Black Moon (11 page)

“When we turned,” says Ben, slashing through the thick atmosphere between him and me, even though we’re inches apart, “the cosmos decided we’d have reincarnated souls living inside us.” He mentions this randomly, like it’s an afterthought, like it’s not a big deal to have restored souls living inside us. “Centuries ago, two of our ancestors fell in love. They were from opposing sides. Families warring against each other and all.”

“Sounds familiar,” I joke.

He doesn’t laugh. Instead, he replies, “The problem with these two, though, is not that they were enemies, or that they happened to love one another; it’s that they were Ancients. The one who dwells inside me—
Ulric
—has a brother—
Alaric.
”
Can’t say their names.

I know.
Remembering what Maggie told me a few months ago about Ancients, and how speaking their name is a direct summons, I understand why Ben can’t verbalize.

He carries on with the story. “And the one who lives in
you
was the object of affection for both brothers.”

Alaric and
Ulric
?

“Right. Al decides that if he can’t have her—
Daciana
—then no one will. So, he kills them.”

I turn around this time, still covering myself, of course, but I have to see his face to confirm what I’m hearing. “He killed his own brother?”

Grimacing, Ben nods. “Yes. But before their souls departed Earth, Al banished them to the Otherworld—a location neither the living nor the dead want to go.”

“Why not?”

“From what I’ve heard, it’s purgatory. There’s nobody to converse with, and you can’t leave. Once you’re there, you’re there forever.”

I can’t believe Alaric would do something so selfish. “So, are we . . . ourselves? I mean, can they takeover our bodies?”

“They already have, which is why we saved you. I figured your parents didn’t explain just yet—and I was right. By the time we reached your house, you had already changed into
Daci
.”

“My parents knew? Why didn’t they . . .” I let my voice trail off. Why didn’t they what—explain everything? It’s a joke how they refuse to inform me of what’s happening.

Ben shrugs. “Maybe they wanted to focus on one issue at a time. That night just happened to be your transformation; the next day might’ve included the legend. Your mom mentioned something about they were going to let you know, but I doubted whether they would.”

I glare at him. “Don’t talk about my mom like that.”

“Sorry, but they’ve already withheld too much. When do you think they would’ve told you about this part? Did they even have a spell to control
Daci’s
soul, or were they going to let you continue living as her?”

“I don’t know, okay? But this is big, so they had to realize they needed to be prepared. Instead, you guys ride in on white horses to save the day, kidnapping me in the process. Now I’ll die here unless they save me.”

“Hey,” he says, moving forward and placing his hands on my upper arms. “I won’t let them kill you. We’re the link, Candra. We have to undo the past of our families.”

“Oh, yeah? And how will we manage that?”

“My family wants your power to bring back the Ancients, so we have them on our side.”
But you and I, we could release them so they’d be at peace.

“I don’t even have my power yet, so why are they convinced I’ll be the one that holds the key to bringing them back?”

He frees my arms and steps away, not really looking at me, or anything else. “Because our powers are the exact same as
Ul’s
and
Daci’s
. I’ve already received mine, so that leaves yours. We already know what it’ll be; we just have to wait.”

“What is it?” I ask in a tiny voice, one that doesn’t sound like my own; it’s remote and
way
too breathless.

He smiles, but it doesn’t touch his eyes. “You can bend time, too. Only, whereas I can bend the present and future, you can bend the present and past. That’s why they need you, Candra, to go back in time and change
everything
.”

“I’ll be able to go back in time?” I shrill, not really paying much attention to this last part. I hear the words, but they don’t register.

“Yes.”

“So, maybe
I
could be the one to change the whole thing, before they do.”

“If you learn how to master it,
you could get yourself out of here
. But mastering something of that level would take time, which, ironically, you don’t have.” He adds, “And . . . you can’t go as far back as you’d like. There are limitations to your powers—to anyone’s, actually. You can’t undo death or life, and if you think returning to save
Ul
and
Daci
will work, think again. Traveling that far back in time will kill you.”

“So, what if I progressively went back in time? What if I traveled as far as my body would allow me, and then stop, rest, repeat? Eventually, I’d arrive in their era, wouldn’t I?”

His eyebrows scrunch together; downward at the front, upward at the edges. “Don’t even think about it. You’d have no way to travel to the future, our present, and then you’d be stuck in their time, alone with three Ancients.” His face loosens a little as he says, “Besides, you can’t stop Ancients.”

I think about this before I respond. What if I can? What if the reason I have these powers, and Ben his, is because we’re
supposed
to save
Ul
and
Daci
?

“But they wouldn’t be Ancients back then, would they? They’d just be normal werewolves who just came into their powers.”

Ben stares at me, his face unreadable. “I guess.”

“Then we can do it,” I say, hopeful.

He clears his throat. “Um,
we
?”

“Yeah, you can help me.”

“I don’t think—”

“Don’t be a party pooper, Benjamin Conway. I’m going to need all the help I can get. Plus, I can’t return without you, remember?”

We have one of those stare-offs, like the gunslingers used to have in the Wild West.

Finally, he breaks, looking away. “I’ll think about it.”

Better than no response, I suppose. “Okay, so, how will I get out of here before then? You know, before they hog-tie me and steal my power, which could possibly mean the end of this world?”

Ben sighs.
I haven’t figured that part out yet, but I’m working on it.

“Great. So more likely than not, I’m stuck here until I acquire my ability. Then you guys will have your once-in-a-lifetime, let’s-destroy-Candra party.” I roll my eyes.

Ignoring me, Ben drops his voice an octave. “Have you even been trying to search for a way out?”

“Uh, there isn’t one,” I whisper. “Trust me, I’ve looked. I can’t fit through the window and these walls are probably indestructible. Plus, there are Followers outside standing watch; you guys wouldn’t be doing this alone.”

“Maybe you aren’t looking hard enough.” His eyes carve into mine and hold longer than necessary.

Was that a hint?

Yes. There’s a passageway out of here. You just have to know where to look. I can’t tell you because they’d know it was me if you escaped this early. Keep searching, wait a few days, then make your move, understand?

I nod.
Thanks.

He smiles, and his voice returns to the normal octave when he says, “Now that you’ve had your lesson in genealogy for the day, let’s get back to business. Turn around, Princess.”

This time, I don’t argue.
 

Chapter Eight

I
f there is a secret passageway in this dump, I haven’t found it yet. Three days have passed since Ethan and I fought. Three days since Ben explained the Ancients’ lore. Three days since I learned of my ability to travel back in time. If I can just figure out when, exactly, I’ll obtain my power, everything might work out. But until then, I’m up you-know-what creek.

Since my stay in this shithole, I’ve had a lot of time to consider what my family and friends might be planning. None of the scenarios in my head have worked out. Every time I visualize their ambush on the Conway property, they’re outnumbered, seriously injured, or murdered. My loved ones are smarter than that, though. They won’t enter the area unless they have back-up, which means they’ll be gathering as many Watchers as they can.

Abruptly interrupting my ideas of escape is Ben. Images of Ali dash by, and I’m unsure if they’re memories or the real thing. If they are bona fide, then Ali’s here, in this house, because the front door is directly behind her.

Ben tries blocking me. He’s not very good at it, though, so I hone in.

“I’ve missed you,”
Ali says, sliding her arms around his waist and gazing up at him through big, blue eyes.
“Why haven’t you returned my calls?”

“Been busy,”
he responds curtly
.

She sneers.
“What’s more important than talking to me? Don’t say it has anything to do with that Ancient guy, or a Followers’ gatherings, because I don’t want to hear those excuses anymore.”
Without giving him time to answer, she adds,
“Want to go for a run?”
Her eyebrows suggestively rise and fall a couple of times.

All Ben thinks about is detaching her arms from his waist.

“You know I can’t tell you anything,”
he says, pulling out of her grasp and ignoring her last question.

“Oh, please.”
She scoffs.
“I’m practically family. If you don’t tell me, one of them will. They love me too much not to.”

He doesn’t say anything. As a matter of fact, he glances away. I see the living room through his eyes, still as dull and miserable as ever. Nobody else is around.

“Answer me, Ben,”
she commands, losing the sweet-girl veneer.

Her face comes into sight again, but Ben remains quiet.

“Oh my God. I’ve seen that look before. You’re after that bitch again, aren’t you? What’s it going to take for you to realize it won’t work?”

As quickly as the anger arrived, it disappears, and she’s back to playing her I’m-as-sweet-as-cotton-candy skit.

“Besides, your family doesn’t love her like they do me, and there aren’t any other wolf babes in the area who are willing to date you. What other options do you have, sweetie?”

“That’s because you scare them off,”
he says through clenched teeth.
“And for the record, I don’t have to tell you anything. I have bigger problems to worry about than whether or not some ‘wolf babes’ want to date me.”

She glares at him, with her forehead creased and lips tightly knitted.

“Candra and I are marked,”
he states flatly, giving in.

BAM! There it is.

Ali shakes her head, unconvinced, visibly pretending this revelation doesn’t affect her.
“No biggie. Just undo it.”

“Can’t,”
he says, shrugging.
“I kissed her.”