Wolfsbane

by Andrea Cremer

  Right now I couldn’t afford to be consumed by the fear of what might or might not have befallen my packmates. Unwavering strength and steel resolve were my best—no, my only—shots at helping them.

  “What about the fight? How did you find us? Did you kill Bosque Mar?”

  Connor laughed. “Kill Bosque Mar. No one can kill that thing.”

  “Thing?” Shay’s eyebrows went up. “What do you mean, thing?”

  “No one can kill Bosque Mar yet,” Monroe said, looking at Shay before speaking to me. “We’re still trying to determine what’s happening in Vail.”

  “Do you know anything?”

  “Watch your tone, wolfie,” Ethan said, adjusting the crossbow slung over his shoulder. “If it weren’t for us, you’d have bled out in that library.”

  “You were the reason I was bleeding out in the library!” I lunged forward, remaining human but grabbing Ethan by the jacket and slamming him onto the tabletop. Leaning down, I made sure he was looking straight at my fangs. “Don’t ever tell me to watch my tone; you have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

  “Calla!” Monroe was at my side, pulling me off Ethan. “Please, this isn’t necessary.”

  Ethan jumped up. “The hell? You’d better curb your dog, Monroe.”

  I smirked. “And you’d better learn not to call me a dog.”

  The girl who’d been in the room with Shay when we first arrived began to laugh. “Nice.”

  “Go to hell, Ariadne.” Ethan was still livid.

  “Language.” Ariadne clucked her tongue.

  “We need Calla,” Monroe said, unflinching despite Ethan’s glare. “This isn’t negotiable.”

  “There’s that, and she’s right,” Connor added, eyeing me warily but with an admiring grin. “You did shoot a bunch of bolts into her.”

  “This is bullshit,” Ethan said. “First negotiating with this kid and now the wolf. We’re better than this.”

  “The kid is the Scion.” Monroe held Ethan in a steady gaze. “And an alpha wolf could be the key to winning this war.”

  Ethan snorted. “The Scion hasn’t done anything for us, and no way are wolves winning this war. This is our fight and they are on the other side!”

  “I’m sure things will be different now that Calla has joined us.” Monroe raised an eyebrow at Shay, expectant.

  Shay shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “That’s not good enough, Shay.” A shadow of irritation flitted across Monroe’s face.

  “What is he talking about?” I asked.

  Shay stopped glaring at Monroe long enough to look at me. “I wouldn’t tell them anything about Vail or what we’d found in the library until you were here. Healthy, safe.”

  “Oh.” Somehow I managed not to blush, but I felt a flash of heat deep in my body.

  Ethan’s fists were clenched and he began to pace near Monroe. “I don’t care if he is the Scion. He’s practically a baby to our world. He needs to follow orders, not try to set terms.”

  “I can leave anytime you’d like,” Shay snarled. “If I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

  “There’s the door.” Ethan gestured to it.

  “That’s enough! This is the way things are, Ethan,” Monroe said. “From now on. Is that clear?”

  Ethan stared at him silently, then finally turned and walked to the opposite side of the room.

  “Well, then,” Ariadne said. “Since I’m guessing we can’t actually talk about Vail until Anika joins us, maybe we should take care of introductions.”

  She moved forward fluidly, smiling as if the tension of the room didn’t exist.

  Monroe frowned at her. “Introductions?”

  “Of course,” she said. “You seem to have forgotten this is my big debut. With all the excitement about Shay here, no one cares. But I’ve been ordered to report to you, Monroe.” She slapped the sheaves of paper against his chest. “I trust you’re satisfied with my completion of the Academy training. I’m ready for my assignment with the Haldis team.”

  He sighed when he took the documents. “Yes, Ariadne. Congratulations on completing your examinations. We couldn’t be more proud to have you on board.”

  She offered him the imitation of a smile.

  “It’s just Adne now,” she grumbled. “The whole name is such a mouthful.”

  “If you insist. You’ve completed your training at an astonishing speed, and you did receive the highest commendations from your trainers,” Monroe said. “You can have your pick of assignments.”

  “I know,” she said, eyes narrowing.

  “You don’t have to work with Haldis.”

  “I know.” Her teeth were clenched. “It’s done, okay? You’re stuck with me.”

  “You know that’s not what I meant,” Monroe began, but she shook her head.

  “Drop it.”

  She brushed the fringe of dark hair from her eyes, turning a genuine smile on Connor. “Are you happy to see me? You’ve been at the outpost for what—three months now?”

  “Try six,” he said. “And you’ve clearly forgotten all about me. I saw the way you were hitting on our Scion when we walked in. Quite the little coquette, aren’t we?”

  “I wasn’t flirting,” she said, but I thought I caught a blush chase across her cheeks when she glanced sidelong at Shay. “You know perfectly well where I was and why I had to be here,” she said. “I didn’t abandon you.”

  I dug my nails into my palms when Shay looked at me guiltily. Who was this girl?

  “A man knows when he’s been jilted.” Connor put a fist over his heart.

  “Is that what you’re calling yourself these days?” she asked with a wry smile. “A man? I was thinking stooge . . . or maybe poser.”

  “Nope,” Connor said. “I think we’ll stick with man. Would you like to see the proof?”

  “I’d be grateful if you said no, Ariadne.” Monroe grimaced, but I could see him hiding a smile behind the irritated expression he’d put on.

  The secret smile faded when she snapped, “I know better than to ask whether you missed me.”

  “Well, I’m elated to see you,” Connor said quickly as Monroe grimaced, crossing the space between them. He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “Tess and Isaac are always out. Ethan’s too grumpy to be any fun. And not half as nice to look at as you.”

  I looked at the new girl again. She was pretty . . . too pretty. Had she been flirting with Shay while I was unconscious?

  “He’s kidding,” she said, throwing a glance at Shay while turning her back on Connor.

  “No, I’m not,” Connor said. “No offense, Ethan.”

  “I’m devastated,” Ethan said flatly.

  Ariadne faced me with a smirk. “And this is the wolf girl? Shay talks about you all the time.”

  I smiled at her. Even if she had been flirting with him, Shay’s thoughts had still been focused on me. Good. That was how I wanted it.

  “This is Ariadne,” Shay said. “She’s been showing me the ropes around here.”

  “Call me Adne,” she said.

  “My name is Calla,” I replied, straightening to take advantage of the inch I had on her. Even if Shay wasn’t interested, I still wanted to make sure this girl knew how things stood between us.

  Her own eyes glimmered with mirth. “So I’ve heard. A Guardian named Calla . . . like the flower. That’s a nice touch.”

  I couldn’t stop the groan that welled up from my throat. “Uh-huh. Like the flower.” This was exactly the impression I didn’t want to make.

  “That’s just fantastic,” she murmured, a smile ghosted across her mouth. “Well, it’s great to meet you, Lily. At least if you really are on our side.”

  THREE

  LILY.

  I could hear Ren laughing.

  Will you ever stop calling me that?

  Never.

  My knees threatened to buckle while I stared at her. “Why did you call me that?”

  The instinc
t to shift was overwhelming. The room felt like it was closing in on me.

  Run, Calla. Run to your pack. You don’t belong here.

  Shay must have sensed my anxiety because he grasped both my arms, forcing me to look at him.

  “Calla? Hey, take a breath. She didn’t mean any harm.” I realized he thought it was anger at Ariadne that had made me want to change. But that wasn’t the problem.

  “Yeah, he’s right. Sorry if it annoyed you.” She shrugged, the gleam in her eyes brightening, as if she had wanted me to attack her. “It just came to mind. It fits and it’s hilarious.”

  I could barely hear her because of the roaring in my ears. It was like being sucked back into a dream. No, not a dream, a nightmare. Feelings that I’d been able to bury while I’d been alone surfaced, flooding my chest.

  Her amused expression faded. “Something wrong?”

  I shook my head, tongue-tied and wishing the floor would open up and swallow me. I could hear Ren whispering the nickname in my ear. Couldn’t Shay and I have a reunion for more than five minutes without being reminded of the one person who could drive us apart?

  Shay answered her, his own teeth clenched. “It’s just that someone else used to call her that.”

  Someone else. Now I wasn’t just hearing Ren’s teasing whisper. I could see his face and remember the way he’d pulled me against him the night I’d run from Vail. From the ceremony where I should have become his mate. He’d kissed me, pleaded with me to stay. Where was he now? He’d lied to help us escape. I didn’t want to think about the price he’d paid for that lie.

  Vail. Home. My heart hammered against my rib cage, making it difficult to breathe. Why am I here? I dug my nails into my palms, struggling not to turn on the Searchers and fly at them as the wolf snarled within me, desperate to fight, desperate to be with my pack.

  Adne’s eyes moved from Shay’s twitching jaw to my face, assessing.

  “Ah,” she said quietly, not trying to hide the smile that slid over her lips. “Someone else. I see.”

  An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Connor finally cracked his knuckles and looked meaningfully at Monroe.

  “So are we going to get out of prison duty?” he asked. “Not that it wasn’t thrilling, especially compared to the mortal combat you usually send us into.”

  “Do you ever shut up?” Shay snapped. A guilty flush crept along the back of my neck. I knew that Shay’s mood was much more about me than Connor’s jokes. Even if the jokes were getting a little irritating.

  “Manners, manners,” Connor said. “Since you’re the Chosen One, you need to make a good impression. Too bad they don’t teach etiquette here. You know—which fork for salad. Calligraphy. The stylish way to disembowel an opponent.”

  For a second I thought Shay would take a swing at Connor.

  “That’s enough, Connor.” Monroe’s calm words carried a flint edge. “Let’s sit tight until Anika arrives.”

  “She’s arrived.” A woman came striding through the door. She was dressed like the other Searchers, but an iron medallion in the shape of a compass rose hung from her neck. Her hair, caught in a ring of braids at the crown of her head, was like corn silk.

  She was accompanied by another woman whose appearance brought only one word to mind: fierce. Her jet black hair was cropped close to her head, and a tattoo of intricate lace-like patterns wrapped around the caramel skin of her neck. The belt around her waist was filled with knives, their bright hilts catching the sunlight and throwing back flashes like deadly warning beacons.

  “Lydia!” Connor bolted across the room, catching the tattooed warrior woman in a bear hug.

  “Nice to see you too, Connor.” Her laugh was low and husky. “How’s Tess?”

  “Still fighting with Isaac.” He grinned. “And missing you of course.”

  She returned his smile. “If all goes well, I’ll get to see her in a few hours.”

  Connor put his hands on her shoulders. “Tonight won’t be much of a reunion.”

  “I’ll take what I can get,” she said.

  Ethan approached the pair. He caught Lydia’s elbow, turning her. “You’re all dressed up.”

  Lydia and Ethan locked forearms in what struck me as some sort of ritual greeting.

  “I heard we had special guests,” she said, looking around the room. Her eyes settled on me and she inclined her chin. I had a hard time not stepping back in surprise. The gesture had clearly been one of . . . respect. Two questions chased each other through my mind: Who do these people think I am? What do they want from me?

  Lydia gave a stiff bow to Monroe. “We good to go?”

  Monroe looked from her to me. “We haven’t quite gotten there yet.”

  The austere-faced, blond woman smiled at both of them. “That’s fine. It means we won’t have to backtrack.”

  She beckoned to me. “Calla, it’s an honor to meet you. My name is Anika.”

  “Thank you.” I took her extended hand, not surprised by the strength of her grasp. Everything about this woman, from the rich contralto of her voice to her regal bearing, bespoke authority. “Though I’m not sure about the honor part.”

  She laughed. “You saved the Scion and that means you might have saved us.”

  Shay had come to stand beside me. “You haven’t told me what it even means that I’m the Scion yet. Adne’s been babysitting me ever since we got here.”

  “It’s not babysitting,” Adne protested. “I haven’t had to spank you once, which is a shame.”

  Shay’s eyes went wide. He glanced at me, shaking his head, but it didn’t stop my blood from boiling.

  “Adne!” Monroe gave her a stern look.

  I half expected Connor to high-five her for taking a line right out of his usual repertoire, but he looked even more upset than Monroe. I took in the girl’s slight frame and began calculating the time it would take to rip her arms from their sockets. Definitely less than ten seconds. Maybe less than five.

  “Lighten up,” she snapped, but then glanced nervously at Anika. “Sorry, Anika.”

  “Apology accepted.” A smile played across Anika’s mouth, briefly transforming her. “It will take time to teach you who you are, Shay. I’m certain it’s frustrating to wait, and for that I’m sorry. But your role lies a little further down the road. What Calla’s place will be in all this is the more pressing question.”

  “My place?” I asked, managing to tear my eyes off Adne, who I’d expected would go back to teasing Shay. But she was watching Connor with a smirk on her face.

  “I’m the Arrow,” Anika said. “So at the moment I give the orders around here.”

  “Huh?” I frowned.

  She touched the iron compass rose that hung from her neck before pointing to Monroe. “The Arrow directs the Guides of each division. You’ve already met the Guide for our Haldis division.”

  “What is the Haldis division?” I asked, thinking of the earth symbol on the door.

  “We’ll explain everything in due time,” she said. “I promise. But there’s an urgent matter at hand that requires our immediate attention. We need your help, if you’ll give it.”

  “How can I help?” Suspicion crept back into my voice. No matter how many times they asked me to trust them, I kept waiting for the Searchers to spring some sort of trap.

  She smiled, but it was a joyless expression. “We need you to go back to Vail.”

  I hoped I’d managed to keep my expression neutral. Go back to Vail. That was what I wanted, wasn’t it? Then why did it feel like my skin had turned to stone?

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” Shay stepped forward, half shielding me from Anika’s piercing gaze. “They’ll kill her the minute she sets foot back there.”

  I shot a stern look at Shay. He wasn’t wrong, but I’d been born to fight. My initial shock at Anika’s words had dissolved, leaving my canines sharp in my mouth. I’m an alpha, Shay, not a pup. You’d better not forget that.

  “Not back into her life,” A
nika said. “Now that you’re here—you, the Scion—the war will rage without ceasing. The Keepers will come at us with everything they have. We need to gain the advantage.”

  “How will sending her back to Vail give you any advantage?” Shay asked.

  “We want to try something.” Monroe put his hand on Shay’s shoulder, pulling him back. “Something that worked a long time ago. An alliance.”

  An alliance. The Harrowing. The first Guardian revolt. It was all falling into place.

  “Oh,” I said, feeling both a surge of hope and a skittering fear beneath my skin. War. The Searchers are going to war and I’m their first volley. My shoulders tightened at the thought of battle, powerful, ready.

  “Wait a second.” Shay shrugged Monroe’s hand off. “You mean an alliance with the Guardians?”

  “It’s happened in the past, and made a huge difference in our ability to resist the Keepers.”

  Shay shook his head. “That’s not how I read it. I know about the Harrowing. You’re lucky the Guardians aren’t extinct.”

  Stop trying to protect me. He ignored my warning growl, keeping his eyes on Monroe.

  “The Harrowing ended badly,” Monroe said. “But for a time it was a successful endeavor. This time such an alliance could be the difference between winning and losing.”

  “And there’s one vital piece we have that didn’t exist at the time of the Harrowing,” Anika said.

  “And what’s that?” Shay asked.

  “You,” she said.

  Now it was Shay’s turn to say, “Oh.”

  I watched him, wondering if he’d learned anything more about his own role in the mystery we’d unraveled in Vail. Anika had called him vital—the difference between why the Harrowing had failed and why the Searchers thought they could win this war now. I hoped she was right, considering what saving Shay had already cost me.

  “Why?” Ren hissed. “What about him is worth risking your own life?”

  “He’s the Scion,” I whispered. “He might be the only one who can save us. All of us. What if our lives belonged only to us? What if we didn’t serve the Keepers?”

  I remembered the words passing from my lips, but there had been another question. One that I hadn’t dared voice to Ren. Not when my life and Shay’s were on the line.