As we were eating breakfast, I told Tyler what needed to be done. “You need to take me to Ostahkov today.” Ostahkov was the nearest town to Stolobny Island.
Frustration lined his handsome features. “I said you needed to rest, Nat.”
“I don’t have time for that anymore.” Casting modesty aside, I raised my shirt to reveal a new development. The pale skin on my stomach had changed, going from milky to less opaque. You could see my veins and arteries along with the hint of my internal organs.
“What is happening to you?” He sucked in a gasp.
I shrugged. I’d about shit myself that morning when I caught it. “I have a feeling it’s an effect from the magic I’m using to keep them inside me.”
“How do you feel right now?” he asked.
“Exhausted,” I admitted. Beyond exhausted was a better term. I practically held my shirt up until Tyler gently pushed my hands down.
“Your eyes are bloodshot and your face is pale,” he said.
“I can’t stay here, Tyler. I need to release them.”
He sighed. “Why can’t we just release them right now, perhaps in the backyard?”
I held in a laugh. “I don’t have enough strength to think straight.”
“Then why should I take you right now?”
Ideas took a while to brew in my head, but eventually I thought of something, not the greatest idea, but I was willing to undertake it. “Talk to Oksana. Ask her to come up with a concoction to put me to sleep. When we reach Ostahkov, I should be rested enough to release the spellcasters.”
His right eyebrow rose with doubt.
“You got a better idea?” I asked him.
“Not really.” He patted my good shoulder. “Close your eyes for a bit while I talk to Oksana and the others.”
The girls must’ve agreed to my plan, since Oksana showed up ten minutes later with a coffee cup in her hand.
“You asked for it.” She pushed the hot drink into my hand.
“What is it?” With one whiff, I wanted to quash my bright idea. A green film sat on top of who knows what. The drink even smelled like a swamp.
“Well, since you asked, it’s got—”
“I’m good. Denial is a beautiful place. You’re gonna make me ill if I really know what’s in it.”
“But this is one of my best drinks! There’s peppermint to soothe your stomach. Jerusalem oak for worms—”
“My leg is broken. That’s it. I do not have worms.”
“Werewolves can get it too, so hush. I even added…”
She went on and on, but I tuned her out as I gulped and gulped. It tasted so awful even with the peppermint, and it left a strange coating on my tongue. The heated drink warmed my throat all the way down to my stomach. From there the sensation swam around my midsection before it slammed into my head.
“What did you give me to make me tired?” My voice was already slurred.
Oksana’s mouth moved, but I missed it. Her form blurred. I finally heard her say, “And that’s about it. You wiped me clean for a few things, but that just gives me an excuse to plant more!”
As I drifted off to sleep, I wished I could’ve shared her enthusiasm.
Something pricked me again and again. From one moment to the next, I wondered when I’d wake up if what I was hearing or experiencing was a dream. I kept hearing Tyler, Luda, and Zoya. Yet they sounded far away, like they were on the other side of a huge room full of people and I was at a table all alone. The crowd contained my family and the whole South Toms River pack.
I was outside at a park somewhere.
I stood and everyone turned at the same time to look at me. They looked at me as if I should have something to say.
I searched my mind for why I was here and what I was supposed to do. But I couldn’t think of anything. When I blinked again, I noticed I sat at a picnic table. Everyone else was at picnic tables, too. The sun shone outside and heated my shoulders. In the distance, families also sat underneath the protective cover of the shelter. I spotted my parents in their honorable spot near the pack leader Farley.
But Farley wasn’t the pack leader anymore. Thorn was.
What kind of dream was this?
A hand touched my shoulder. It was my father. “It’s time, Nat.”
“Time for what?” My mouth moved on its own.
“It’s time for you to accept your new life and cast your fears aside.”
His grip was strong as he led me to where the high-ranking families ate. The barbecue from their meals made my mouth water.
I spotted Grandma and wanted to call out to her, but I didn’t.
Then I turned my head and saw the unexpected. It was Rex, standing in front of Farley.
No. Not again.
I tried to dig in my heels. To keep from replaying this nightmare. I didn’t want to see the next sequence of events. To feel my heartbeat pick up. To feel my lungs close off as Farley and my father pushed me on Rex again. To relive the shame my family would experience when I lost my marbles in front of everyone.
“Are you ready to take Rex as your mate, Nat?” Farley looked like he always did. An older, paler version of Thorn with hard hazel eyes.
My dad continued to hold my arm, everyone looking at me expectantly. I waited for the panic to come like it always did in my nightmares, for the unease to overwhelm me.
When nothing happened, I yanked my arm away from Dad. I turned to Farley and said something I’d been waiting five years to do.
“That piece of shit bastard can rot in hell.”
Farley stared at me. Rex, who had been smiling at me, went agape.
“I’m the South Toms River alpha female,” I spat. “You’re a royal asshole and you’re not the leader anymore.” My attention went to Rex. “And you don’t intimidate me anymore.” I closed in on him with a sharp growl. “You’re most likely a shriveled up dickhead who needs to belittle others to compensate for your self-doubt.” I couldn’t stop myself from stabbing at him with my index finger. “As much as you enjoy trying to drive me into the mud and smear my nose in it, I’m a pack member. I deserve dignity and respect. And when I get back to the U.S., I’m gonna kick your ass up and down the Garden State Parkway until I run through five pairs of heels. Got it, pal?”
The only sound around me was my quickened breaths from speaking for so long, until my father placed his hand on my back and chuckled. “That’s my Nat.”
“Nat?” Someone called my name. The picnic tables around me faded as if my vision had been smeared with grease. Then they faded to black.
“Nat!” A hand cupped my face, tapping it a bit.
When I blinked and opened my eyes, I found Luda next to me, a look of concern on her face. When I glanced behind her, I gasped.
We’d reached the small town of Ostahkov.
Soon enough I’d see Stolobny Island.
Chapter 21
The late night view of Lake Seliger beyond the car window reflected my mood. It was clear and refreshing. Even with the chill in the air, Luda rolled down the window a bit and I reveled in the fresh air.
The lake was quite large, extending into the distance to the north. Just a few miles north of here was the island. We drove west along the main road, heading deeper into the touristy town.
“How are you feeling?” Tyler asked from the front seat.
“Much better, thank you.”
“We were afraid you wouldn’t wake up after Oksana dosed you,” Luda chirped.
“Yeah, Tyler took a sip after you downed the stuff and he was high for about a half hour,” Zoya said.
Tyler flashed Zoya a dark looked but his expression didn’t last long before he grinned. “It wasn’t that long. Dwarves can handle drinks just fine.”
“There wasn’t a drop of liquor in that stuff. What she put in there could take out a herd of horses. Or one of them, anyway.”
After sleeping for so long, my mind was clear. Just looking out the window and seeing the town made me feel normal for once.
&
nbsp; The spellcasters still stirred inside of me, but after so many days of pain and stress, I was ready to face what I had to do.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
Tyler said, “Zoya’s been checking out the area on the maps and there’s a forest to the west of here that’s used for camping and such. It would be a great place to release your friends.”
I nodded.
“Are you ready to free them?” Luda asked me softly. She handed me an apple, as large as the one I’d eaten before and something came to mind I’d completely forgotten. Did I even remember the chant to release them that Blazh had worked so hard over the years to memorize? He’d been at my side, the one to take the lead.
Worry snuck up on me and my fists clenched. There had been so many phrases. It wasn’t just a simple, “Come on out, guys.”
I faced away from Luda.
“I’ll be fine,” I whispered. The apple remained in my hands. My appetite had left me.
The town disappeared and pine trees began to take over the landscape. The sky overhead was overcast, threatening to rain as we ventured deeper into the forest. Soon enough, we reached a parking lot full of camping vehicles. Since it was so late in the night, no one stirred about.
“This is the place,” Tyler declared. “Are you excited?”
“Of course. But I wonder why we haven’t seen any warlocks or wizards yet.”
Tyler sighed. “I wondered about that, too. Could they be farther north? Maybe closer to the island?”
“Maybe,” I said. “They’re probably under a mask of some kind. Dr. Frank said they should be swarming all over the place around here. We need to be careful.”
“Then I’ll go out first and look around. I’ll be back soon to get you three.”
Tyler left the car. Luda took my hand as I looked around out the window. “Don’t worry so much, Nat. You always take the burden of the world on your shoulders.”
“Worrying has kept me alive so far.”
“It might have, but that doesn’t mean you have to let it constantly eat away at you.”
I wished I could’ve explained to Luda what it meant to have an anxiety disorder, how I couldn’t turn it off even if I wanted to. My medication, which I hadn’t taken since I’d left home, only did so much. I’d never be normal, and, in a way, I’d come to accept that. It was making others accept it that was far more difficult.
Tyler returned soon. “The coast looks clear for now. I did see a warlock, but he was alone and he drove away.”
“A warlock drove away?” Zoya glanced in the direction he pointed. “Why not just disappear like they always do?”
“I dunno. I guess he wanted to get some beers or something.” Tyler opened my door so I could get out. “Next time he shows up, I’ll ask him why he’s driving a human’s car.”
Zoya rolled her eyes and got out. She took a long sniff in the air. “Seems clear so far.”
We slowly walked past the cars into the forest. The pine and spruce trees hugged us, their scent pouring through me and satisfying the wolf. Whatever Oksana had given me, I needed it.
“How is your stomach?” Tyler asked me. “Is it still?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t looked since we left and I don’t want to see if it’s gotten worse.” The army weighed hard on me. My shirt had a slight protrusion that brushed against my jacket. While I got out of the car, I felt it shift inside me. My leg was much better. Thanks to Oksana, my body had healed most of the minor fractures, but I still winced when I tried to put weight on the leg. I ignored the pain as Luda lent a hand.
“Just use me as a crutch, Nat.”
After less than a mile of walking along a trail, we decided to jump off it and go deeper into the forest.
“How far should we go?” Luda asked. We’d taken a spot at the rear. “Nat shouldn’t walk too much on her leg.”
I couldn’t help smiling at her. She was so sweet and kind. I wish I had a sister like her back at home.
“How’s this, Nat?” Tyler yelled back at me.
We hadn’t gone too far, but it would have to make do. Most of the night had been eaten away. The darkness settled into me and I was wary. I reached down and touched the ground. Not that I wanted to teleport, but I was curious about something. There was a pull to the left, to the north, indicating a great deal of magic at work there. It pulled at everything here and disjointed the space. Hopefully, it wouldn’t bring the warlocks here and interfere with my spellcasting. The thought hadn’t occurred to me before that such magic would draw the darklings and the warlocks, but this time, I wasn’t so foolish.
Nick was able to do something he called masking. Where his magic could be hidden from others. I didn’t know how he did it, though. My guess was that he thought or, I should say, he believed that others wouldn’t see what he didn’t want them to see. Nick was a pro at that. He’d hidden his feelings from me for years.
I sighed, thinking of my friend and hoping he was well.
“Are you ready, Nat?” Tyler asked.
“Yeah, as much as I’ll ever be.” I handed Tyler my backpack, and, with Luda’s help, I headed toward a circle of trees. Judging their distance to be wide enough to accommodate the party, I headed to the edge and sat down like Blazh did near the field.
I closed my eyes, trying to imagine him sitting beside me. His burly bulk would be in a heap as he tried to sit cross-legged and wasn’t able. His wavy, amber-colored hair would be reflected in the moonlight and he smiled at me. “You can do this, Nat.”
Sadness touched me. I couldn’t find the words. Blazh was dead and all I had left was his memory. Our friendship had been too brief.
With a sigh, I tried to chant the words. But I knew they were wrong. It didn’t feel as smooth or as well as Blazh did it.
A palm touched my forehead. Someone leaned in to whisper in my ear. “You’re doing great, Nat. Slow down.”
Luda’s hands touched my shoulders and rubbed them with encouragement.
I opened my mouth, but the words didn’t come out. I had to remember or I’d be trapped with these people until they killed me. I had to remember or those wizards would die.
I had to remember or the love of my life would die, too.
No pressure, right?
I closed my eyes and tried to remember the last couple of days. Beyond the trip here from Troyebortnoye beyond the fight in the forest with the darkling. All the way back to when Blazh told me he was letting go of the old magic spellcasters. It was that moment, that physical memory that I remembered the most. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he told me he was sacrificing himself for me.
My heart clenched in my chest. I fought hard to remember that moment. Remember that span of time. Seeing the old magic spellcasters as they approached me. Farther back until they had first appeared. From there, I was sitting on the ground with Blazh and he was opening his mouth to speak first. I was hesitant, but the way he spoke was so deep, so sure of himself, he’d practiced for years and whenever he spoke the first syllable of “Ndinae,” it was spoken with pride.
With that first word, I had it. I lowered my tone and imitated Blazh. I tapped my knees like he did, settling into a rhythm, letting the words flow with me as I recited them.
A tug in my midsection expanded until it felt like someone was twisting my insides. I hunched over a bit, but I kept chanting.
“Nat?” It was Tyler.
“Don’t interrupt her,” Zoya snapped.
With each repetition of the spell, I took deep breaths and kept going. Oksana had prepared me for this. I could do it. I believed I could do it, so I kept at it. At my side, I sensed someone else was tapping. Tyler and Zoya clapped not far from me. With my eyes closed, I couldn’t see much, but from behind my eyelids, I noticed something begin to glow. A light shone in the darkness of the night. I couldn’t break my concentration, so I kept my eyes shut and focused. I was almost there. I could almost feel the strands connecting me to the group inside me pulling away, like a mo
ther giving birth to a child.
The clapping and the tapping near me seemed to fade, as if they were backing away from me.
A feeling of euphoria drenched me, a haze of happiness only comparable to the night I first saw Thorn after he’d returned to town.
Then the glow behind my eyes faded and I dropped like a hard sack of dog kibbles onto the ground.
Ouch.
I expected to blackout, maybe even faint a bit, but I was face down in the pine-needle-covered dirt, breathing in and out, as a pine needle jabbed me in the nose.
“Nat! Are you okay?” Luda’s strong arms pulled me up.
“She’s weakened by the spell,” Zoya said.
Zoya and Tyler leaned over me with concern.
Beyond them, my vision swam, but I caught the most beautiful sight. Twelve people, dressed in medieval garb, standing in the circle of trees. The range of emotions on their faces went from horror to pure anger.
Then twelve turned to eleven as one of them vanished in a flash of light.
Chapter 22
Chaos broke out in the small clearing. Eleven people in front of Tyler, Zoya, Luda, and me ran around like clucking hens. A few of them pulled out swords and pointed them at us. One of them shouted obscenities at their friends, and the only woman among the group screamed in anger.
“Silence!” The tallest man among them roared. Even the birds were silenced.
He had the widest dark purple eyes I’d ever seen, a strange purple that glowed like two setting suns. As he turned to look at everyone, his thick wavy brown hair partially masked his face. “All of you brats need to calm yourself or, by God’s blood, I will cut all of you to pieces.”
Zoya clutched Tyler, who had somehow pulled out his battle axe, while Luda remained frozen behind all of us.
“First things first.” He glanced at each of them as if to do a headcount. “Where is Elric?” He stormed toward the group and searched through them. “Where is that Satan’s whoreson?” he spat.
The others looked around them, too.
“What are they saying?” Tyler asked. Zoya translated into his ear what they were talking about.
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