Blood for Wolves

chapter 14

Alex pushed his way through the crowd, though most of them jumped out of his way, and made his way to the front where Wolf and I stood tied at the stake. “Hey! HEY! STOP!”

The crowd went silent again and the man with the torch paused. Alex glared at me as if to say, “Could you be any more trouble?”

He faced the crowd, pointing at Wolf. “This man is not responsible for the killing of your livestock.”

Several people shouted back in challenge.

“He’s a wolf!”

“Burn him!”

“Those were my cows he killed!”

The man with the torch bent forward and started to touch the fire to the bits of kindling. Alex saw him and grabbed the torch out of his hand, throwing it into a nearby horse trough.

“He did not kill those animals!” he yelled. The anger in his voice silenced many of them, but not all. He took a different tactic and reached into his coat, pulling out something that shined.

“You doubt the word of a Sentry from the House of Hood?”

He held it up for the people to see. As he moved his hand around, I caught a glimpse of it. A badge. This time the entire crowd went as silent as a graveyard.

“I saw the creature that killed your animals,” Alex continued. “When I went to investigate the matter for myself, I saw it feeding on one of the cows.”

He stopped, letting them absorb what he was saying.

“What was it?” a woman finally yelled. A murmur of approval went through the crowd.

“It looked like a,” he hesitated, as if saying it would make him certifiably insane, “a werewolf.”

Gasps and shrieks went up from the crowd.

“It can’t be!” a man shouted. “Werewolves were banished long ago.”

The crowd started to agree.

“Apparently they’re back,” Alex snapped. “And that’s what you should be hunting. Not burning this man.”

“Why didn’t you kill it?” someone yelled.

“I didn’t have enough time to get a shot off. It ran away into the woods to the east.”

The people went silent again, unsure of how to handle this new information. They knew they had a wolf in custody, but with a Sentry telling them he was innocent and a werewolf was wandering nearby no one seemed to know what to do. I tugged at the ropes around my hands. They bit into my wrists, refusing to budge.

“Well,” one man started, “we still have a wolf. We should burn him anyway!”

That got the crowd going again. Wolf growled, straining at his bonds.

“You will do no such thing,” Alex yelled over the commotion. “He is innocent, and therefore you will let him go.”

“You’re a Sentry! Why do you want to let a wolf go?”

“Because he’s a half-wolf. A half-wolf is half human as well. He is what he is through no fault of his own.”

“No good can come from any wolf!”

The mob started to get more violent. Alex pointed at Wolf again.

“This man saved my life!”

The square went quiet. The whole area was like a crazed see-saw, and it was all Alex could do to keep his side down.

“He saved my life,” he said again, “and I owe him a debt.” He gazed at the sea of faces. This new bit of information seemed to be more than they could comprehend. “And what is the matter with all of you? Burning an innocent woman as well?”

“She’s a wolf lover!” a man next to Alex yelled.

In one swift movement Alex had his crossbow out and pointed at the man’s chest, acting in a way he thought a Sentry might act.

“One more word out of you fella, and I’ll sink a bolt into your heart.”

I had the best damn stepbrother ever. Finally I managed to loosen the rope around Wolf’s wrists enough and he jerked his hands free. But instead of trying to escape he wrapped his arms around me protectively.

“I’ve had enough out of all of you. Get up there and release them. They’re coming with me.”

After several agonizing minutes, a few men finally came up and grudgingly untied us. I jumped down behind Alex, Wolf right at my heels. Alex moved forward and the crowd parted. Some of the people looked cowed, others angry, and some just plain confused. Once we were away from the square, we made our way to the phantom building. On the way, Wolf wrapped Alex in a huge hug.

“Thank you Alex. We would have both been burned to ashes if not for you.”

“Yeah, well, you’re welcome,” Alex said, adjusting his coat amidst his discomfort. “What did you really do, anyway?”

Wolf’s face went red. He cleared his throat. “I uh, I ate a sheep.”

Alex shook his head, at a loss for words.

“Did you really see a werewolf?” I asked, still trying to shake off the fear of being burned alive.

“Whatever the hell it was, it sure as hell looked like one. Like a man and a wolf, put together.”

“That’s bad,” Wolf said, deeply troubled. “Very bad. With werewolves around, it’s going to get worse than ever. People hate wolves enough as it is. If they find out that half-wolves can become werewolves, and half-wolves sometimes come from full wolves…”

I wanted to ask, “But why emerge now?” but a shift in the area jarred my senses.

“Oh God,” I said. “It’s waking up.”

I ran down the street, Alex and Wolf right behind me, and slid to a stop in front of the phantom house.

It was already shifting, darkening, unbecoming a house and turning back into the tall, smoky werewolf creature. Through the darkness I could see Marianne curled up inside of it. I snatched up the bouquet of bluebells and morning glory vines we’d left there. The beast let out a snarl that sounded like it’d been scraped across gravel. Its eyes glowed red and its claws had to be at least a few inches long. I shoved my terror down and I waved the bouquet in front of it.

“Over here!”

The werewolf’s eyes turned toward me, focusing on the bluebells. That’s it, I thought, it found Marianne through the bluebells.

Alex let fly a bolt, but it sailed right through the werewolf, burying into a house wall behind it.

“Come on, down here!” I yelled, shaking the bouquet. The beast looked back and forth from Marianne to the bouquet, uncertain.

Suddenly a silver object hit it on the side of its head. Alex’s horseshoe. The werewolf’s eyes opened wider, and it opened its mouth and an ear-piercing roar ripped through the air, dropping the three of us to our knees. I squinted through the pain and then realized this could be my chance. I leapt to my feet, running behind the phantasm and grabbing onto its shaggy hair. I half expected to fall through it, but to my surprise it felt solid under my hands. I hauled myself up and threw the morning glory vines around its neck.

The creature reared and roared again, throwing me back to the ground. I got up and grabbed the crossbow bolt from the wall. The werewolf seemed more baffled than ever, its roar weakening. It looked down at Marianne in confusion. Then Marianne woke up.

“Marianne!” I yelled. “Think of snowdrops! Think of snowdrops!”

She squeezed her eyes shut. The beast tossed its wild head, shrieking horribly. Alex and Wolf threw more objects from Alex’s pouch. Some worked, others didn’t. I threw the bouquet of bluebells down the street. For a moment nothing happened. Then the magical apparition bolted toward the bouquet—and left Marianne sitting on the street.

It didn’t take the thing long to realize that wasn’t right. I dug my hand into my own pouch and pulled out the vial of juniper and clover. Please let this work. I smashed it against a building, ignoring the pain of glass shards biting into my palm, and wiped the bolt down with the liquid in my hand. The werewolf spun around and leaped at me. I ducked out of the way and its claws swept past me, grazing my arm. The beast skidded to a halt and snarled at me over its shoulder. Then it froze. It looked at its claws. Black tendrils reached up from where my blood wetted its claws and slithered up its arm. Its fingers started to disappear.

I didn’t know what it was doing, but I wasn’t going to wait to find out. I jumped onto a stack of crates and then onto the back of the creature, holding onto it for dear life. The thing whipped around, and I caught sight of its hand disappearing. Dark smoke rose up to engulf us both. Behind us Wolf shouted my name. I pulled my arm back and shoved the bolt deep into the werewolf’s back.

This time it didn’t go through its body like smoke. It let out another bellow, and I thought my eardrums would burst. The beast bucked and howled like it had been shot. I let go, tumbled through the smoke, and crashed to the ground. A burning pain stabbed through my arm when I hit. Wolf was at my side in a moment. I looked over my shoulder where the creature thrashed and convulsed. Finally it dropped to the ground, the darkness washing over the street like a black liquid, before finally dissipating into the air.

I lay where I was for several moments, breathing hard. My hand shook, bleeding from the pieces of glass sticking out of it. But we’d killed it. We’d defeated a magic spell. Probably not in any normal way, but who cared?

Distant shouts and cries of surprise floated down the street to us.

“Time to leave,” Alex said. He held Marianne in one arm, her face buried into his shoulder, and threw my daypack to Wolf.

Wolf hauled me to my feet, and together we ran from the town.

We traveled the rest of the day, Wolf tenderly picking the glass out of my hand and occasionally giving it a lick. Marianne hadn’t moved from Alex’s shoulder. I supposed she was in shock. I wanted to talk to her, but I left her alone for the moment. Alex was already doing a fine job of that, speaking to her quietly and telling her positive things. I hoped she would come around soon, though I wouldn’t have been surprised if she ended up scarred for life. And who could blame her?

“So what did that?” Alex finally asked.

“Juniper and clove oil,” I said as Wolf licked my palm again.

“Mm,” Wolf said. “Maybe.”

“What do you mean maybe?” I winced a little as he pulled a sliver of glass out of my finger.

“There is something undeniably sweet about your blood,” he said as if that were completely normal conversation material.

“I thought you were fixed now that the full moon was gone.”

“I am. But there is something in your blood. Remember how it was so much easier for me to find you when you started bleeding?”

“Okay, can we discuss this later?” Alex said, frowning uncomfortably.

But I already knew what Wolf meant. The harpies. He’d said he was able to find me much quicker after they’d injured me, all thanks to whatever was in my blood. I’d just chalked it up to the amount of chocolate I ate. Then again, when the phantom werewolf clawed my arm, its entire hand began to disappear.

“How is she?” I looked to Marianne.

Alex sighed. “Still hasn’t said anything. Probably still thinking of snowdrops.”

A muffled noise escaped Alex’s shoulder. “No, I’m not.”

I couldn’t help but smile with relief. Marianne finally peeked out, first eyeing me and then Wolf.

“What’s he doing here?” she asked.

Wolf released my injured hand and tried to look at docile as possible.

I patted his cheek with my good hand. “He’s on our side. I know that must sound strange to you, but he’s been helping us find you so we can take you back home. That’s how I was able to find you when the giants gave you to those men.”

“Wolves don’t listen to people. My papa told me that.”

“I know honey, and most of the time they don’t. Your papa’s right. But this one listens to me.”

I shot a glance at Wolf, hoping that was an okay thing to say. The corner of his mouth quirked in a smile.

“He was going to eat me!”

Wolf huffed. “I was not.”

“Were too!”

“Was not!”

“You had a big knife and you were going to carve me up and make me into stew!”

Wolf growled a little to himself. “I never should have picked up that knife. Everyone’s been judging me more on that than being a half-wolf.”

I shook my head and then put a hand on Marianne’s shoulder. “I thought he was going to hurt me too, but I was wrong. He was just a little confused.” Not really, but it was the best I could come up with. “He’s been very good since then.”

“You never said anything about a knife,” Alex said, giving me a disturbed sidelong look.

But before I could answer, Marianne finally seemed to realize another strange person was carrying her.

“Who are you?”

Alex gave her his most dazzling grin. “I’m Caroline’s brother Alex.”

Marianne leaned back enough to examine him. “You look like one of those men from the castle.” She mulled this over for a moment, then pointed at Wolf. “Aren’t you supposed to be chasing him?”

“I’m not actually a Sentry and no. I don’t hunt wolves.”

Marianne looked more confused than ever. I tried to think of a way to explain things.

“Do you remember when you first saw me?” I asked.

She nodded. “I went through the pond because I thought it would be safer on the other side.”

“So you knew there was another side?”

Her head bobbed again.

“That’s where Alex and I come from. That side is very different from this place. That’s why I didn’t know about the giants or the wolves. I’ve never been to this side.”

She considered this as we walked. Wolf took up my hand, gave it one last lick, and then smeared chewed up lavawort all over it. He must have grabbed some as we walked. Then he smoothed a gum leaf over the mess of red and green.

“Try not to move your hand too much,” he said. I smiled at him and he turned his attention to the claw marks on my arm. Luckily they weren’t too deep.

“Do I get to go home now?” Marianne asked.

“Yes,” I said. “That’s where we’re taking you. But we need to know some things so we can make sure you stay safe on the way.”

“Like what?”

“Why were your parents taking you to the kingdom? You said they wanted you to be safer there. Why did you get to go and none of your friends did?”

She made a face at the thought of being forced to leave all her friends. “I don’t know. I think it’s because the wolves killed my sister. I think they were worried they might kill me too.”

There had to be more. No one would send such intense magic after a girl born in a fairy ring for no reason. Way too many puzzle pieces, and I didn’t know how to make them fit.

“What about your friends? Weren’t their parents worried too?”

Marianne went silent as she thought. And she thought about it for too long. The answer was no, it had to be. No other parents were worried because Marianne was special in some way. I wondered if maybe her sister had been a part of it and maybe that killing Marianne would finish some kind of job. I switched tactics.

“Is it special to be born in a fairy ring, Marianne?”

She shook her head, abandoning her other thoughts. “No. Fairy rings are dangerous though. My papa was worried that both me and mama would be taken away.”

“Your daddy’s right about that one,” Alex said. “I walked into a fairy ring before we found you.”

“How did you get out?”

Alex pointed at Wolf. “He saved me.”

Wolf performed an elaborate bow.

Good old Alex. He’d mentioned his fairy ring mishap just to give Marianne a little more faith in Wolf.

“Is that why everyone wants to eat me?” Marianne asked after a moment. “Because I was born in a fairy ring?”

“I don’t know,” I said, “but I’d like to find out.” I glanced at Wolf. “Do you know why whoever rescued you is after her?”

He shook his head. “We were never told. It was just, ‘You’re free now. Put on these collars and do what I say.’ I was just happy to be out.”

“Out of where?” Alex asked, a look of disapproval forming on his face.

Wolf scratched at his neck uncomfortably and muttered, “The Impound.”

“You were in the Impound?” Marianne gasped. “You are bad.”

“I am not. All I did was eat some sheep.”

“Yeah, and we all know where that tends to get you,” Alex said.

“They’re just sheep. I was hungry.”

“All right,” I said loudly, “all right. Everyone chill out. We’ve been through this. What we need to focus on is getting Marianne home and finding someone with magic power to protect her until she gets to the kingdom like she’s supposed to.”

For a few moments we were silent. Wolf sulked beside me. I patted him on his arm and in return he gave me a weak smile.

“I’m hungry,” Marianne said at length.

“Are you?” I said. “Then we’ll take a break and get you something to eat. We’ve got some supplies in my pack.”

We detoured off the path far enough to be out of sight in case something unwanted decided to come down it. Alex sat Marianne down on a fallen log and set about helping Wolf clear a small area for a fire.

“Wolf, is there a lake or a river or something around here? We need water.”

“Yes. Just a little ways through those trees,” he said, pointing.

No doubt located through scent. I pulled my water bottle out of my pack and set off.

“Wait, I want to come with you,” Marianne cried behind me.

I stopped and offered her my hand. She ran after me and latched on tight. The poor thing. I could only assume she didn’t want to be left with Wolf, even with Alex around. Together we made our way through the trees, eventually arriving at a wide lake with a surface like a mirror. A set of mountains pointed into the sky beyond the trees on the other side, echoed in the quiet lake waters. A few birds chirruped in the branches above me. I closed my eyes for a moment. Relaxing. Sunny. Warm. For a moment I made myself believe I was at home, in my world, finishing my recent checkup on the Blue Royal Wolf Pack. That I’d named the pups and had all my notes. That I wasn’t scarred up and trying to figure out magic.

Then I gave up, filled the one water bottle I had, and we returned to our camp.