Chapter 21
FEYRA
I clung to Dion’s fur as he bounded between walls and buildings.
He jumped impossible gaps in single leaps and never stopped.
The merls continued chasing us, and when they neared, I stabbed them for daring to attack him.
Our escape was the inner-city boundary wall, soon coming to the outer walls of Jebra.
At an intersection of the walls, the last merl that had been chasing us finally knocked me from Dion.
I fell, rolling to a stop beside the edge.
My spear clattered to the ground far below.
Dion skidded to a halt, turning back. The merl landed upon me, clutching my leg—but it had been too focused on me and forgot Dion.
He tackled it away, ripping its throat out and killing it.
But he didn’t stop. He continued to rip every limb from the body.
Dion! I called out in wolf sense.
But he wouldn’t listen. He tore the legs off, crushed the chest to mush, then finally, tore the head off of the corpse. He roared at the sun.
We were far from the temple, and suddenly it was silent. No other merls had followed. He stalked towards me slowly, bloodied fur and gashes weaving their way around his body. He knelt for me to climb on and we continued with no other disturbances.
When we finally gained the mountain, we rested on a ledge facing the city. I saw the walls of the temple and felt so damn stupid. Of course my mother wasn’t alive. Of course it was all a lie… Dion howled a painful cry into the sky. Then he shifted, walking away from me without speaking.
We came to a place of cover. A small opening that was shielded from view. A voice inside told me to leave, but I was tired. Dion needed to rest, we needed rest.
I felt his heart heavy with sadness. He still refused to look at me.
“Dion…” I reached out and grabbed his shoulder. But he pulled away. “Dion–”
“Don’t,” he said, turning back, full of anger. “He– he wouldn’t be dead if– we didn’t need to come here!”
I flinched from the verbal wound.
“I didn’t want to come,” he went on. “But Roman said, he said–” he fell to his knees. His chest heaved breaths; tears threatened to fall. His body was bloody and struggling to heal itself. “He didn’t have to die.”
I hugged him. He didn’t push away this time. He crushed me with his arms, crying into my stomach. I could feel his inner howl reverberating through me, his whole body humming, a resounding echo of pain.
I held him. I knew the words he said were in anger, in grief, he didn’t really mean them. I hoped he didn’t.
He pulled away, “I hate prophecy. My whole life– it’s always pain. I don’t want to know anymore. I just– I just–” he swallowed a breathless mouthful.
Something was wrong.
His wounds reopened; he began to bleed profusely.
“I just–” but he couldn’t finish.
“Dion!”
Blood began to pour out of him. His wounds reopened. He turned pale. But there was nothing I could do, because even I felt–
…I awoke slowly, my body heavy and sore. Pain everywhere. Cold wind caressed my cheeks. I was sleepy…lethargic and—something holding me—panic flooded my mind—then… sleep…
This time I awoke with a snap!
Something had woken me. I looked around urgently. Faces. Hundreds of faces. Snarling and laughing. Jeering. A haunting siren…
I was back in the temple.
Horrified, I saw Dion trussed up next to me. Both of us were bound to stakes upon the altar within the center of the temple. Gathered around us were the men-like creatures that had stormed us with the merls.
But it wasn’t a merl that sung the deathly dirge. Perched upon the wall was a Siren Singer. Its hideous membrane wings spread wide. It tasted the air for fear with a forked tongue.
The men jeered and laughed again as Dion awoke. He ripped at his bonds and then snapped to attention, looking at the Singer and growling. He looked and found me then. “Feyra!”
“Are you okay?” I asked.
His bleeding had stopped, but his wounds still looked raw and painful.
He didn’t reply.
The creatures began parting, someone was coming through. The sea of black opened and closed around the individual until they appeared before us, a long flowing black gown and pale skin.
Agatha pouted. “Surprised?”
“You!” Dion said.
I couldn’t say anything, I was confused. Agatha?
“Does it hurt?” she asked. “Betrayal?”
I still couldn’t fathom it. My heart was empty, my stomach somersaulting. She was dead. I’d buried her hand. I’d given her a funeral. I had her bracelet. I loved her like a sister.
I loved her…
She walked over to Dion, who was baring his teeth, straining at his bonds. His muscles were enormous, I expected him to break free. His naked body was a coiled spring. But she clicked her finger and he flung backwards! Slamming against the stake and his arms and legs extending beyond.
She purred, climbing upon the altar. “He really is a beautiful specimen. Shame really.” She looked at me, winked, and stroked his penis. “I bet it was good.”
I growled, wanting to break free of my bonds and break her. Blind fury flooded me. Betrayal screaming in my veins. I went berserk. I couldn’t fathom what had happened, or what she was doing, why she was doing it? It was only made worse by her laughter.
“Why?” I finally uttered. “When?”
Agatha pretended to think. “Hmmm, let’s see… When I was never the illegitimate daughter of a merchant.” She grinned. “You’re so naive Feyra.”
“Naivety is far better than treachery,” Dion spat.
Agatha smiled, then crooked her head, his arms extended further back and he screamed.
“We always knew there were still werewolves in Lassig. How else did one get in and cause such trouble in the Hall? But then, you would know all about that, your Aunt Teetee was such a prominent member in the Elders.”
I couldn’t hide the surprise on my face. I went lose in the bonds. What else had been kept from me?
“I enjoyed killing her,” she said.
I raged again—but was now bound myself. I strived to kill her. To throttle her skinny throat, but I couldn’t move!
Again she laughed.
“Now best behavior, the Lady comes.”
Lightning crackled in the sky and thunder rumbled. A lightning strike struck before us and Lady Skol stood there.
All in white, dressed with luminous pearls beneath her neck.
Her hair seemed alive and was writhing like snakes.
Claws were in place of her hands and she tasted the air with a forked tongue.
She blinked and four sets of lids moved.
Finally she shimmered and turned into the Lady Skol of the city.
A white dress, braided hair with a stately crown. A face that cut people in two.
“Feyra Half-Moon,” she said. “How long I have waited.”
Another part of my dream surfaced, I was of the Royal Half-Moon Pack!
She walked up beside Agatha, regarding her as a well-behaved pet. “It seems the waiting has paid off Agatha, well done.”
“Thank you Lady Skol,” she bowed slightly.
Lady Skol looked amused by it, then turned her attention to Dion. “And you, how tricky you’ve been. All these years in hiding. You’ve made it incredibly difficult to find you. You along with your pesky uncle.”
Dion growled.
“Oh calm down doggie. If you want to sit just ask?” Lady Skol snapped her fingers and Dion was released from the stake. Then he sat like a dog, and they all began to laugh.
Dion seethed.
“Feisty,” Lady Skol uttered, before turning and coming to me. “A shame that you are a werewolf. So much power…” she caressed my cheek. It was like ice searing my skin.
I couldn’t believe that Agatha would be a spy for her. Why? Why would she do it?
Lady Skol clicked her fingers and flames grew beside either of us.
“I vow here and now that I will raise the army that will kill you,” Dion snapped. Even as it pained him. Even as it strained his bonds and made his limbs bend further away. “I will kill you.”
Lady Skol laughed and it was as if her claws were stripping flesh from our naked bodies. I screamed in pain.
“You really think so?” she said. “I don’t.
See, I’m in the temple. I’ve not been able to enter here since it was called the Temple of Dhrum.
But you broke the curse for me. We all have our own prophecies.
The one to die in the temple would be my only true enemy.
And seeing as you’re about to die?” She smiled and our pain worsened. The flames rose higher.
The creatures were gathering in, jostling for a closer position by the fires. Lady Skol turned to them in anger. “Get away from me!” she snapped her fingers and a ring of men surrounding her died instantly. “Filthy,” she sneered.
Dion was straining with all his might, slowly standing from his invisible bonds. He was crouching, soon standing. Lady Skol looked aghast.
“How dare you!” she screeched. Dion sat back down hard. “Bad boy!”
Welts began to arise on Dion. Invisible whips flaying him and opening up his flesh. Agatha watched with hungry eyes. Joy. I hated her. Hated both of them.
“Why are you doing this?” I said.
“Why?” the Lady turned on me. “Don’t pretend to be a fool to me, girl. I know your prophecy too! Both of you. Destined to kill Lady Skol. I have been in power too long to be killed by children. You think you have a chance against me?”
Agatha smiled, wicked eyes, she licked her lips. “Should we finish them off?”
“Yes, I’m dawdling aren’t I?” Lady Skol replied. She nodded and the Siren Singer began singing, Dion was re-lashed to the stake by invisible magic and soon we were at the mercy of death.
Lightning struck and Lady Skol, along with Agatha, were gone.
The hideous creatures closed in. The Siren Singer crooned away. The flames sped along their paths and the small wood below us began to burn. The heat immense. I felt my feet begin to sear.
“Feyra?” Dion called.
I cried out in pain.
“Feyra, listen to me,” he said.
My feet were burning now, I could feel my flesh bubbling. My skin peeling off my bones. But more than that, I felt Dion reach out. His heart filled me completely. I began to feel better. My feet weren’t even burning! A miracle?
I looked at Dion and saw that he was burning alive.
I screamed in understanding. But he wouldn’t stop. He kept surging into me. Giving me his energy and strength.
“Dion!” I screamed.
I love you, he said through wolf sense.
“No!” I cried.
My second prophecy finally made sense. Who I loved would cause my death…but I loved more than just Dion. I’d loved Agatha too…
Suddenly the Siren Singer stopped. It choked on its voice. A light flashed from its center. Then it rose up in the air, fighting against a force we couldn’t see. It began to spin. Getting faster and faster. Until finally it was a blur, then it exploded in a flash and there was nothing there.
Bloody spray rained down on the creatures, who’d watched in awe as their protection died. They turned back to find a wolf, on fire, standing at the altar.
Dion had shifted, and he roared into the night as a second siren began screeching.