by Valia Lind
"I can't explain it, Mark. But I have to do this. I have to try. It's like a burning desire inside of me and I can't put the fire out. I just can't."
Mark drops my hand as if it's on fire, his eyes rounding in surprise. My own narrow at his response, but he says nothing. Just continues to stare. After what seems like an eternity, I open my mouth to ask, but he snaps out of it.
"Let me see if we can get Connor to come with us."
I glance over Mark's shoulder, to where Connor is standing with Nolan. Knowing they’re safe makes me feel better. They’re listening to Meredith Hawthorne talk and we're far enough that even my shifter hearing can't quite make it out. I nod at Mark, and he gives my shoulder a quick squeeze before he runs to the pack. But I don't wait for him to return.
After making sure no one is watching, I slip between the buildings, following the wall to the back. From there, I hurry into the woods, staying close enough to the outskirts so that I can find the playground. I've been in this town for a few weeks, and the only thing I know for sure is that the forest is connected to everywhere.
When the playground comes into view, I turn from it and look into the dark abyss of the woods. A part of me knows that everyone is right. Going after him on my own is not only a suicide mission, it puts this town at risk. But the connection I feel towards him, it's pulling me in his direction and I cannot not answer the call. They're not going to like it, but here we go.
The air around me is charged with the unknown.
The woods are dark, as if the moonlight can't quite make it through the leaves. There's also a presence here, something I can't touch, but something that feels like a weight on top of me all the same. I don't know where I'm going, only that I'm trusting that pull inside of me. The call I've heard the moment I met Mason, and the one I've been trying so hard to ignore until now.
My battle magic is at the ready, throwing tingles to the tips of my fingertips. I've only ever had to use it once and it wasn't anything at the caliber I'd have to use it here. Because if I was attacked, I'd have to give it my all and I'm not sure how well that will be received. My all may not be enough.
It grows even more quiet, as if the insects are no longer permitted to chirp this far into the forest. If it wasn't for my shifter sight, I wouldn't be able to navigate at all. The trees are bigger, the foliage thicker. I think I can feel something moving towards me but when I search the area, I can't see anything.
Then, a noise shatters the quiet, and I spin on my heels trying to pinpoint its origin. It's muffled, but since there's no other sound, I can hear it perfectly. Focusing my shifter hearing, I follow the sound. A part of me knows that it might be a trap, but I can't ignore the urgency rushing through my veins right now. It's like on some level, I know Mason is on the other side of those sounds.
Another minute, and I can make out something moving in the trees ahead. I stop before I get too close, trying to find a way to see what's happening without giving away my position. That's when I realize I'm surrounded by vantage points. I just need to get to one.
Thankfully, years of training has made me strong. I locate a good solid tree, and jump up to grab the lowest hanging branch. Swinging my legs to the trunk, I walk up it, until I can hook them over the branch as well. It doesn't take much more effort than that before I'm climbing. I get high enough that I can see over the bushes and that's when my eyes land on Mason.
Even in his wolf form, that I haven't seen before, I know it's him. His fur is dark gray, almost black, and shiny. My fingers itch to get buried in it, to find out if it feels as soft as it looks. There's a some kind of a muzzle over his nose and mouth, and he's attached to the tree.
I remember Brianna talking about the bonds shadow creatures used on Mark and the pack before. She burned them with witch's fire, something she didn't know she had until she was tested. And something I know I definitely don't have. I'm not even a natural elemental witch. There's nothing I can do.
Frustrated, I lift my hand to punch the tree, but think better of it. That won't do anyone any good. I have to think rationally. I have to find another way to free Mason.
I glance back over to where he is, but I don't see anyone else around him. I don't know how many wolves were taken, or if he's the only one. But according to Brianna, this is what the shadow creatures do. They feed on the magic. The town has been on high alert because creatures of all kinds have been going missing. Mason is just another victim. But I will not allow him to become a casualty.
Having no other choice, I make my way down the tree, before I start to creep toward where Mason is bound. Every two steps I stop, listening for any signs of danger, but there's nothing. The forest is quiet. Dead quiet.
When I scramble over on all fours, Mason jumps up, as much as he can, his wolf on high alert. But the moment his eyes find mine, his look of determination turns into fear. He whimpers against the bonds, shaking his head as if telling me to go.
"I'm not leaving you," I whisper. Still on all fours, I'm at eye level with him. I reach for the bonds, but he jerks away as much as he can. He starts shaking his head even more and I realize he's trying to tell me not to touch them. I wonder if the magic will spread onto me if I do.
"I don't have fire, Mason," I say, frustration evident in every word. "I don't know how to help."
"And is that not a conundrum?"
The voice sounds from behind me and I spin, bringing myself between Mason and whatever else is here. At first I don't see anything, but then the creature materializes from the shadows. It's a bird, a large crow, bigger than I've ever seen. But it speaks with a human voice and when the shadows dissipate around it, the bird becomes a woman.
"What are you?" I ask, my battle magic still sparkling at my fingertips. The woman is beautiful, her hair as black as the crow's feathers. Her sink almost porcelain like. She's clothed in shadows, except for her piercing dark eyes.
"How dare you speak to me with such disrespect, shifter?" The woman's voice echoes all around us. How does she know who I am? "Have you no knowledge of your gods?"
Gods? My mind races and the only thing I know for sure is that she's one of the Ancients. But which one? There's no knowledge of the specific creatures, just their powers. Or the fact that they were all powerful.
"You are an Ancient."
"Ancient?" The woman laughs, and the sound makes the ground shake beneath us. I scoot back, still on the ground, but now with Mason at my back. I want to reach for him, but I fight the urge, just in case the bonds reach for me.
"That's what we are called now," she continues, her voice melodic and terrifying at the same time. "So much time has passed since I have walked the earth, but I see one thing has not changed." She looks from me to Mason then me again. "Love is still a strong type of a magic."
I choose to ignore her words, instead trying to distract her. I have no idea how we're getting out of this. My magic is no match for hers, I know that. But there has to be a way for me to do something. If I do nothing, I will die with regret. Not the way I'm planning on going out.
"Why did you take him?" I ask, and her bottomless eyes zero in on me once more.
"I do not have to answer to you, shifter," she says, taking a step closer. "But I am amused by your bravery. He is magic and I am in need of magic. It is that simple."
"Nothing is that simple."
"Maybe not," she cocks her head to the side, "You are curious. There is much more to you than meets the eye."
"You have no idea, lady."
The gust of her magic is fast and unexpected. She really doesn't like to be disrespected. The roar that the magic brings is almost a scream and I cringe at the sound.
"I am Badb, and you will show me respect."
The name sounds familiar, but I can't place it. All I know is that if she can cause the earth to tremble with just a flick of her hair, she can tear us apart without a thought. I had to get Mason out of here. I'm not sure what possesses me to do what I do next, but maybe it's a buried instinct.
>
I turn to Badb, getting to my knees. She's staring at me as if she wants to crush me to pieces. But I don't flinch. Show no fear. That's rule number one in boxing. If you're unsure of your moves, you will hurt yourself. Maybe if I can provoke her, she will slip up. Maybe after centuries of slumber, she's unsure of herself. I'm betting our lives on this, but it's the only thing I've got.
"I have no idea who or what you are, lady," I say, words dripping with indifference. "But you better run along, before you do something to hurt yourself."
My words have the desired affect. I can see it in the way her eyes narrow and then, she raises her arm high in the air. The only thing I can do is throw myself on top of Mason, clinging to him with all my might.
At least we'll die together.
10
My body feels as if it's on fire. There is something around us, and it sounds almost like a waterfall. Which is impossible. I want to open my eyes, but I don't want to see my death. I just want to hold onto Mason. But then the sound doesn't go away and Mason whimpers beneath me. I pry my eyes open to see a wall of water between us and the creature.
She screams in anger, the sound like that of a banshee and I don't hesitate. I concentrate my battle magic on Mason's shackles.
"I'm sorry if this doesn't work," I say, before I blast him. The bonds stay on, and he jerks from the impact, but I can't give up yet. We're running out of time. I blast him again, and this time, I think something gives. I do it two more times before the bonds are gone. I reach for the muzzle, tearing it off, as Mason jumps to all fours. I push him in the direction I came and without a look behind, we're through the trees. I feel a splash of water behind me and then that scream. It makes me fall to my knees, overtaking my whole body.
Before I can move, Badb is on top of me. She holds me down, my hands over my head, as she screams right into my face. My body convulses, the agony of the sound tearing through me. Out of the corner of my eye I see Mason on the ground as well. This is too much for our sensitive hearing. It feels like my ears are bleeding.
I'm sorry, I think towards Mason. I'm sorry I couldn't save you.
I try to fight, I try to get away from her, but it's all futile. She's more powerful and she's angry. I can feel her magic burning my flesh were her fingers are wrapped around my wrists.
"Know this, shifter," she hisses, "I am the harbinger of doom, the one who comes before destruction. You will not live to see the war I will rain down upon this place. The death that will be. Starting with you."
She leans down, closer to me and I have no idea what she would've done, but Mason is suddenly there, his body slamming into hers from the right. They roll together, as I struggle to get to my knees. I'm screaming now as well, screaming for Mason to be okay. I try to use my battle magic, but it feels useless against the creature.
She flings Mason away like a rag doll and he slams against the tree with a thud. Tears stream down my face as I try to blast her with my battle magic, but it seems to have little affect.
"Mason, get up!" I scream, as she advances at me. I just need to know he's okay. I just need him to be okay. "Mason!" But he's not moving and it feels like my heart is getting ripped in two, right then and there. She's almost on me, and I have nothing left in me to stop her. I take my fighting stance, knowing how futile it will be, but also knowing that I won't go down without a fight. But just as she reaches me a blast of fire rushes at her and she's thrown back.
I spin around to see Brianna and Mark come out from the trees, Krista, Harper, Nolan, and Connor right behind them. Harper raises her hands, and a whirlwind forms all around Badb. Brianna blasts her with fire again, as Mark throws off battle magic.
Badb screams, making all of us flinch, before she spins, turning herself into a crow and flying away. The moment she's lost to the darkness, the group at my back turns to me and I slump in relief.
"Mason!" I reach for the last ounce of strength in my body as I launch myself to him. He's still slumped over where he fell and I can't see him breathing. "Mason, wake up!"
I feel Harper and Brianna falls to their knees beside me, as Krista does a once over on Mason. Brianna pulls me back, into her arms, but I can't take my eyes off the wolf.
"He's okay, Sky. Just out cold," Krista says, her voice reassuring. That's all I need to hear before I lose all strength, falling into myself in Brianna's arms. She cradles me to her chest as I sob.
Someone moves and I turn to see Connor reaching for Mason. He's a large wolf, but Connor is strong as he picks him up. That's when I feel arms wrapping around me and Mark lifts me from his girlfriend's lap.
"Come on, baby sister. Let's get you out of here."
Brianna leads the way as Harper and Nolan bring up the rear. Krista stays close to Mason. I can feel their battle magic at the ready, and something else. That other magic that they found within themselves, it's bubbling at the surface. My body and soul hurt, like they've never hurt before. I place my head on Mark's shoulder, my eyes on where Connor walks with Mason.
We almost lost each other, before we truly found who we are. I've been so careful with Mason, so closed off. But what if this is all we have? What if this is who we will ever be? Can I really rationalize not feeling the way I do because I'm afraid of getting hurt?
When Mason wakes up, and he will wake up, I will take the initiative. We will talk. I will thank him for saving my life. And I will tell him how I feel.
But for right now, I'll rest in my brother's arms.
When I come to, I'm on the recliner in Brianna's shop, a heavy blanket pulled over my shoulders. My eyes focus slowly, as if they don't remember how to do so. The sight that greets me sends my heart tumbling. I push to my feet and Mark is there to catch me when I stumble.
"Is he okay?" I whisper, my eyes on Mason. He's still in his wolf form, laying on his side on the couch, his breathing ragged. Mason lifts his head just a tiny bit at my words and his gaze pierces me straight to my soul.
Mark doesn't hesitate. He half lifts, half supports me, helping me kneel right by the couch. Krista and Harper both move out of the way, as I reach for Mason.
"He doesn't have enough strength to turn back," Brianna says over my shoulder. "Not yet," she hurries on to add when I give her a panicked look. "The shadow creatures steal magic, and that's what his binds were doing. He's weak, but holding steady."
I turn back to Mason, running my hand carefully over his fur. His breathing seems to calm, as if he was tense before and now can breathe easily. Tentatively, I bury my hand in his fur, and the contact makes me feel a hundred times better.
"What happened?" I ask. "What was that creature?"
"What can you tell us?" Harper takes a seat on the coffee table, leaning towards me. "Mark realized you left and called us right away. Krista found you because of the intense emotion you were blasting off. But we didn't exactly see what was happening."
"Besides the wall of water," Krista comments and my eyes fly up to meet hers. I think back to what happened and I realize there was a wall of water. It came up between myself and that creature, when I threw myself on top of Mason. I say as much, still not understanding where it came from.
"It came from you," Brianna says, a small smile on her face.
"I've never done anything like it before."
"But your mermaid side is finally waking up. Your water witch powers are a lot stronger because of your shifter side."
"So what? I called it from the ocean?"
"More like from the ground. There are underground springs all throughout Hawthorne. You tapped into them."
I let that sink in, trying to figure out what I did to cause the magic to flare up.
"She called herself Badb," I say, remembering.
The girls freeze, and I can feel the tension go up at least fifty percent all throughout the room. Mark is still standing on the other side of the table with Brianna, exchanging a look, while Harper and Krista stare at me, shocked.
"What?"
"She's one of the three w
ar sister," Mark replies, turning back to face me. "In mythology, she was the one to come and predict a soldier's death. With just the power of her voice, she can sway a battle in her favor."
"I'm almost positive she was a bird."
"A crow," Brianna says, nodding.
"Yes. So she is one of the Ancients."
I already knew that, but their confirmation sends a shiver through my body. It's an absolute miracle we came out of there alive. But even so, as I look at Mason now, I know I would've done the same thing if I had to do it over again. I couldn't not go into those woods. Not if it meant leaving Mason.
“Did she mention her sisters at all?" Mark focuses my attention back on him.
“No, she just hated that I had no idea who she was." I study the faces around me, the fear that no one is trying to hide. "What are you not telling me?"
At first, no one answers. It's like they need a moment to process too. Mason fidgets under my hand and I turn to see him trying to sit up. I'm not sure if petting him is a good idea, but all I want to do is run my hand over his whole body. He moves his head towards my hand, nudging it with his nose and it brings a smile to my face. He's going to be okay. Somehow, in this moment, I know that for myself.
"The truth is, we don't know enough about the sisters to make any concrete guesses." Mark speaks up behind me and I turn to see him looking at Brianna. But she's already shaking her head.
"We know that Badb is the one who will predict the deaths. That's her job. And from what Sky is telling us, she doesn't like being the lesser of the sisters. They're going to fight each other again, Mark. We have to stop them. Somehow."
Mark reaches out a hand toward Brianna and she steps into his arms, clinging to him completely. My brother holds her with such reverence, it brings tears to my eyes. I've never seen him that connected to anyone. Truth be told, I've never seen him in love.
That four letter word hasn't exactly been a kind one in my life. My parents were torn apart because of their love. My coven doesn't even bother pretending with me. Mark has been the only solid pillar, and now, he's that pillar for someone else. For a second, I wonder if I should feel jealous. But I don't. Not even one bit. He's found his other half, the person who completes him completely, and all I feel is happiness.
