I welcome the Lunas to the castle the next day.
After introductions are done, we head to the dinning hall. The women are dressed impeccably, covered in expensive jewelries and even more outrageously expensive clothes. I don't miss the underlaying tint of competitiveness in the air.
Most of the women don't come alone. As I'd hoped, they brought their courts and retinue as well: equally lavishly dressed female wolves who hung on their Luna's every word.
When I take my seat at the table, a hush falls over the hall. A riot of scents flay the air, but beneath the cloying layers I pick up on ill-concealed interest.
"Welcome," I say. "I am glad you all managed to make it here on such short notice. I know you're saddled as it is with running your packs, but I ask that you extend the warm qualities particular to your stations as Lunas to the daughters of the Eld king." I motion to Elodie and her sister. Imatra's missing.
The women turn their att
Rylan thrashes on his bed, screaming. And he is unrecognizable.Scales dot his skin, glowing translucent in the harsh glare of the lights. His eyes are slitted, serpentine, and black claws curl out from his fingers, shredding the sheets.Behind me, the omega whispers in fear, "I thought they'd gone extinct.""Apparently they haven't," I answer absently. He's a dragon.I walk over to his bed. "Rylan," I call gently. Close enough now, I take him in my arms and hold tight, subduing his frantic attacks. He soon calms.What feels like an eternity passes before I ease him back. "Did you dream about your mother again?""No." Frightened eyes meet mine. "I dreamt about you."My breath stops for a moment. "What did you dream about, buddy?""You died. Y-your throat was open and it-it bled.""It's just a dream, okay?" I say, hugging him back to me even as my heart races in my chest. If he's a dr
GWEN___"That's her."Heidi's words bring a chill sweeping through the air. The crowd parts automatically, distancing from I and Umber like we're ticking bombs about to go off. Herra Eunice's face flushes red with anger and she starts to speak. I don't think, I just let my instincts take over. The pulse on her neck beats faster and her words cut off abruptly. A perplexed expression dawns on her face before a spurt of blood gushes out of her mouth and into the air.People scream, lurching back, and it's all the distraction I need. I grab Umber's hand and in seconds we're running down the sand, toward the vast sea.Above the wind, she screams, "What are you doing!?""I don't know!""We don't have a boat, Gwen! How are we going to sail through?"When we're just a foot away, I let go of her hand. Mid-run, I slice an arm through the air in a series of practiced movements, praying to god the
I feel ice beneath me. The rhythmic splashing of water causes a groan to slip past my lips. I peer through blurry slits, making out the vast, blue sky. I reach up to shield my eyes from the sun, turning over to fold into myself. The action causes me roll into freezing cold water."Gwen!"I feel hands grabbing at me.When my head breaks surface, I suck in a loud breath, clawing my hair out of my face as Umber drags me onto the ice sled, pounding my back. When my spine threatens to break under her administrations, I burst, "Stop. I'm fine--I'm fine, that's enough."She relents, seating back. "Goodness. Thought I'd lost you." A nervous, high-pitched chuckle. "Imagine that, me alone out here. I know we're going to die at some point, but it's relief to not do it alone."My stomach bottoms out when I take a look around. Vast, unending blue sea. "Don't talk like that," I tell her with a stroke of determination. "We're going to pull through and t
We'd swum all the way to the tank. I come up for a breather, eyeing the hull. Sailors line the deck, tall and frightening. These are the Eld, I think, disbelieving that I could be seeing them--and still have breath in my lungs. On my lead, we swim over to the aft. The rear is empty.I brace myself. The waves ripple silently, lifting me onto the deck. Warmth immediately engulfs my feet once they make contact with the floorboards. I line up against the metal edifice, daring a peek around the hulking structure. My blood runs cold.A few feet away are Eld warriors. Some lean along the rails, chatting. While a few remain watchful, menacing expressions on stoic faces. When one of them starts to look in my direction, I draw away instantly, not daring to breathe.I remain there for God knows how long before I'm hit with a stroke of inspiration. My arms lift and I shut my eyes. I draw on some last reserve of strength I have and soon the ship rocks. The men quiet. M
I take advantage of their shock and leap out of the barrel. My footing is all wrong due to my legs staying cramped, but I weather through it, pulling a whip of water and blasting the ones nearest to us."Sphinxe!" someone yells, face white. "Get them!"Umber scampers out of the barrel and we start to make a run for it. Wind blast into our faces as we curve down to the gangplank. When more feet pound toward us, I veer right, contemplating the rails."Over there!"Sucking in a breath, I look to Umber. "On three," I rush. "One, two--"We launch over the rails with identical screams. Once we slam down on a low wooden bridge, the people lounging by the bank draw stiff. They sight the large men banding for us and pandemonium erupts. The people take to their heels. We struggle to our feet on the weirdly rocky beach (there is little sand!), then we race toward their distancing forms, hoping to get lost in the fray.But we are stopped on
"We found two of them, boss," the one behind the wheel says into the phone with an American accent. "Thin, about five feet. Looks like they've just escaped an asylum, though.""Fantastic," a deep voice rumbles from the speakerphone.The man beside me snorts, muttering, "Always liked them mad."I scowl, directing saliva to his lungs. He hunches over and chokes. Someone reaches over to pound his back.The man in front asks, "You good, Chuck?""Yeah, I'm fine," Chuck says, shrugging off the helping hand roughly. "Just trying to help, man.""Keep your hands to yourself."After what seems like an eternity, we wind into a... Mansion. Not what I was expecting. Maybe a shady warehouse or some kind of illicit, underground holding, yes, but not this soaring Mediterranean structure oozing with flashy wealth and luxury . What would they need two girls of questionable sanity for?The question is answered once we st
It took at least two weeks to settle in. As I and Umber moved things around our new apartment, I find myself looking into a mirror. I turn my face this way and that, recoiling at the hollowness of my cheeks, the circles beneath my eyes, the protruding collarbones."Hey. Move ass. We've got a king to kidnap."With the reminder, a surge of emotions fill me, anger being the most potent. I am going to get my revenge. Like it was yesterday, images of us dancing under the moonlight on the deck passes across my mind, eliciting a stab of pain. I blink back the burn in my eyes, shucking the furnitures around harder than I intended. I guess this is one of the perks of being immortal. Crazy strength.It also came with a side of alienation.When we'd landed in Manhattan--we didn't even need passports (crazy the things money could do!), I couldn't stop a rush of panick as we were pulled into a flow of bodies. People were returning en masse for Christ
MALCOLM __I wake to throbbing at the back of my head. Pain lances through my skull and I groan loudly, trying to think. After the stint with Elenora, I was heading back to my office and then--"Thought you were going to sleep forever," a female voice says.Female?I try to move. I'm bound!I struggle against the chains around my wrists. No! Gwen, I need to find her before it's too late."Rise and shine. Sorry, bad joke. Seeing as you can't stand. But you will shine when Gwen lights you up."My eyes snap open. Gwen?"Do you know her?" I stumble out to the brown-haired woman. "Please, is she who I think you're talking about? R-red hair, green eyes, about five feet four inches. Please," I breathe past a tightening chest. "I will do anything. Is it money you want?"The strange woman tilts her head at me, appearing almost confused."Please." My voice cracks. "Where is she?"