"Okay, let's get back on the road. We have to be closing in on the creatures," King Orsand said, walking down the steps.
"We have vehicles that are gassed up that we can use," Alpha Wesley said, emerging from the building, rubbing his head.
"Alpha?" The group of people who gathered and witnessed his death stared in astonishment.
"Yeah, it seems that I was just in shock from the wounds. Thankfully Princess Elanor is rather skilled in handling that sort of thing. Thank you, truly."
"Alaph?"
I turned to look as Alastair walked across the street.
"Beta."
"You were..."
"Unconcious."
Alastair looked at me, his eyes glassy with tears. I smiled and grabbed Edmond's hand.
"How about I actually go back to the Blackpaw Howlers pack now?"
"Now?"
"Um, yeah. We may need the reinforcements."
"You're not going alone," Edmond said.
I sighed heavily. "You are going to need as many people with you as you can get. I think I will be safe going back alone."
He shook his head and held tightly to my hands. "No. Absolutely not. You're not going alone."
I lead forward and kissed him lightly. "The creatures are ahead of us, not behind. I need you to make sure Moon Mist is okay. I will catch up to you."
"I'll send two of my warriors with her," Andrew said, stepping forward.
Edmond closed his eyes and breathed heavily. I knew he was still mad about the scene Andrew caused. I squeezed his hands and kissed him again.
"Forgive him," I whispered. I turned to Andrew. "That will work great."
"Okay, let's go," King Orsand said.
I watched as the group loaded into freshly gassed vehicles before trekking my way back to the Blackpaw village.
"Majesty, do forgive me, but why are we going back? There is only death and nonwarriors at home."
"You're a secretive group, so I can trust you two, right?"
The two black-clad warriors nodded.
"I have this special ability that allows me to reverse certain things."
"Death?"
"Like death, yes. I'm hoping that the additional warriors will help us."
"How?"
"It's hard to explain," I muttered.
"Is it magic?" The other asked.
"Um, I don't think so? I'm not really sure what it is. I don't even really know what I am."
"What?"
I shook my head. "Don't think too deeply about it. It's a long and confusing story that I don't think I should divulge. At least not yet. I'm sure it will eventually be revealed to all."
They both nodded and remained fairly silent as we made our way back to Winter Lake. The streets were desolate as we traveled toward the castle. I brought the car to a stop outside the doors of the castle. It looked quiet and bare. Not a soul stirred within.
"Will you bring back the dead inside?"
I hadn't thought about them. The truly innocent who should never have been harmed in this war.
"I suppose I should. Where are they?"
"I think the ballroom, majesty," the warrior on the
"Okay, then I guess we go there first."
We made our way through the hallways until we reached the massive doors to the room. A space that is supposed to be for celebrations and official business. I guess holding dead bodies was official business.
"Are you ready, ma'am?"
I swallowed hard. Is anyone really ready for this kind of thing?
We can do this.
I glanced over at Diana who was still with me. I wondered if she would be with me forever.
I nodded and the warriors pulled the doors open.
An overpowering stench of rot and death. One of the warriors bent to the side and vomited as I tore a strip of cloth from my shirt and tied it around my face in a feeble attempt to stop the smell from assaulting my nostrils.
"Ma'am, do you need us?"
I shook my head and continued forward. The bodies were lined up in three rows, covered in sheets with dried blood stains.
'Is this a good idea?' Diana asked within my mind.
'Who knows. I mean I already owe the Moriai my soul so who cares at this point?'
'You know you have to pay them, right? There is no avoiding the Moriai.'
'Yeah. I know but I might as well save as many as I can in the meantime.'
Diana stepped back and shook her head. 'I don't think giving up your soul is the right answer.'
'Right answer or not, I already promised so it can't be undone. Right?'
She shrugged her ethereal shoulders and crossed her arms.
This is a big job. These are a lot of people. Should I do them all at once? Or one at a time?
I knelt beside one of the bodies and pulled back the sheet a bit. The lifeless face of a red-headed boy stared up at me.
"Oh, Goddess. Reuben!"
The kitchen boy who made our coffees had slashes across his face, the skin peeling back, revealing the muscle and bone in his face.
I stood before the dead bodies, trying not to vomit, and took a deep breath. I decided to do them all at once. Or at least try to.
"Here goes."
I held my hands up, focusing deep within myself as I had before. The black abyss crept over me, but I fought it this time.
"Nope. Nope. We are not going back to the Moriai. I already know what they want. It's not happening."
"Girl," Clotho called to me.
"You steal," Lachesis shouted.
"More from us," Atropus screeched.
"No," I screamed as the bright blue light shot from my hands as I continued fighting the pull.
I opened my eyes and watched the various blue, green, yellow, and orange souls pour out and into their bodies.
People began to sit up and pull the sheets off. I was afraid for a moment about what they would look like. Would they still be torn to pieces?
"Wh-what happened?" Reuben asked, looking at me.
The slashes on his face were gone.
"You're okay!" I dropped beside him and held him tightly. "Thank Goddess you're okay."
I openly wept as everyone stood and checked themselves and each other out.
"How?"
"It's long a story," I said. "But you're all okay. Just find somewhere safe to hide. Okay?"
They murmured amongst each other as I hugged Reuben again. "I have to go. You stay safe. Okay?"
I brushed his shaggy red hair out of his little face. He was so sweet and so young. For only the second time since I started bringing back the dead did not regret it.
I ran out of the ballroom and right into the two warriors who were waiting.
"What are your names?" I asked, wiping at my face.
"What?"
"Your names. What are they?"
"Um, I'm Kyle," the man said.
"And I'm Mary."
"Okay. Kyle, Mary."
"Why did you want to know?"
"I'm not spending this much time with the two of you to not know who you are."
"Is everything okay, Majesty?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Let's go bring the rest of your warriors back."
The door in the stables was wide open and eerily silent. I stood there for a long moment. It would take us at least two hours to get to the village. While the tunnel was a lot shorter than the long way on horseback, it was still a long time.
"Do you think horses can fit in the tunnel?" I asked.
"Um, I don't know. Maybe."
"Well, let's see."
I put a halter on a beautiful white mare and led her toward the tunnel. She nickered and pawed at the ground, but followed.
"Good girl. Such a good girl."
She fit.
"Looks like we're taking horses," I said.
We grabbed saddles and quickly got three ready. The dark tunnel made it hard to navigate.
"They won't run in the darkness."
"You're right. Okay, time to test the powers a little more."
I held up my hand focusing just enough for the blue light to appear. It was bright enough to light our way.
'You're abusing the powers.'
'I'm doing what I have to in order to save this realm and all of wolf kind.'
'Artemis will not look kindly on this.'
'I don't care. It's her fault that any of this is happening.'
We rode along in the dimly blue-lit tunnel until we saw the door to the shed. The horses slowed to a trot as they made their way through. We had to duck our heads as they made their way through the small shed and into the sunlight. The mare I rode neighed in protest to the journey we made her take and pawed the ground once again.
I slid down, pulling the vile of warrior souls out of my pocket, and made my way toward the cafeteria where the bodies had been taken.
"Ellie?" Queen Amelia called from down the street.
"Your majesty!" I ran up to her and wrapped my arms around her. "I'm so glad you're well."
"Yes. That is wonderful. What are you doing here?"
"Long story. I need the bodies of the dead warriors."
"They're at the cemetery about to be buried."
"No! No, no." We ran to the small graveyard at the back of the village just as the first body was being lowered into the ground.
"Pull them out!" Kyle yelled.
"What?"
"The warriors, pull them out of the ground."
"What? No. They need buried." Samantha put her hands on her hips and glared at us.
"They can come back. Just, pull them out."
"No." She turned and started putting dirt on top of the body.
I let out a guttural yell and ran at her. I tackled her and punched her once in the nose.
"Stop! For the love of Goddess stop your shit, Samantha! Whatever your issue is, you're risking the chance for these warriors to live."
I stood and turned my back to her.
"If you move one step I will have you dragged off to the dungeons," Queen Amelia shouted.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw she had the shovel above her head as though she was going to hit me with it.
"Majesty." Samantha dropped to one knee, bowing before the queen.
"You are the most disobedient girl I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. Princess Elanor is a member of the royal family and will be treated as such. If I see anything besides respect for her from you, to the dungeon with you."
"Yes, majesty."
"Apologize."
"What, majesty?"
"Apologize to Princess Elanor."
Samantha stared down at the ground, pursing her lips.
"Now!"
"Forgive me, Princess Elanor."
"Forgiven."
I turned back to the body in the ground and motioned for Kyle and Maria to help me. We pulled the body out and laid it beside the rest. I uncorked the vile and held it out. The souls fled the confines of the glass jar and sought out their bodies.
We watched as the limbs struggled to free themselves from the sheets they were tied in.
"Hurry. Help them."
"What in the Goddess," Samantha said, standing up.
"What is this?" Queen Amelia asked.
"Um, another thing I discovered I can do."
We started freeing the warriors from their sheets and watched them stand, staring at one another.
"I don't understand what is going on," one of the warriors said. "I was dead."
"You were."
"I was in a glass container."
"You knew that?" I asked.
"Yeah. We were like all crammed in there."
"Sorry it took so long. You're all okay now. Okay. Um, we have to leave. All of us. We need to get to Moon Mist."
"Why? What's going on?" Queen Amelia asked.
"The creatures have been steadily attacking every pack."
"Alright. Then let's go." She turned to a group of warriors standing to the side. "Saddle horses. We ride in ten minutes."
"Mother, I do not think father will be happy if you fight."
"He has no choice. He's not here. We all fight."
I admired her for her resilience.
"Let's ride."
We walked back to the shed and waited for the others.
"Torches!" I called. "We need torches."
I climbed into the saddle of the white mare I rode up on and waited as Queen Amelia and the others trotted up to us.
"We're riding through the tunnel?"
"Aye," Kyle said. "With torchlight, it will be easier."
"What about when we get to the other side?" Samantha asked.
"Cars are waiting."
"Let's go!" I led the way, carrying a torch as the mare ran along the path.
It was nearly night when we finally reached the cars. We wouldn't reach Moon Mist until tomorrow.
Hopefully, we won't be too late.