“We can go get you a dress later this week. The Oracle will provide all the ceremonial garb that goes along with it.”
“Joy,” I muttered.
Taking me by surprise, Rachel reached out and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re going to be a great luna,” she said.
“Um…thanks…”
After she left, her parting words rang out in her head. It was sweet of her to say, and part of me wanted to believe her. Except it was difficult to do. The entire ordeal was still so bizarre that it was nearly impossible for me to swallow.
In the end, though, it didn’t matter. I could be the worst luna in history, or the best. It didn’t change the fact that I’d been forced into it.
With a short sigh, I closed the door and walked back upstairs, not bothering to go back into the kitchen. I’d suddenly lost my appetite.
Chapter 4 - Elias
The sun beamed down from a cloudless sky, baking the ground beneath my paws. The desert spread out below us, cacti and other succulents dotting the landscape as far as we could see from on top of the rock formation.
Well, not quite. In one area, toward the base of the mountain we were currently on, a lush green patch of earth and dozens of buildings marked Silver Falls. And, to the south of it by a couple of miles was an area that just yesterday had looked almost identical to the rest of the landscape. Now it looked like a tornado had torn through it, pulling up cacti, destroying the trails and the land.
I let out a growl, fur bristling as I looked around. The sand wraith had attacked again.
I had only seen it the one time. A swirling form of shadow and sand with glowing eyes that seemed to peer out at you from any angle you approached it. The sight had chilled my bones when I had glimpsed it. You could practically see right through it. How the hell were you supposed to attack a tempest of sand?
I turned to the large brown wolf next to me. Sam’s eyes looked back. I flicked my tail in a signal. The other wolf ducked his head in concession and followed after me.
It took far less time than it would any normal human—or any normal wolf, for that matter—to reach the base of the outlook and charge through the desert to the edge of our territory, where the patch of destruction waited for us.
Sand was everywhere. Not surprising in the desert, but cacti and other shrubbery had been ripped out of the earth and lay strewn about. One of the mesas, its geological layers defined on its side by strong lines of various colors in the rock, had beenbroken in two, a large crevice cutting through it that hadn’t been there before.
It was unmistakably the work of the wraith. It seemed to be getting stronger. It had started coming more frequently, too, and we weren’t sure why. Reports were coming in more regularly of sightings. So far, the two patrols that had come across it hadn’t been able to so much as touch it. As much as I hated to admit it, we were out of our depth.
Worry for the town rippled through me as I padded through the area, checking on the devastation spread out all around me. The stench of burning sand assaulted my snout, making it nearly impossible to smell anything else. I had caught the smell at other locations the wraith had hit.
Sam plodded up next to me, and we patrolled the area, taking note of the devastation. It was a few miles from the center of town. Too close for comfort. We wandered, searching for any clues that might give us more information about the wraith. But there was nothing.
After finally admitting defeat, I shifted back to human, cracking my neck as I rolled my shoulders, getting used to my human form again. It always felt strange for the first few seconds. I slipped into the pair of pants in my bag before going to join Sam, who was waiting off to the side.
“What do you think?” Sam asked.
“I think the wraith is getting bolder,” I growled. “And stronger. Has anyone been able to even hurt it yet?”
“Not yet. I have a theory, but it’s a weird one.”
“I’m all ears right now.”
Sam scratched his chin, eyes sweeping the area. “Last time someone saw it, it was by the river. It wouldn’t cross.”
“You think it’s afraid of water?” I asked, not bothering to hide my skepticism.
“I think that it’s had no issue attacking us in the past, so there must have been something different there. Water is the obvious answer.”
I didn’t answer, but I nodded, chewing the idea over. “It’s worth looking into,” I said. “Granted, trying to look into it is a bit tricky when we don’t even know where the thing is going to strike next. But it’s a start.”
“I’ve got other news,” Sam said, uncharacteristically somber. I stiffened, turning to look at him. “Arabella’s kid, Darren? He shifted last night.” His eyes met mine. “He’s five.”
I let out a growl as I stared off at the destruction. “The kids are starting to shift early,” I snarled.
