Not every human received a gift, so, over time, magic-users mixed with non-magical humans, and the strength of the magic waned. The stars saw an opportunity and attempted to become something akin to the gods. However, something happened (that was where Altair started to evade questions) and the stars ended up in the sky. Around the same time, the original Aztia and Kanaliza were given magic by Zaya, Goddess of Life, who awoke for the sole purpose of protecting their creation from what the stars could potentially become. Because their gift came from one of the original gods, descended directly from Khollo, it acted differently than other magics. It was not passed down through bloodlines, but randomly every generation, and therefore not watered down. As time continued on with the stars watching from above, the humans intermingled even further and the magic became weaker. Some powerful shifters still existed thanks to careful breeding, although most of them remained hidden within the confines of Nyr, and occasionally someone would be born with a stronger magic than most. Altair believed Imo was one of the latter.
They had lapsed into a comfortable silence after lunch. Altair informed Iyana they were approximately halfway through the Pass. A thin layer of snow now laid perpetually on the ground, the evergreen trees beginning to thin with the higher altitude. They would be starting their descent into Athusa the next day. Lost in her own thoughts, Iyana kept putting one foot in front of the other, over and over and over. Thinking about the history of human creation—a version she’d never heard before—her own magic, how the village was faring…anything to keep her mind off Altair and how he had felt lying behind her the night before. Or how her lips had tingled when she’d kissed his cheek. Or how the hunger and desire in his eyes had made her want…
Iyana came to a sudden stop by running straight into Altair’s back and bouncing off. “What—” she started.
“Shhh.” They were in a small clearing, pine and spruce trees surrounding them. She attempted to see what in the nine hells was happening, but Altair stepped in front of her. He was standing rigidly with an inhuman stillness. A crunching in the snow ahead of them alerted her to another’s presence, and then Iyana heard the growling.Wolves.Shit. She tried again to peer around Altair, only for him tocontinue to hide her. “Iyana, please,” he murmured. It was the sound of her actual name, instead ofmy star, that convinced her to listen.
From behind her came a low rumble. Whipping around, she pressed her back into Altair’s. Before her stood the largest wolf she’d ever seen. Which, now that it was right in front of her, she realized she’d never actually seen a wolf before. The coyotes running through the desert were much smaller, and decidedly less fierce. It stood at five feet tall, so Iyana was able to look it directly in the face. She thought that if she tried to hug around its neck for some insane reason, her hands would not touch each other. Shaggy fur as white as the snow lent it superb camouflage. Piercing, intelligent eyes that appeared much too human for Iyana’s liking snared her. The wolf bared its sharp canines, muzzle pulled back in a snarl, saliva dripping onto the ground. Growls continued to come from the animal, and her heart raced. If she thought Altair had appeared predatory before, this wolf was like staring death in the face.
“Phaedros take me, Iyana, if you—”
“Wolf,” she interrupted.
“What?” he asked, becoming even more rigid.
“Wolf.”
“Fuck.” Never taking her vision off the wolf, his fingers grabbed her hand, squeezing hard. “Listen closely,” he muttered. “There are two on my side. How many on yours?”
She scanned the trees to double check more weren’t hiding in the forest. “One,” she said.
“Okay.” Altair took a deep breath. Her fingers warmed where their hands joined; it felt like his magic. “When I tell you, I want you to run. As fast as you can.”
“What?” Iyana exclaimed louder than she meant to. The wolf in front of her crouched lower, and the growling intensified. Quieter, she said, “Where would I even run to?”
“There’s another cave system not much farther up the mountain. Find a place to hide. Preferably one small enough the wolf can’t fit inside.”
She shook her head. “Altair…”
“Iyana, now is not the time to argue with me. I can hold them off, but you need to find somewhere safe.”
“I don’t—”
But at that moment he spun around, throwing Iyana off to the side. She lost her footing, falling on her hip. Sharp pain lanced down her leg. “Run!” he yelled, firing a blast of magic at the wolf that had been stalking her. There was a yelp of pain, but then the other two wolves were upon Altair. He was fighting them with what appeared to be elemental magic—fire and air were the most prominent, but occasionally snow or pieces of earth were used to his advantage. White fur singed black, an acrid smell reaching Iyana’s nose. All this she gathered within a few seconds while she clambered to her feet, then paused. Altair needed help, but realistically, was there anything she could do?
“Iyana, go!” he yelled again, continuing to fend off two wolves. The first one had regained its senses and focused again on Iyana. Yellow eyes stared her down as the wolf licked its chops, preparing for a meal.
Hating herself for leaving Altair, Iyana ran into the trees, fully aware she was prey attempting to outrun a predator. The pounding of paws on the ground caught up to her too quickly, and warm breath blew on the nape of her neck. She feinted left, but turned right instead, darting around a tree. Chancing a quick glance, she saw the wolf still directly behind her, tongue lolling out of its mouth. The stench of carrion wafted towards her. Unless she found a hiding place soon, that would be all she consisted of—carrion. Eaten by this monstrous animal, then picked apart by the scavengers. Iyana refused to die in this forest, only a few days’ trek from home. Her adventure had barely begun.
Using her small stature to her advantage, she zigzagged through the trees in as random a pattern as was possible while inwardly panicking. Iyana knew she’d never best a wolf with speed alone, especially with her lifelong aversion to exercise. Pure adrenaline was the only thing propelling her forward. Climbing a tree would have been ideal, but all the branches were too high for her reach, and she couldn’t afford the time it would take to stop and jump. Reaching the branch was not a guarantee, either. She only needed to evade it until she found the caves. A sudden snarl and snap of teeth, and Iyana found her brand new cloak ripped apart. Stumbling forward, she ran faster, arms flailing, to avoid falling. Falling would equal death.
Rocks, bushes, and trees were scattered everywhere, but there was no decent hovel to dive into. Grabbing the trunk of a tree—the bark biting into her palms—sheslingshot her way around, making a hard right. The wolf slid in an attempt to follow her tight turn. Her cloak hung in tatters from its mouth.
A sob lodged in Iyana’s throat. The caves. Where were the caves? Suddenly, she spotted a small hole off to the side. Snow and dead branches surrounded it, but she believed she would fit. It was a gamble. Her legs were cramping, and she had mere moments until her body gave out on her. Darting again to her right, the wolf’s teeth snapped together where her neck had been just moments before—the noise of her narrowly-escaped death echoed in her mind. The cave was so close. Digging deep, she put on a burst of speed. The wolf was almost upon her; she wasn’t going to make it. One leap and she would be beneath teeth and claws.
Iyana dove headfirst into the hole, sliding forward on the snow. There was a sudden flare of pain and heat in her ankle, but she was in the cave. Scrambling around, she saw the wolf poke its massive head into the entrance. Rancid breath blew in her face, clogging her nose and causing her to gag. She shuffled backwards on all fours, but the wolf’s shoulders were too wide for the cave. It retreated, sticking a paw through instead, swiping at the air. Claws nearly sheared through her boots. Iyana moved back further, her back hitting a wall, but it was far enough. She was safe.
The wolf loped away from her cave and bayed, disappointed in the lost meal. Two echoing howls answered in the distance. The sob finally ripped free, and she covered her mouth, not wanting to call the wolf’s attention back to her. Iyana brought her knees to her chest and curled in upon herself, trying to ease her shivering. Was Altair alive? Could a wolf even kill an immortal? Her mind began churning through the worst-case scenarios, which was when she realized she’d lost her pack with all the medical supplies. Cursing, she decided to wait in safety, but not too long. If Altair was injured, she’d need to find her pack in order to heal him.
Just as she decided it was time to worry, a shadow crossed over the entrance, blocking out the sun. She sucked in a breath and held it, not daring to breathe.
“My star?”
Iyana’s held breath whooshed out of her in relief.
“Altair,” she whispered. She rushed to crawl out of the cave. He reached to help her to her feet, but froze.
“You’re hurt,” he said.
