In the Midst of the Light
Twenty-Six
Aemilia
"What do you mean we shouldn't bring Valerio out?" I ask R.C. while Mom and Dad create the spell in salt on the floor.
R.C. shakes his head at me. "I didn't mean it like that," he replies. "Valerio needs to come out, no question about it, but The Warlock very well could have put something else in the spell for the prison world we know nothing about."
I look at him curiously. "So you're saying we shouldn't even try just because The Warlock might have done something else with the spell?"
R.C. bites on the inside of his bottom lip, takes a deep breath, and says, "I'm sorry, I've become really paranoid ever since Valerio's injury. But you're right. Even if The Warlock added something, we still have to try and bring him out."
I smile at him as I put a hand on his arm. "I've been watching everything too, R.C. But Valerio has gotten stronger with his magic," his eyebrows shoot up. He didn't know Valerio's powers had gotten stronger. "I know we've never combined our magic to achieve something so important, but if we do, we'll get Valerio back."
He puts his hand over mine on his arm, nods his head, and then looks at Mom. "Is it ready?"
"Just about," she replies as she places objects inside the salt. "But you can't start until Lexie is back with Valerio's totem."
As if on cue, the air next to me starts to move. I let go of R.C.'s arm, and turn to where Lexie is manifesting. I look to her hands for the totem, and see they're empty. I look at her, and she says, "Valerio said I'm his totem."
I look at Mom as she looks up from the floor, and she tilts her head to one side, biting on her cheek. "I don't know if that will work." She chews on her cheek again, and then nods her head. "Actually, Valerio is right. The connection between you two is what's needed, I've just never thought to use a person as a totem." She stands from the floor, moves out of the circle of salt, and says to Lexie, "Come sit in the middle. Aemilia, R.C., stand on opposite sides."
The three of us move to our spots, and then Mom recites the spell for us. "Now," Mom continues, "last time this spell was used, it destroyed the cabin too. If things start falling, or breaking, or anything, you can't stop."
"And you're sure we're strong enough to destroy the prison?" R.C. asks.
I chew on my bottom lip, having almost asked the same question. When Mom was trying to destroy Achilles' prison, it took everyone in the pack to do it. Are Valerio, R.C. and I really stronger together than all of them? I know each of us individually is powerful, and together we're a force to be reckoned with, but are we strong enough to destroy an entire world? I would just search the future to see if we do get Valerio out, but because Valerio isn't in this world, I can't see him.
"Absolutely," Mom replies fiercely. "You and Aemilia actually have the easy part." She looks down to Lexie. "You have to pull him out just before the world collapses. That's the hard part."
Lexie looks at me from her spot on the floor in the middle of the circle. "You still don't know if this works, do you?"
I shake my head at her without saying anything. I don't want to tell her I don't know because I'm not seeing him.
Lexie takes a deep breath, blows it out quickly, and then closes her eyes. The room is silent for a moment, and then Lexie nods her head as she opens her eyes. "Valerio is ready," she says as she looks to the floor in front of her.
I look at R.C., and the look on his face is pure worry. When he catches my eye, he takes a deep breath, clears his throat, and nods his head. "I'm ready too," he says to me.
I take a deep breath, position my hands at my sides with my palms facing R.C., close my eyes, and then lower my head. At the same time, R.C. and I start chanting the complex spell. My hair covers my face from the violent wind that sweeps through the living room of the cabin. I lose my footing for a second, but I plant my feet in a fighter's stance and unleash everything I have inside of me into the spell. The floor starts shaking, I hear a crash, but I do exactly as Mom had instructed and push on.
My arms raise as I put more into the cadence, and I put them straight out in front of me towards R.C. Both of our chants become more forceful, more determined, and I can feel the prison world beginning to disintegrate. My fingers spread, I chant even louder, almost yelling, and then Lexie starts chanting. The force I'm using is so strong that it's like a weight pushing me down. I lower myself to my knees as the three of us chant harder and louder.
The floor is convulsing, windows are breaking, and then, I feel a release. The sudden freedom from the spell being over makes me lose my balance on my knees, and I fall onto my stomach as I open my eyes.
I push myself up as Valerio grabs Lexie off the floor. As they hold each other tightly, my hair sweeps across my face. I turn to my right, where a breeze is coming from, and see that part of the wall next to the front door has detached from the door, creating a large hole.
Mine and R.C.'s breathing is coming out in short bursts. My head starts to spin, my vision becomes spotty, and then my eyes roll into the back of my head as I pass out.
Valerio
I hear two thumps, so I break my kiss with Lexie. I look to the sides of us, and see Aemilia and R.C. are both on the floor. Panic fills me, but then Mom says, "They'll be okay. It was a powerful spell. Go, address the packs, your father and I will take care of them."
"Thank you," I reply, silently wondering why I wasn't effected by the spell that way. I kiss Lexie again, pushing the thought aside, curl my fingers, and take the two of us to Alpha Dubois. I have no intention of simply addressing the packs.
I know The Warlock is close, and even though Otero isn't back yet, there are enough wolves that we can safely start looking for the compound. There's just under ten thousand wolves here, so covering two hundred miles in all directions won't be that difficult. We will find it, and then I will rip The Warlock's heart out.
"Ready your men," I tell Dubois in a hard tone, but don't order him. His eyes widen at mine and Lexie's sudden appearance as he bows to us. I look around to the packs, and say louder, "The Warlock is close, and now that I'm back, we're going to find him. I want everyone to search cautiously. Do not go off on your own." I turn back to Dubois, and speaking at a regular tone, continue, "I want you and your best fighters to go with me."
"And me," Lexie says, making it sound a little like a question.
I look down at her, and reply, "That goes without saying. I don't want you staying here with everyone leaving." I look at Dubois for a second, and then lower my head so I can whisper in Lexie's ear. "But do not leave my side," I order her.
The Warlock needed me gone, that much is obvious, for whatever he's wanting to do with the diamond. We have an element of surprise now that I'm out of his prison, and I plan on using it to my advantage. I wasn't even in the prison for a whole day, and if he had already harnessed the powers from the diamond, we would know about it. I'm sure The Warlock didn't expect R.C., Aemilia and I to be able to get me out, but he has seriously underestimated mine and my siblings capabilities.
Lexie not being able to leave my side may be a little drastic, but at least I know she will always be next to me while we search. She whimpers at the weight of my command, dips her torso, and then I look back to Dubois as I rub my hand on Lexie's back. I truly hate ordering her to do anything more so than anyone else, but it's a necessity.
"I understand, Alpha Dubois," I continue, "that you have a personal vendetta against Zombie, but you are not to kill him until we have The Warlock too. Is that clear?"
I see his jaw flex as he bows to me. "Yes, Your Majesty," he replies as he straightens himself. "Do I still have your word that I can rip his heart out when the time comes though?"
I nod my head at him. "Absolutely, Dubois. I want to try and take Zombie prisoner when we find the compound, and use his as bait for The Warlock. I honestly don't know if either of them will even be there, but I have a feeling that if we take Zombie, or Spencer, then The Warlock will come running for them." I take a deep breath, and say again, "Ready your men, Alpha Dubois."
He turns on his heels and disappears into the sea of wolves, who are now scurrying around to get ready. I turn my head, looking over my shoulder, to look at the house, and then take Lexie and I to Keegan.
"We're going back to The Warlock's headquarters," I tell him as we come into the kitchen, and then I see Kalvin. I give Keegan an apologetic smile. I know he's trying to keep Kalvin out of all this as much as possible, and I feel like crap since I just brought it up in front of him.
Keegan clears his throat, and looks down to his brother. "I got something I have to go do. Do you mind hanging out with Abigail for a while?"
Kalvin takes a bite of his sandwich, chews silently as he looks between the two of us, and then swallows. He looks at me, sets his food down, and asks, "Is my brother in danger?"
My eyes widen as I look at Keegan briefly. I step away from Lexie and take the seat next to Kalvin. I know very little about the youngest Andrews, and I don't really have any experience with talking to kids, so I'm not sure exactly how to answer his question. Is Keegan in danger? Yes, we all are, but I can't tell him that.
I take a deep breath and then smile at Kalvin. "Keegan is going to be fine," I promise. "I give you my word, Kalvin, I will watch out for him."
His tiny brown eyes pierce me with a look of fear, and then he whips his head to his right to look at Keegan. Before Kalvin can say anything, Keegan puts his hand on his brother's shoulder, and says, "Valerio is right, Kalvin. I will be fine. Don't worry about me."
He huffs as he drops his head.
"Do you trust me, Kalvin?" Keegan asks as he lowers his voice, and puts his forearms on the kitchen island, leaning in closer to him. The brothers hold each others stare for a second, and Keegan continues, "I don't want you to worry about me. Even if something happens to me, I'm protected. I will never leave you."
I chew on my bottom lip as my knees starts to bounce. We need to go, and even with Keegan and Kalvin having this moment is important, every second we wait to leave is another second The Warlock is able to harness to the powers from the diamond.
Kalvin lets out a deep sigh, and turns his head to look at me. "Is that true?"
"Yes, Kalvin," Lexie answers him. "We used magic to make sure all of us will be okay."
I see the weight of the world lift from his tiny shoulders. I know the both of them have had a hard life, which makes me feel even more fortunate for what I have, but just seeing how much tension leaves him crumbles my heart. When Aemilia told me Keegan's younger brother was going to stay here, I was okay with it right away. I didn't know about how their parents behaved, Keegan never mentioned it to me, and when she told me, I started considering Kalvin like another little brother. I may not know him very well, but the protective nature is there.
"We have to go, Kalvin," Keegan says as he straightens himself. "Go find Abigail, and I'll see you in a little while."
He huffs again but climbs off his stool. "Please be careful," he tells Keegan before turning and walking out the kitchen.
I take a deep breath as I stand from my stool. Keegan shakes his head while he continues to look at where Kalvin disappeared. He sighs, comes around the counter, and smiles at me. "Good to see you again, Valerio."
I nod as I smile back. "You too." I take another deep breath and nod my head again. "Ready?" I ask as I raise an eyebrow.
Keegan swallows, lifts his chin, and nods once. "I'm ready."
There's a smell over here, Keegan informs me from his position forty miles to mine and Lexie's east.
I turn, and charge in his direction. We've only been searching for about an hour, and this is the first time anyone has found anything. I didn't think The Warlock would make his headquarters in a town, of any size, so I have everyone looking in remote areas. Dubois and his men are searching a five mile perimeter around Lexie and I, and everyone else is just scattered around. There is another pack within five miles of everyone, and together, we've narrowed down where The Warlock is exponentially.
Hence why I'm sure it's The Warlock's compound without even asking Keegan what the smell is.
I push harder as I fill Dubois in. Within two miles, Dubois is falling in step behind Lexie and I, his men falling in line with us as we make our way to Keegan, Uncle Miles and Alpha Trenton. The sound of at least two thousand wolves running behind me is somewhat unnerving. It sounds like we're going into battle, and I suppose we are. I have no idea if The Warlock, Zombie, or Spencer is actually there. Hell, no one could be there. It is the middle of the day, and all these attacks might be extracurricular activities. For all I know, each member of the coven have real lives outside of this.
But I need to be ready for all of them being there regardless.
And I am.
As Lexie, Dubois and I charge down a steep incline twenty minutes later, I catch the scent Keegan was referring to. It's a sweet musky aroma. The two of them together stings my nose. I steer the wolves that have gathered in number to the north east, where Keegan is waiting for my arrival. I lead the packs up anther hill, disappearing into the trees as the thicken. We climb the hill, eventually coming to a stop along the crest.
Nestled in the side of a mountain about a mile away is a two story concrete building. There's maybe four windows on the side that is facing us, but they're tiny. If it weren't for my wolf's eyes, I wouldn't be able to see them. My lips curl as I come to Keegan's side. The odd scent gets even stronger as the wind changes directions, blowing directly at us.
Have you seen any movement? I ask Keegan as the wolves gather behind us.
None, he replies.
I nod my head as I turn it towards Lexie. Are you good?
She takes a deep breath and turns her head to look at me. Her beautiful carmel eyes are filled with worry and anxiety, but she nods her head. I'm good.
I look back to the compound for a moment, and then turn around to address the packs. All of you did an excellent job working together to find this place so quickly. I don't know if anyone is over there, and if there is, kill them on sight. If you can, take Spencer alive. I push my memories of what Spencer looks like to the packs so they know who to not kill. I still don't know what The Warlock, nor Zombie, look like, but I would guess that they will be more powerful than the others. If you find either of them, inform me immediately. Try to keep their attention, but don't risk your life. Everyone clear on what to do?
The sea of wolves collectively nod their heads. I take a calming breath as I turn back around. I watch the concrete structure for a few minutes as I lower myself to the ground, preparing for our attack. As a bird high above us in the trees chirps loudly, I give the order to move in.
I tear down the hill, Lexie and Keegan staying at my sides. The three of us wade across a good sized river at the bottom of the hill, and then start pushing up the mountain. The Warlock's odd scent becomes even stronger, nearly choking me, as we get closer. I don't know what to make of the smell. I can't tell if this is his scent, the scent of his coven as a whole, or the scent from his spells and magic in the air. Whatever the smell is from causes my wolf to push me harder.
When I was talking with The Warlock, he made it seem like he didn't think anyone would ever find this place. In his defense, it is in the middle of nowhere, and hidden nicely in the mountain. The closest town is seventy miles away, and I don't see anyone hiking out this far. I've known The Warlock is a smart man, but he's taken everything into consideration.
Except one.
He was planning on me being gone for a while.
Dubois, go around the back, I tell him as I come up to what looks like the side. There's no door, so I can only assume. Eric, go with him and blow out a piece of the wall on my order.
I bring Lexie, Keegan and I against the wall, and when Dubois and Eric go around the corner, I motion with my paw for the other packs to hold.
In position, Eric says.
I shift, raise my hands, and say, Now, to Eric. Before the dust even begins to settle, I shift again, and run into the opening I created. I come into a large room that looks like living quarters. There are a few beds, a couple of large dressers, but other than that there's nothing, and more importantly no one, in here. I run to a long, horizontal, window on the opposite wall, jump and smash through it. I land in a hallway, turn to my left, and take off down the hall.
From deep inside the compound, I hear a loud, deep, bang. I turn right at the next hallway to try and figure out how to go there, and see a slim red head running away from me. Keegan leaps over me, landing just in front of me, and then pushes off again, tackling the woman to the floor. As Lexie and I jump over him, he detaches her head from her body without even putting up a fight.
The hallway opens up, leading into an open room. I hear the bang again, and run faster to try and get to whatever is happening. This place is a maze filled with hallways and large rooms. What is the point in the rooms with nothing in them? Not even a chair. As I lead the packs further in, it's one large room after another, and most of them are completely empty.
As I bust through another door, I fall into the ritual room. Close by, I can hear the wolves. By the snarls and yelps, accompanied by a few screams, I know they've found the coven at least. I run across the ritual room, through the archway Lexie and I had came through just yesterday, and turn down the hall.
I follow the sound for a minute, and just before we get to the room I'm sure the other packs are in, Spencer steps out from another hallway. I lunge for him, and when he's on the floor under me, I shift and freeze him with every ounce of power that I have.
"Go kill the rest!" I growl as I stay on top of Spencer.
There's at most fifteen of them against ten thousand wolves. It doesn't matter how much black magic they use on us; our numbers are too great for them to defeat us.
I smile sinisterly down at Spencer as the packs run passed Lexie and I. "We meet again," I say with a large smile on my face, and then I curl my fingers, taking Lexie, Spencer and I home.
Thanks for reading!
~Stefanie