3. Lea
3
LEA
Seventeen Years Ago
T he grass and dragon’s tongue petals tickled my legs as the warm summer breeze swept through the sleepy forest of Dask.
There wasn’t much I loved about Dask except for this spot.
It was where I found the most unique ingredients for my potions.
I scribbled a sketch of the new mushroom I found hiding under a log before looking over the top of my journal at Dask below me.
I could see the villagers greeting each other and exchanging linens and food.
Although it was nowhere near as spectacular as the major cities, it had a certain charm that no one could beat.
Everyone knew each other here. We took care of each other.
I looked back down at the mushroom that I was sketching.
I can’t wait to get this baby and figure out what it can do!
I held up the Solare-colored cap to my eye, twisting it so I got lost in a dizzying tunnel of orange, yellow, and purple.
My head buzzed for a moment, throwing off my focus. That could only mean one thing… Trouble.
I picked up my satchel and potions book and began making my way out of the forest.
The more my head buzzed, the more I got concerned.
One good thing about being a werewolf was that I could sense if my close kin were in danger.
The main street of Dask showed signs of the morning’s heavy rain, with puddles sitting in the uneven cobblestones and the earth turned into a thick paste underfoot. The deep, irregular tracks in the mud indicated that a heavy caravan had passed through the street, leaving a lasting impression. The moisture in the air mixed with the earthy scent of wet soil, a reminder of the recent storm that had swept through the area.
In that instance, I knew exactly what the danger was. I began running fearfully down the street until I reached the small shack that was my home and the front of my parents’ little shop.
The opulent caravan stood right outside my home, and a few werewolves encircled it protectively.
I sneaked around the back to avoid detection. I wasn’t sure what situation they were in, but I was ready to fight. I grabbed the sturdy metal bar leaning against our house, which we used to stamp down the trash when it got too full.
The door opened silently, and I could creep into the back part of the shop without alerting anyone.
I could hear the conversation, which sent shivers down my spine.
“You think you’re being brave, but in truth, all you’re being is stupid. There is no way any one of you could match up against us. If you don’t start paying your fair, soon the ferryman will start collecting souls instead of coins.” I couldn’t quite see who was talking, but I knew it was one of those thugs who worked for Diesel.
Diesel Ransom was the head of the largest potions cartel in Dask—in all of Anterra, even. His capabilities were frightening.
Luckily, his nephew Jax was nothing like that. He was much more like his father than his uncle.
“You’re not going to come in here and threaten my family.” Papa’s voice was booming, silencing the shrill thug who was speaking.
“I’ll cut your throat open right now!” She growled, and I could feel the shift in the air as she started to change.
I couldn’t stand by any longer.
The rage I felt hearing her say that to my family was enough to push me over the edge.
My claws started to stretch from the beds of my nails, and my jaw began to crack.
I stepped out into the shop as clear as day. “If you think you’re going to attack us without a fight, you’re dead wrong!”
“Oh, look! You even have a little pup just old enough to sprout her teeth.” She mocked me.
Now that I was seeing her up close, I could see all the battle scars on her face.
Her hair was pure white down to her lashes.
She had shifted so much that her eyes were permanently yellow. She hardly looked human anymore.
I charged at her, but Mama’s arm flung out, catching me at my waist before I could move any closer. As frustrating as it was, I wasn’t about to disobey my mother.
Still, my very claws burned to tear into her for threatening my family.
At that moment, a faint whistle caught our attention, but it wasn’t caused by the wind or anything we had heard.
Whatever it was, it caught the attention of the female Beta in front of me.
A frightening grin crossed her face before her eyes darted back to us. “Too bad. I was having fun… See you later, little pup.”
She waved at me, bearing her teeth before leaving the shop with the other wolves. She climbed into the caravan and rode away.
Only then did I allow myself to breathe.
I clutched my chest as if my heart was about to explode. “That was the single most horrifying experience of my young life. Let that be the end of it, I hope.”
My parents looked down at me, clearly unconvinced.
The curtain to the shop flew open again, and our heads snapped at once to see who it was.
It was my Mema walking with two huge baskets of older vegetables.
“I couldn’t haggle for much meat, but we have broccoli coming out of ears now.” She laughed before looking up to read the room. “What’s wrong?”
L ater that night, after everything had calmed down, we settled at the dining table for dinner.
Although the thought plagued the back of our minds, we all tried to ignore today’s occurrence.
I focused on my potion writing—or at least, I was trying to.
Papa angrily folded up the newsletter and threw it across the table. “Can you believe it? Another talented potionist was arrested. They won’t even list the charges anymore. It wouldn’t matter. We already know that it would be a lie.”
My ears perked up at the mention of a potionist. “Why’s this happening?”
“I’ll tell you why. Power. They don’t want the poverty-stricken to rise because there are more of us than there are of them.” Papa’s brow furrowed deeply, and they only did that when he was deadly serious about an issue.
“What would that mean for me?” My voice was softer as if I was afraid to ask that question.
Papa’s face fell once he realized how scared I was. He knew I wanted to share my potions with the world.
I was good at it, too, according to Mama and Mema.
Mama swooped in to comfort me, wrapping her arm around me and pulling me into a hug. “Don’t fret about it, dear. The world is broken, but there will always be space for good things. You have true talent, my dear, and true talent can never truly be silenced.”
I burrowed my face into her chest as she pulled me in.
Although her words were inspiring, they still heavily weighed my heart.