Madly and Wolfhardt (4 page)

“So,” I interrupted, suddenly uncomfortable with Aidan’s blatant fascination.  “Aidan, why don’t you introduce us around?”

“Ok,” he said, speaking to me, but still looking at Kellina.

We followed Aidan into the thick of things and he introduced us to a surprising amount of people.  Jersey knew quite a few of them, but Kellina and I were like runaways from the island of misfit toys.

The last subgroup of people that Aidan took us to was comprised of what I liked to call “artsy” types.  Two of them were musicians, one an aspiring author and one a painter. 

“Really?” Kellina said when Aidan introduced the last girl as CoCo Crane.  “I love to paint.”

And just like that, the two girls were quickly absorbed in a world of their own.

Jersey went off to talk to someone that she knew, leaving me to watch Aidan struggle for a way to break into the conversation.

“That’s freaky,” Aidan said to Kellina.  “I’ve always loved landscapes.  I’ve even painted a few myself.”

My mouth actually dropped open.  Not only had I never, EVER known Aidan to paint, he’d never once mentioned a love for art at all, much less landscapes in particular.  I backed up a few steps, just far enough to take me to the periphery of the party.

As I scanned all the happy faces, I saw one boy doing basically the same thing that I was, probably looking just as much an interloper, too.  He was a skinny kid with black-rimmed glasses and braces.  He was watching someone intently, but I couldn’t tell who.  The reflection of the fire in his glasses obscured his eyes.

I sighed.  In a crowd of so many, I felt like it was just me and him.  The outsiders.

At that moment, I felt more alone than I could ever remember feeling.  Upon arriving in Slumber, I had been casually excited about events such as these, viewing them as an opportunity to meet the people who’d sprung from such legendary loins.  Of course, I had had every intention of having some fun in the meantime, too.  But now, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of my responsibility as it crushed all the pleasure out of the experience. 

I had suggested the party simply as a means to get to know Kellina, earn her trust and maybe even (in a roundabout way) fill her in on a history she wasn’t even aware she had.  But now I was finding that it was impossible for me to relax and enjoy myself.  Now I was frustrated and becoming increasingly put out with Aidan.

Turning away from the jubilation, I made my way toward the water, toward the calming waves and the home beneath them that I missed more poignantly than ever. 

I walked along in the shallows, the water just grazing my ankles, and I let my mind wander to the beautiful crystalline architecture of Atlas.  Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, letting the salty sea air set the tone for the pastel peaks and myriad waterfalls of my home.  There was not a single corner in all of Atlas where you were not serenaded by the gentle gush of falling water.  I was convinced there was not a more exquisite, soothing place on the face of the earth.

Invariably, thoughts of the predicament of the Mer intruded on my peace.  I wondered if I was strong enough, wise enough to recapture even one of the Lore, much less all eight. 

Immediately, I started to feel overwhelmed.  Drawing in a calming breath, I reminded myself that I just needed to concentrate on catching the Wolfhardt Lore.   If we were lucky, that would be the only one we needed.

“Madly, are you alright?”

I jumped when Kellina spoke.  I’d been so lost in thought, I hadn’t heard her approach.

I smiled.  “I’m fine.  Are you having fun?”

She smiled back at me, a wide and genuine lift of the lips that said she was having the time of her life. 

“Actually, I am.  Thank you so much for inviting me.”

“It was my pleasure.”

Kellina frowned.

“So, what are you doing down here all by yourself?”

Before I even opened my mouth with a polite yet truthful response, my warming bracelet reminded me that I might not have another chance to talk to her in a casual setting.

“Just thinking about a story that my mother used to tell me.”

“What story is that?”

“It’s the story of Ulrich Wolfhardt and the Straus Maiden.”

“Who are they?”

“They are two people who lived long ago,” I said, turning to resume my walk along the edge of the surf.  Kellina followed.  “Ulrich Wolfhardt was a young misfit boy who used to take refuge from his cruel classmates in the sanctuary of the trees.  That’s where he first saw a wolf.  As he grew, he became a man obsessed with wolves.  He would travel into the woods late at night just to be near them.  During one of his jaunts into the forest, Wolfhardt was bitten by a rabid wolf, a wolf with one blue eye.  The bite nearly killed him.  Some say that’s when he lost his mind. 

“Miraculously, however, Wolfhardt survived, swearing vengeance upon the animal.  After several months, he found and slay the wolf, keeping its teeth and pelt as trophies.  It is said that he developed a hunger for human flesh after the wolf bite and that he used to prowl the woods, wearing the wolf’s pelt, scaring the village folk.

“One night while out for his ritual hike, Wolfhardt stumbled upon a beautiful maiden that wore a red hat.  He fell instantly in love with her and watched her secretly for weeks afterward.  He left daisies in the woods for her to find every night as she made her trip to visit her grandmother. 

“What Wolfhardt didn’t know, however, was that the Straus Maiden’s grandmother was a very powerful witch.  She knew of Ulrich Wolfhardt, his unnatural hunger, and his obsession with her granddaughter.  One night, out of fear for the safety of the young Straus Maiden, she journeyed into the forest to warn him away.  When Wolfhardt became angry, the grandmother placed a curse on him that if he should ever taste of human blood, he would be condemned to life controlled by the hunger of the wolf and slave to the light of the full moon.”

I stopped and looked at Kellina.  She was spellbound, her wide eyes fixed firmly on my face in avid curiosity.

“What happened to him?”

“Well, Wolfhardt refused to heed the warning of the old witch and continued his covert pursuit of the young maiden.  When his hunger became unbearable, rather than hurt the maiden, Wolfhardt attacked an unarmed blacksmith.  It is said that the instant the first drop of blood touched his tongue, the furry wolf pelt melded to his body and Wolfhardt’s teeth became that of the wolf he’d slain.”

“What happened to the maiden?”

“Wolfhardt, overcome by his increasing hunger and unable to control himself in the cursed wolf-like form, attacked the Straus Maiden.”

“Did they catch him?”

“Yes, Wolfhardt was eventually captured.  In fact, he was apprehended just after he slew the maiden’s grandmother.  Legend says that if he were ever to escape his confines, one drop of his cursed saliva in an open wound would doom a human to his fate for all eternity.”

Kellina watched me closely, wordlessly.  I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking as she listened unwittingly to her family’s history.  I was hesitant to ask. 

I needn’t have wondered long, however, because she soon satisfied my curiosity.

“That’s ridiculous!” Kellina exclaimed, laughing.  “That’s like saying werewolves are real.”

“People actually called him a werewolf, though he didn’t really transform into a dog.  I think the modern moniker for Wolfhardt would be a ‘wolf-man’.”

Kellina laughed again. 

“Surely you don’t believe that.”

“Of course I believe it,” I said honestly.  “Surely
you
don’t believe that just because you’ve never seen something that it doesn’t exist.”

Kellina’s smile faded.  “Well, no.  Of course not, but...”

“There you go,” I said casually.  “There are, no doubt, all sorts of creatures in existence that we know little to nothing about.  And there’s no more perfect way to keep the world ignorant than to suggest that the presence of the supernatural is simply a fairy tale or a ghost story.  It’s quite brilliant actually.”

“Well, I for one hope you’re wrong.  I walk home through the woods every day.”

I gazed meaningfully into Kellina’s eyes.  “I guess you’d better be careful then, huh?”

When Kellina began to frown, I laughed to lighten the mood.

“Ohmigod,” she said, relieved, yet not completely.  “You’re just plain mean.”

“Why is that?”

“Trying to scare me like that.”

I merely shrugged, winking at her mischievously.  She didn’t have to believe me now.  Just so long as she knew who to come to if she noticed anything strange.

“Hey, Kellina!”

We both looked back toward the party.  I could see Aidan standing a few feet from the crowd as he called to Kellina.  Boy,
he
sure wasn’t having any trouble befriending her!

Kellina looked to him and then back at me. 

“Are you coming back to the party?”

“In a little bit.  Go on.  Have fun,” I said, trying to be as encouraging as possible.  No sense ruining everyone else’s night with my sudden burst of melancholy.

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m positive,” I said reassuringly. 

After a few seconds of deliberation, Kellina turned and jogged up the beach toward Aidan.  I saw him hold out his hand and she stopped in front of him to take it.  Even from a distance, I could see the dazzling smiles they exchanged before they headed back into the crowd.

Watching them from afar, I analyzed my feelings about Aidan’s reaction to Kellina.  He was obviously drawn to her—
very
drawn to her.  Yet, we were to be betrothed in a matter of months.  I
should
feel jealous, shouldn’t I?  I should be mad that he and Kellina were looking at each other with such unabashed attraction, shouldn’t I?

Yes, I knew I should feel jealous.  But I didn’t.  Not about the right things anyway. 

As I watched, Aidan bent to whisper something into Kellina’s ear.  She laughed and, at that moment, I
did
feel a stab of jealousy, but it wasn’t over Aidan.  Watching their blatant and very mutual fascination, I realized
that’s
what I envied—that their feelings seemed to be enthusiastically reciprocated. 

As they disappeared into the crowd, I found that my thoughts drifted toward Jackson and how he acted toward me.  I realized that I would’ve given anything for him to be so taken with me.

I turned my back to the party as my mood darkened.  It seemed that as people laughed and flirted behind me, my life was falling to pieces. 

Feeling sorry for myself, I ticked off all the things that were wrong in my world:  my home, Atlas, was under attack; there was very likely a royal traitor at the root of it; at least eight Lore were on their way to Slumber; my soon-to-be fiancée was plainly developing feelings for someone else; I was falling back under the spell of forbidden love.  Oh, yeah, and the object of my increasing affection could barely stand the sight of me.  That was the cherry on top of it all.

How had my life come to this?

With salty sea water swirling around my ankles, I felt the power of my emotions stirring the ocean.  In the distance, above the noise of the music and laughter, I heard a loud crack of thunder and the clouds began to roll toward me. 

My bracelet warmed against my wrist and the waves rose ever-higher, crashing violently against the shore.  The wind whipped my hair and stung my face as the sound of distant rain teased my ears.  The atmospheric unrest mirrored that of my heart, of my soul, and there was little I could do to quiet it.