Coven of Wolves (25 page)

"It is you!", he finally exclaims. "I had no idea..."

He then looks back at Damon and Gabriella before turning back to us, unsure of what to say next. I break the ice by saying, "I just needed to know if you had any part in our kidnapping. I can sense that you're telling the truth. Mom doesn't know about Damon and Gabriella, but I do."

I then look at Damon fully for the first time. It's shocking how similar we look, aside from his red hair. I then tell Damon directly, "I know you're going to be put through a series of trials for some reason. And I also know that it's unlikely you're going to make it through. I'm here to help you...if you'll have me."

Confused, my mother looks at her husband and asks, "Adam, what..." The expression on her face changes as reality has finally sunk in. She looks at Gabriella and Damon, then in horror at Adam. My mother then holds her hands to her stomach and doubles over slightly. I rush over to her and hold her in my arms. She begins whimpering as I try to soothe her anguish.

Luke then rushes over to me and says, "Hold on a second! You said that we needed to get to your parents so that they can help us fight Malik. What's all this about 'trials'?"

I angrily turn my head at Luke and say, "Not now."

"But..."

Again, I say, "NOT &emdash; NOW."

I hear my father call my name, so I turn to look at him. He has an exasperated expression on his face and motions to the mystic wall. I then turn to Tobias and Mika. They look unsure, but I motion that it's alright. They then magically remove the wall, allowing my father to join us. He immediately goes to my mother and says, "I'm so sorry Vicki. So much has happened since I last saw you. I wish I could explain everything, but there just isn't a lot of time. We're about to go into the trials any moment now."

He looks back at Damon completely perplexed, then at me. I can tell a hundred different things are running through his mind. It's too much to bare seeing him in such a difficult spot, so I tell him, "I had no idea the trials were scheduled for today. There's a lot I have to tell you too but I understand the trials take first priority right now. We can take mom to a safe location until they're over."

"No!", my mother shouts. "I'm not going anywhere."

"But mom...", I begin to say.

"No.", she continues. "They took your father away from me once and I'm not going to let it happen again."

Looking into her face, my father says, "Vicki, it's not safe for you here. If the others found out a human was inside one of the compounds...I couldn't guarantee your safety."

I then tell her, "Mom, something very big is going to happen at any moment. Dad's right, you can't be here right now. It's just a matter of safety." I then walk over to Tobias, Mika and Luke. "Malik isn't going to attack unto sometime after midnight. That gives you a few hours to ready yourselves and prepare."

Tobias gets a pained look on his face. "What do you mean 'yourselves'? You're coming with us."

I stand closer to Tobias and say, "I have to see some things through on this end first. I'm hoping that once the trials are over that we'll have a better stance on if we'll be going up against Malik alone or otherwise. Believe me, I wouldn't leave you if there were another option."

Mika steps in and says, "We're stronger together. We'll help you."

With sincerity in my voice, I tell her, "You heard what my father said. If the wolves sense humans or witches among them, we could be killed anyway. It's only for a few hours. Just make sure you're completely hidden until then."

Tobias then says, "But you're a witch too. You're just as in danger as any of us would be."

"But I have a plan around that. If it works, I should be alright." I then walk over to Luke. He is completely angered and confused. I tell him, "Before you get any ideas about jaunting off on your own without us, just remember that either which way, Malik IS coming after us. ALL of us. Once he's through with me and Tobias, you're next on his list. Mika is right, we're stronger together. Keep that in mind. Is there somewhere you can take them for a few hours that Malik can't sense very easily?"

Now annoyed and looking off to the side, Luke says, "Yes."

"Good.", I say. "Take them there and wait for me. If you don't sense me call for you before midnight, you'll know something's happened. Hey..." I put my hand on his shoulder so that he will look directly at me. He does. "I don't want any of us to die. That includes you. I want to see all of us get through this in one piece."

Luke turns away, making my hand fall off of his shoulder. "Fine, I'll take them."

"Thank you.", I tell him. I then go back to my parents. The look on both of their faces tells me that they have more questions than I have time for. "I'll explain everything later. Mom, I need you to go with my friends." I can see she is about to protest again, but I say, "No arguments. It's the only option we have right now. They'll protect you for a few hours until we can get things squared away here." I then hold her to me. "I just don't want anything happening to you."

Her tears land on my shoulder. "I'll go. Just promise me this will be over soon and we'll be together again."

I look into her eyes and say, "I promise."

My father's arms wrap around the both of us. My brave face melts away as I allow his embrace to support the emotions I'm just not strong enough to hold onto any longer. The three of us find comfort in each other for a few moments before I hear a woman's voice say in a French accent, "I can hear someone coming down the corridor. They'll be here in a few moments."

Silently I rush my mother over to my newly formed family and kiss her on the cheek. Tobias and Mika stand on either side of her, holding her around the waist as she waves good-bye to me. In seconds they are surrounded in black clouds, then disappear.

• • •

The sound of a knock snaps me back to reality as Gabriella walks over to the door and opens it only a crack. A voice on the other side says, "The representatives from the Neuri and Exallos clans just arrived. The trials will begin in 30 minutes."

Gabriella answers back "Oui", then closes the door. She turns to face me. She has on the same blank expression Nicholas seemed so masterful at holding. I can't seem to gage what she's feeling. She asks, "What did you mean when you told my son that you were here to help him?"

As even keeled as I can manage, I tell her, "I have no idea why you're making him go through with this 'trial', but I do know that, for whatever reason, the deck is stacked against him. I want to give him an advantage at surviving."

In an offended tone, Gabriella says, "I'm not 'making' my son go through anything. Do you honestly think I want to see him die? Trial by combat is a custom all Enopos must go through on their 18th birthday. There is no getting out of it."

Silently, Damon walks over in my direction. He looks me over and smiles. "My father has told me stories about you and your mother since I was a child. I never thought I'd actually be able to meet you though. I know I'm going to die in the trials. Nothing you have in mind will be able to change that. I'm just glad that I was able to finally have the chance to see you in person before I go. So, for that...thank you."

My heart sinks as I hear such solemn words coming from someone so young. Where is his spirit? Where is his desire to live? He should be angry and willing to fight. Instead he's smiling at me with the kindest eyes I've ever seen, thanking me for simply seeing him. I want to shake him and make him just as angry as I am. My heart breaks at the tragedy of it all.

My father places his hand on my shoulder and asks, "Devin, your mother said the others thought you both were werewolves. What do you know about that?"

I turn to him and say, "That's my fault, and I'm sorry it ended up involving mom. As you figured out, I'm a witch. Along the way to discovering what that means, I pissed off the head of a coven. Now he wants me dead."

Still listening intently, my father asks, "Is that the Malik person you were talking about earlier?"

"Yeah.", I reply. "I've been running from him for some time now. This last time he caught up with me, I almost died. My goddess though, she blessed me with a gift. If it weren't for her and Tobias, I'd never have made it out of there."

Gabriella asks, "A gift? What gift did your goddess give you?"

"A familiar.", I respond. "A wolf spirit companion made from her magic and part of my own soul. When my familiar and I merge together, I'm able to become one of you, a werewolf."

"Mon dieu! That is impossible!", Gabriella exclaims.

My father says, "Devin, that can't be. Werewolves can only be created by two werewolf parents. Your mother is human. You can't be a wolf."

"I'm also magic.", I say. "That little gift probably came from your side of the family. If what I understand is true, werewolves were originally humans transformed into what they are now by magic centuries ago. It only makes sense that magic can create new wolves, like me."

Surprised, my father asks, "How do you know about how the first werewolves were made? That's a very closely held secret only pack members know about."

Tired, I respond by saying, "It's a very long story. I'll explain it to you after all this is behind us."

I then hear Damon say, "So you can really change, like us?"

"Only with Fenrus, my familiar.", I answer him. "Unfortunately I left him in San Francisco, just before Nicholas and his team took us. I have an idea on how to bring him here though, if you'll permit me a few moments."

Damon nods, after which my father and Gabriella do also. I sit on the floor, relaxing myself in the lotus position. I take several deep breaths inward, slowly exhaling in a paced flow. I then concentrate on my spiritual center, psychically seeing my own energy swirling around inside my body. I tap into that magic and ask it to grow, and expand. I ask for it to then reach out to that part of myself that is now missing. I call out to Fenrus. After a few moments of silence I begin to feel a very familiar feeling at the back of my head. I smile and will for that feeling to come to the forefront, connecting with me on a very personal level. In my mind's eye I can see Fenrus. He is sitting beside a tree in a large park. When the connection is established, I feel a great sense of love and happiness emanate from him.

In my head I hear, "You're okay! I'm so glad you're okay!"

I then reply, "I missed you too. So you were able to get away and hide?"

"Oh yes.", Fenrus replies. "As soon as I led the wolves to the club, I shifted myself over to a nice green place. The green has kept me hidden and safe."

"Good.", I tell him. "Now, Fenrus, how can we be together again? How can you shift yourself back over to me?"

Fenrus tells me, "I must use a lot of strength, but yes, I can shift myself back to you now. I sense a great distance between us, but the green has given me strength. I think I can do it."

"Good Fenrus. Do it now." I say. "Use some of my strength if you have to. I'll be waiting."

Suddenly I can sense a great amount of power building up at the other end of my psychic connection. It begins to rev somewhat, then propel forward. I can feel the energy coming closer to me at a tremendous speed. The presence of Fenrus grows stronger and stronger before me. There is then a stillness to the magic. As I open my eyes, I see Fenrus sitting in front of me. He licks my face over and over again. The feeling of love overtakes me as I fling my arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek repeatedly.

"I knew you could do it!", I tell him. "I missed you so much."

He licks my face a few more times before turning back to notice the other people in the room. Instinctually, Fenrus gets in front of me and growls a warning at the werewolves staring back at him.

"No Fenrus, this is my father, Adam. He's okay. And that over there is my...brother...Damon, and his mother Gabriella." I try to convince him as best I can, but Fenrus continues to growl and show his teeth. It's then that I see what is making him so angry. Standing behind the trio of wolves, and now conscious, is Nicholas. He looks down at Fenrus and I with eyes of contempt.

Nicholas quickly takes out both of his swords and charges me. On instinct I immediately push Fenrus aside to safety, and remove my own sword from it's scabbard. I use it to strike against Nicholas' swords to sparking effect. For each move Nicholas makes, I seem to have a counter move already set in mind. I'm at a complete loss for words as the sword training I held with Mika pales in comparison to the moves I seem to be making against Nicholas. At one point I turn to see that my father has his own swords out, ready to defend me, but stands his ground, also surprised at the skill I seem to have in holding my own.

I finally manage to pin Nicholas down onto the ground, using one shin bone to hold him at the neck and the other to pin down his thighs. I then use my own hands to firmly grasp his hands in place, allowing me to shout at him, "Enough!"

Anger burns in his eyes as he furiously tries to break my hold. My father then walks over to me, pulling me off of Nicholas, holding him at arm's length as well. "Devin's right. That will be enough."

Nicholas then stands up and begins shouting at my father in a foreign language. My father answers back in the same language. It seems to be a cross between ancient Greek, Latin, and some other language I can't quite place. I hold on to Fenrus with one hand, and grab the handle of my sword tightly with the other, waiting to see what the outcome will be. After a couple minutes they stop yelling. Nicholas then turns to me and says, "You'll never know what I've done to protect you."

Nicholas then storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him. My father then stands me up by the arms and asks, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Dumbfounded, I answer, "I don't know fully how, but I think it has something to do with this." I then hold up my sword. "It was originally Nicholas' sword. He lost it during a fight we had in San Francisco, so I took it. Tobias and I used it in a spell to find out where you might be. I believe we both bonded with it magically in the process."