Chapter 55 Hell
Idid not return to sleep after escaping my conversation with Rafael.
Instead, I sat beside the dying embers of the campfire, turning over everything we knew about Verith in my mind.
If we were to rescue his brother, we would do so as prepared as possible.
I would not lose anyone else. I had completely raided the meeting tent.
I took every salvaged book and map there was and laid them out across the ground before me.
“Now, if I were a genocidal madman, where would I hide a prisoner of war?”
I was speaking to myself as I flipped pages.
I was not expecting an answer. But I was greeted with one.
Not words, but a whimper. I moved a map and turned another page, attempting to ignore it.
Perhaps I had gone mad. Then, it happened again.
Louder this time. I froze and lowered the book, straining to listen.
Silence. “I do not have time for this.” Another whimper came from somewhere beyond the firelight. “Apparently, you disagree.”
By the time the third whine sounded, I shot to my feet.
“Fine,” I huffed and followed the sound into the darkness.
I stepped cautiously between the trees beyond our camp.
The woods were dark, lit only by a sliver of moonlight from the crescent moon.
Other than the now-constant whimpers of whatever animal was out here, it was silent.
When the whining became louder, I found myself standing before a bush.
Curious. I pushed the winter-brittle twigs aside and removed some of the dry brush.
There, standing in a pile of dry leaves and yelping, was a baby wolf.
Its fur was matted and covered in mud and burrs. I stepped closer and it recoiled.
“I am not going to hurt you. You are the one who called me over here.”
I knelt before it. “Gods you look pitiful.”
It stepped closer, and I noticed its front paw.
The thing would not put weight on it at all.
Instead, it was curled up into its chest, hanging rather limply.
“Here.” I tore a strip of fabric from the hem of my nightgown and searched through the discarded brush for a sturdy stick.
When I touched the paw, it flinched and cried loudly.
“Oh stop it you! I am attempting to help you. Or would you prefer I return to my important duties?”
I scowled at it and took its paw in my hand.
Carefully, I held the stick against its leg and wrapped it with the fabric.
“That ought to do it.” I stood and watched as it hobbled on the leg, still not applying its full weight, but clearly more comfortable.
Now I could return to figuring out how in the seven hells we were supposed to break into Verith, find a boy, and leave undetected.
I turned and made for camp, determined to figure this out.
The sound of leaves crunching came from behind me.
I stopped. When I began to walk again the crunching resumed.
I turned to find the strange little wolf hobbling after me, its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth.
“No.” I immediately pivoted and began to walk faster.
Crunch crunch crunch. The wolf’s pace matched my own.
I tried not to look at it as I settled by the fire.
Perhaps it would go away if I paid it no mind.
I was wrong. The dreadful creature curled up on my boots, effectively sealing me to the spot.
Seven hells. I stretched for the map just beyond my reach rather than moving my feet.
Not because I cared whether I disturbed him, of course.
I simply did not have time to deal with whatever dramatic noises he might make if I woke him.
By the time the sun had begun to creep over the horizon, the fire had faded to mere embers.
I had studied every map, searched every book, and read every note.
Yet, I was no closer to finding a solution.
A chill wracked my body. I could not get up.
The wolf might begin to whine again and wake the entire camp.
Just as the thought that I might freeze to death occurred to me, a blanket fell around my shoulders.
“What are you doing out here? Dressed like that?” Liv did not look pleased. “You will catch your death.” Ezra stood beside her, looking stoic as ever.
“I was working.” My teeth clattered so hard I believed they may crack.
“You were freezing!” she scolded.
“I hardly noticed.” I tried to shrug, to feign nonchalance. But that only caused the shivers to become more violent.
Liv pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders. “You are shivering.”
“An inconvenience at most.” Her eyes narrowed. Then they drifted downward. I followed her gaze with my own. Shit.
“Hell.”
“What?” I did not look at her.
“What is that?” I kept my eyes fixed on the map and my mouth closed. I willed her away with my silence. I did not even know how to explain this. “Helena Grace!” My gaze snapped to hers.
“Yes?”
“There is a wolf sleeping at your feet.” Her eyes were wide.
“I can see that,” I replied calmly. “Actually, it is sleeping on my feet.” Her gaze moved slowly back to the wolf, zeroing in on its paw. Then her eyes landed on my torn nightgown and narrowed.
“Did you tend to this wolf, Hell?” I blinked up at her without answer. “You cannot keep a wolf, Hell.” She began to pace. “It could be dangerous, it could attract more…” She gasped, “It probably has a mother!” Her pacing grew faster.
“What if it does not?” She stopped instantly and turned to me.
“Wolves do not just abandon their own, Helena.”
“Humans do.” I did not mean for it to slip out, but it did, and it was true. What if this wolf had been abandoned too. Liv looked to Ezra, who had been watching the exchange silently, for help. He held up his hands as though he wanted nothing to do with any of this.
“Tell her, Ezra. Tell her that she has stolen this wolf from its mother, and she needs to return it with haste.”
His gaze moved between us as though he were deciding whose ire he would prefer, then he held up a finger and turned away, disappearing into camp.
He returned moments later with a very sleepy, very irritated-looking Johanna.
“Ask the wolf,” he said simply. Liv and I glanced at each other and then back at him. “Ask the wolf if he has a mother, and if he was stolen by Helena.” He nodded toward Johanna. It made sense. Liv knelt before the wolf.
“Hello little wolf.” She waved at it. “I do not mean to impose, but I was wondering whether you could tell us if you have a mother or if this woman stole you?” She gestured to me. This woman? Johanna looked at the wolf with barely open eyes and yawned loudly.
“So?” I asked, my patience wearing thin.
“Well firstly, this is not a wolf.” She looked bored.
I looked down at it. “It looks remarkably wolf-shaped.”
“It is a dire wolf. Also, it is a he,” she said as she crossed in front of me. She scrunched up her nose. “And whatever you have done to his leg is entirely unnecessary.”
“Wha… It is a bandage, and a splint. He is injured.” I placed my hand on my chest as though she had personally insulted my entire family line.
“Injured is a rather dramatic word for it.” She tried and failed to hide the smile that tugged at her lips. “He has a thorn in his paw. His pack abandoned him when he could not remove it because he could not keep up.”
“Ha!” I shouted at Liv. “I was right, he was abandoned.”
“Yes, but only because of his injury. That does not mean you can keep him. He may wish to return to them,” she shot back.
“I am apparently a witch. Perhaps he is my familiar.” It was quite a reach.
“Oh that is just ridiculous, Hell. You must return him to where you found him. He will be missing his family and…”
“No,” Johanna cut in. “He wishes to remain here with Hell.” Johanna yawned and threw her hands over her head in a stretch. “Am I finished here?” Ezra nodded and Liv stood with her arms crossed, looking at the dire wolf cautiously.
“You never did answer my question, Hell.” I tilted my head at her. “What were you doing out here in nothing but nightclothes in the biting cold?”
“I was trying to find a way to get in and out of Verith.” I pointed at the pile of maps and books. “I wanted us to be as prepared as possible.”
“That is simple,” Ezra said. “We are going to use the annual Diviners Masquerade as cover.”
I opened my mouth and closed it. “Elsbeth’s cousin runs a brothel in the Holudrums, and will secure us passage, room and board, and disguises. We worked it out before turning in last night and received word back from Elsbeth not moments before we found you out here.”
I looked from him to the pile of slightly damp frostbitten books and maps.
It seemed that all I got out of the night was a pet.
“Oh, and Hell,” Liv looked at me with a smile so sweet it could give one a toothache. “You will be attending the masquerade as Raf’s betrothed. We needed convincing personas.”