by Kali Harper
Oh my god. “Lance?” My voice was a thin whisper, barely audible even to me as the breath passed over my lips.
My heart hung in my throat, the tips of my fingers tingling as I placed them on the glass in front of me. The black wolf looked in our direction, met my gaze and faltered. He offered me the same look Kat’s fox had given me when I found her in my front yard. The same vacant, panicked looked. He’s going to run.
“I’m sorry, Felix,” I called toward the back of the store, “but I have to go.”
Without saying another word, I opened the front door to his shop and ran outside, summoning my broom as I did. Sammy called out to me, his voice cut off by the door closing behind me.
“Stay here,” I told him, getting on my broom before flying after the black wolf.
He definitely had a limp, leaning on his right foreleg as he loped toward the woods Kat and I had flown over on our way to Kyle’s farm. Lance quickly picked up the pace, glancing over his shoulder now and again as I followed behind him.
Keeping the broom steady at a slower pace was difficult. Apparently, brooms couldn’t hover, or at least mine couldn’t. Perhaps it was a learned skill because whenever I slowed to a crawl, the broom wobbled. When it happened again, I decided to fly circles around him instead of slowing down even more.
I could’ve approached him, but not without the other wolves noticing me. As it was, a few of them had already spotted me, slowly closing in on Lance’s location. He noticed it as well, running faster as we neared the edge of town.
He whimpered as he jumped over a set of brambles, landing on his bad leg, which almost sent him tumbling to the ground. He caught himself and kept running. I focused on him, doing my best not to lose him in the woods.
The trees grew close together, their branches intertwined and blocking out most of the sunlight. I hadn’t realized how thick the forest was since Kat and I flew over it, but if Ivan had found a way through the trees to Kyle’s property, then Lance could do the same. Kyle was already upset without having another wolf run onto his property, and seeing as he had a loaded gun…
“Lance, slow down,” I called after him, flying under the canopy of autumn leaves. Branches whipped my face, breaking the skin as I did whatever I could to avoid crashing into a tree trunk or a low-flying bird.
Once again, I wished there was a spell I could use to track someone down, but without the knowledge of a hunter, I couldn’t even track him by foot. Something about the way branches broke and the way they fell? I knew I should’ve paid closer attention in summer camp.
Growling under my breath, I touched down on the ground and dismissed my broom. Flying around was no help. I was no closer to Lance than I’d been when we first flew out of town.
Granted, dismissing my broom probably wasn’t my best idea, especially since I left Sammy back at Felix’s shop.
But this is Lance for crying out loud! He may have been a wolf and partially out of his mind, but he’d never hurt me, right?
Summoning my broom again, I held it at my side, searching the shadows for the eyes I’d seen from inside Felix’s shop. In the distance, birds twittered and chirped. A branch broke off to my left, a small sparrow scaring the daylights out of me as she flew through the canopy.
I was so rattled, I laughed, covering my mouth once I realized I was bringing too much attention to myself.
Something rustled to my right, then behind me, and when I turned, I came face-to-face with Lance’s wolf. His coat was matted and wet. He had a cut in his ear which continued to bleed from what had probably been a thorn. He held his left paw away from the ground, whimpering whenever he tried to put any weight on it.
Holding my left hand in front of me, I set my broom on the ground. Heart pounding in my chest, I never stopped looking at him. Aside from the scratched ear and what must’ve been a terrible sprain, he looked okay.
“Lance?” I asked, taking a slow step in front of him and stopping short when he backed away. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”
I probably should’ve packed a blanket. Then again, catching a wolf was a lot harder compared to a fox. It wasn’t like I could carry him home. He must’ve weighed over one-hundred pounds.
He wasn’t as lanky as the other wolves I’d seen. Lance’s body was built, his muscular haunches flexing as he cautiously sat in front of me. Some part of him—of his wolf—recognized me. Trusted me.
His eyes were beautiful, their usual brown coloration taking on a golden hue. It was subtle and barely there, but the golden ring around his pupil drew me in. It reminded me of the ring around the edge of an eclipse, bright against his dark pupil which was blown.
“Don’t run,” I told him, digging my fingertips into the soil as I slowly closed the gap between us.
He didn’t move, his eyebrows lifting above his eyes as he swiveled one ear in my direction and the other to the side.
“Kyle has a gun,” I warned when he looked in the direction of Kyle’s property, “and I have a feeling he isn’t in the mood for visitors.”
In fact, Kyle was probably in more of a shoot first, ask questions later kind of mood than anything else. Not that I could blame him. As far as Lance was concerned, it was something I’d rather avoid.
In front of me, the wolf canted his head to one side, whimpering again when he went to place his injured foot on the ground.
“Can I see?” I asked, holding out my hand.
At first, he shied away, almost standing to run. But after a cautious glance, he gingerly offered me his paw. The pads were hot against my skin. Whatever he’d done to his leg, the paw inflamed. The joint of his wrist was larger than the healthy one, so he more than likely stepped wrong instead of getting it from a bite since his skin was clean.
“Do you trust me?” I asked him, carefully reaching into my back pocket with the other hand.
His eyebrows rose again, the golden ring around his pupil growing even larger.
“It’s okay,” I told him in the most soothing voice I could. “It’ll help.”
From my pocket, I removed the half of a cookie I had left after giving the rest to Max. Lance immediately sniffed the air, his small huffs making me smile.
“That’s it,” I said, placing the charm on the ground between us. “Everything will be okay.”
He leaned forward, almost taking a bite when he reared back, growling at me with his ears pinned back. The fur all along his back stood on end, his stance wider than before as he parted his muzzle to show a very sharp set of teeth.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. It’ll help. Promise,” I told him, backing away in case his wolf was the one acting out instead of him.
A deep rumble erupted from his chest as he lowered to the ground, and before I could react, he jumped at me. Over me.
I heard more than saw a second wolf, the newcomer and Lance squaring off as Lance guarded me. He might not have been in his human form, but somewhere, somehow, his wolf recognized me.
He was protecting me, keeping himself between me and the stray wolf.
“Don’t hurt it,” I said, stepping beside Lance whose tail was tucked between his legs. “Most of the town has shifted. What if it’s one of our friends?”
Lance didn’t back down, and when I tried to check on the other wolf, much like the one I’d seen in Kyle’s videos, Lance snapped at me. He wouldn’t have actually hurt me, this much I knew, but it scared me all the same, causing me to fall back behind him.
I couldn’t stand seeing him like this, especially when he couldn’t communicate with me. As his wolf guarded me, I focused on the other one, its gray fur, and how slender it was compared to Lance. The wolf resembled the one in Kyle’s videos, but by now, there was more than one gray wolf running around town.
Still rattled from the chase and Lance jumping at me, I concentrated on my magic. Only a week had passed since my last major event. I honestly shouldn’t have been using magic at all, and without Sammy to lend a hand, the chance of draining myself magically was
a very real possibility. But I can’t leave them here, I told myself, placing my hands in front of me as I closed my eyes.
I thought of the gray wolf, its small frame, and as my hands warmed, I envisioned the shield I’d placed in front of myself slowly forming a bubble around the wolf. It wouldn’t last long, and I’d regret it in the morning, but I’d only brought enough cookie for Lance.
Not only that, but I wasn’t even sure if it would work on the other wolf. The fact it had worked on Max was fortunate but a long-shot. The likelihood of us getting lucky again was rather slim given my history. Magic rarely did what I wanted it to. Good thing this isn’t one of those times, I thought with a sigh when my shield wrapped around the wolf.
With the other wolf trapped inside an invisible bubble, Lance ran behind me and scarfed down the cookie, keeping to his wolf form long enough to know we were safe before painfully turning back into his human form. The charm Harris had cast on the cookie probably wouldn’t last more than a day, but it also meant Lance wouldn’t be able to shift for just as long. It was a suppression charm, after all, meant to keep shifters from shifting and losing control.
“You can’t keep him like that forever,” Lance said in a raspy, unused voice. Apparently, he hadn’t been in the shower when he shifted, wearing a pair of sweatpants and an old shirt.
“He?” I asked, not looking at him.
“Yes.”
I decided to take his word for it instead of investigating the stray further. “Then it’s a good thing we won’t have to,” I said, not taking my eyes off of it. “You have any idea who he is?”
Lance sighed and held his injured arm close to his chest. “No, and I’m not sure how we ever will.”
“A quarantine,” I told him. “You mind grabbing my cell? It’s in my back pocket.”
“Uh…” There was a hitch in his voice.
“Oh, come on. You know I can’t look away from him if I want to keep the ward in place. Besides, you’ve patted folks down before.”
He released a soft chuckle, then cleared his throat and carefully removed the phone from my back pocket. “Who am I calling exactly?”
“Felix, and make it quick. I don’t think I can keep this up much longer.”
Chapter Eleven
Felix hadn’t finished the cage by the time Lance called, but he came anyway, lugging a collection of metal in his pickup truck. A very disgruntled Sammy sat in the passenger seat, hissing and spitting at me as soon as Felix let him out of the truck.
“What have I told you about running off?” Sammy spat, his lecture cut short once he noticed the wolf in front of me. “This is careless, even for you.”
“It wasn’t planned, Sam,” I argued, not taking my eyes off the gray wolf. “How are you doing back there, Felix? I’d hate to be a pest but—”
“I’m doing the best I can,” Felix said, his voice strained. “I could attach it to the bed of my truck if you think that’d be okay.”
“As long as it’s quick. And don’t put a lock on it. If this wolf is the same one going after Kyle’s cows, he can open locks.”
“As a wolf?” Lance asked, his eyes wide.
“No, he shifts out of his wolf form I think, though Kyle didn’t get it on tape. Ivan seems to think—”
“Ivan? He’s here?”
I was never going to get anywhere if he kept interrupting me like this. “Yes,” I said with a sigh.
“And he isn’t with you?”
“I’ll explain everything later,” I promised, dropping the subject completely so Felix could work in peace.
Lance excused himself, taking my cell phone with him to make a few calls. Sammy stayed with me, offering what little support he could so I didn’t drain myself completely. I had a feeling he was already exhausted after putting wards all over Felix’s shop (not to mention his truck to get them here), but he did it anyway.
He was unusually quiet, and if you know Sammy the way I do, you know he doesn’t keep quiet for long.
It was even worse when I could hear his thoughts, though there were times I would’ve liked to have that specific talent back. Cell phones are great and all (when there’s cell reception) but being able to contact someone hands-free while flying on a broomstick is extremely helpful.
“Hey, Sam?” I asked, frowning as I considered our options. “If I had Morpheus remove the lock from my mind, do you think it would let me talk to the wolves?”
Sammy shook his head. “You aren’t a Whisperer, Astrid. Besides, isn’t it a little early to go back on it? Morpheus shielded your mind in a way of thanks, but I don’t think he’d be too happy if you kept asking him to turn your projections or mind-reading on and off like a light switch.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I said, my shoulders burning with fatigue as I held my arms out in front of me. “But what if this wolf doesn’t shift back by tomorrow morning? How are we supposed to talk to the wolves in town?”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
“I hate waiting,” I grumbled under my breath, steadying my hands.
“Patience, young lady,” Felix said behind me, the clang of metal snapping into place as he fastened the bottom of the cage to the bed of his truck. “This isn’t my best work, you know.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” I assured him, risking a quick glance over my shoulder.
The metal he worked with wasn’t as beautiful as I was used to seeing. The cage resembled a soldered mess over anything else. Then again, beggars can’t be choosers, right?
“So long as he gets trapped in there, we’ll be good,” I said.
So much for Felix’s earlier estimation on how long a cage would take. Then again, the makeshift cage was nothing like his other work. The metal he used was piping taken from his hardware store instead of the good stuff he probably had stashed at home.
There was no artistry to it, no filigree, just a bunch of metal pipe thrown together then bolted to the bed of his truck. It was quite the sight (a bad one, might I add), but good enough to work.
Felix frowned at the cage, circling around the side of his truck as he took one of the pipes in his hands, molding the metal before setting it in place. “It looks…” He trailed off and scrubbed his chin.
“It’s fine, Felix,” Lance said, clapping his shoulder once he finished with his calls.
“Terrible,” Felix corrected him, his face darkening. “I don’t want my name anywhere on this thing.”
“It’ll save the town,” Lance told him, offering Felix the best smile he could. “That’s all that matters. Do you think it’ll hold?”
“See for yourself.” Felix backed away and gestured at the mess of metal, his tone being one of disgust.
Lance tugged the piping, then pushed at it. The truck rocked back and forth from his effort, but the cage didn’t break.
“It’s perfect,” Lance said after a moment, studying the opening before waving me over to him. “Any chance you can move the wolf into place and keep him there until Felix gets the top on?”
“I don’t really have a choice,” I said, slowly maneuvering the bubble with the wolf inside over to the truck. Envisioning my shield and the wolf moving through the air was a lot harder than it sounds, but with Sammy’s help, I managed.
Once the wolf was inside Felix’s cage, Felix soldered on the top and made sure it was secure before offering us a subtle nod. “You can release him now. It should hold, for a little while anyway.” Felix wobbled and caught himself on his truck, struggling for breath. “It’s been a while since I’ve pushed myself,” he admitted, leaning his head back. “Usually I have days or weeks to finish something.”
“Sorry I couldn’t give you more time,” I said, joining him as my legs threatened to go out from under me.
Felix waved my comment away and closed his eyes. “Sure is nice out here.”
A slight breeze pulled at my hair, one of the tendrils falling loose from my ponytail, which I quickly tucked behind my ear. It was nice, better in fact.
The birdsongs were a sweet lullaby to my tired mind, and as both Felix and I succumbed to our magical drain, Lance helped us into the truck and sat in the driver’s seat as Felix climbed in the back to keep an eye on the wolf.
Sammy curled up in my lap, feeling the fatigue as well. I would’ve offered to drive or to take Lance home by broomstick, but as it was, I could barely keep my eyes open.
“Maybe we should call someone to pick us up,” I suggested, speaking to both Lance and Felix after opening the tiny window between the cab and the back of the truck.
“I’ve driven with one hand before,” Lance said, shifting the truck into gear as he turned the truck back toward town.
“But your arm,” I argued. Lance could barely hold onto the steering wheel without his face twisting in pain. “Is it broken?”
He laughed. “This little thing?” He held up his arm, then winced when the truck drove over a large tree root.
“Let me drive,” I said, already scooting over so he’d feel more inclined to switch places with me. Fire burned my cheeks when our legs touched. “This better not count as our second date,” I said with a nervous laugh.
“Why not? I think it’s going rather well.” When he met my gaze, the golden ring around his pupil was still there.
“Why didn’t you ever tell anyone?” Why would he hide his other form? Giving up that part of himself would’ve been like me walking away from my magic. It may have crossed my mind in the beginning, but now? Even if I didn’t think of myself as a witch, I couldn’t see going without it.
“Ivan didn’t say?” Lance’s eyes were on the path in front of us as he slowly weaved the truck between the trees until we finally reached the edge of town.
“He did,” I admitted, keeping my voice low as I scratched between Sammy’s ears, “but to give up a part of yourself—”
“It’s best if you don’t question what you can’t understand.” His posture stiffened, and when he refused to look at me, I knew now wasn’t the time to bring up the death of an old friend.
“Well, I thought he was handsome. Your wolf,” I quickly added. “Not Ivan. He’s too much of a greaser for my tastes.”
