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“It’s not.”
“Then what the fuck just happened? If that wasn’t the wild magic, then what the hell was it?”
I glanced briefly at Belle. What do you think?
You have to tell him at least part of the truth, she said. Otherwise he’s going to go searching—and that could be bad news, as I’m not sure how Gabe will react to the intrusion. He seemed pretty intent on keeping the second wellspring a secret.
Good point, I said, and then added out loud, “From what we can ascertain, it appears that parts of the wild magic have been infused with the soul of a werewolf.”
Monty laughed. “That’s not possible.”
“You keep saying that,” Belle said, amused, “despite evidence to the contrary.”
“But a soul can’t—” He cut it off. “Do you know how?”
“No.” Which wasn’t a lie because I had no idea just what spell Gabe had used—although I did suspect it hadn’t come from any known spell book. “But I do know the soul is that of Katie O’Connor—the youngest sister of Aiden O’Connor, the head ranger here. She’s appointed herself the reservation’s guardian, and I appear to be the only one she can communicate with.”
“Because of your connection to the wild magic?”
“I suspect so.”
“Which only deepens the mystery of your connection.”
I didn’t bother replying because there was nothing I could really say. I concentrated on the darkening countryside, looking for the next turning point. After a couple of minutes, I said, “The road curves to the right up ahead, but there’s a dirt track on the left that goes into the old dry diggings area. We need to head into that area.”
Belle immediately slowed and then pulled off the road. The headlights swept across the scrubby-looking forest of eucalypts and then pinned a less than pristine track.
“We’re not going to get this car through that,” she said. “That’s four-wheel drive territory.”
“Then we’ll walk. I don’t think we’re far away.”
She stopped just short of a ditch that had at some point been created by water runoff and then switched the engine and lights off. The night closed in but held no threat.
I grabbed the backpack, then climbed out of the car and studied the nearby trees. The gentle breeze stirred through the leaves, making them rustle gently, but there was little other sound to be heard.
“I don’t suppose either of you has a flashlight,” Monty said, as he stopped beside me.
“That’s what flashlight apps on phones are for.” I moved forward without bothering to retrieve mine. Right now, with the stars so bright and clear, there was little need for it.
We’d barely entered the forest when Katie’s energy spun around me again, leading me away from the main track. As shadows grew deeper, I finally used my phone. Its bright light ran across the nearby trees and briefly highlighted a large mound of rocks—tailings from a disused gold mine.
“Is it safe to be walking around an area like this?” Monty asked.
“If we stick to the trail, most likely,” I said.
“A statement that doesn’t comfort me much.”
It didn’t comfort me much, either, given I’d almost fallen to my death down a disused mine shaft only a few months ago.
The path gradually grew steeper and rockier, forcing us to slow down even further. Frustration ran through the energy guiding us, but there was little urgency. It was a point that had trepidation stirring, if only because it meant what we were being led toward was death rather than life.
Something that was all too quickly confirmed as the scent of rotting meat began to taint the air.
“I’m not liking the smell of that,” Monty muttered. “And I’m seriously hoping its source is a dead animal rather than a human.”
“Katie wouldn’t be leading us to an animal,” Belle commented. “So you’d better prepare yourself for the worst.”
Energy tugged me left, off the smaller track and into the trees. I paused briefly, running my light across the ground, and then followed her in.
