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I grasp the railing. “Who has he hurt?”
“That’s not really my story to tell. You need to ask Jules. Just be careful when you do so.” He unlocks the door with a slight tremble in his hand. “The past can sometimes be hard for Jules to talk about. The king … he’s been a very cruel man to Jules and a lot of wolves he’s close to.” He pushes open the door. “I’m sorry this frightens you. I just think having the truth is better. That way, you can be prepared.”
I nod, agreeing. I just wish I knew what I was preparing for.
CHAPTER26
Iwait up for Jules. It’s not like I could fall asleep even if I tried. Eventually, I sneak out onto the balcony to see if I can spot him on the road.
As I breathe in the crisp night air and lean over the railing to get a better view, the stench of dirt and faint moonlight punches me in the gut again. My eyes water and my brain twinges, whispering a silent, incomprehensible warning.
Again, my eyes water, tears flowing down my cheeks.
What is going on with me?
Dabbing the tears from my eyes, I slip back inside to escape the foul stench that seems to be triggering my waterworks. I light a fire, then lie down in bed and flip through the book Jules stole.
Most of the pages are filled with useless information about roses and shrubbery and which soil is best for planting lilacs. But three quarters of the way through, I stumble across a title that catches my attention.Nature Energy Wolf, or a wolf that can connect with nature and draw energy from the plants just from a simple touch.
I read further, and the more knowledge I gain about the creature, the more I wonder if that’s what I was doing in the dream and in the forest—stealing energy from the plants.
I read farther down the page.
Why the Nature Energy Wolf can achieve balance with most plants. Toxic plants can be deadly to the Nature Energy Wolf, and to the plant, as well, eliminating both hosts.
My gaze travels to the open balcony doors where the moonlight casts shadows along the vines eating away at the fields. Does this mean that, if I am a nature energy wolf and use my powers to get rid of the vines, I could die, too?
I swallow down a lump crammed in my throat. If it’s true and other wolves find out about my gift, they could force me to get rid of the vines.
Irritation briefly rises inside me over the idea of being sacrificed. Then I remember the faceless, shadowy wolf cubs I saw by the field. I picture Jules’ mom the same way. A shadow of herself, lying in the same state for years now.
Maybe you should just walk into the vines yourself.
Could I do that? Am I brave enough?
I spend the rest of the night reading through the book, hoping to find a better solution than sacrificing myself to save the kingdom. But when I reach the final page, nothing more has been mentioned about the nature energy wolf. None of my memories have surfaced, either, leaving me to question if Ava’s spell was a dud.
Sighing, I toss the book aside and get up to go find Rune and to see if he’s heard from Jules. I get halfway across the room when the bedroom door opens and Jules walks in.
His face is pale and dark circles reside under his eyes. He’s wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants, leaving tons of hiding places for cuts, burns, and bruises.
“I’m okay.” He reads the panic on my face. Then he closes the distance between us, his palm seeking my cheek. “I’m sorry I made you take off like that without an explanation. I just didn’t want you meeting him yet.”
“Yeah, Rune sort of explained some of that to me.” I briefly hesitate, remembering what Rune said. “He said your father has used wolves you care about to hurt you.”
He swallows hard, then steps back, rubbing his hand across his face, exposing the scratches on the back of his hands. “He has in the past. It’s been a while, though.”
“What did he do?” I hastily add, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
He blows out a wobbly breath. “Like I said, it’s been a long time since he used another wolf to hurt me. When we were younger, though, he used to torture Liberty to punish me when I disobeyed.” His jaw works from side to side. “Half the time, I didn’t do anything disobedient, yet he would claim I did. He liked doing that—fucking with my head and beating any wolf he could get his hands on.”
I haven’t ever been beaten before, but some of my foster parents did slap me around a bit, and more than a few liked to play mind games. Poor Liberty. And poor Jules. My heart breaks for them.
How can we all have suffered so much? How can I help this broken wolf in front of me? How can I heal him like he did my scars?
“Why is he like that?” I ask. “So cruel?”
“I think his father beat him, too,” he replies tightly. “It’s all he knows.”
