Red and Her Wolf (22 page)

“Lock them up,”
Galeta
ordered Esmeralda.

As the fairy of Justice and Truth, Esmeralda had no choice but to do as
Galeta
ordered. Though she was one of the
Ten
, none had greater power than the Head Mistress.
Galeta’s
word was law in fairy.

Miriam thrust her wrists behind her back. “We seek asylum and safe harbor through Kingdom.”

“Ha!”
Galeta
threw her head back, blue hair swishing back and forth like a pendulum. “You’ll rot in fairy flame. I’ll never release you.”

“But
Galeta
, surely,”
Danika
stepped in front of Miriam, dragging the cold glacial stare to herself, attempting to remain calm and rational and not wail and shriek as she desperately wanted to do, “you must understand, we’re going to kill
Malvena
now. In two nights we’re to meet up with the
Heartsong
and her wolf.”

A sharp blue brow rose so high, it nearly vanished beneath her hairline. Slowly, she turned toward
Ese
. “You knew about this?”

“Yes,” Esmeralda said with a sharp clip of her head. “I knew.”

“The Black grows stronger every day. The land sang when the
Heartsong
stepped back through, she will find the girl,”
Galeta
mused softly, as if she’d forgotten her audience and spoke to herself.

“Ye ken the prophecy to be true,
Galeta
,” Miriam spoke up. “I ken that ye hate me, and that’s okay, but for the sake of Kingdom, ye must let our journey continue to the keep. Without me, the child
canna
win
.”

“Crows fly all about Kingdom, rats scuttle down my halls. The Black is desperate to find the girl.”
Galeta’s
nostrils flared, her words echoed with the faintest trace of capitulation.

“Have you been following Violet?” Miriam asked softly.

Galeta’s
jaw clenched. “We follow her traces. The dark magic in her veins is potent, it leaves its marker. We traced her as far as Hansel and Gretel’s woods, but I lost her scent amongst the gore.”

“Please leave her be. I’ve charted a course for them to
Malvena’s
. They are headed there now. Do not arrest them,
Galeta
, please.” Miriam closed her eyes. “We will kill the Black.”

Scoffing,
Galeta
rolled her eyes. “And then what?
Hmm?
We all know the power of the fairy leaves the body when one of the
Ten
die
. The Black power is too dark to contain, too deadly. It will be released and infect another unfortunate soul, and we’ll be right back where we started. We cannot kill the Black, we must kill the
Heartsong
. It is the only way.”

“No!” Miriam cried
,
her wings flapped so hard it stirred the leaves in the tree. “I ken how to stop that. That is why I must be there. That is why the girl must be allowed to continue the journey.”

“She speaks truth,
Galeta
,”
Ese
said, turning black eyes toward the Blue. “I’ve seen it. The Shunned will stop it.”

Miriam’s hands were clasped to her breast, her chest barely moving.
Danika
subconsciously mimicked that very stance, breathless to know
Galeta’s
decision.

It took only a second. “Stop the Black. Then you’re mine.”

Miriam swallowed hard. “Aye,
Galeta
. Then I’m
yers
. But only me;
Danika
must not be harmed. Nor can Violet or Ewan.”

“No.”
Danika
shook her head. “She’s done nothing wrong, Head Mistress. Don’t imprison her.”

Blue flames once more coated
Galeta’s
body as she
rose
high into the air. “So mote it be,” she said and the air charged with a swift current of spine tingling power.
“Esmeralda, to me.”

Esmeralda gave Miriam a grim smile. “Good luck, my friend.”

Then they were gone.

And
Danika
could hardly believe any of it had happened. Nothing had changed. The air was still as sweet, the night rang with the quiet melody of sleeping creatures. Nothing had changed that was, except for the greasy pit of dread curled like a ball in
Danika’s
gut.

“You’re not returning to her, Miriam? Please tell me--”

Miriam smiled. “No. I’m not.”

Relief washed over
Danika
, and the tension between her shoulders immediately eased. “Thank the goddess.” She laughed. “Good. For a moment you made me question your sanity.
Galeta
wanted nothing more than to ground you. Strip you of your wings; I couldn’t imagine a worse fate.” She shuddered.

“I can.” Miriam said softly.
“Leaving fairy.”

“Oh, Mir, I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head. “I’m back now, and I’ll never leave.”

“Good.”
Danika’s
wings buzzed, verve and joy bubbled through her body. “We’ll hide and drink cherry blossom fire until we grow old and fat.”

“That sounds lovely.” Miriam hugged her swiftly. “Don’t ever change,
Dani
.
Never.
Ye keep that joy, it’ll take ye far.”

“Us far.
Us, right?”
Danika
hooked her arms through Miriam’s, and then lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Now, what is the real plan?”

Miriam withdrew her wand from inside her dress pocket and flicked it at a thick bunch of leaves, plucking them gently off the branch and forming them into a tight green nest. Once finished arranging the leaves, they flew to the bed and settled in, lying on their backs, they gazed at the stars.

“Do ye remember asking me why I
dinna
allow the Green’s power to go to ye?”

Danika
nodded. “Yes. I’ve always wondered that. Though, I must say you saved me that night. I couldn’t imagine having to work with that inflated bag of blue
poo
day in and day out.”

Miriam chuckled. “The truth is,
Dani
,
yer
a magnet. Ye draw powerful magic to ye, but the power
isna
meant for ye.”

Danika
sat up on her elbow, facing Miriam. “That’s why I’m here isn’t it?
To draw the Black’s power?”

For centuries
Danika
had wondered what that level of power would feel like, to be one of the
Ten
. Magic to rival even the
Djinn’s
of the east. But never, in all her life, had she desired the Black’s power.
Malvena
wasn’t the first Black, she was third.
Each one more terrifying and destructive than the incarnation before.
That power was so dark it always corrupted, no matter how pure the heart started out.

“Will I have to absorb it?”

“Nay.”
Miriam shook her head quickly. “I’ll destroy it.”

“But, Mir?”
She pressed her lips tight. Not wanting to injure her friend, but how did Miriam think she could destroy something so powerful? Miriam was only a fairy, not one of the powerful
Ten
.

“It could kill you, Miriam. Are you sure you’re strong enough?”

“Aye,
Dani
, I’m strong enough.”

Danika
didn’t utter another word, heart troubled and more than a little worried for her friend. Maybe they were on a fool’s errand, because she just wasn’t sure how Miriam would able to destroy something so malevolent.

She stared at the stars, praying to the goddess that somehow a miracle would happen, otherwise
Danika
knew, they’d all die. If Violet couldn’t kill
Malvena
, if Miriam couldn’t contain the Black’s dark soul… none would survive.

Kingdom would be ruined.

Chapter 14

Just let go
.
Alice
’s words kept echoing in
Vi’s
head. Ewan was in the next room, she’d heard his prowling this past hour. Pacing back and forth, muttering softly.

He was worried. All through dinner he’d stared at her, his eyes so sad, so haunted, and something inside her cried at the look.

This was all so scary and new. Life had been planned, it’d all made sense. Find the wolf, kill him then kill
Malvena
(maybe)… end of story. Live a happy, immortal, and boring eternity.

She hugged her knees to her chest, sinking deeper into the soft mattress. Moonlight cast kooky shadows on the wall. But she wasn’t scared. There wasn’t a lot in life that terrified her anymore. Violet had faced down a wolf. Yes, she’d nearly died, but the thrill of meeting her fears head on and surviving, had been euphoric. Although the old hag had
creeped
her out, but in her defense, she’d still totally laid waste to her.

Her heart hammered painfully in her chest as she dug her toes into the thick white comforter. She’d faced those fears, so why was she so hesitant to face this one? To walk up to him, to tell him that maybe she’d been wrong. No, that she
had
been wrong. That something inside her longed to know him better, learn who he was.

That she was lonely.

Needed him.

Wanted.

She squeezed her eyes and licked her lips. “Ewan,” she whispered, so softly she knew he wouldn’t hear through the wall. “I’m… sorry. I’m sorry for the pain I caused you. I’m sorry that I made you the bad guy and you weren’t. I’m sorry for a lot of things.” She rocked. “But mostly I’m sorry because I’m too much of a wimp to tell you to your face.”

Her door opened on squeaky hinges.

She gasped and grabbed her chest as a dark shape slinked into her room. Golden eyes stared at her from within a wolf’s face.
 
Swallowing hard, she scooted to the head of the bed.

“Did you hear that?”

His tail thumped, gold eyes searched her face. Almost as if he could peer below the surface, exposing her soul, her strengths, her weaknesses, taking her measure, and giving it back. Letting her know he saw her, but didn’t judge her.

His onyx colored fur gleamed in the moonlight. Like a dark flame, it fascinated. There wasn’t a mark to mar his coat. His snout was long and regal, long whiskers hardly moving. But the eyes, the eyes that stared back at her sparkled with more than just the wild flicker of
wolf,
there was intelligence, humanity staring back at her.

Slowly, he crept forward, until she could feel the warm exhalations of his breath brushing against her cold fingertips. Her hand trembled as she reached out, touching the long scar that tracked down the corner of his left eye.

“What happened to your eye?”

He licked his muzzle, anxious energy radiated off him as he danced on his front paws.

This was a huge step for her, but she needed to let go. Not just for him, but for her sanity as well. Hating something for so long was exhausting.

“I don’t mind if you switch forms, Ewan.”

Suddenly the room buzzed with the tick-tock of several clocks, white noise she’d ignored, now blasted her ear drums. Kept tune to the beat of her pulse as his bright white light flared its feelers upon the walls.