by Hawke Oakley
“He’s okay,” I said. “We went to the doctor and both he and the baby got the all-clear. We even got to see the baby on the little machine.”
Ryu gasped. “That’s wonderful! I’m so relieved.” He paused, then asked warily, “So, will Gabe be attending more magic lessons?”
I looked at Gabe. His nose was buried in a book. I nodded my head for his attention.
“Ryu wants to know if you’re going back for more,” I said.
Gabe’s eyes lit up, but he seemed a bit distracted by the book in his hands. “Yes, definitely!”
“He says definitely,” I told Ryu.
“Excellent.” Ryu sounded happy and relieved. “Tell him to take a few days off to rest, and I’ll see him again soon.”
“Got it. Goodnight, Ryu.” I paused, lowering my voice. “Sorry, again.”
I heard the sincerity in his voice as he replied, “It’s not a problem. Goodnight, Dante.”
After hanging up, I returned to my spot on the bed. Gabe was sitting upright with the book in his lap, and his brows were furrowed in concentration as he read.
“Is that the one about the vampires?” I asked, grinning.
Gabe shot me a half-smile as he held up the book’s cover. The Encyclopedia of Cinderhollow’s Surrounding Packs: Third Edition.
I sat up, joining him. “Are you looking for Stoneheart?”
“Yeah. I found it.” He pointed at the page. It was filled with detailed pencil sketches that were true to life. An artist must have personally flown to Stoneheart to create the image.
“It’s weird,” Gabriel murmured. “You all here in Cinderhollow know so much about Stoneheart pack - and every other nearby pack - but we don’t know anything about you.” He fondled the edge of the page gently. “I would’ve loved to have something like this in Stoneheart. Any kind of knowledge.”
I frowned. “You didn’t have books like these? At all?”
“Nothing up to date and not this in-depth.” He sighed. “I think the elders wanted to keep interest about the outside world to a minimum. Less chance of us wanting to get out of the walls that way.”
I growled. “That’s just not right. Knowledge should be free for everybody. Especially in a cooped up place like Stoneheart.”
He didn’t reply at first. Then he mumbled a soft, “Yeah.”
He seemed tired. I put my hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Gabe. We should get some rest. Especially you.”
After a pause, he folded up the book and placed it beside the bed. He curled up in my arms.
“Goodnight, my love,” I mumbled.
His forehead pressed against my chest. “Goodnight, honey.”
But Gabriel didn’t fall asleep right away. I didn’t feel the tell-tale sign of his twitching, the way he usually did as he dozed off. He must have still been thinking about that book. On the other hand, I was mentally and physically exhausted. I had no more energy to think about what had Gabriel so riled up. I drifted off, and didn’t hear him sneak out of bed.
12
Gabriel
I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t get the thoughts out of my head. Memories of Stoneheart pack and thousands of what-ifs ran through my mind a mile a minute. What if I hadn’t left? Easy. Then I wouldn’t have the love of my life and the baby of my dreams. I’d be dead, or worse, at the hands of human raiders. It wasn’t even a question of leaving.
But yet - I couldn’t stop thinking about Stoneheart pack. I remembered Otis and Marlowe, and every other shifter living in fear, banishing those that rebelled outside while existing like mice in a cage. Not like the powerful wolves we were supposed to be.
When Dante was fully asleep, I snuck out of bed and onto the floor where I pulled the book back into my lap. I found the Stoneheart pack section and glued my eyes to the page. So far, all of it was true. Our customs and rules, the banishment of omegas who didn’t adhere to the rules, even the height of the wall was correct…
I stopped at the section about the human raiders, where they were depicted in an artist’s rendition. The resemblance to the ones who had attacked me was uncanny. I frowned, trying not to think about that night.
I pressed my finger to the text, squinting against the low light, and began to read.
The major threat to Stoneheart pack is a band of human raiders who live in the nearby area. They greatly outnumber the Stoneheart pack wolves and possess a multitude of weapons for killing and capture. According to field research and anecdotes, we know that the raiders either kill the wolves due to long-standing fear of normal wolves (perhaps to cut off the competitors for food) or harvest their bodies for parts. It has been suggested that the humans study the shifters’ bodies to potentially harness the shapeshifting powers for themselves.
My stomach lurched. Reading those words sickened me. The part about them killing us for resembling real wolves might have been true, although in Stoneheart pack we no longer had the luxury of hunting outside the walls. All of our meat came from livestock raised within the pack itself. But did the humans really think they could steal our powers by dissecting our bodies somehow? Ridiculous.
I shook my head and continued reading. But when I came across the next subtitle, I gasped. My blood ran cold.
A LONE SURVIVOR
The majority of the information in this section was provided by an ex-member of Stoneheart pack, who asked to remain anonymous. We appreciate their efforts in assisting us gather the most current information possible in this text.
I stared at the book. I blinked and re-read it a few more times to make sure I wasn’t seeing things in my exhaustion.
How could there be a survivor?
It was impossible.
Unless…
My eyes widened. The person may have asked to remain anonymous, but I had a sinking suspicion I knew who it was.
And if they were still alive, my budding idea might just work after all.
The days passed and I didn’t mention the book or its contents to Dante, as much as I desperately wanted to. I needed to make sure the other part of my plan would work first. I hated keeping secrets from him, but the mind-blowing sex we had in the days of rest did a good job of distracting me.
A few days later, my sessions with Ryu resumed. Dante dropped me off as usual. I was getting better about the whole flying thing, which he both noticed and appreciated. I was getting braver, not like the squealing mess I was the first time I flew - which was honestly embarrassing to remember.
“Are you sure you’re not gonna let me watch?” Dante muttered, throwing his arms around me and rocking back and forth.
“No,” I said with a laugh. “This is my thing. I don’t need my alpha babysitting me all the time. You’re gonna be doing enough of that when the baby’s actually born.”
He sighed and nuzzled my face with his cheek. “But I miss you when you’re not around,” he grumbled.
“Tough.” I kissed him. “You have stuff to do too, remember? The nursery?”
We’d talked about building a nursery in one of the many spare rooms of Dante’s home tower. We both agreed it was a good idea to get it done early before the baby was born. He grinned. “Yes, sir.”
“Alright. Good.” I gave him an affectionate smack in the chest. “Now get out of here.”
“Fine.” Dante pouted. He said to Ryu, “Be nice to him this time.”
Ryu chuckled. “I’m always nice. Gabriel, not so much.”
I rolled my eyes. “Alphas…”
Dante eventually left, kissing me one last time, ordering me to be safe, and took off. As much as I loved him, I was glad to finally have the chance to talk to Ryu alone. My dangerous secret plan was about to become not-so-secret.
“How are you feeling today, Gabriel?” Ryu asked.
“I’m great, actually. But I, um... have a request for today’s training, if that’s okay.”
My teacher nodded. “Sure. What is it?”
“I don’t want to work on elemental magic today - at least not earth,” I con
tinued.
Ryu watched me curiously. “Is there something in particular you’d like to learn, Gabriel?”
No use beating around the bush now. I nodded. “I’d like to learn how to create barriers.”
Ryu looked surprised. “Barriers? Like the one surrounding Cinderhollow?”
“Yes.”
He watched me, as if unsure of my motives but not wanting to pry. “Okay. I don’t know why you’d need to learn that but it never hurts to try new things.”
He summoned me to the middle of the room and placed the carnation I previously made bloom in the center of the floor. I wondered what he was doing, but waited for him to speak.
“Barrier magic,” Ryu began, walking around me and the flower, “is not elemental magic, but what we call clear magic. It’s not formed from a naturally occurring phenomenon, like elemental magic such as earth and water. Clear magic exists solely inside of those who can wield it.” He gestured to the plant. “Because there’s no real-world example, so to speak, it’s more difficult to teach. With the plants, I can simply point you to the soil and tell you to concentrate. But clear magic doesn’t work that way.”
“So what do I have to do instead?” I asked.
“It comes from within you, from the depths of your soul.” Ryu scratched the back of his head. “To be honest, I’m not too well versed in clear magic. Mine is decent enough to cover the basics, but you might benefit from learning from Lorenzo.”
“Dante’s brother?” I remembered I saw him at the barrier when we first arrived in Cinderhollow.
“Yes. He’s excellent at clear magic. If you want to advance, he’s your guy.” Ryu cracked his knuckles. “But I’ll try to be good enough for now.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Ryu. I appreciate it.”
He winked. “Maybe when I teach you how to create your first barrier, you’ll tell me why you’re suddenly so interested in it?”
“Maybe,” I replied playfully.
To begin, Ryu demonstrated by creating a tiny orb-like barrier around the carnation. It was a shimmering, translucent blue, like the color of Ryu’s dragon’s scales but weaker. His brow furrowed intensely with concentration as he hovered his hands over the flower, never breaking eye contact. He held the barrier there for a minute before gasping and letting it drop. It disappeared like a bursting soap bubble.
“Wow,” I said. “Is it really that hard?”
“For me, yes,” Ryu admitted. “Clear magic is not my strong suit, though. For someone like Lorenzo, he could probably do that with the flick of his wrist - he would create a stronger, longer-lasting one, too.”
I gestured to the carnation. “Can I try?”
Ryu nodded. “Of course. But don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen right away.”
“Okay.”
I stepped forward and raised my hands like Ryu had done. I shut my eyes and tried to channel the emotions and energy the same way I’d done with the plants through my fingertips. I pictured the barrier in my mind, protectively circling the carnation.
I opened my eyes. Nothing happened.
My shoulders sagged but I muttered, “Let me try again.”
I tried the same thing but imagined a thicker barrier, not translucent and thin like the one Ryu created.
Still nothing happened.
“Clear magic is difficult if you’re not naturally attuned to it,” Ryu consoled me. “Keep trying.”
I tried again and again. Nothing was working. I grunted in frustration. After how easily the earth magic had come to me, not being able to do this was infuriating - especially when it was much more important.
“Let’s take a break,” Ryu suggested. He offered me a cup of green tea, which I took without a fuss. After my incident a few days ago, I didn't want to push my luck. If I did, Dante would go crazy.
“So, tell me,” Ryu began, arching a brow. “Why are you so eager to create barriers all of a sudden?”
I met his gaze. “Can I answer your question with another question?”
“You already did.” Ryu laughed. “But sure.”
I worked up the courage to say the name, which felt like a curse on my tongue. “Do you know about an omega named Loni?”
But no recognition flashed across Ryu’s face. He shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”
I thought so. If he wanted to remain anonymous in the book, then I doubted he went by the same name anymore.
“What about any other omegas from Stoneheart pack?” I asked. “Or any injured wolf shifters that appeared in Cinderhollow?”
Ryu hummed in thought. “Can you narrow down the timeline a bit more? Even injured wolf shifters is a bit vague.”
“I don’t know the details,” I admitted. “Maybe… ten, fifteen years ago? Twenty? He must have been in really rough shape, though.”
I thought about what he must have been through compared to my own experience with the raiders. At least I had Dante to save me before anything happened. I still didn’t know the full story behind Loni.
Ryu brought his hand to his chin in thought. He was quiet for a few moments, thinking deeply. Finally something flickered across his gaze. He looked up at me hopefully.
“I think I might know who you’re talking about.”
Part of me felt guilty and suspicious for skulking around Cinderhollow on the search for a missing man who obviously didn’t want to be found while my mate was at home, assuming I was safely in school with my teacher.
I will tell him, I thought. Just as soon as I know Loni is alive for sure.
Ryu shifted into his dragon form as we hit the streets. Unlike Dante’s powerful upright form, Ryu was a long serpentine dragon without wings. Whiskers flowed from his almost canine snout and a stream of fur crested his back.
“Hop on,” he said. “We’ll need to fly to get there as fast as possible. If this is even the right place.”
I carefully got on Ryu’s back, clutching his mane tightly, and he took off into the sky. My stomach lurched at first but the sick feeling went away quickly. I’d gotten used to all the flying.
“How do you fly without wings?” I asked him.
“East Asian dragons are generally good at air magic,” he explained. “We control the currents around our bodies, so we don’t need wings to stay airborne.”
We landed soon on a dark, narrow strip of wood about fifty feet high that led to the front door of a sketchy-looking bar. It was built into the mountainside and was surrounded by stalactites that hovered close to the roof.
I got off Ryu’s back and he shifted.
“Don’t worry. This place isn’t as scary as it looks,” he reassured me.
I wasn’t so sure about that. The dark, dingy atmosphere as we entered the front door didn’t seem very welcoming.
Shifters were milling about on old rickety tables. The scent of alcohol was thick in the air. I wrinkled my nose. To my relief, nobody paid us much mind.
I followed Ryu to the front counter where a man stood with his back turned to us. He was slightly taller than me with choppy hair.
“Scar?” Ryu asked.
The man behind the counter turned around. He must have been fifteen years older than me, but looked much older due to his wrinkled, frowning face. True to his name, scars ran up and down his one arm. The other arm was missing. He also seemed to have a healed broken nose.
“What?” he snapped.
“I have someone here who wants to ask you something. He’s looking for somebody,” Ryu explained, gesturing to me.
Oh gods, don’t make me the center of attention!
Scar turned his glare to me. “What do you want? What’s a knocked up omega doing in my bar?”
As hard as it was to hold my tongue, I ignored his comment. I wasn’t here to start an argument.
“I’m from Stoneheart pack,” I said. Instantly something flickered across the man’s face. “I’m looking for information about a man named Loni.”
Scar’s face twisted into a snarl. He slammed the beer
glass onto the counter. “Well, he doesn’t want to talk.”
I was right. Scar was Loni.
I lowered my voice. “Please. You’re the only person who understands me.”
“Is that right?” he sneered.
“We both escaped Stoneheart pack,” I said firmly.
He let out a humorless laugh. “Let me guess from your pretty face and the fact that you’re knocked up. Some alpha came and rescued you, is that it?”
I winced. I couldn’t deny that. Judging from Scar’s appearance, he clearly hadn’t had the same good luck.
He growled, leaning in closer, “That’s nice for you. I didn’t get rescued until the humans already hacked off my arm and leg and gave me all these cool scars,” he said sarcastically.
I swallowed hard. I couldn’t see his missing leg from behind the counter.
“What happened? I mean, who rescued you?” I asked softly.
“Cinderhollow scout,” he grunted. “Not because they needed me as an omega, but because they felt sorry for me. I was passed out in a cage and I barely had a say in it.”
Ryu frowned and asked, “Do you regret it?”
Scar grunted. “No. I would’ve died there. But living like this isn’t much of a life, either.”
Ryu didn’t seem impressed by his attitude. “At least you’re alive.”
“So what the hell do you want?” Scar asked me, ignoring Ryu.
“I… I want to help Stoneheart pack,” I said.
Scar burst out into ugly laughter. When he was done and I was thoroughly embarrassed, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Okay? And? How’re you gonna do that? Build a bigger wall?”
“No,” I said, staring at him. “Build a barrier, like the one here in Cinderhollow.”
Scar shook his head. “You’re crazy, kid.”
“Why?” I asked indignantly. “We’re the only ones who can help, you know. Nobody on the inside has this kind of knowledge or power. They’re stuck.”
“Am I supposed to give a shit?” Scar growled. “And for that matter, why do you care? They left you to die, same as me. They don’t deserve our help.”
