was right.
“Then trust me,” she whispered.
He turned his head to look at her. “With everything I have in me,” he assured her.
Ellie calmly stepped out of the circle, joining Griffin’s and Alex’s hands behind her back. She walked slowly toward Gideon, gathering her courage as she went.
*****
Alex felt all the air leave his body in one punchy breath. The girl he loved… his te’sorthene, whom he had just found… was walking away from him, directly into danger. He looked at Griffin, who just shook his head, his mind reading abilities still not working. The only thing that kept Alex from going after her was what she’d just said to him.
She’s not going to join Gideon. She’s not giving in. She asked me to trust her, and I do, he reassured himself. But how did he reconcile the part of him deep within that wanted to protect her, to keep her safe? Alex took a deep breath. He forced himself to remain calm and to concentrate on Ellie. She might need him with only a moment’s notice, and he needed to be ready.
Then he saw her body start to tremble violently. It reminded him vaguely of the time he’d confronted her at her house, before he’d known who and what she was. She’d started shaking just before she had run out of the house and crashed her car into a tree.
“Oh, jeez,” Griffin muttered.
Chapter 36
G
ideon tipped his head to the side with a grim smile. “Have you decided to give yourself to us?”
Ellie barely heard him; she certainly didn’t acknowledge his jibe. She was concentrating. Hard. She’d been thinking about everything this man and his pack had done to Griffin and her. The beloved family they’d lost. The pain. The fear. The loneliness and isolation. Ellie allowed her hatred for Gideon and his Vyusher to wash through her. She stoked the anger up inside her like a fire, centering all of her rage and despair on Gideon. A deep trembling shook her body. She just barely held on to her last vestige of control.
“Alex! Freeze them all now!” she screamed. Knowing Alex would act immediately, she waited only a second. And then, she knelt to the ground.
Her form appeared to shimmer in mirage-like waves, wavering as if the air around her was distorting. In the span of moments, she shifted, so fast that it was difficult to make out more than just flashes… scales replaced skin, a tail whipped through the air with a massive crack of the air, claws each the size of the largest wolf gouged the earth, powerful jaws snapped, the shadow of massive wings unfurling blanketed the clearing in an eerie kind of shadow, and a deeply ominous snarl reverberated through the forest. In an instant the girl no longer stood before them, replaced by a form that was midnight black and shimmering, obsidian scales gleaming, and violet blue eyes blazing.
“Oh shit, she did it!” Nate found his voice first, as they collectively backed away from her.
“Oh… my… god!” Lila and Adelaide exclaimed together.
“Whoa! She really wasn’t kidding about the whole dragon thing, was she?” Alex muttered to Griffin who stood beside him.
“And you thought your sisters could cause trouble,” Griffin muttered back, a grim set to his mouth. He couldn’t hear his sister’s thoughts.
She unleashed all of the rage and hatred built up inside her on Gideon, who was suddenly frozen in place, his face still a comical mask of arrogance. Gideon had just started to unfreeze, fighting Alex’s hold on him, when she attacked. She used her great jaws to crush the enormous black wolf, killing him instantly. In a display of years of rage and pain being unleashed on the perpetrator, she dropped his limp form to the ground. Using her talons to pin him there, she ripped his body to shreds, flinging each rag-like piece at the pack that he’d led in such sinister and villainous acts. With an intense roar more terrifying than anything the measly wolves could produce, Ellie took to the air.
The human part of Ellie registered that her family’d instantly regained their powers and stood ready to defend themselves. The wolves didn’t move, still frozen in place by Alex’s mental commands. But the rage of the dragon overrode her humanity, and she bore down on the pack, ignoring the fact that she was also bearing down on her own family.
Violet blue fire the color of her eyes erupted from her jaws. However, none touched the wolves or people on the ground, hitting an invisible barrier above them. Griffin was shielding them all from her. Then the flame went out completely. Some part of Ellie realized that Ramsey was using his powers on her and she roared her mighty wrath, consumed with rage. The dragon remained in control now and would show no mercy to anyone or anything.
“Ellie,” she heard a whisper. She shook her massive head.
As she made to dive again, she felt a sudden force stop her. Alex had frozen her in mid-flight. Showing incredible strength, he slowly lowered her to the ground, pinning her there. The wolves also remained like statues.
Furious, Ellie tested the strength of Alex’s hold on her and found that he was struggling to control the fire inside her. She gathered the fire deep in her belly and unleashed it at the humans standing before her. The deep blue flames hit an invisible wall and bounced back on her. Griffin was obviously using his shield, but now it surrounded her. Then she felt the inferno in her go out, like cold water had been poured down her throat. The small human part of her applauded Ramsey. That couldn’t have been easy for him.
But the dragon in her still ruled. Her massive body heaved with loathing and unfulfilled purpose. Ellie vaguely registered the form of a small girl approaching her. Lila laid her hands on Ellie’s side, and a feeling of total peace engulfed her. She felt the embers of rage and hatred slowly extinguish.
With a nod from Lila, Alex and Griffin came over to her. They bravely moved directly to her head where it lay immobile on the ground.
Ellie could see Alex shaking from the effort. As they lay their hands on her, Ellie heard Alex’s voice in her mind. “Come back to us, Ellie.”
She snorted, the dragon part of her still very much in control.
“Come back to me, my love”.
The dragon snorted again.
“Te’sorthene. Please.”
Something inside Ellie collapsed, like a breaking dam. Her humanity came rushing forward, overpowering the fierceness, the hatred, the fury. She stayed in monster form, but Ellie was the one in control now.
Love, she thought incredulously. Love is the answer. If I hold on to my love, I hold on to my humanity.
She felt Griffin’s relief as he heard her thoughts. “I’m in control now,” she clarified.
Griffin relayed the message to Alex, who furrowed his brow dubiously. But Griffin grinned from ear to ear. Her brother let out a loud, uncharacteristic whoop. “She’s got it,” he assured Alex. “We can let her up now.”
Alex glanced back at the enormous dragon beside him, the images of the great beast in full and dreadful glory still fresh in his mind. But he nodded.
Ellie felt the forces on her release. Free to move, she shifted into a stand, folding her immense wings into a resting position on her massive back. The overwhelming peace left her, but she held on to the love that was so much stronger than the rage, and she no longer needed any help to feel the peace. She truly had control. She even felt the fire reignite inside her belly but kept it in check easily.
She leaned forward and very gently nuzzled Alex.
He flashed a cheeky grin her way, relief clearly evident on his handsome face, in the set of his shoulders. He turned back to the wolves still pinned in place, and Ellie took a moment to appreciate the extent of Alex’s powers. To be able to keep control of the entire wolf pack, while also taming her, must’ve taken immense strength. He’d told her how difficult containing just four attacking wolves had been.
Alex turned to address the wolves. “You are defeated,” he declared loudly enough for all of them to hear. “You have to accept this. Your leader and your greatest asset in battle is dead. You will leave here and never return. You will never attack another being. If we hear of any wolf attacking a human, we will hunt you down and kill you!”
He glared at each of them, and an unhappy whimper erupted from the pack.
“Silence!” a female voice suddenly called out from the woods. A pure white wolf, gloriously beautiful, appeared at the edge of the clearing, the small brown wolf standing at her side, like it had been at Gideon’s.
Ellie bristled, but stopped as the wolf morphed into human form. Before them stood a lovely girl, with blonde hair so pale it looked like moonlight streaming down her back. Ellie heard Griffin’s indrawn breath.
The girl held up a hand, almost like a peace offering.
“As my brother’s sister, I speak for our pack,” she said. “We will abide by the terms that my brother agreed to.”
Adelaide quietly confirmed, “Gideon is… was her brother.”
She glanced at Griffin and opened her mouth as if to expand on something but then closed it again. Griffin shot her a look of disgust, and she shrugged her shoulders in return. Ellie stayed out of the mental conversation going on between Adelaide and Griffin, keeping her sole focus on the girl in front of her.
“If you let us leave in peace now,” the ethereal figure continued, “you will not need to fear us again. Nor will any other living being. I swear it.”
Lucy and Lila both spoke at once—
“Her intensions are true.”
“She’s s
incere. We can trust her.”
“Griffin?” Alex glanced at him.
Griffin shook his head. “Only silence.” He clenched his hands at his sides. “I can’t hear anything.”
Alex looked up at Ellie. A moment later, she shifted back into her human form and walked over to the girl.
“What is your name?”
“Selene.”
“May I take your hand?” Ellie asked softly. “I need to know what your powers are before we make a decision.”
With only a slight hesitation, Selene offered an elegant wrist.
Ellie closed her eyes and concentrated. Satisfied, she returned to her family.
“We can trust her, I think,” she murmured to them.
Looking from person to person, Alex received nods from each in turn.
“You have our permission to go,” he said. As he released them from his hold, the pack heaved a collective breath and then all disappeared into the woods.
Selene watched the retreat. As the last wolf disappeared, she said, “I wish you well—”
The last word cut off as Griffin moved to stand in front of her. They stared at each other intently for a long moment. Finally, Selene reluctantly turned away and disappeared into the woods.
Ellie had only just registered the fact that Griffin still stood staring after the girl when Alex grabbed her, spun her to face him, and then roughly pulled her into his embrace. “Don’t you ever do anything so rash again. Do you hear me?” He buried his face in her hair and squeezed her waist tight.
Ellie smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a lingering kiss. She pulled back and grinned at him. “You don’t have to worry anymore. They’re gone. And we’re all safe and alive.”
“I thought you were going to kill us all, Ellie, and not just the wolves…” He pulled her back close, his expression pained. “What if I’d had to kill you? What if Griffin would’ve had to help me?”
