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This has beena day to end all days. Belladonna and I have crossed every hurdle that has been thrown at us with grace and cunning. What the Air Wolves lack in size, we make up with intelligence. Bella choosing the Earth Wolves over the Fire Wolves after everything that Flint pulled is the icing on the cake. The Fire Wolves have lost face by the way he handled the tournament.
Bella took the scenting task seriously, and part of me wonders if she had met Hollis before me; would she have stopped there? Her reaction to his scent was powerful and almost all-consuming. So, I’m concerned about going there next. Bella is still hugging the shirt she pulled from the box as we walk into the banquet hall. Pulling out my phone and I take a picture of her holding the shirt and send the image to Hollis.
Hollis:Dude, is that Belladonna? Wait, is that my shirt?
Kaedyn:Yes, it is, and yes, that’s her… She won’t let your shirt go.
Hollis:Seriously?
Kaedyn:Yeah, man. Your ever stoic father broke protocol and hugged her.
Hollis:Wow… So… You’re coming here?
Kaedyn:Yeah, probably next week.
Hollis:Any special thing I should have ready for her?
Kaedyn:Just be yourself. She’s not like the other princesses we’ve been stuck meeting. She’s very chill.
Hollis:Best news I’ve heard all day. ttyl.
Looking up from my phone, I spot Bella crossing the room with both of our moms. The women are huddled in the room's corner with wine. Shit, mom drinking can only lead to embarrassing stories of my youth.
My back is slapped, and I jolt forward. Turning quickly, I calm down seeing my father standing there. “Son, we need to address a few things.” A sinking feeling settles in my stomach as my dad leads me out of the room.
Entering the first-floor study stands a man I’ve never seen before. “Kaedyn, this is Relic as he’s called now. He’s a historian.” The man appears to be in his thirties at most. It’s not till he smiles, and his fangs descend, and his eyes turn red as blood does it make sense. I am face to face with a vampire.
“Young prince, do not fear me. I am here to help your species survive.” Relics voice is smooth as silk and settles my nerves.
“Long ago, your mate’s pack was split. The Shadow Wolves and the, as we call them necromancers.” He pulls from the shelf the ancient tome on the five elements. “It has been far too long since the spirit element has existed.” He flips to the page for the spirit element. The wolf on the page looks exactly like Belladonna’s, right down to the glowing green eyes.
“What does this mean for us, Relic?” I motion to the book, then look between him and my father.
“Belladonna’s wolf’s true abilities are just awakening. With each mate she takes, the stronger she will become,” Relic says as he turns to a page showing the four elements surrounding the spirit element.
“Does it matter what order she collects her mates?” Anxiously, I look between my father and Relic.
“Yes, son, it does. It’s why she was sent here first. Air will increase her knowledge and creativity; it is also the element of new beginnings.” Relic shows us the page with the interpretation of our given elements’ qualities.
“Bella has chosen to go to earth next and had a powerful reaction to Hollis’ scent.” I spit out, hoping it’s the next logical place to go.
Flipping through the pages of the tome, Relic stops on a page of possible pathways. “Earth is the element of stability, grounded, fertility, materiality, potential, and stillness. Earth can also be an element of beginnings and endings, or death and rebirth.” Relic laughs a little. “How is it the witches say? We come from the earth and in the end, we return to it.”
Relic walks around the room, then stops before me. “From what I can tell, she is choosing the path of strength and stability. The makings of a benevolent leader. She’s learned from her father’s mistakes and has chosen a better path.” Relic’s unearthly calm almost puts me on edge. There’s something he’s not saying.
“I still think there’s more to it.” My senses are on overload. Something doesn’t feel right about this meeting.
“There always is, young prince. From earth to fire to water, it’s how it must go.” Relics tone shifts. Gone is the silken smooth feel. The roughness and demand set my nerves on edge.
Relic’s eyes burn a molten red as his fingers elongate, and sharp claws emerge. His whole demeanor shifts as he looks between my father and me. “She will not come into power! Spirit will not manifest.” Time slows, and it’s almost like an out-of-body experience. As his hand raises, what sounds like an explosion goes off behind me. Wood shards fly around me, somehow missing me.
I turn to find Bella embraced by shadows, looking more like a specter than a woman. As her hand raises, I turn in time to see Relic thrown across the room, impaled on a wood spike. “Deceiver!” Bella’s voice booms with the full weight of an alpha.
My father and I are driven to our knees by the power behind her voice. She glances at the book on the table before moving to stand before a hissing Relic. “Grandfather spoke of your kind. He told tales of the blood thirsty walking dead. They tricked the witches into dividing my species. Thus, destroying the spirit element.” Bella’s fingers elongate into talons, and she flays the flesh off Relic.
“I will not be destroyed!” She opens her hand wide and rests her palm flat on Relic’s chest. In a matter of seconds, he turns to ash falling to the floor in a pile.
The oppressive power that held my father and me to the floor abates. Bella is standing there looking down at her ash covered hand. “He was planning to kill us all in our sleep. I will not allow it.” She eventually looks up and there’s something in her gaze. Years of damage at her father’s hands surfaces in times of danger.
