“My daddy said something important would stand here.” She smiled. “I watched as he carved the statues every night.” Her words caught. “They are all my daddy. He said he would watch over me forever.”
Her words were soft, but I looked at the last statue in my hand and realized she was right. A roughly carved Carl stared back at me. “Well, I’ll be damned.” I laughed as I placed the last Carl and I felt the magic click. I walked back to the remains of the fire and stared back at the cabin. The spell was completed, but something was missing.
“Say the words.” My grandmother’s voice had all of us turning. Her and Carl stood next to us, watching, waiting for the last piece to click into place. “Say the words, pup.”
“There aren’t supposed to be any words.” I shook my head but she just smiled.
“Come now.” She smiled over at me. “I know you can feel the spell unfinished. It’s waiting for you to seal it.”
Carl looked over at his daughter. “If you don’t, the spell will just keep wearing off.” His eyes snapped to me. They were filled with resignation, but a hint of anger. He was telling me not to waste his sacrifice. “You need to do it.” To keep her safe. His words went unsaid, but understood. Everything he did was to keep his child safe.
I turned back to my grandma, and she nodded to the house. “Close your eyes. Focus on the spell. The words will come.” I nodded and faced the cabin. Shutting my eyes and turning my entire focus to the spell I was weaving. The statues that had sucked in every drop of Carl’s sacrifice stood as beacons, power overflowing from them. The spell, a net cast over the cabin, was strong, but I could feel the weak spots. The spell was left unfinished, and if left this way, the woven threads would weaken, shredding apart at those weak points.
I pulled away from everyone, everything, focusing solely on those weak spots. What did I need to do to make them strong, make them solid? I was about to give up, and Carl’s grave flashed in my mind. Protected. Safe.
“Isla fo int ye per ta na shads.” I whispered. The weak spots weaving stronger. “Yi ka dum.” With my final whispered words, the net solidified. Like armor around the cabin.
“Good girl.”
Chapter Eighteen
Ifelt them leave this time; I don’t know how, or why, but I knew my grandmother and Carl were gone before I turned. “It’s done.” I turned to my friends. “Who’s staying?”
Toya and Wendy looked at each other and then back at me. Wendy stepped forward. “I called my mom. She made a bag for you guys to grab for me. We thought having Toya with you would be better.”
“No, not better, but I need to figure out what pack I’ve been sent to. I could call and ask for leave after I know where, that way we can make sure we are set for the next while.”
Wendy nodded. “I already told my mom last night that I have a position under you and to let the Alpha know. She was ecstatic and the Alpha already agreed.” She looked at me weirdly. “The Alpha pair really likes you.”
I snorted and waved her off. “I’m likeable.” She snorted, but let it go. I crouched down to talk to Carly. “Are you going to be okay while we are gone?”
“How long are you going to be gone?” She bit her lip and looked up at me.
“We are going to be quick. We need some stuff.”
“And food.” Toya jumped in. I looked up at her and she raised her shoulder. “I meant to tell you after breakfast, but shit happened. We are almost out of everything.”
I nodded and turned back to Carly. “What do you want for dinner?”
She looked at me as she thought. “Can we have tacos?”
I tilted my head. “Tacos?”
She nodded. “If you’re home for dinner.”
I booped her nose. “Tacos it is.” I looked at everyone else. “Are we ready to go?” Hanna and Micca nodded. Toya reached over, patted Carly’s head, and nodded. “Are you okay?” I focused back on the child in front of me, and she nodded.
“I’ll be okay. Just don’t forget me.” She whispered the last words, and they broke my heart.
I kissed her forehead. “Never.” Then I stood. “Wendy…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take her in and we will find something to do. We will be good, won’t we pup?” Wendy held out her hand and Carly walked over to her, slipping her hand into hers. “What about we go see if we can find something to play?”
“Daddy has a box full of games we can play.” Wendy smiled down at her and they walked to the cabin, leaving us in the grass.
Once I was sure they were safe inside, I turned to the rest. “Shift. We will run back to school to see the mess we left behind.” I sighed and then shifted to Nix. She shook out our fur and waited for everyone else to shift. Then we ran towards the school. This was going to be a long run back.
We stayed silent though the entire run, all of us too wrapped up in our own mind to say much. The first scent of the school hit our nose when we were about twenty minutes away and Micca pulled up short. She barked, and we all turned back, coming back to where she was waiting.
