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GRIFFIN
Alpha Radolph treated us to dinner after talking for hours. Nice guy, but man was I tired and hungry. Even though it was only two hours, the drive took a lot of me.
He offered for us to stay the night, and because Emily wanted to learn more about her possible father, we stayed. This could be her father’s pack, and she had to know the truth.
Cassian knew it, too, which was why he agreed they could stay there rather than at the hotel. At least we wouldn’t have to figure out where to change if we stayed here. The Ash Hounds had accommodations for the change that we all suffered from.
Despite being in separate packs, every wolf knew the struggle. In a strange way, it bonded us, even as strangers.
We currently sat at a table with a few of the more important members of the pack.
“Usually, we all eat together,” Radolph said. “But I didn’t want to overwhelm you with our scent and endless chatter. When our pack gets together, we can be a bit rowdy.” He laughed heartily and introduced the few who ate with us.
“This is my beta, Rohan,” he said, motioning toward the man sitting beside him. He was tall and fit, and I bet he had his pick of the female wolves in the pack. He was older than us but much younger than most of the other members around the table. His black hair fell over his face, and he brushed it away, nodding to us in his introduction.
“On my other side is Silas, the elder I mentioned before,” Radolph said, continuing down the line to the short, older man, with the frail body and the long beard. Then, he motioned to a massive guy, as large as Radolph himself but with huge muscles. Not a guy I’d want to encounter in a fight. “That’s Thoran, our warrior.”
Beside Thoran was a petite female with long, dark hair. Cove, the educator, who’d sheepishly greeted us.
And finally, there was the medic, Niko.
We ate a hearty stew and chatted about mundane topics. It was still a bit awkward, even for the other wolves, but we managed.
“How would I go about meeting with the High Council?” Cassian finally asked. “Is there contact information or a phone number I could call to schedule an appointment?” The last part was said with humor.
“I doubt they’d help,” Radolph said, taking a big chunk of meat from his stew. “But if you really want to meet with them, we can arrange it. It’s probably best if I don’t go, though. They liked Alpha Koda, but not me. Silas can go with you. He’s friends with the High Council.”
Niko jumped into the conversation. “There’s a noble in the fae realm who may be more willing to help in your endeavors. While they have nowhere near as much power as the fae Queen Amaranth, they handle the military in the eastern sector of the fae realm.”
“Mm-hmm,” Cove mumbled, nodding. She finished swallowing her food before speaking. “That’s a good idea. Beltane is only two days away, so you’ll be able to pass into the fae realm easily.”
“Beltane?” I asked, surprised to hear the word. “The Wiccan holiday?”
“Yes, but long before it was a Wiccan holiday, it was celebrated by the fae. It’s far more ancient than Wicca. During this time, the veil to the fae realm will be at its thinnest, making it easier to cross. Similar to the dead on Samhain. Or, as most people call it, Halloween.”
Emily’s head perked up, hearing Cove speak. “So, you’re the pack educator? Maybe you could help us figure out this puzzle.”
Cove nodded enthusiastically, nearly jumping out of her seat. She looked like a child among the burly men that surrounded her tiny frame. “Yes! I adore puzzles!”
Emily repeated the poem that was on the side of the Maledictio Propagator for Cove. Cove analyzed the poem, writing it down on a napkin, and scribbling notes on each line. The rest of us continued with the conversation. After a few minutes, Cove shouted, “I got it!” Heads turned in her direction, waiting for her to explain.
“When I first heard that poem, I recognized it as an ancient poem, though it’s been transcribed many times and has changed slightly. However, I believe the message is the same. Let’s look at this through each stanza,” she said, in full educator mode.
“The elements of four and separate to be. Never engage and never agree. Basically, the four elements are meant to be separate. They each have their own purpose. Together hold strength but are too flawed to see. When you put the elements together, they can be a destructive force, but they also battle against one another. Water on fire can make steam, but it douses the fire in doing so.
“But the secret is the fifth element—spirit, or the universe. Intangible, it doesn’t exist on this plane. This fifth element is what ties the four elements together. Without the fifth, they will always untether.
“Based on those interpretations, I think you need to fill each vial with the elements. But it must be the pure essence of the element. You can’t fill the water vial with bottled water. But I’ll get to that in a moment.
“Now, the part I don’t understand is the final stanza. The path to triumph can only survive with the greatest of sacrifice, by the number of Five. It’s been speculated that during the ancient times when witches had all four affinities, they could unlock the fifth affinity—or the fifth element—and it would give them power beyond their means. However, obtaining such power requires great sacrifice. What that sacrifice is, I have no idea. But it needs to be pure, so I doubt you’d achieve it by using a human sacrifice.”
When she finished speaking, Cassian asked, “How do we get the pure essence of the elements?”
Cove went on to tell us about a sacred forest in the fae realm that had a healing pond. When we got to the fae realm, we could get the water from the pond and the earth from the sacred dirt.
“I’m not sure I should go,” Cassian said. “I’m wary of leaving my pack for too long. With everything going on, something could happen while I’m gone.”
Alpha Radolph nodded. “I understand your concern. I’ll send some of my wolves to help guard your pack while you’re gone. If anyone tries to strike, they’ll be there.”
