by Logan Byrne
“These trips aren’t luxurious, you know,” Charlie said.
“I’m not dumb, of course I know that,” Britta replied.
“Are you sure you want to go, though? It’s a risk, that’s for sure,” I said.
“I have nothing else to do now. My career is ruined, I’m no longer an auditor, and I think I’ll go crazy sitting here twenty-four-seven, just like you did,” Britta said.
“I can’t let you two go alone. My girlfriend and my partner alone in the tundra of Greenland? Not happening,” Charlie said. All three of us turned to Faus, smiling, as he shook his head, looking panicked.
“I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is no. I can’t be in that kind of climate, I’ll die!” he stammered.
“All you do is sit behind a screen or in a lab and you never get out into the field. Imagine the scientific discoveries you could make out there,” I said.
“Oh yeah, like what?” he asked, crossing his arms.
“Uh, hello, we would be entering an ancient untouched chamber where the most powerful wand ever made, created by Merlin himself, is hidden. Your name would also go down in the history books when they write about the discovery,” I said, obviously tickling his curiosity as he looked down and mulled it over.
“How cold is it there?” he asked, twiddling his thumbs.
“Nobody ever discovered marvelous things without being a little uncomfortable. I promise it will be okay. Britta and I can make fires, and we would never let anything happen to you,” I said.
“Fine, but we can’t sit around there forever. I mean it! I don’t want to die a popsicle,” he said sternly, wagging his finger in the cutest way possible.
“Okay, Faus, we agree. We’ll keep you nice and toasty,” I said, pulling him in and side-hugging him.
“We need Blake to get better first,” Britta said.
“Yeah, we need him, and he would be so pissed if we went without him,” Charlie said.
“Nurse Paola will get him mended within a day or two, which should be enough time. I can begin researching tonight and figure out anything about the area I can. It’s probably best to go in with at least a little data,” Faus said.
“So we’re all in?” I asked, excited, as I put my hand on the center of the table.
“The dream team coming together,” Britta said, putting her hand on top of mine.
“You guys are ridiculous,” Charlie said, but he still put his hand on top of Britta’s.
“Faus?” I asked, looking over.
“Let’s find us a wand,” he said, slapping his hand on top of the pile.
•••
The canvas flaps of the infirmary tent wavered in the wind as I quietly walked in later that night. The tent was dark, only the glow of the moon outside illuminating it, as I walked in and saw Blake lying there.
His shirt was off, his entire torso wrapped in white bandages, as he slept peacefully, without movement. My eyes softened as I looked at him, standing at the edge of his bed as the cold metal frame chilled my skin. He was so brave, fighting off all those S.W.A.T. members without a care in the world. All he wanted was for his friends and colleagues to get out, even if it meant he couldn’t.
I was so thankful to my friends, to Mirian, for getting him out of there and bringing him back to the camp. What if they hadn’t been able to? What if Blake was taken? Those must’ve been the fears and thoughts he had when I was arrested and taken to Filtonshire. I got it now, the pain and utter heartbreak you face when somebody you love is in danger or taken from you.
I lifted up the covers, gently sliding in next to him, before he shifted a little, his eyes opening just enough to make contact with mine. “Hey, you,” he said, smiling. His breath was stale but I didn’t care.
“Did I wake you? I’m sorry,” I said, pulling the covers over me and carefully wrapping my arm around his torso.
“No, you’re fine. I’m more than happy to be woken up if it means getting to cuddle with you,” he said, and I rested my head against his chest, his left arm wrapped around me.
“Thank you for coming back to me,” I said, as I traced the muscles on his chest with my finger. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t.”
“I’ll always come back to you, Lexa. There will never be a time when I don’t,” he said, kissing my forehead.
I smiled, my heart feeling fuller than it had in a long time, before I looked over and noticed Paola at the other end of the tent. She looked at me, a smile on her face, before she winked and walked outside. She wasn’t going to kick me out and tell me Blake needed his rest. She knew what he needed right now, what I needed— and that was each other.
“Do you think you’ll be okay here?” I asked.
“In the camp?” he asked.
“Yeah. I know how much being an auditor meant to you. I just don’t want you to place all your value in that. You’re an amazing man, and werewolf, and you have so much to offer the world,” I said.
“Well, thank you for that. I think it will be hard, at least at first, but I don’t plan on stopping helping people. Maybe I can’t do it with a badge and precinct behind me anymore, but I’ll still make a difference any way I can.”
“I’m glad you said that. You know, we do have a mission coming up,” I said.
“Oh?” he mumbled. I knew he was starting to fall back asleep, his wounds needing rest to heal.
“Goodnight, my love. I’ll tell you about it in the morning,” I said, kissing his lips softly. His puckered up just enough before they fell back down, and he lulled back to sleep.
I snuggled in, smiling, feeling the butterflies tickle my insides as they tried to escape. Things might not be that great overall, but right now, in this moment, they were perfect.
8
My eyes jolted open the next morning as sirens blared in the camp. “What’s happening?” I asked, jumping out of bed, trying to keep my tired eyes open as I panicked and looked around.
“We’re under attack!” a man screamed outside. “Man your stations, fight them off!”
“Lexa, we need to go,” Blake said, struggling to sit up, as he clenched his side and groaned.
“You’re in no position to do that,” I said.
“Do I have a choice? They’re here. First they found us in the precinct, and now they’re in the camp! We have to find our friends,” he said, standing up and grabbing my hand. We ran out of the infirmary, before I tugged him to the side and ran for my tent.
“My wand,” I said, running inside. I grabbed it, turning around to see a duskhowler standing in the doorway. I shot a bolt at his head, hitting his metal mask as he stumbled backwards, and Blake kicked him in the shin before elbowing him hard in the head.
“I can still fight,” he grunted.
Explosions went off everywhere, sending mounds of dirt flying through the sky as if it were raining. A fire raged on the eastern side of the camp as the screams of women and children filled the air. I did what I could, throwing off bolts of magic as we ran for safety.
“Mommy!” a girl screamed, standing in the middle of the road. She was young, maybe five, with tears streaming down her face. A duskhowler walked towards her, pointing his wand at her throat, as she looked up at him, not a peep coming out of her.
“Rigormorio!” I screamed, my spell hitting him just as he cocked back his wand to kill her. He froze, falling over, and the girl stared at Blake and I running over to her.
“I lost my mommy,” she wailed, looking around in panic.
“We’ll help you find her. Come with us,” Blake said, picking her up. He winced as he did so, her knees knocking into his side, but he toughed it out, knowing her life and safety were more important than a few minutes of pain.
“Lexa!” Britta yelled. She and Charlie were hiding behind a stack of wooden barrels.
“Where did they get in?” I asked, crouched beside her.
“I don’t know, I was just lying in bed reading when the sirens went off. What do we do?�
�� Britta asked.
“We fight,” Charlie said, shifting into his jaguar form. “They might have taken the precinct, but they will not take our home.”
“I’m with Charlie,” Blake said, setting down the girl.
“Blake! You’re in no position to fight and you know that. Take care of the girl and make sure she’s safe,” I said.
“I don’t care if I get hurt. All I care about is saving as many lives as I can,” he said, ignoring me, before he started to shift. He grunted, his fur growing in fast and thick, as his skull morphed and elongated into that of an angry wolf. His eyes turned red, spit hanging off his fangs, as he and Charlie ran out into the fray.
“Damnit, why are they doing this?” I asked, panicked, before running after them.
“Lexa!” Britta yelled, as she stayed with the girl.
The duskhowlers came in droves, their numbers strong. Their magic was mature and practiced. I did what I could, blocking spells and disarming the wizards who would have all our heads. I stopped for a second, looking around, as everything seemed to fly by in slow motion.
The camp was falling, burning everywhere, as some citizens were shot down with death spells while others were tortured. Why wasn’t Pote transporting us away? Where were the rest of the camp’s warriors to help us? It seemed we were alone.
“Lexa!” Faus yelled, running towards me, holding Rosie’s hand.
“Get to safety! Hurry!” I yelled, as two duskhowlers came up behind them in a shroud of smoke.
They struck Rosie, toying with her, as she fell to the ground. Faus stumbled, his glasses falling off, before one of the men laughed and stepped on them. I heard the crunch from where I stood, as I watched Faus’s face. He started to shake a little, spit falling from his mouth, as his face began to turn red.
“Look at this kid. What a big scary man you are,” one of them taunted him, as they laughed.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Faus said, his voice getting deeper.
“Oh yeah, and why’s that?” the man asked.
“I’m not very pleasant when I get upset,” Faus said.
Then it happened. Faus began to shift, his body growing three times its size as his thick brown fur coated every inch of his muscular frame. His head grew, horns forming from the top, his feet turning into cracked black hooves, before he looked at me.
For a brief second, our eyes were locked together. I nodded, telling him it was okay, and he blinked, slowly, as if he knew exactly what I was saying. He turned around, roaring so loudly it could shatter a glacier, and the men started to back up slowly, tripping over their own feet.
“You shouldn’t have made me angry,” he bellowed, before starting to beat the living hell out of them.
“Rosie, hurry,” I said, grabbing her and leading her over to Britta and the girl.
“Is that…?” Rosie asked, in shock.
“Yes, that’s it,” I said nervously.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, her eyes wide as she stared at him in awe.
“Where are the boys?” Britta asked, looking all around.
“There!” I yelled, seeing them work in tandem as they struck down duskhowlers. They were in perfect harmony, yin and yang, as Charlie spring-boarded off Blake’s back and pounced on any enemy who came near.
I ran to them, throwing off bolts, my spells whizzing straight by them. Blake looked back in anger, thinking I was one of them, before his demeanor changed when he saw me. As I looked him in the eyes, he was struck in the back, a bolt of purple light flashing behind him. His eyes opened wide with shock, and he fell to his knees.
“No!” I screamed. I felt my body overwhelmed with energy, as if I had a thousand batteries plugged into me at once. I looked down, seeing my hands glowing brightly, my vision looking slightly different. Everything was hazy, but I could still see, if not better than I normally could.
The duskhowlers stopped, staring at me, before I put my hands out in front of me, sending bolts of blue energy firing straight towards them. My magic hit them, blue smoke billowing off their jackets, as they lay on the ground moaning, unable to get up.
“Lexa,” Blake mumbled, looking at me. “You’re glowing.”
“Welcome back,” Charlie said, smiling, as a horde of duskhowlers came rushing towards us.
It must’ve been all of them, maybe two or three dozen, screaming as they approached with their wands out. My mark was no longer a secret to Kiren’s forces. I stood up, walking in front of Blake and Charlie, ready to take them all on. This was it, this was my moment, and I was going to show them why they shouldn’t have come here in the first place.
I focused on them, feeling the vibrations of their footsteps through the ground. I could hear them breathing, their charged voices yelling, as if there were no other noises anywhere around me. I looked up, seeing the translucent bubble rising as Pote and the others began the teleportation process to our new home.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “We can’t leave them behind like this.”
As the duskhowlers shot bolts at me, I raised my hands, their spells hitting an invisible barrier, as if I’d created the largest shield ever. The spells floated around me, their energy surging through me, before I turned them around, firing all of the duskhowlers’ spells back at them. They ducked for cover, some of them trying to block their own spells but panicking as I delved into magic that I’d never experienced before.
The bubble finished forming and I felt myself being twisted through space and time before falling back down onto my feet. Looking forward, I saw no duskhowlers around us. We left, but they stayed right where they were, in the old camp. The power surge left me, my hands turning back to flesh as my vision returned to normal. I fell to my knees, as if every ounce of energy had been sapped out of me, before Charlie ran over.
“Are you okay?” he asked, propping me up.
“Yeah, I’m just really tired. I think I need to just catch my breath,” I said.
“Take your time, there’s no rush, we’re safe now. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Can we get somebody over here?” Charlie yelled.
I fell to my hands, then onto my side in the grass, before I closed my eyes and gave in to the allure of sleep.
•••
I moaned, opening my eyes, my vision taking a few seconds to focus. I was lying on a cot in the infirmary tent. The place was packed. Paola ran around, other citizens helping her as they could. People were lying on cots with all kinds of injuries, from broken bones that mages were tending to gashes and lacerations that required surgery.
“Lexa,” Mirian said, rushing over to me.
“What happened? I remember us leaving the old camp, but that’s it,” I said, putting my palm to my forehead and rubbing my pounding head.
“The camp was under attack, and you helped save us. It was only after you took away their attention that we were able to commence with the camp-wide teleportation. They weren’t allowing us to finish it until then,” Mirian said.
“It just happened again. The mark took over my body, and my mind, and I felt as if I were unstoppable,” I said. “Now, I feel like death.”
“It appears entering that state has a profound effect on your energy. It could be something that will always happen, or perhaps it’s just because you’re new to the mark and haven’t learned to control it yet. We’ll work on a solution, but for now you need to stay hydrated and regain your strength,” Mirian said.
“Blake, what about Blake?” I asked, shocked, as I’d forgotten all about him being struck.
“He’s fine, he’s being treated outside. His injuries, the new ones anyhow, were quite minor. Luckily the spell he was hit with wasn’t serious,” Mirian said.
“That’s such good news,” I said, exhaling loudly. “Where are we now?”
“We’re somewhere safe, that’s all that matters. They won’t be able to find us here,” Mirian said. “Now get some rest, you deserve it.” He walked off, tending to some other pati
ents with Paola. I rested my head back against my pillow and tried to replay the day’s events in my head.
How did they even find the camp in the first place? That was twice it had happened now, and neither time could be easily explained. I wondered if somebody here was feeding them information about us, but why would they risk their own lives in the battles, and what would they have to gain from it?
One thing was certain, though. I started the day in a hospital bed, and now I was ending it in one. Guess life really does always come full circle.
9
“I’m back here,” I mumbled, looking around at the Japanese gardens that I’d once visited while meditating with my mark. It was the same, but clearer, as if I’d broken through a foggy haze that had been clouding me before.
I looked around, walking over a curved wooden bridge, the sound of wind chimes gently clinking in the distance. Pink and white petals fell from a cherry blossom tree. Frogs leapt around a nearby pond covered in lily pads without a care in the world.
“Welcome back, it’s good to see you,” a woman said, and I spun around.
“Kaia,” I said, before tilting my head, realizing I suddenly knew her name.
“Yes, I knew you would eventually start to reconnect the dots to construct your past,” she said, smiling. “Come with me.”
The two of us walked towards a small wooden hut in the center of the gardens. It had a triangular roof with a red wooden beam on top. When I walked closer I noticed there weren’t any doors or walls. There was a beam, one on each corner, and something sitting in the middle.
“What is it?” I asked, curious.
“It’s to communicate with and pay honor to the mark. I built it ten years into my tenure as bearer,” she said, extending her hand. “Please, sit.”
I sat on a cushion, Kaia sitting across from me, as I smelled the light odor of incense burning near a brass bell underneath the shrine. “Why is all of this clearer now? What happened to me?” I asked.
“You’re in a coma,” she said, smiling.
“What? How? I wasn’t even hurt, I was just tired,” I said.
