Chapter 3
FEYRA
I shivered against the cold wind blowing up the fissure in the wall, its chill rattled my teeth and I wished that I had fur. By the letter's contents, I should have.
You will be the one to end it all. The words echoed deep into my soul and burned the fears into my heart. Because it was fear I felt. Even though I’d read the letter so many times now that I could recite it word for word, I still had trouble believing it.
Initially I’d been amazed, a letter from my mother. The pendant I’d been given was their, our, family seal. It had marked the letter I’d been given. What’s more, she’d asked to meet me.
All these years I thought she’d been dead. All these years I thought I hadn’t been able to know my parents because they were gone from this world, but they were gone because they were banished.
They were werewolves. They were the King and Queen…
But my father had died protecting my mother and I. In her desperation, my mother left me with Aunt Teetee and fled. I can only assume she’d hoped to be back in my life before I shifted. But the reign of Lady Skol had lasted longer than any wolf had expected.
I was struggling to believe that I was royalty. There was no way I’d come from a line of leaders and warriors. I was a poor herbalist that lived with her Aunty. Yet I’d been abandoned on her doorstep as a child.
Even then, how was I going to unite the wolves against Lady Skol?
How was I going to end it all? I couldn’t even shift.
I only dreamt of being a wolf, I couldn’t actually be one.
How would I convince them to follow me in that regard?
I’d stared out at the city of Moondaj all night, watched it change as the night wore on.
The cold wind railed again, increasing its ferocity up the gap and I realized that it was way past time to leave. I’d been here all night, and the moon was beginning to set over the Warlands while Moondaj woke up.
It would be morning soon and I’d probably scared Aunt Teetee half to death. I could only imagine how late she’d stayed out searching for me, let alone how late she stayed up waiting.
But there was more there. Aunty had recognized the seal. She was always calm under pressure, nothing ever got to her. But her eyes had bulged at the sight of the letter. What did she know?
I climbed down the secret passage, suddenly aware of how tired I was. I’d been up all night battling with this new information. My muscles were sore and my stomach starving. I’d head home via the markets, I could pick up some bread and sweet fruits for Aunty too. A peace offering, of sorts.
I emerged and saw the torches of the guards walking along the wall. Night and day they patrolled, ever since the wolves had been banished from Lassig. The wall had never been unmanned in Lady Skol’s reign.
I heard the guards talking in low whispers of the attack yesterday in the Hall of Order.
The shifter who’d broken through—I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten so quickly.
The wolfman had attacked them and escaped, killing a number of guards and inspectors.
And he’d spoken to me. Security had been tripled in the hours since and no dormant shifter was allowed in the Inner City.
But how had he been able to get in anyway?
That was the mystery.
I made my way through the fields, the cool dew brushing my skin. I sniffed the air, dawn was near and I could hear the merchants talking at the edges of Outer Lassig. By the time I was among the sprawling buildings and shacks, the merchants were preparing their stalls and speaking in happy tones.
I was still battling with my new information, if it was even real, me a shifter?
Still the merchants sold me sweet fruits and breads, unaware that I was potentially the heir to the throne Lady Skol had stolen!
By the time I reached Aunty’s lane the dawn light was creeping among the shack housing, and wood fires burned for the morning meals. I had to know the truth.
I opened the door and heard Aunt Teetee preparing food by the stove. She stood with her back to me, robe wrapped tight, and didn’t acknowledge me when I came in.
“Hi, Aunty,” I said.
She continued to stir the pot. I came up beside her, hugging her and putting the bread and fruits on the counter. I waited for her to say something. But she didn’t. She continued stirring her oats and nodded for me to sit.
My face gave away my confusion, and she smiled for me to sit and wait.
Something was off.
But I did sit.
What was going on? Why was Aunty so odd? I watched her by the stove and waited. She turned with the oats, leaving my bread and fruits alone. I stood to gather them and she waved me down. She sat at the table with me, still saying nothing.
“Did you want to talk about yesterday?” I asked.
Her eyes bulged, but she still remained quiet.
“The letter? The seal? You knew it.”
Again, nothing.
“Are you just going to ignore me?” I wasn’t an angry person, but my temper was beginning to flare. Why was she acting like this?
Aunty began serving the oats, taking care to slop some into my bowl strongly. It splashed onto my dress. “Aunty,” I said, sliding back. “What’s going on?”
“Eat up child,” she said. Her eyes darted quickly away from me and then back to the bowl.
“No, we need to talk about yesterday,” I said. “We need to talk about the letter and seal that you recognized.”
“You need to eat, child.”
“You need to tell me the truth.” I pushed the bowl away, and as hungry as I was, I had to make a statement.
“I would like you to go to the market for me, please?”
“What?” I stared at Aunty in incredulity, why was she being so odd? “I need you to tell me the truth.”
She stood then, went back to the stove, and took a small list she’d been writing. “Oscar is already expecting you.” She handed it to me.
“I am not a child, I am a grown woman. I have come of age. I’ve–I’ve learned things.” My mind flashed with everything I’d read throughout the night. The truth of my parents. The prophecy. Where my mother was waiting…Jebra. “I know about my parents.”
Aunt Teetee’s face flashed fear and turned white, then an instant later, was red and angry. “Don’t you mention any of that!” she spat. “Never utter those words again.”
“I know they were royalty. I know that Lady Skol killed my father and–”
She dove towards me, clamping a hand over my mouth, pressing herself against my body. “Quiet silly girl,” she hissed. “Do not–”
“Let me go.” I struggled free of her grip, wriggling from her arms and away. “Have you always kept this from me? Have you always–”
“Shhh!” she hissed. She stood tall, rising like a serpent of the sands. Anger was in her eyes. She moved forward. “Don’t you dare speak of those traitors!”
“Traitors?” My heart broke. Traitors?
Aunty lunged again and I jumped away. She’d gone mad. Had all of my life been a lie? Everything I’d thought I’d ever known? She lunged again for me and I dodged.
I couldn’t be here with her.
I turned and ran away from her and out the house. Who was this woman? Had I gone to my room she probably would’ve burned incense of Rylewort and Lillydaff. I would have been asleep in minutes. Only to awake with no letter, no pendant, and no more truth.
I sprinted with tears in my eyes. Unsure where I was heading or when I would stop. People were in my way and carts in abundance. The guards watched me and spoke in low tones, the Inspectors enquired me with their eyes and only saw guilt.
But in Outer Lassig, a crying running girl was the norm for some of the brutish men that roamed.
I collapsed in an alleyway and finally allowed myself to cry. I was exhausted and the tears and sobs pulled at me. I wiped tears away only for others to replace them. What had happened? How had my life changed so quickly? I felt my pockets for my letter and pendant.
But I found something else.
A second piece of paper.
I took it out, unfolding it with shaking hands. I could smell the scent of Aunt Teetee on it, and it only said one thing.
We are not alone.
My heart stopped and skin crawled. Panic filled my stomach and my blood thickened. I was on my feet before I could realize and was running in the direction of her home. I’d been such an idiot! How had I not seen it?
No wonder she was acting odd. We weren’t alone in the house. I was being watched the whole time. And I’d been talking about my letter and seal.
I rounded the corner and saw the flames already licking at Aunt Teetee’s thatch roof. I pushed aside the panic and ran to the door and pushed against it.
It was locked.
I rammed with my shoulder.
Nothing.
I rammed again.
Nothing!
The desperation rose in my body, unfurling and rising on hind legs within my chest. I booted the handle catch with all my strength and the door flew off the hinges. The gust of oxygen fed the flames into roaring, but I ran inside.
The house was in disarray. Everything had been overturned and the smell of fire and dried herbs was overwhelming. I knew that half of the stuff in here would put a person to sleep so I had to be quick.
I went through to the kitchen. The table was overturned and a prone body lay on the ground in a pool–“Aunty?” I dropped to my knees. A large gash ran her forehead and her stomach—I gagged.
She fluttered her eyelids open. “Child…”
I cradled her head, the back already soaked with blood. It was everywhere. “I’m glad you got out,” she said, blood trickling from her mouth.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize. I didn’t know. I was just–”
“It’s okay,” she said. She smiled. “It’s fine.”
I brushed her hair, my tears evaporating as they fell.
“It’s true,” she said.
“But how do you know–”
She took my hands in hers . “I was entrusted to hide you,” she murmured. She motioned me closer. “I am like you believe you are. I cannot shift. And as long as you have been near me, I have stopped you from shifting.”
The fire roared and the smoke became stronger. “Aunty we need to leave,” I said.
“No,” she shook her head. “You need to leave. You need to fulfill your prophecy.”
“Aunty we–”
She took my face in her hands. “You have been beautiful all your life. I have been so privileged to look after you. You have been like my daughter. But it was the only way–” Blood erupted from her mouth like a volcano. Her stomach spurted blood as she began coughing.
“Aunty,” I cried.
“Beware,” she said. “Beware of–”
The roof beam fell and I pulled us back. The exploding wood sent searing embers at us, burning my flesh. I dragged Aunty into the hallway, over the broken door and out into the street.
Hands pulled us away and I heard the yelling all around us. The flames roared loudly now, and I could hear the splashes of water that would do nothing. Aunt Teetee lay prone on my body. The woman that had raised me, now dead.
I roared into the sky, my tears and crying transforming. I batted away the hands helping me and ran.
Ran for the ruins of Jebra.