The Wolf Queen
Claire
Mina and I looked at the circle I had prepared and the lines I had drawn in it with the heavy blue salt the witch had given to me. She had apparently the brilliant idea of piggyback, so I kept up with her demands. Even on her child state, she was a cutie.
“Don’t you dare drop her!” Todd screamed from the open window. I gave him the finger and Mina screamed “Fuck you!”
“With pleasure love!”
“Vampires…” I groaned and Mina chuckled behind me. I checked my watch for the hundredth time. We had ten hours until the peak of the Winter Solstice, always according to the witch time calendar was around ten o’clock at night, and we were both giddy.
Elfas was too. The Fae had given to me the, beautifully packed inside silk, wedding gown and closed himself in his room saying that he was going to meditate. Todd was also like a caged animal, walking the house with his flash speed to the point knocking over almost everything and bumping his head to the walls.
The house had five holes so far.
“When we’ll be over with this, I am heading to New Zealand. There are nice cocktails down there.” Mina said and I sighed. For the last hours, she’d choose a place around the globe and comment on it about what she would love to do. So far she had spoken of Las Vegas, Siberia, Bali, Athens, Tokyo and Cape town.
“Anything you want Mina.” I sighed.
She tapped my head. “Don’t be gloomy. I am sure the pup will come home.”
“I know he will. Jericho wouldn’t miss this.” I said softly as I walked back at the house.
Todd pulled Mina from my arms and I headed to the study to pick up the box with the items we had chosen for the circle. Getting out again, I began placing them in their specific spots on the circle. On the top and across of it a pair of rare vampire fangs for Todd and the wedding dress for Elfas. On the right and across on the left, I placed the wooden statue for me and Jericho and a pouch of rare coins for Fred.
The gargoyle used to be a coin collector from New Orleans and he used to export and trade rare coins before his imprisonment here. And finally at the center of the circle at the point where the blue lines intercepted with each other, I placed Mina’s staff. It was made of dark ebony and decorated with an orb, which was a dull ember.
When I was done with the circle I took the shovel and began clearing the snow around the circle, more for keeping my mind out of the thoughts I had for my family, my friends and Jericho. As I pushed and pulled the snow away I didn’t notice the darkening sky, until Fred’s stony paw settled on my shoulder. His amber eyes took in the circle and the space I had cleared around it.
“Rest Claire.”
I shook my head.
His lion head lowered close to my face. “I know you’re worried, I am too. But please don’t overdo it. You’ll get sick.”
Nodding slowly, I walked back and when I closed the door behind me, I left a strangled sound. Why time was passing so slowly? Why couldn’t I find a way to make it go faster? This waiting was nerve breaking and stressing.
Giggles were heard from the study; Mina’s voice was soft as I followed her sound into the library. Todd sat sprawled on the couch with Mina between his legs, reading something in a low voice. The fire was blazing on the fireplace across them, casting a soft glow all over the room.
I stepped back slowly letting them in their own world. They deserved time on their own and I wouldn’t be the one to disturb them. Going up to the third floor, I opened Jericho’s door and stepped in. The faint scent of wood and smoke lingered in the air and I inhaled deeply wanting to feel it to my bones. Taking off my jacket, I walked towards his bedroom and after closing the door behind me, my body fell on the mattress.
With quick moves I settled the timer in two hours and closed my eyes. The fatigue of the last days had caught with me and I found my eyes closing quickly and the sleep overtaking me. As I slept, my mind drifted into vague images of cages, chains and howls.
Jericho’s howls.
No!
The men pulled and cursed as they dragged him by his chains. The tips of the iron were also spiked and they pierced his arms and thighs as the werewolf howled. My father stood in the front, talking with Nicola in hushed voices. I watched everything happening in front of me as if in a vision. Could this happen because Jericho gave me his wolf’s name? Probably.
The sudden tremor made me gasp as the image before me shattered into millions of pieces when I woke up. Everything around me fell and I grab walked towards the door, trying to hold myself steady as the house shook with a roar.
“Claire!” Elfas’s voice reached me and the Fae grabbed me, pulling us down the stairs. Another tremor shook us and we fell the rest of the way down the stairs tumbling and finally crashing to the bottom of the first floor.
“Ouch…” I moaned as I tried to sit up.
“You’re crushing me…” Elfas mumbled below me and I looked down. I was sitting on top of him.
“Come on.” I ignored the pain on my head and back and pulled his arm.
His eyes flashed silver as he looked around us, as if trying to make sure not to have the house collapsed around us.
“Are you hurt Elfas?”
“No. But you must go on a diet.”
I punched his gut, hitting, surprisingly, solid muscle. How he could still be so toned and muscled after all this slacking was beyond me. “Let’s find Todd and Mina.” I urged and we made our way down.
The rest of the house was a mess; tables had fallen and the really expensive vases and works of art had fallen to the floor. Elfas checked the living room, while I headed to the study walking over the fallen door. I called for Todd and Mina and the vampire answered me under a thick pile of rubble and books.
“Hold on!” I shouted and shoved aside broken glasses and fallen books until Todd’s broad back appeared below. He hunched over Mina who had curled under him in a protective ball.
“Are you hurt? Todd? Mina?” I asked as together with Elfas, who had just arrived, helped them sit up.
Mina’s pale face was stricken with horror as she looked up towards the ceiling, while Todd and Elfas got up and tried to salvage anything they could. The witch turned to me as I took her in my arms. “Claire take me out! Hurry!”
Without any question, I bolted towards the door, opening it with one arm, and ran into the snowy ground, turning around and looking at the house. Cracks had appeared on the outside walls and the windows had broken into pieces, scattering to the ground. Parts of the roof had also collapsed but luckily the structure was still standing.
“Spirits above stars…” Mina spoke softly close to my ear and I followed her gaze.
“What do you see Mina?” I asked as I looked at the sky, just like she did.
“The shield has collapsed.” She looked towards the circle, which luckily was not destroyed. “The curse is dissolving faster than I expected.”
“What now? It’s too soon for the ritual to begin.” I walked towards the circle and looked at Lethinia. The willow looked shaken but her branches moved wildly, showing her wooden body. Fred had also flown around and he landed near me.
“Claire, Mina!” he said and pointed towards the iron gates. “Three SUVs and a truck are coming this way!”
I stilled. If the barrier had fallen, then the house would be visible…even from the space. The satellites, oh shit. Shouting at Fred to follow me, I ran back into the house, tossed Mina into Todd, making both of them curse me. Ignoring them, I ran into the underground level, through the door near Mina’s room, heading to the weaponry.
Quickly, I pulled on the Kevlar jacket and strapped my arms, legs and waist with daggers, knives, throwing stars, hoisting over my shoulder the semi-automatic gun. A pair of bow and arrows caught my attention and after a second thinking I grabbed it too.
“Claire!” Todd shouted as I wore thick black boots, hiding also small throwing stars in them.
Looking at him, I walked out from the room shouting over my shoulder “They are coming Todd, my father and his men. I must keep the house safe.”
“We can help!”
“How?” I rounded the corner and climbed the stairs, running. “You can’t get out of the house and Mina is too weak. Fred and I will buy some time until she will be ready to perform the ritual. We have one hour before reaching the peak of the Winter Solstice.”
The vampire caught my arm, spinning me around. His red purple eyes glowed in the dim light and his lips parted, revealing pointy fangs. “We are together in this, do you hear me Claire?”
I nodded, somber by his serious tone.
“We will keep Mina safe. You and Fred secure the circle.” His hands cupped my cheeks and his cool forehead touched mine. “I know you are strong kid and I know he too will do anything his pup mind will want. But stay safe okay?” Todd stepped back and after taking a shaky breath, I nodded and ran the rest of the way out from underground.
Tossing one of the three earpieces to Mina, I wore the other. “Stay connected. Fred or I will keep you updated.”
“Claire-”
“I know Elfas. I won’t let anything happen to Lethinia.”
The fae nodded and he growled. “By all the power of the Fae, our vengeance spirits are with you.”
“Wow, that’s the scariest thing you’ve said so far.”
“Nah, he has his moments too.” Todd commented after taking Mina in his arms from Elfas.
Turning around, I closed the door behind me and called for Fred. The gargoyle landed near me. “Cover the circle and kill anyone who dares to come close. Don’t let anything disturb the circle or Lethinia.”
“Got it, what will you do?”
I turned and looked towards the entrance, where I could hear the faint sounds of tires. “I am going hunting.” With new determination, I bolted towards Lethinia and she let me pass, brushing her branches as I ran behind her, entering the woods of the house’s perimeter.
Jericho and I had ran many times in the night and I was accustomed with the turns and the traces I had learnt, in order to keep my way and not get lost. I made the round of the pond and almost reached the iron fences, which were creating a huge circle around the property, marking also the barrier’s boundaries.
Stopping close to one of the trees, I pulled one of the grapping hooks and with a swing I tossed it up. When it caught one of the branches, I hoisted myself up and climbed. Not having Jericho climbing for me was bad enough and I stifled a whimper.
Father wouldn’t leave him alone; if Jericho was with him I would help him too. I pulled the rope and the hook and jumped from branch to branch, using my earpiece to notify Mina for my progress. She told me that from the hidden cameras they had on the perimeter, there were fifteen men around the SUVs and two guards were guarding the truck.
Nicola and Christo were also among them.
“Got it.” I whispered as I jumped into another branch, using the rope and the hook as a daggling rope.
Night had started to fall and my dark clothes were blending with the scenery. Taking cover on one of the trees close to the gates, I saw the men marching towards the doors, breaking them open. They were two groups of five while the third had stayed behind with my father. Nicola walked to the truck and disappeared behind it.
I settled myself close to the ridge between two branches, setting my feet on each other, pulling the throwing stars from my arms. I let them move further into the open road and away from the cars, before throwing the first three. The men fell down clutching their throats and yells echoed as the men disbanded into the woods, taking cover.
But in doing so they separated themselves. Idiots. My father had trained me well and the irony was not lost. Jumping into another tree, I swung with the rope, throwing the dagger at the same time. The two men below me, fell to the ground, crying out from pain.
Landing to my feet, I ran and pulled the daggers, knocking them unconscious and emptying their guns, taking the bullets with me. Five more to go. The sudden roar startled e and I turned to the direction of the truck.
I ran towards it and climbed on the tree, making sure not to make a sound as I passed over the iron poles and out of the house’s perimeter. Panting, I landed to the soles of my feet and crawled under the bushes, closer to the road. Around five feet separated me from the truck’s back doors and the guards stood on the left and right, looking anxiously around.
“Get over! Follow the men and gather the bastards!” my father swore in Italian and the guards followed his orders, leaving their posts, heading to the front.
Quickly getting up, I ran towards the double doors and pulled the handle to the right, opening it just a little. Slipping inside, I closed it, sealing it shut again.
“Claire.”
His voice sent shivers down my spine and I turned around. Jericho’s crumpled body moved, making the chains rattle with his movements. I ran and stretched my arms through the bars, touching his bloody fur. “Thank God.” I murmured fighting the urge to cry.
Jericho’s eyes flashed blue and his muzzle touched my nose. “I would never mistake the scent. What have you done?” Jericho looked at my clothes and weapons. “Wow, you’ve on Rambo mode; such a turn on.”
I chuckled. “Shut up.” I stepped back and pulled the gun, hitting the lock on the steel door. “We don’t have much time. The curse is dissolving.”
“I felt it and I heard the men saying that the house had appeared on the satellites.”
“Not to mention that the house took quite a shaking.”
Jericho’s worried voice pierced me. “Is everyone alright?”
After taking a deep breath, I swung once more and the lock broke. “If you mean that Elfas called me fat and Lethinia with Fred is the only thing separating my father from the circle, then I guess we are not so bad.”
Jericho growled as I took in the circling chains. How would I free him? “I like your curves.”
“Hey!” I smacked playfully his forehead and Jericho smiled all teeth and glowing eyes. “Who do think is in fault for that?”
“A certain wolf with fucking amazing cooking skills, I am sure.” He huffed giving me his version of smirking.
After pulling the grab hook off from the outer side of the cage, the rest of the chains were easy to fall. I saw him healing before me, grunting with pain. Entering the cage again, I touched Jericho’s shoulders and arms, making sure there were no open injuries. “Can you stand?” I asked.
But instead he curled his body around mine, making me choke in the familiar scent of woods and smoke. Hugging him tightly in return, Jericho pulled me up and licked my cheek. “Now you’re here, I am much better.” He said, before helping me climb his body.
After straddling his back, Jericho fell on fours, ready to bolt out from the truck. “We can go back, by climbing the top of the tuck, taking the stairs.” I pointed to the closed trap door and the stairs below. “Or we can go straight into open fire.”
“I am so pissed right now, I would go for option two.” Jericho growled under me and I felt his body vibrating with power.
Leaning to the front I held tightly his shoulders and whispered “so am I.”
“Great, let’s go to our friends then.”
And with a roar, we broke free from the truck, making a sharp turn, running straight into the guards. They shouted aiming their weapons at us but Jericho’s right arm closed around the head of the first man crashing it, while he broke the neck of the other with his left.
The violence was not lost in me, but then again my father wasn’t a fine example. Jericho killed to protect not to destroy his loved ones. He had finally tamed his power. And the wolf responded to the call too. We ran into the woods and I filled Jericho with the information about the men.
He on the other hand told me about Nicola and the truth about Mimi. I held his bulky shoulders tighter and for a moment Jericho stopped running, turning his head to look at me. I stared him back. “He was the one who suggested following you here. I supported this plan and I know that he will keep the end of his deal.”
“Which is?”
“To kill your father.”
Burying my face to the crook of his neck, I held my tears from falling. Jericho spun me around from his back to his front and held me as I sobbed. “It’s his deed too Claire. He loved your mother; I saw it in his soul.”
“That’s why Christo was disgusted with Mimi’s birth.”
“But he took his sweet time before killing her. Nicola told me that he wanted you to be the one to kill them. That way you would be the next to take over the Family.”
“I WOULD NEVER DO THAT!” I screamed and pounded my fists to Jericho’s chest.
His hold tightened. “We know that, we saw it in your dreams.” The double voice spoke and when I looked up one of Jericho’s eyes was solid black. Sniffing, I brushed my tears away while Jericho’s forehead rubbed mine.
“Let’s get over with this.” He said and we both turned towards the direction of the house. We heard screams as we ran and when we closed over the opening of the house’s gardens men appeared, shouting and cursing.
Jericho jumped howling with fury at the first three men and I bypassed him, throwing my daggers and dodging the bullets. Feinting to the right, I slid my dagger over the man’s shins while I kicked the other in the stomach. When the man fell, I whirled around and threw the last dagger with a flick of my wrist. Six men were now down. Four more together with my father.
Pulling the daggers and sheathing them back, I climbed on Jericho’s back and we ran the rest of the way towards the house following the tracks they had left. We saw the smoke first, rising to the sky and with every whiff of the blackness, I felt my soul shattering.
“FASTER JERICHO!”
He bolted straight into the gardens, howling with malice. Two of the men held flamethrowers watching the house burning, while the other two, big and bulky, held sown Fred. The gargoyle was screaming at the direction of the house while Lethinia’s screeching and outstretched willow branches were moving wildly.
My father, Nicola and other two men stood around the circle, examining it with the curiosity of a child and the calculation of a madman. When they lifted their head and saw us, they exploded into gunfire and shouts.
Jericho jumped above them and I pushed myself from his back, landing on the ground. I rolled, covering my head and quickly got up, pulling two of my blades. “Get away from the circle.” I growled at my father.
He smiled. “It’s nice to see how well I’ve trained you. But this,” he pointed at the circle of blue salt and the items on it, “is quite interesting. Care to explain?”
I heard shrieks of fear and barks behind me and then the sound of breaking glass. Turning around, I managed to see Jericho jumping into the fire before disappearing. “Jericho!”
My instincts kicked in and turned just in time to repel the tip of my father’s sword. The Italian mob of Chicago had a tendency for anything pointy and made of steel. Many disputes were settled with swords. My arms repelled the sword, the blaze almost grazing my cheek, and I pivoted around, bringing my legs out and kicking him to the stomach. He fell back and his cocky grin changed into a mask of violence.
“I will kill you!” he jumped and charged again.
Falling down, I moved my legs, blocking his running and swiping them under him. Christo fell again and I turned towards the house, ready to jump into the flames, to help the others. The roof collapsed and debris with flaming walls fell towards our direction. With a shout from Nicola I and Christo retreated; before I could turn a black mass jumped out and fell to the ground. A bundle of cloth rolled from Jericho’s arms and I reached out, grasping Mina. Looking at her was devastating, her face pale white and full of smoke smudges.
“They are fine.” Jericho said and hoisted Todd and Elfas on his shoulders. They grumbled something unintelligible and turned to me. The curse’s power had already taken a toll on them. Todd’s skin had started to wrinkle; while Elfas’s green hair had started to grow, his body had also started to age fast.
Taking Mina in my arms, I walked towards the circle, looking at my father, Nicola and the two remaining men, who had retreated. Cold calculation lightened in his eyes. At least until the curse was broken, I would keep my hatred tame. When all this was over, no matter what Nicola had promised to, I would be the one to kill him.
“Hurry…” Mina rasped and with a quick backwards glance to Jericho, who stared back at me with fearful blue eyes, while holding the two men, who were dying with every passing second.
I placed Mina at the center of the circle and pulled out the keys from my jeans pocket. Giving them to her, I felt them humming under my fingers as their power passed over to the witch. But before I could step back, Mina’s pale eyes snapped up at me. “Stay.” She commanded and without another word, I knelt in front of her.
She raised her arms and screamed. The sound echoed as if the furies were coming for us, vibrating even to the ground. The lines around us started to glow blue and the items, placed on the four corners started to tremble. Mina began chanting, her voice devoid of her usual sass, she spoke in her ancient language.
The sounds became stronger and the hum blasted my eardrums. I closed my eyes, not daring to close my eyes as I watched Mina using the spell. Suddenly, I heard screams behind me and I turned just in time.
“No!” my torso twisted, throwing myself in front of Mina.
I locked eyes with the man who held the blade. His graying black hair and brown eyes widened as he stared at me. My ears buzzed and I opened my mouth to scream. But no sound came. Cold and numbness overtook and suddenly, I could feel the cold air, the sick and heavy scent of smoke and fire.
Jericho’s screaming and Mina’s chanting.
Pulling the blade out, I didn’t waste any time before thrusting it under my father’s chin, screaming from rage. His eyes bulged as I saw life leaving his orbs until he fell back. “Mina…” I rasped and slowly I turned around.
The girl’s eyes had turned a golden hue the iris had overtaken the pupil as she shook her head back and forth, pleading while at the same time chanting. I dared to look down.
A red spot had already appeared on my stomach and it continued to grow. I whimpered with the realization as my knees gave out and fell to my side. From across I could see Jericho screaming calling my name, while Todd and Elfas tried to hold him back, since the spell was still on going. Nicola was with them shouting for me too.
I smiled, having no idea why I did it. Maybe it was the cool snow under my cheek, or the sick satisfaction of killing my father. No, it wasn’t that. The magic of the earth sipped into me as Mina’s spell began taking over everything. A blinding white light covered everything.
Oh it was warm and quiet. No snow, no pain, no blood. I felt tired…
No!
No!
No!
I don’t want to die! No! NO!
My eyelids fluttered.
I don’t want to die!
You won’t.
I opened my eyes again. I still laid on my right side but everything around me had stilled. My body felt light and when I tried to get up, I made it until I was able to sit on the ground. It felt like time had stopped around me. I saw the fire, the flames burning everything at the house still like an image, while Lethinia’s willow had stopped moving, her branches balancing midair.
What had happened?
Turning around, I glanced at Mina. Her lips were parted and the tears had stopped falling down her cheeks, while her stare had trailed down to where I had fallen. This was weird; either I was swapped into an episode of “Doctor Who” or really time had frozen.
Todd and Elfas held Jericho whose snout was open in an anguish cry of pain. His eyes were both blue and black.
“Poor child.”
I turned to the source of the voice.
No way.
No freaking way!
The woman smiled as she stared at me. She stood outside the circle, her bare feet looked like they were one with the snowy ground. She wore a black dress, which swirled around her as if moved by an invisible current of air. I got up in shaky legs and lifted my chin staring back at her.
“I know you.” I said looking at the black haired woman with the strikingly green eyes with awe.
She smiled. “And what do my children call me?”
“The First Mate, the Wife of Krag-Twan, the Wolf Queen.” I mumbled remembering the names Elfas had told me.
“For you Claire, I am Lora.” She walked around the circle steadily and her eyes moved to Mina’s direction.
“How did you come here? Why are you here Lora?”
Lora smiled at Mina then turned and walked to Jericho’s direction. Her palms, pale white touched the werewolf’s muzzle and caressed him with motherly love. “There was never the need for a spell. All you had to do was believe that you could escape your pasts.”
She turned back at me. “My mate has looked over for you since the day you came.”
“The Wolf King?”
Lora nodded.
“Why?”
“Because you could prove to be the one to free them form the witch’s spell. Your courage, your soul light, your love for my son, everything you did was the facts which caused this ending.”
I looked at the time still scenery. “So now am I truly dead? Because,” I moved my finger around, “I believe that Hell would look hotter.”
Lora titled her head back and laughed. I didn’t since it was a little annoying laughing over someone’s death. When she was done, she reached over, stepping into the circle. The humming sound and the faint echo of Mina’s chanting began again.
“I came here because you Claire will become the next Mate. Jericho will unite the clans again and together peace will reach the children of the moon. Thus,” she kissed my forehead, “I bestow upon you the gift of immortality.”
My eyes widened.
“Don’t be afraid child.” Her smooth hands cupped my cheeks. “Your mother, Thomas and Mimi are proud of you.”
I left a cry but it was lost as the howl was heard. We both turned to the direction of the forest. A white werewolf stood at the outskirts of the forest. He looked ancient, strong and lethal. He extended his paw and Lora laughed beside me.
“I must go now.”
Smiling back at her, after noticing the wolf’s eyes I said. “Will I ever see you again Lora?”
“Oh you will, in the eyes of every moon child, in every breath of the night and in every soul you will give birth to.”
She ran towards Krag-Twan, who stared at me for a moment, titled his head back and howled. I closed my eyes letting the deep sound become one with my being and felt my body fall back.
“Claire!”
Everything was going to be alright.
“Claire!”
I would survive this.
“CLAIRE!”
Jericho…
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hell yeah! I finally managed to write more! Stay tuned for the next chapter and I hope you'll be able to find time and read my sci-fi story "Eden of the Stars". That will be the next book which I will update.
Also, some bokish news! If you have read "Three ghosts for Anastasia" let me tell you that I have queried for the story to be turned into an actual book! I hope for this chance so pray with me!
As always I love your comments/votes especially from two users who have made laugh these few months I spend on writing!!
*I have also posted a pic of Lora and the Wolf King!* :) check to your right
I wish you a great weekend! Alexandra! :*