CHAPTER 20 #4
“Mm.” But Lenore’s attention was no longer on their conversation.
All she could focus on was Edmund, captivated by the fearsome power displayed with every one of his moves.
Another werewolf was with him this time, a lighter tint of dark blue to their fur, but more slender in appearance.
They held their own far better than the previous opponent until Edmund snatched the window of opportunity and pinned the werewolf onto the ground—forced to surrender under Edmund’s grasp on their neck.
The strength of their movements stirred the birds in the trees, and a flock of ravens took to the air, cawing loudly in the skies above.
As the ravens flew by, they continued to caw until one stopped at the treetops above Lenore and Charie.
Its unseen body cawed a few times before flapping away.
Edmund loomed over the scowling werewolf. From what Lenore could tell, he seemed to be giving them pointers before he moved on to observe the other werewolves.
He’s amazing, she thought. Admiration shone in her gaze, drawn to the way he carried himself—commanding and dominant. It made her feel strangely safe.
“This is definitely not the same as watching knights,” she whispered. In her pocket, she could feel Pip wiggling about, no doubt curious about taking a look for itself.
Edmund’s muzzle turned in her direction.
A surprised squeak escaped her as she ducked behind the tree, pressing her back hard against the rough trunk. Her heart raced. She bit her lower lip before she slowly peeked out again, exposing barely half of her face.
Her cheeks burned hot when she found herself staring directly into Edmund’s eyes. She didn’t think or linger long enough to see his reaction, only quickly giving a small wave before hiding again.
“I think I’m done watching now.” Lenore laughed nervously while quickly muffling Pip’s laughter with her hand. “That was fun,” she said quietly to herself.
No response was given.
“Charie?” She looked to her side, baffled to see there was no one next to her. Even after glancing around, she found no sign of Charie or a glimpse of her elegant braid between the woods. A prickle crawled up Lenore’s spine.
Where did she go? Concern took hold of her next. She moved from where she was, head turning from side to side.
Lenore sniffed the air, relieved to catch a whiff of Charie’s scent before it got lost in the crowd of smells.
The invisible strand came easier to her, familiar after all the hours they’d spent together, and Lenore began to follow it along the well-worn path ahead.
The scent took her back into a relatively active hub—the same area filled with an assortment of buildings and where the butcher shop was.
Fractured beams of sunlight rippled over her body through the large green canopy overhead.
She wove between long, flowering tendrils.
The scent trail was nearly impossible to follow now—snuffed by the million other smells in the air. Lenore frowned to herself, putting everything she had into trying to separate Charie’s scent from everything else.
Her attempt was better than last night’s fumble trying to get home, but she stopped short at a fallen leaf before her. She picked it up, spinning the frail emerald stem in hand. Realization struck her then that this was the leaf Charie had plucked from the bush earlier.
Any other traces of Charie were scattered all over, in a way that almost felt deliberate. Her scent discreetly marked the sides of buildings, then in the perfume of planted flowers. There were too many clues, blinding Lenore from the actual trail.
That troubled her. Worry rose in her chest.
Why would she leave so suddenly? Without even a goodbye?
“Pip, pip!” Pip’s muffled voice drew Lenore’s gaze to her pocket. Quickly she glanced around before she went and hid in an alley, away from prying eyes and sunlight.
“What is it, Pip?” she whispered. Pip flew out of her pocket, taking hold of the leaf. It frowned as it nibbled at the top. It nodded and pointed in a direction as it waved its tiny arm.
“You know where she is?” Lenore beamed at the sprite. “Good job, Pip!” As Pip gleefully did somersaults in the air, her smile faltered.
“Do you think it’s a good idea to follow her?” she asked. Pip stopped, then gave her a look of worry. Lenore’s jaw tightened.
“Pip, pah, pi…” It lifted an arm to its mouth.
“I’m guessing that’s your way of saying there is something wrong.” She looked at the leaf in Pip’s grasp. Her eyes squeezed shut. “I really don’t want to do any of this.”
“... But I can either pretend this will all go away, or I somehow try to sort this out so my life as a... a werewolf won’t end prematurely.” She tugged at the ends of her hair. “I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’ll give that—and my life—to the hands of the One Above at this point.”
Lenore’s heel pivoted slightly toward the light of the street, eyes catching the faint ripples of moving shadows. “Nudge me if I’m going the wrong way, okay, Pip?”
Pip squeaked back, then zipped toward her pocket, hiding once more in the folds of her dress.
With a quick nod, she stood straight and held her hands to her chest. As she stepped back into the street, she hoped that Charie was okay.