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CHAPTER 16
LORD HALE
The moment my host body tumbled over the cliff; I knew it was time to let go. She would never have survived the fall, and I couldn’t risk being trapped within when she died. I, too, would have died if I had chosen to stay.
With a forceful tug, I ripped myself from the constraints of mortal skin and watched as her eyes turned from white to blue. Wind ripped at her hair and tore at her haggard dress as she fell, arms and legs flailing. I felt nothing for the human heart beating within.
On the contrary, a tinge of excitement sparked to life when I saw fear dominating her features. It was too late though; her fate had already been sealed. In fact, her race’s fate had been sealed centuries ago, when Celene abandoned them, trading her most loyal followers for a love that never existed in the first place.
I watched as the girl’s body crashed into the water below and followed to see the extent of damage dealt to her pretty face. It was a pity; it had served me adequately for years. Floating down, I hovered slightly above the bubbling surface. She’d vanished into the murky depths. I waited, wanting to see the water turn red. Violent grey waves crashed over each other, forming a thick layer of white foam along its restless surface.
Anticipation built, but still no sign of her. Observing the cliffs towering above, I contemplated flying back up to claim a new host. That warrior girl had caught me off guard. It was like she’d appeared out of nowhere. One moment I was successfully luring in my next victim, and the next I was tumbling over the edge.
Finally, a body emerged below, breathing harshly and thrashing, trying desperately to cling onto something, anything within reach. Well, I’ll be damned. Intrigued, I followed her downstream, floating only slightly above as the current dragged her along. She was hysterical, crying, coughing and panting all at once. It was pathetic.
From above, the river was an angry beast, devouring anything in its path as it slithered serpent-like through the ravine. Another wave of frenzied grey pushed her under, swallowing her whole. I could see arms swinging and legs kicking just beneath the surface as she tumbled in its belly. She’d be prey to the river and nourishment for the creatures dwelling within.
To my astonishment, she surfaced again, alive, but it was only briefly. The river made a sharp turn, flinging her into magnificent boulders along its edge. She’d stopped struggling after that, and floated limply downstream with the water around her turning red. I couldn’t see her face as it was buried beneath the surface, her back towards the heavens. Curiosity gnawed at me. Was she still alive? Air and sound being my only true weapons, I used it, summoning wind to create a tiny wave that would turn her over. I shoved, pushing air into water. It obeyed and flung her over, revealing a bloodied temple and split lip.
The river around her stained red, but she was breathing. Barely.
LILY
Notes. Pure and harmonic. A piano. A song of sadness so moving, I felt the agony of its melody sweeping through my soul. A song of mourning, of loss. Sorrow, beautifully portrayed in each keystroke, crafted by the hands of a divine being. No human could ever create something so pure, so celestial. Perfect.
I listened. Emotion stirred inside me. Awe. A touch of something else. Despair?
Somewhere in the background, a violin began to play. At first it was faint, almost undetectable. Soon, it grew louder, closer until it took control of the song, building in rhythm, rising up to a great crescendo. I soared, high on the euphoria it brought, the warmth it created in my chest.
Losing myself in the moment, I breathed in the music, waiting for it to meet its apex. The violin wailed, weeping loudly in my ears, all other sounds fading away, until only one screeching note remained. I waited for it to end, but the note continued to play, an endless high-pitched cry. Something within my mind flickered to life and my senses awoke.
It was the smell of blood I detected first. And then- cold, it was so utterly cold. I tried to move my fingers but felt nothing. Darkness surrounded me. Its emptiness pressed down on my chest, making it difficult to breathe. Swallowing thickly, I wished for the music to continue, to come back. It didn’t. Instead, the violin’s shriek evolved into a low hum. A ringing in my ears. Only then did I understand that there was never any music to start with. That it had been my mind playing tricks on me.
A hand came up, touching the shell of my outer ear. It was mine, I realised, my own hand. Peeling my eyes open with tremendous effort, I squinted in the bright light and blinked back a sudden sting shooting through me.
I was lying belly-down on a muddy shore, my left cheek pressed against the cold surface. Reality crashed down on me, pulling the air from my tired lungs. Leaden limbs held me down, my joints too stiff, frozen. A sudden cry drowned out the ringing in my ears. That too had been me. I’d made that sound.
Warmth trickled over the bridge of my nose, running horizontally over my face, a tear dripping onto the ground beneath me. As the seconds ticked by, the fog clouding my mind began to clear and the ache in my chest grew worse. I’d done this.
Crying out again and shifting my weight to roll over onto my back, tears streamed down the sides of my face, disappearing into damp stringy hair. Everything hurt. I didn’t want to move, although I knew I had to. I needed to figure out where I was and - a sob broke free, tearing through parched lips - I needed help. Desperately.
For a few moments, I could do nothing but lay there, assessing my injuries and trying to gather enough strength to sit up. Running water sounded somewhere close by, breaking through the incessant ring in my ears. Water, waves and cliffs. I was falling. I was drowning. I was dying.
Staring up into a cloudy sky, I released a shaky breath and rubbed at the mud between my fingers. No. I was alive. I was alive. Move. Get up. A Luna cannot be weak. A Luna cannot give up. A Luna has to be strong. You can’t be afraid. Gritting my teeth and hissing in pain, I pushed myself up using both arms. I could only manage sitting up, but it was enough. Crying out in agony, I scanned my surroundings, taking in the sheer isolation of it. Not a trace of civilization in sight. Only endless forest and muddy shores following the river downstream.
I looked down, scanning my body for injuries. My skin was discoloured, covered in bruises and cuts. The dress I wore had yellowed and was on the verge of disintegrating entirely. I wiggled my toes, smiling through fresh tears as it obeyed, no nerve damage.
Sobbing quietly, I clenched my hands. The spirit had tricked me; betrayed me and tried to kill me. My limbs shook from both exhaustion and anger. I should have known better. I was weak and foolish, my mind too naïve and my heart too vulnerable. I bit my cheek, feeling another jolt of pain sear through me. My lip tore open, filling my mouth with blood, an injury I’d missed.
My mother’s face popped into my mind; she would be disappointed beyond belief. I hated myself. I was a poor excuse of a Luna. Another sob. No. I wasn’t one at all. A coward and a fool at best. Maybe it would be better if I just gave up. Lay back down and wait for nature to take its course. At least then, I wouldn’t have to see the disappointment on their faces, the scrutiny and judgement as they looked down on me.
“Little Wolf?”
The blood in my veins turned to ice. No, no, no, please, no. This couldn’t be happening, not again. I shook, a fresh wave of nausea and fear gripping my gut.
“I thought I’d lost you.”
