by Clare Kauter
"Excuse me," growled one of the wolf guards, striding over to us. Henry and I stopped short as the wolf examined us both. "What are you doing?"
CHAPTER 24
"FOUND this one rowing over in a cloaked boat," said Henry. "Don't know what she was trying to do, but I figured an extra offering for the ritual couldn't hurt."
The wolf bared his teeth and I wasn't sure if it was a smile or a threat.
"I don't recognise you."
It took every ounce of self-control I had not to gulp. This was making me nervous. Why had I thought this was a good plan? Henry and I were both about to be mauled to death. Abort! Abort!
"Not from around here," said Henry.
"You look like you're from around here."
It was lucky I was meant to look panicked, being a prisoner and all, because I don't think I could have kept the fear I felt in that moment off my face no matter how hard I tried.
"My dad was," said Henry. "Mum's from a pack down south. They never really liked me, so when I heard about the pack up here I decided to move."
The wolf nodded, although I wasn't sure he was entirely convinced. He leant forward and started sniffing Henry. I held my breath as he did so, hoping to hell that Ed's clouding cone had worked. The wolf spent a lot of time on the smell test – he was really getting a nose full. Honestly, it was a bit creepy to watch. He seemed to be enjoying it a little too much. Eventually he straightened up.
"Sorry about that. Security's tight tonight." The wolf leaned forward conspiratorially. "They thought a shifter might try to sneak in disguised as one of us."
Henry made a noise of disgust. "I'd like to see it try."
The wolf bared its teeth in what I chose to interpret as a grin. "Welcome to the pack."
Say what you will about Ed, he was very talented at using spell cones.
Henry bared his teeth in the same menacing not-smile as the wolf had given us.
"Thank you," he said. He latched back on to my arm and I cried out in faux pain. "What do I do with this one?"
"Guess you'd better take her in."
Henry nodded once, my arm still in his mouth. "To the dunshions?" he said, his words obscured by my limb.
The wolf shook his head. "They've already taken the other sacrifices out to the graveyard."
My eyes widened. The graveyard? They were already dead?
"The ritual's going to start soon, so just put this one with the others."
"Uh..."
"Up near the altar. You'll see them when you head up there."
He pointed us to a mossy stone staircase that led around the side of the castle rather than through it. Henry nodded and dragged me off to the shadowy steps. Once we were out of earshot of the other wolves, I muttered, "What now?"
Henry just looked at me, shrugging his doggy shoulders. He had no idea what came next either.
With a pop, Ed appeared beside us. "The witches were already out of the dungeon when I got there. I had another go at getting through the ward around that chest and I think I nearly died a second time," he said. "So since our plans are shot to bits, what happens now?"
Good question.
"I guess we just see what happens."
I stopped talking then because we were nearing the graveyard, which was now filled with wolves and other creatures of the night getting ready for the show. At the front of the congregation, a couple of wolves stood sentinel by Hecate, Daisy and a small, round, blonde witch who I assumed was Alora. Henry dragged me over to join them and stood guard next to me.
Daisy looked stricken when she saw me. "Nessa, not you too."
I shrugged. "I was trying to save you. Didn't do a great job."
"And Henry?"
Shaking my head, I said, "He shifted into a bat and flew away."
"He flew...?" Daisy repeated. She caught the look on my face and raised her eyebrows. I didn't dare wink or confirm anything, but I knew she'd understood my hint. Henry would never voluntarily fly. And if I was lying about it, then he had to be nearby.
I nodded and Daisy's brow furrowed. "Right," she said.
One of the wolves who was listening to our conversation snorted. "If you're talking about your shifter buddy, I promise you that there's no way he could get onto the island without us sniffing him out immediately."
"I'd like to see him try," said Henry.
The other wolves laughed low, gravelly laughs and agreed with him. The wolves went back to their own conversation after that.
"So," I whispered, "do you know why exactly we're here?"
Alora turned to me. "I'm sorry to drag you into this," she whispered. "I – I just wanted to –"
"Help the dragon, I know," I said. "It's not your fault." I paused. "Well, it is a bit. But hey, you didn't drag me here. If I'm going to blame anyone it's going to be Hecate and Daisy."
"You joined the coven of your own free will," said Hecate.
"You tricked me into it!" I protested. "You held me down and forced me into a blood pact!"
She shrugged. "Tomatoes, potatoes."
"That's not... Never mind." I couldn't deal with Hecate right now. I turned back to Alora. "So you came here to get the chest?"
She nodded. "They usually keep it buried in the crypt here, where the remains of all those wolves that were slaughtered years ago are kept. I came here under cover of darkness. It wasn't full moon and there weren't meant to be more than a couple of guards patrolling the grounds. Except when I got here, a hundred wolves surrounded and captured me. I've been in the dungeons since."
"They knew you were coming?"
She nodded.
"Did you tell anyone what you were planning to do?" Daisy asked. "Apart from the dragon."
She shook her head. "No, no one except..."
"Gladys?" I guessed.
She nodded. "I asked her for directions here. She seemed so trustworthy, though. I can't believe she would tip the wolves off."
"She did."
Hecate and Daisy looked shocked.
"You can't go slinging accusations like that around without some serious proof!" said Hecate.
"She's here," I said. "So's Fach. They've been sending light dwellers here to be sacrificed for years."
Daisy put her hand to her chest. "How did you find out?"
"Ed –"
Henry trod on my foot, reminding me to watch what I said. Usually I was good at keeping secrets, but now that Henry knew everything and Daisy knew some things it was hard to keep track of who knew what.
"Ed's a long story," I said, hoping that it would just sound like I had a cold and that they wouldn't notice my slip.
"Do you have a cold?" asked Alora.
I nodded. "I think I got it from swimming in the loch."
She nodded. The others seemed to buy it too.
"But anyway, I overheard Fach and Gladys talking to a wolf on my way in."
Daisy shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe they would have anything to do with this. They're just so nice."
I wasn't sure what spell or potion Gladys had used to trick everyone into thinking she was so great, but whatever it was, I could definitely use some of my own.
Looking out at the crowd, I noticed it wasn't just wolves present – there were all kinds of creatures of the night. Sitting beside Fach and Gladys was an army of redcaps. There were also goblins, which surprised me. Back home, and in Hell, goblins and wolves tended not to get along, yet here they were sitting side by side, not a care in the world. Amazing what a little human sacrifice can do to bring a community together.
As we'd been talking, the wolves from all over the island, including those who had previously been patrolling the grounds, had assembled in the cemetery. One wolf, who wore a pendant that looked suspiciously like a dried, shrunken eyeball hanging from a leather band around his neck, walked up to the altar that was in front and slightly to the right of our group. A hush fell over the crowd the second he entered the graveyard and everyone watched in awe as he stood in front of the c
rowd, sunk back onto his haunches, threw his head back and howled at the moon.
Every wolf present joined him in his song. I pressed my hands to my ears as we were engulfed by the deafening chorus. Henry threw his head back in a mime, but he made no noise. I guess he couldn't bring himself to do something so... werewolf. A bridge too far.
After what seemed like an age, the wolf with the special necklace (presumably the alpha) stopped howling and the noise gradually died down until the only sound was the water lapping at the shore and rocking the boats down at the dock.
"Good evening," boomed the wolf, startling me so much with his volume that I jumped. "It's good to see so many of you here tonight. I could give you a lengthy preamble, but I'm sure there's no need. You all know why you're here."
"I don't," I called out. "I'd sure appreciate the preamble if you have the time."
The wolf turned to face me slowly, snarling, while every other wolf in the place stared at me and growled. Gulp.
"I wasn't asking you, scum."
My jaw dropped.
"Come on, there's no need for that language."
There was a blur and then within a millisecond the wolf was right in front of me, his face millimetres from mine, rotten breath warm on my face. "You're going to die tonight either way," he said quietly, teeth bared, "but if you don't shut up this second, I can make your death much – much – more painful."
"Understood," I squeaked.
As he stalked back to his place by the altar, I wondered if this was how Ed and Henry had felt when I snapped earlier. If so, then it was no wonder they'd agreed to go along with my plans. Come to think of it, where had Ed gone? I glanced around and spotted a ghostly outline hiding behind a tree on the edge of the graveyard, out of sight of the majority of the congregation. So he hadn't bailed. Yet.
"Glaistig," said the Alpha wolf, "join me up on stage."
Gladys stood from her seat and made her way up to the front. I glanced at my witchy companions and saw their faces looking pale and shocked. I guess they'd heard of her by her other name. As she made her way up to the altar, her pleasant facade seemed to flicker. Judging by the looks on the witches' faces, they'd seen it too this time. The toothy demon creature that lurked below the surface was showing itself.
"As you know," the wolf continued, "tonight marks the anniversary of the slaughter of our ancestors."
The crowd booed and hissed.
"We've tried for many years to call them back from beyond the grave, but now that the full moon has aligned with the date of their death, I believe that this time we shall succeed. Glaistig?"
Gladys grinned, showing her shark-like teeth, and walked over to the crumbling tomb that stood behind us. The alpha joined her and together they rolled the stone away from the entrance. Once it was open, Gladys used a piece of white chalk to scribble something on the stone floor inside. I didn't have the best seat in the house, but I was pretty sure I knew what she was doing. They were summoning a ghost. Or two.
The alpha turned to the assembly. "Now," he said.
As one, the congregation lit the black candles I hadn't known they'd each been holding. Black smoke rose from the perimeter of the cemetery as first Gladys and then everyone else began to chant a spell I didn't recognise. The clouds above us moved, swirling like a tornado, until the moon poked through the middle and shone a beam of light inside the tomb onto the chalk drawing Gladys had sketched on the floor.
It didn't take long for the ghostly wolves to start appearing. They bounded out of the tomb one by one – there must have been twenty in total. I frowned in confusion as I studied them.
"What is it?" Daisy whispered.
"They don't have auras," I whispered back.
She nodded. I'd learned when I'd first met Henry that seeing ghosts' auras, much like being able to sense a clouding spell, was not in your average medium's skill set. In fact, I was yet to meet anyone else with those abilities. Different coloured auras indicated to me what kind of ghost I was dealing with, and not being able to see these guys' auras made me even less comfortable than I already was, which when you're lining up to be sacrificed in a graveyard by a werewolf death cult, is really saying something.
I continued to study the ghosts. Could it be because they were wolves? Unlikely – they were still ghosts, after all. Then I looked a little closer and realised that wasn't all that was odd about them. They were weirdly shimmery – even more see-through than your average ghost. I glanced over at Ed for a margin of comparison. Yep, these guys definitely looked different. Like they weren't really there.
"Wolves and guests," said the alpha, "I am excited to announce that we have succeeded!"
The crowd cheered and another howl began. I crossed my fingers, hoping that this somehow meant the whole ordeal was over and they weren't going to sacrifice us. Please. Please please –
"And now for the sacrifices!"
I groaned.
CHAPTER 25
"TO BIND these wolves' souls to earth we need to call upon the king. He has not been seen for many years, but in this chest," – the wolf indicated the dragon's chest, still floating in the middle of a bright blue ward – "we have something that I believe will bring him back to us. We have remained loyal to him all these years, and I'm sure he will reward us by returning our ancestors to their earthly bodies."
Wait, what? The king this wolf was talking about was me; I was at least ninety percent sure of that. I could do that? Give a ghost back his human body? I gave Ed a sideways glance.
He rolled his eyes, and popped up behind me to whisper, "I'm perfectly happy being a ghost. The afterlife isn't so bad if you escape eternal damnation."
Ed, despite being a backstabbing murderer, had managed to escape Satan's wrath by praying to the guy upstairs (who was, apparently, a sucker for flattery). He was welcomed into Heaven with open arms, and promptly left to move to Hell. Now he had his own place there – in the residential area, not in the dungeons where Satan tortured the truly evil souls. His soul didn't belong to Satan, and therefore it wasn't hers to touch, so unlike these wolves, Ed was free. Thinking about it, there weren't that many advantages to being alive if you were a poltergeist, so Ed probably hadn't befriended me to use my powers to be resurrected.
These wolves must have been waiting in Satan's dungeons out the back of Hell to be called back to earth and bound here by me. Good grief. Did these idiots really think I'd be dumb enough to steal souls from Satan? As royal subjects go, mine seemed to be particularly shit.
I turned to talk to Ed, but he had already disappeared. I scanned the crowd, but I couldn't see him anywhere. Gritting my teeth, I tried to tell myself that he hadn't bailed on us, but I wasn't convinced by my own story.
"We'll start with the old one," said the alpha, indicating for one of his henchmen to bring Hecate up to the altar. "Start with mutton and move on to the lamb."
"I want a slice of the old hag's innards," called Fach from the audience. "Ha – haggis! Do you get it, Johnny? Haggis!"
"Very good, Fach," said the alpha, not doing a great job of hiding his annoyance, in my opinion. I was pretty sure he was only putting up with Fach because of Gladys's special abilities. "Let's get started. I'm starving."
My stomach churned. Great. This wasn't just a human sacrifice party – it was dinner. Was everyone just here to have a little slice of roast witch? What kind of place was this?
One of the wolves took Hecate's arm in his teeth and jerked her forward, knocking her off balance and dragging her along the ground in the dirt to the altar. I felt anger rise in my chest. OK, so I was pissed off at Hecate, and yes, she'd tricked me into joining her coven, but these pieces of shit had no right to treat her like that. I balled my hand into a fist and felt the Doomstone and companion items begin to heat up. How likely was it that Hecate would arrest me for having the stone if I used it to save her from being devoured by a pack of wolves?
Henry trod on my foot again. The wolves in the crowd were still howling and growling a
nd cheering and jeering so Henry risked speaking to me. "Don't do anything dumb."
Gladys and the wolves dragged Hecate up onto the altar and pinned her down while the alpha walked over to the dragon's chest, encountering no resistance as he stepped through the ward. He took the metal handle on the edge of the chest in his teeth and dragged it over to the altar. I looked around again for Ed, hoping maybe he was planning to swoop in and steal the chest now, but he was nowhere to be seen.
The alpha dropped the chest's handle from his teeth and left the box sitting on the ground by the altar inside what I now saw was a circle marked with stones, encompassing the entire slab on which Hecate was laid out.
Sometime while I'd been watching the alpha, Gladys had procured a silver dagger. While the wolves held Hecate's wrists and ankles in their jaws, biting down hard enough that I could see blood pooling on the stone slab under the wolves' mouths, Gladys tested the edge of the blade by running her finger along it, not quite hard enough to break the skin.
"It's time," said the alpha and Gladys smiled maliciously as the dagger glinted in the moonlight. I shot Daisy a panicked look, but she and Alora looked just as helpless as I felt. Ed was still out of sight and Henry didn't appear to have any bright ideas either.
Just as I was about to call out to Gladys (what exactly I was going to say I didn't know), she took Hecate's arm from the wolf. In one swift movement, she placed Hecate's hand directly over the chest that was sitting on the ground beside the altar and sliced her palm deeply with the dagger. A single drop of blood fell from the blade, seemingly in slow motion, and splattered on the chest.
The second the first drop of blood hit the wood, the spell began to take effect. Black smoke rose from the stone circle that encompassed the slab Hecate was lying on as the magic began to work. Gladys dropped Hecate's hand and her arm fell limply, yet more of her blood oozing from her wounds and falling onto the chest below while Gladys raised the blade to her mouth and licked it slowly, savouring the taste of the witch's blood.
There wasn't time to be too grossed out by Gladys's actions, however. When the blood hit the chest, it had immediately begun to move, rattling around on the ground as if there was something inside trying to get out. A purple light shone out the keyhole and through the crack where the lid met the box.
