Come to me. Wake up, come to me. You have to wake up.
I gasp, sitting up abruptly. My head spins from the sudden movement. My heart thunders in my chest. I touch my cheek and wince. It still hurts. A hand grabs mine, and I look up into Agnes’ worried eyes.
“What did you see, child?” Her voice sounds strange to my ears. There’s an edge to it I’ve never heard before. I blink away the dizziness, and then I recognize that edge. It’s the same one my sister had in her voice whenever I did something reckless or dangerous.
It’s fear, the kind you feel when you’re about to lose someone you love. I try to make sense of the dream I just had.
“Blood. There was blood everywhere, falling from the sky. And there was a man, but he was so pale. His skin was almost transparent. He touched my cheek with his nails and...” I touch my cheek again. Beneath my fingertips, I feel raw skin.
My once smooth face now has a rough edge. The bed shifts beside me. I slowly turn my head and meet Alan’s worried gaze. Everyone is worried. Why is everyone worried? And why won’t my heart slow down?
“What happened at the house, child? What did you see there?” I don’t like how Agnes keeps calling me child. There’s an urgency in her voice, but all I can focus on is how I’m not a child. Not after everything I’ve seen, after everything we’ve been through.
My magic flickers, trying to break free. I frown; my magic has never been this uncontrollable before. I can feel my heart burning with the flames that try to escape from me. Alan grabs my hand, and suddenly my magic dies down.
My heartbeat slows, and my mind clears. I push aside the confusion swirling within me and focus back on Agnes.
“There was a fire. It was burning down the house. But when I tried to get through it, the fire just disappeared. As if it was never there.” I don’t tell her about the whispers. Proving I’m not a child will be harder if they think I’m hearing voices.
“How did the fire start? Did you..?” Before she can finish, I’m already shaking my head.
“It wasn’t mine. I tried to control it, but it was too dark. It was wild, like a forest fire. I don’t know how it started, I wasn’t there when it did.” Agnes drops her hand, turning her gaze to Alan.
“You didn’t tell us your brother used magic.” Alan’s hand tightens in mine. His body tenses. His jaw clenches so tightly I fear he might break it.
“A wolf can’t have magic.” His words are monotone, rehearsed. As if he’s repeated them over and over. Maybe he has. Maybe he’s been trying to convince himself it’s not true.
“You foolish dog. A wolf can’t be born with magic. Your brother is using ancient, dark magic.” Agnes grabs my face roughly, turning my cheek towards Alan. “She’s been marked. He’ll come after her now, because you failed to tell us about your brother’s tricks. He won’t stop until she’s dead, just like the others.”
Alan releases my hand and jumps up from the bed. He stares at my cheek. His face is pale, etched with pain. My mind goes blank. My thoughts are eerily quiet, as if my body is empty. I must be in shock. I don’t understand what’s happening. How did I get here? I look up at Alan. I don’t know why I need him to guide me, but right now, I do.
He seems to understand, because he grabs my hand and pulls me up. His muscular arms wrap around me. Silent tears fall onto his shirt. I hear Agnes quietly leave the room. I give myself ten more seconds to feel sorry for myself. Ten more seconds to be scared.
Ten more seconds to cry. When the ten seconds are up, I pull away from Alan. I wipe my tears away with the back of my hand.
“Are you okay?” I put on my bravest face and nod. Yes, I’m okay. Because I’m strong.
“Are you ready for a meeting to discuss what happened and figure out our next steps?” His eyebrows knit together, creasing his forehead. His complexion isn’t as pale as before, but he still looks unwell. I recognize that look—it’s the same one my sister wears when she feels guilty and powerless. I give Alan’s hand a reassuring squeeze and offer him a smile.
“I’m ready. Thanks.”
But let’s be honest—I was NOT ready. As soon as we step into the meeting room, a cacophony of voices assaults my ears. Everyone’s shouting, each trying to outdo the other, but no one’s really listening. Jackson, Agnes, Austin, and Matt are all seated around the large table.
Naomy stands behind Agnes, her body language screaming tension. The shouting, the aggressive gestures—it’s all too much. That’s when I notice him. A fifth man is seated at the table, but he’s not partaking in the shouting match.
I feel Alan move away from me, his voice joining the tumultuous chorus. But I can’t tear my gaze away from the man. That’s when I see it. His blue eyes aren’t natural. He’s blind. He rises from his chair with a slow, confident stride and walks towards me.
His aura is palpable, radiating power. The shouting dies down, and all eyes are on him. He stops in front of me, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. His power envelops me like a cocoon, making me gasp. As I do, his large hands cradle my head.
My eyes close involuntarily, a white flash behind my eyelids sending a jolt of pain through my head. The mark on my cheek burns under his touch.
I’m yanked back to reality. His hands are no longer on my head, and I nearly stumble. The scent of Christmas cookies wafts towards me, and I’m caught before I fall. Alan, always there to catch me. The silence in the room is deafening. I pull away from Alan and step towards the blind man.
“Who are you?” My voice is barely above a whisper, but in the silence, it rings out loud and clear. The man tilts his head as if studying me with curiosity.
“The question isn’t who I am, love. The question is: who are you?” He settles back into his chair and gestures for me to sit in the chair opposite him. I do as he suggests, with Alan standing behind me, never leaving my side.
His constant presence is both comforting and irritating. I’m taken aback by my own thoughts. Ever since my sister found her mate, I’ve felt alone. I chalk it up to the recent events. Stupid emotions.
“You’ve always been a wanderer, haven’t you? Never able to focus on one task, always buzzing around like a curious bee. A fire burns deep within you, a fire no one understands...” She’s always been a curious child, always trying to understand the why behind the how.
She’s always felt too powerful. No other witch has learned as quickly as she has, not even her own sister, who was years ahead in her education. So, over time, she learned to downplay her abilities, to pretend that things were difficult for her. But in reality, they never were. She just didn’t want to hurt her sister’s feelings.
“Why?” That’s all I want to know. Why is this happening to me? Why is this happening at all?
“In the beginning of time, there was a witch, a wolf, and a human. Each possessed different traits to ensure the survival of their species. The wolf had excellent instincts, always finding the best ways to survive.
The human was creative, full of emotions that encouraged reproduction. The witch was connected to nature, able to grow plants and trees, and light fires to destroy potential threats. But the witch let greed take over.
He felt he should be in charge, that he alone should rule. After all, he was as crafty as the human and could grow food with a mere thought. The Gods created more of each species, which infuriated the witch. So, he turned the humans into witches and made them his slaves.
The witches ruled over the wolves, suppressing them. Their power was nothing compared to the raging fires the witch could conjure when angered. The Gods feared the witch would destroy everything they created, so they created a woman. A woman the witch would fall madly in love with.
A woman made of the same fire as the witch. This woman was sent to earth to stop the witch from his wicked plans to destroy anything he couldn’t control. As predicted, the witch fell deeply in love with her. When night fell, they could hear him whisper her name. And so, he gave her the same powers he had.
But he soon realized that she had been granted power from the Gods, and with his added magic, she was more powerful than he could ever be. So, he cast a spell that allowed him to rip out his own heart. He bound his love for her to his heart.
He buried it deep in a dungeon, surrounded by eternal fires, making it inaccessible to anyone but him. Then he brought in the first wolf. He gave him a flash of his power so the wolf could destroy the woman. The one and only who could melt his heart and make him surrender the earth.”
The man’s face falls, a picture of sorrow. I hadn’t noticed I was holding my breath until my lungs start to scream for air. The mark on my cheek flares up, bringing tears to my eyes.
“What happened? Did she die?” The man’s face flickers with a ghost of a smile.
“You see, the woman was brimming with compassion. She loved every creature that walked the earth. Humans fell at her feet, and wolves adored her. It’s said that the first wolf’s cries of sorrow could be heard from thousands of miles away.
He fought with everything he had to stay away from her. But the witch’s power was too strong, and soon the wolf found himself standing before her.
“Don’t be afraid, my lovely wolf,” she said, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here to set you free.” She took away the magic inside of the wolf. Little did she know that by taking away that power, she claimed it as her own. She journeyed through jungles, deserts, and across seas to find every cursed human.
She removed every fire curse she could find, the wolf never leaving her side. The witch was furious, everything he wanted seemed to be going up in smoke. So he built an army, an army of wolves and humans and witches all consumed by the magic of fire. The wolves weren’t afraid to stand beside the woman, after all, they were powerful.
But the humans didn’t possess such powers, so they stayed behind as she marched forward towards the witch who had hurt what she loved. It was weeks of battles, weeks of wolves and witches dying. The air filled with ashes and the scent of burning flesh.
Every death shattered the woman’s heart more. Even those they were fighting against. So one night she went out alone. She broke into the witch’s castle, leaving behind a trail of fire. They say the fire was fueled by her sadness and anger.
They say it burned so bright nobody could look at it without going blind. But standing before the witch, she realized that he too was one she loved. That he too belonged on this earth. So she created a spell. A spell that would trap him in a world alone forever. A spell that could only be broken if the witch could ever feel love.”
I stare at the man even though he can’t see me staring. Then I look at the rest of the people in the room. Apart from Agnes, they all look as confused as I am.
“What does that have to do with me? Or my mark?” The man shifts in his seat, and it’s then that I notice he’s shaking. On closer inspection, I see the deep wrinkles in his face, the way he’s slightly hunched forward, and how his chest is rising and falling way too fast. I release some of my healing magic. Instantly, I see some of the strain leave his body.
“You, my child, are the one who is going to ensure he remains in this world.” After a second of being dumbfounded, I start laughing. A full belly, hysterical laugh. I laugh so hard that I start snorting. I faintly feel a hand on my back. My laughter quickly turns into tears.
“I didn’t ask for this,” I say through my tears. A crazy ancient witch with massive powers that he can even wield from a prison world? No, thank you.
“You didn’t ask for this, but the Gods are asking for you. We are asking for you. He must be stopped, child. If he escapes the prison, we are all doomed.” I feel the hand on my back tighten.
“What does this have to do with my brother?” Alan’s voice is suspiciously soft. When I turn to look at him, I see all the muscles in his body are tense. His jaws are clenched so hard it looks like he’s going to break them. His face is slightly flushed, and the artery in his neck stands out.
“Your brother has fallen into his hands. There’s only one person who can save him. And that’s exactly why you’ve been marked. With that mark, he can find you anywhere on earth.” The man bows towards me and grabs my hands. His shakes are gone, but my hands are trembling so badly I feel embarrassed.
“I know this is a lot, but there’s a fire burning inside of you waiting to come out. The Gods wouldn’t have chosen you if you couldn’t do this. But never underestimate him, he’s the oldest witch on earth. It’s safe to say he has some tricks up his sleeve.” Alan’s hand moves to my shoulder, and he slightly pulls me back away from the man.
“How do you know all of this?” Alan’s voice is strained, the kind of strain that tells me he’s holding back a lot of anger. From the corner of my eye, I see Jackson stand up. The man too seems to feel the tension; he pulls back his hands and shakes his head.
“Son, I know…” In the blink of an eye, Alan has passed me. His hands have slung the man up against the wall, holding him with his feet dangling in the air.
“LET HIM GO!” I feel Jackson’s Alpha powers fill the air, but Alan doesn’t move a muscle. I stand up quickly and put my hand on Alan’s back.
“It’s not his fault. Let him go. Please, let him go. I’m scared too.. I will help your brother.” Alan’s grip slightly loosens, but he doesn’t let go. The man’s face is twisted in pain.
“I gave up on him and this guy comes in with all the answers after I’ve searched for them for years! IT’S IMPOSSIBLE.” I slowly reach for my magic. A gust of wind pushes Alan away from the man. The man falls on the floor, while Alan bumps against me. In an instant, he has turned around and his arms are around me.
His face buried in my hair, I can feel his whole body shake. I throw Jackson a look, and slowly everyone leaves the room. Alan’s silent sobs echo off the walls of the empty room. They shake through my bones into my core. And for a split second, an anger so great comes over me that it shocks me. I pull back from him.
His eyes meet mine, brimming with unshed tears. He’s vulnerable, open, silently pleading for my support. But all I can see is a wolf. Wolves stole my parents from me. A wolf snatched my sister away. And now, this wolf is trying to claim my very soul.
I can’t pinpoint the origin of my emotions, and I don’t stick around to figure it out. My expression hardens, and I pivot, making my way out of the room. I know this is something I have to do, and it’s a journey I have to embark on alone.
