Hands pulled us away and I heard the yelling all around us. The flames roared loudly now, and I could hear the splashes of water that would do nothing. Aunt Teetee lay prone on my body. The woman that had raised me, now dead.
I roared into the sky, my tears and crying transforming. I batted away the hands helping me and ran.
Ran for the ruins of Jebra.
Chapter 4
DION
She would be the one to kill her.I awoke from my sleep hearing that phrase spoken to me, but I couldn’t have told you from who or where.
The light in our room was low, dawn had come and gone but the day was yet to begin. I turned to the other bed, not surprised to see no sign of Roman. He would’ve spent the night out talking with locals, he always did when we visited villages.
I yawned and sat up, took my shirt off the bed rail, and got out of the uncomfortable thing. I was happy enough to have a roof over my head, yet if I was going to, I’d like it to be comfortable. I snorted. I sounded like some royal pig. Probably would’ve fit right in with Lady Skol’s court.
I splashed my face with the cold water in the basin and threw open the window. I felt the tender scar on my abdomen, looking at it in the mirror. The wild packs of feral werewolves were getting worse. It wasn’t the first time we’d been attacked, but it was the first time I’d heard one of them mutter the name ‘Locke’.
I pulled my shirt on and stomped into my boots. I threw on my robe and brought up the hood. Giving the room a final look and with our travel bags in hand, I closed the door for the last time.
The front room was empty at this hour. Just a serving girl and the chef running the morning meal, but other than me, the only people I saw coming down were those leaving or Nicholas himself.
I asked for two of the breakfast meal and ales, and commenced waiting for Roman. I knew that he would come in soon, and after not long, he did.
“Alright?” he asked, sitting at the table. “Good sleep?”
“Just the dreams,” I said, stifling a yawn.
“Better or worse?”
“Neither,” I replied. “Just…different this time. Still with her. Still in the anteroom, but–” I scratched my beard, looked around the room. “I wasn’t the only one there this time.”
Roman had stopped with his mug half way to his mouth. “Not the only one?”
I nodded. His face twisted in a frown, thinking, then he nodded. “This girl comes then.”
“But it was a wolf I saw. Not a woman. And she most certainly didn’t have a scarred heart.”
Roman shrugged. “Being this close to Lassig, the disturbance yesterday? It’s the only thing that makes sense.” He took a large mouthful of the gruel, made a wry face, then took another spoon. “Besides, there’s other things we have to speak of. We can’t leave yet.”
“Why’s that? I’ve got the bags–”
“It doesn’t matter.” Roman finished his ale in one go and then signaled for a second serve of everything. His face looked tired. Alert, but he was exhausted. “You’re gonna want another serve too. We’ll need our energy today.”
“Why, what’ve you discovered?”
Roman didn’t answer, he waited for the girl to bring the second serves of food and drink and then began eating. When he’d finished his second bowl of food and was sitting there pondering his thoughts with his ale, he was ready.
“Locke did what we thought, he’s brought extra men. Not an army, or legion’s worth. But there’s some big boys there. Under any other pack, other than your father’s or Locke’s, they’d be an alpha or beta. They’re strong boys. Dirty and cunning. He’s planning something–”
“We should warn Father,” I said. I stood and Roman immediately ushered me to sit down.
“We can’t, if we alert him there’s the chance Locke will find out. And I don’t want Locke to know that I knowanything.I’ve already made arrangements and spoken to Ripjaw. He’ll gather men.”
I nodded earnestly; our lives had changed in a blink of an eye. Was this the beginning of my life now? “What can I do?”
“You’ll do as I do. We’re keeping our eyes peeled. I know it’s happening in the square though. But Locke wasn’t the only one to bring plenty of men, the other leaders havecome with more men too. Everyone’s showing force. Confidence is falling with your father I’m sorry to say.”
I swore, hung my head, wishing I could do something more thanwait.I was strong enough to decimate any of these leaders. I was strong enough to challenge my own father.
