Sinthy stood to remove the empty cups and trays, “Does anyone want any water or anything?”
“No. I’m fine,” I said, wanting Isme to finish the story. Beside me, Nico rubbed his chin thoughtfully. I could tell by the look on his face that he was rethinking all that we’d learned so far.
When Sinthy returned and took her seat, Isme continued. “I was preparing to leave the castle with the vial of enchanted blood when the coup began. Edemas’s children had gone to visit relatives with his pack, and only the two babies had remained. A single rider returned a day later, bloody and battered, the last surviving member of the twenty-man protection detail Edemas had sent with his children. He claimed that a trap had been laid in the forest. An overwhelming force had fallen upon them, and all the men and all of Edemas’s children had been slain. The single soldier had been allowed to leave and deliver a message. ‘The time of the wolf was over. The royals are coming for the throne’. Edemas, in a rage, demanded to know why the man hadn’t saved his children and then killed him where he stood. At that moment, as his own man’s blood pooled at his feet, his sanity was at its breaking point.
“You see,” Isme said with a shake of her head, “there is only so much a man can stand before he becomes a monster. Edemas grabbed me and one of his nursemaids, then put the two babies into my arms. He told me to finish casting the reincarnation spell. He wanted not only himself but all his slain children to one day rise again and descend upon his enemies for vengeance. I did as he asked.” Isme glanced at me again. “It seems the spell only worked for the poor Lillian, though.” She drifted off in thought for a moment, then suddenly snapped out of it. “The sound of trumpets and drums filled the night. The royals had arrived and planned to lay siege to Edemas’s castle. Edemas led me, the nursemaid, and his most trusted soldier to the outer gate and sent us away. The children in my arms cried and reached out for their father as we rode away. I glanced back once and saw thelook of hopelessness in Edemas’s eyes as the last of his family was taken from him.
“At the edge of the forest, I demanded the soldier and maid stopped. I’d lived my life serving Helena, her husband, and her children, and I would watch how things came to an end. Safely away from the opposing army, I was still able to see Edemas in the torchlight. We watched as he shifted to his werewolf form, something he’d done rarely, if at all, since wedding Helena. I… when the royals forces approached the gates, Edemas did not bar them. Instead, he ordered them to be opened. To let the army stream in. The screams… My God, I still remember the screams.” Her eyes flitted up to Nico and me. “You have never seen a true werewolf. It is… terrifying to behold. The army fell upon Edemas and his men. They were outnumbered a hundred to one, yet still, with their werewolf king at their side, the men of Helena’s house fought like men possessed, driven on by fear of the enemy but also fear of their king.
“I watched in the light of torches and the moon as Edemas himself slew at least three dozen men and twice that many horses. Arrows sticking out of his flesh, yet still, he fought. His talons sliced the air, rending flesh and tearing limbs and heads from bodies. It was an orgy of battle and blood. At some point, fires started in the castle, and the light made the battle even more visible. Toward the end, all of Edemas’s men were slain, yet still, he fought and clawed, standing on an ever-growing pile of bodies. For a single moment, I let myself believe the impossible—that somehow this one godlike beast could win against the odds. Then, Helena’s cousin, Count Voster Monroe, rode from Edemas’s blind side. With one swing of his sword, he beheaded the last werewolf alpha on earth. Effectively ending the line and the subspecies. The battle lost, my companions and I took the babies and ran into the night and the unknown.”
95
NICO
Sitting there, letting Isme’s words fade, I thought about how little we’d really known. Every story we’d been told as children had been a lie. Edemas had always been a creature of terror and fear. Shifters would often tell misbehaving children to behave, or Edemas might crawl from under the bed and attack them. He was the boogeyman. A thing to be feared. Now it was clear he’d only been a strong, proud, and stubborn man, A man who’d loved his wife and children so deeply that their loss had driven him mad with grief. He hadn’t been a monster at all. He’d simply been a father and husband who was pushed to the edge by a jealous family. It was almost too much to take in.
“I do have the vial,” Isme said, her face a mask of… what? Embarrassment? “The scavenger hunt aspect to locate it was not my idea, but Edemas’s. He wanted it to be difficult for his descendant. He said if it was difficult for them, it would be impossible for the royals. I do apologize for deceiving you. Once we’d been signaled that his descendant had been born, it was time to prepare. I’ve been waiting many years for you.”
Maddy and I looked at each other. The same confusion which was written on her face matched what was on mine. Maddy said, “You’ve known for years? I thought it was just when the magical barriers were crossed. Right?”
Isme shook her head. “I met Edemas again many years ago. In the body of David Samuels, your father. He came to me in his wolf form. You see, your birth father was not in control of himself when he became a wolf. Edemas was too strong in spirit for David to maintain control. I sensed his presence and teleported to him. He was still full of anger and rage. He didn’t even realize any time had passed. He believed it was still the night of the attack. He was out of his mind and hunting royals on his own, putting your father in terrible danger with his reckless actions.”
I remembered the letter Maddy’s birth mother had left. The times her father had returned, covered in blood, unaware of where he’d been. I shivered, thinking about my wolf taking full control and leaving me in the dark as it chased its own desires. It was supposed to be a symbiotic relationship, not parasitic.
“Much like the wolf inside you, Maddy, Edemas only returned as the wolf rather than fully reincarnating in a new body. Edemas demanded the vial of blood. I refused. I could see that he was not in any state to be trusted with full reincarnation. I only wanted that power to go to someone not twisted by hate and rage. I teleported away before he could force the issue. There was no way he could get out of the country in wolf form, so he stayed. He continued to hunt the descendants of the royals until his actions caused David to be discovered. I think you know how the rest played out.”
We did. Tragedy and pain. In his anger, Edemas had put both Maddy’s birth fatherandbirth mother in danger. I couldn’t blame him, though. If I looked at it from Edemas’s point of view, could I truly say I wouldn’t react the same? I tried to imagineeveryone I loved being taken away and then fighting to the death, only to wake up hundreds of years later trapped in a body I didn’t know. It was no wonder he went on a killing spree. It was enough to drive even the sanest person crazy.
“How do I play into all this?” Maddy asked.
“I feel that you are the best person to end the royals’ reign of terror. Lillian was a sweet child and not prone to anger. I think her spirit is more balanced than Edemas’s. You and shecancoexist and bring about the downfall of the royals without the need for a new massacre like Edemas wanted.” Without another word, Isme pulled a small red vial from within a hidden pocket of her robe.
Maddy gasped and clutched my hand so tight that I thought she might break my fingers. I stared at the vial in the old woman’s hand. It was tiny, almost insignificant. How could this thing be what everything was about? From the very beginning, all the way back to Maddy’s attack in the bar. So much had happened in the search for this thing. False leads, dead ends, and danger. Now it was right there. An arm’s length away. I squeezed Maddy’s hand, hoping to give her whatever courage I could.
In the chair behind Isme, Sinthy sat with her face in her hands, sniffling. She was crying. I wasn’t sure what had her that upset. Isme drew my attention away from her daughter as she leaned forward, holding the vial up to the light in front of Maddy’s face.
The old woman shook the vial slightly, and the blood inside sloshed up against the sides. Remarkable, given how old it was, but I had to remember that it had been enchanted. Isme took her free hand and placed it on Maddy’s knee. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, looking very tired. When she opened her eyes again, she said, “If you choose to take the power within this vial, you must be certain that you do it with a clean mind. Youmust be sure that you do it without the intent to cause harm. Yes,” Isme nodded reluctantly, “there will be fights and battles. I’m not talking about that. I mean, you must not desire the type of vengeance Edemas wanted. This power is meant to protect those you love. If you don’t think you can do this with a calm mind, then you should destroy it.”
After the slightest hesitation, Maddy agreed. “I’ll make sure the right thing happens. Whether that’s taking it or destroying it, I promise I’ll do it for the right reasons,” Maddy said in barely more than a whisper.
A thin smile appeared on Isme’s lips. “Sinthy?”
The younger witch lifted her face and stood to approach Isme. The tears were streaming down her face now. The jovial and flippant witch we’d grown used to was much more somber, almost like she was attending the funeral of a loved one. The thought struck me like a hammer blow. I looked at Isme, the way she clutched the vial, then back at Sinthy. Isme wouldn’t survive this. It filled me with sadness. I’d only known this woman for a short while, but we’d already built a connection that I’d never forget.
Isme patted Sinthy on the cheek and wiped at her face, clearing away the tears. “You are such a good girl. You’ll never know how happy you’ve made me. To be a mother after all these years, even an adoptive one, has been the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. My lovely girl, you make me so proud.”
Sinthy let out a wet grunt that was possibly a laugh or maybe a sob. I couldn’t tell which. Isme turned back to look at us. “Sinthy has access to all my spells. Hundreds of them that stretch back to the days of the Celts and the first witches. I ensured they were all well-documented for her. Once our business is concluded here, I would like her to be your witch. To bind herself to the Lorenzo pack and assist you in your endeavors to bring about the end of the royals.
My jaw dropped, and I jerked my eyes back and forth from Isme to Sinthy. The only time I’d ever heard of a witch binding herself to a shifter pack was in fairytales and legends. If it had ever truly happened, it had been centuries ago. I blinked a few times to get my bearings before opening my mouth to speak. “Why me?” I asked.
“You are an alpha of integrity. Your power grows stronger, yet you don’t use that power to force submission from others—and you are her mate,” Isme said, pointing to Maddy. “Her wolf is my Lillian. She would not choose anyone but the best, the most honorable, and well-intentioned of men. The fact that she chose to entwine her life to yours is all the knowledge I need to know so that I can safely entrust my daughter to your service. Your pack will be strengthened by Sinthy’s service, of that you can be certain. As scatterbrained as she seems, she is one of the most powerful witches I’ve ever known.”
Sinthy shrugged and made jazz hands, and Maddy and I both laughed. Sinthy grinned and wiped at her still-wet eyes. “I think Mother is a bit long on the hyperbole, but I can hold my own.”
Maddy squeezed my hand again, an unspoken message that I understood immediately. She was giving me her consent to bring her with us. I looked at Sinthy. “I don’t know what it means to have a witch in my service, but knowing what we know now, I trust Isme’s judgment. I’d been honored to have you join us, Sinthy.”
Sinthy’s smile faded, but not by much, and she gave me an accepting nod before looking back to Isme. The old woman sank back into her chair, looking more tired as each minute passed. She waved Maddy over, who moved to Isme’s side, sitting on her knees, her face level with the witch.
