Aileana and Xander led the way, their auras pulsing through the trees as the Earth Elf fed her magic into the land. The thistles and brambles moved aside as we hiked; the forest bowing to Aileana’s will. Maiela and Kysha followed the bonded pair, their hands intertwined as they walked. Their auras—silver and purple—were strong as we moved through the woods.
Next to me, my dark princess hiked quietly. Her grip never faltered in mine, even as morning slipped into afternoon. The air was thick and heavy with tension as we waited for something to happen.
Hours went by and the eerie anticipation grew. The sun’s yellow rays were giving way to the moon and dusk was falling when a howl rent the air. It was loud, shattering the silence like the first cry of a newborn babe.
Shivers ran down my spine, and I helped my Death Elf over a fallen log just as Xander held up a hand, hissing, “Wait.”
Ryllae stiffened beside me, and her grip tightened. “What is it?” she whispered.
I turned in a circle, my eyes sweeping through the woods. Though the sun was setting, I could see well enough, thanks to my Maturation.
Vines the color of the night crawled over snow-covered trees. Bark that was once brown was now mottled with inky black spots. Thistles and thorn bushes erupted where they should never have been, and weeds as dark as the blackest sky choked out what little life was able to survive through the winter.
But there wasn’t a single animal in sight.
“More than likely, it was a normal wolf.” I tried to infuse my voice with confidence.
“It didn’t sound like a normal wolf to me, brother,” Maiela said.
“Mai,” her wife hissed.
“What? It’s true.”
Ryllae stiffened at my side, and red sparked at her fingers. She didn’t even seem to be breathing as the bitter scent of her fright filled the air. Shooting my sister a look that told her how unimpressed I was with her fear mongering, my free hand crept to the hilt of my sword.
“It’s probably nothing,” Aileana said reassuringly to Ryllae.
The Death Elf exhaled, but then another howl cut through the silence.
“That was a lot louder.” Ryllae’s voice trembled. “It doesn’t sound like nothing.”
Xander looked over, raising a brow before nodding towards the females. After working together for so many years, I could read his expressions like they were my own.Look after them?
I dipped my head in reply. I would do as he asked. Not that Aileana needed watching over. In fact, I was fairly certain she could take any of us down, including me, if she tried. But still, I would do my best.
The dragon shifter stiffened, and his fists opened and closed at his side as he extended his senses. I knew the moment he heard something strange, because his ears twitched. Seconds later a third howl, this one a distinctly lower timbre, ripped through the forest.
“There’s a pack,” Xander growled.
Ryllae whimpered, and I drew her against me. More howls followed. Branches cracked. I shivered. Aileana swore, and Kysha and Maiela took down their bows and began to string them.
“Are they… normal wolves?” Ryllae asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s too hard to tell. They might be werewolves. If that’s the case and they’re not friendly, we’ll have to fight our way out of this.”
“I’ve heard guards were sounded more friendly than them,” my Death Elf muttered. She turned to me, putting her hand on my chest. “Are you… okay?”
She knew. Ryllae always knew. My mother had been murdered by werewolves. Torn to pieces by their claws because of somethingIdid. The others were talking, but Ryllae wanted to know if I was okay.
“I’ll be fine, Princess,” I said, touched by her thoughtfulness.
“We don’t always have to be fine, Daegal,” she whispered. Even here, in the middle of this dark forest, Ryllae understood me in a way that no one else did.
“I know.” Cocking my head to the side, I met Xander’s eye. An unspoken understanding went between us. He nodded, and I knew he would protect my ma—the princess.
Not wanting to waste any more time, I reached within myself and pulled on my magic. Slipping onto the silver plane that was my birthright, I drew in a deep breath. The moment my eyes adjusted to the wisps, I dropped to my knees, running my hands over the ribbons streaming past me like water.
Dozens of paths surrounded me. Some were fluid and changeable, while others were nearly hard. All of them were tinged in darkness. A black fog-like mist covered the silver planes, making it difficult to see much at all. Tracing the paths, I kept going until I found the one I sought.