Pack of Secrets, page 12
It had to come from whatever else she was. From whatever mysterious race my father had been. Great. The beast had been gifted with advantageous combat abilities, while all I had inherited from our people was a curse. Fucking wonderful.
Catori put a hand on her hip, looking pointedly at the book. “Something in there had you so enthralled you did not even hear me approach. What was it?”
My hand roamed over the dark leather cover of the book I had found in my trove. Ancient and smelling of power, it had all but drawn me to it the minute I had entered the room. “I was researching shifters.”
Catori’s expression turned thoughtful as she spun toward the cart and began unloading dishes. The scent of warm food tugged at my attention, making my stomach growl. Catori tsked at the noise, setting a cup of leaves in front of me and retrieving a teapot. She poured hot water over the leaves, and the spiced earthy scent of her reinvigorating tea blend tickled my senses. The dryad had a tea for everything, but this one was my favorite. Not for the spiced dirt taste—ancestors, it was awful—but for the effects. I would gag down every disgusting drop for an energy boost.
She prepared a second cup for herself. “But you have found nothing of interest?”
Wishing I could plug my nose without offending her, I sipped. Bitter and chalky, it tasted like grated tree bark mixed with mud and pond water, but I made myself swallow. “What I did not find is what interests me.”
“Great Arborvitae, help me. Am I going to have to drag every detail out of you today, you vexing boy?”
I hid my smile behind my cup. Usually, she was the ambiguous one. It was nice to turn the tables for once. With my free hand, I thumped the book. “This is the diary of an alpha wolf shifter who migrated to Peru from Spain, where he started a pack in 1502. It was part of Grandfather’s collection. I do not know how it came into his possession, but the entries span hundreds of years, thousands of pack members, and provide a detailed picture of the struggles and intricacies of pack life.”
Catori set a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and nuts in front of me. Dryads were vegetarians. I preferred meat and eggs but was hungry enough to eat anything. I now regretted my standing orders restricting the house staff from interrupting my work, even to break my fast. Thanking my guardian, I picked up the spoon and stirred the hot cereal. Steam rose, the scent mingling with the tea leaves and making me want to wrinkle my nose in distaste. I ate it anyway.
“And this book on pack life… it has been illuminating?” she asked.
“Fascinating, really.” Dragons were solitary creatures, so the pack mindset was a whole new concept for me. Wolf shifters needed one another on a level I could not begin to comprehend. In the wild, wolves primarily existed in family groups. Shifters, however, formed codependent communities under the sovereign rule of an alpha. And the loyalty a strong leader evoked was unfathomable. I could understand the draw of safety in numbers, but the instant an alpha with a God complex tried to tell me what to do, I would be forced to rip out his throat. Wolves appeared to need someone to order them around.
“You are trying to drive me insane, are you not?” The look on Catori’s face told me she was seconds away from throttling me.
Time to speak plainly. “According to these records, shifters are either made or born. Those born of shifter parents come out of the womb in their human form and change into their animal by age two.” I paused, letting that sink in. “The only adult shifters who cannot shift are with child.”
“You think the thief was pregnant?” Catori asked.
“No.” The word came out sharper than intended, but I was too wound up to hold back. Something about that possibility made me want to toss my desk again.
Catori’s dark, pupilless eyes looked me over with a measure of curiosity, making me want to shield myself. “Are you certain?” she asked.
“I only heard one heartbeat. Besides, the book says wolves have trouble carrying a child to term. Childbirth is especially perilous for them. Pregnant females are protected and revered, not sent to steal artifacts from dragon hoards.”
Catori cocked her head to the side, eyeing me. “Do wolves only breed within their species?”
The peculiar question made me pause. “Why do you ask?”
“Perhaps her inability to shift is the result of interbreeding.”
I shook my head. “Doubtful. The shifters in this diary mated with Mondeine and various mammal shifters such as bears and jaguars, and I even found one mention of a manatee shifter. The offspring take on the animal form of one of their shifter parents, even if one parent is fully human.”
“Perhaps the ability to attack your emotions is what has suppressed her animal,” Catori said.
“Interesting theory.”
Catori leaned forward, setting her teacup down. “Do you think this unusual ability of hers comes from the other side of her lineage? The race of people she shares with you?”
I nodded. “I do. Yet I cannot do what she did. Nor is my dragon suppressed. In fact, you said my magic is much stronger than my mother’s, even though she was over a century old. The thief’s wolf felt… caged somehow. Like something physically restricted her from manifesting.”
“We could sit here and speculate all day, or we can finish eating and then get answers.”
The spoon was halfway to my mouth when Catori’s words sunk in. “How?” I asked, focusing on the location of the artifact. It was still to the northwest. “The wolf and the chalice are long gone.”
My life was bound to the chalice, but Catori was connected to this land. Somewhere, not far from my estate, grew the ancient tree that had birthed the dryad. She protected the tree, and in turn, it sustained her with its magic. I did not know what would happen if she traveled too far away from the ancient tree because she never did. I had always assumed she could not.
Catori gestured toward my bowl. “Eat, child.”
She had baited the hook, dangled it in front of me, and now she was reeling me in. Whenever I forgot how sadistic dryads could be, my guardian was quick to remind me.
“Everyone you care for will betray you.”
I pushed that memory to the back of my mind and devoured my meal and every drop of my tea. As soon as I finished, she scooped up our dishes and exchanged them for a hemp bag sitting on the cart. I reached for the bag, but she slapped my hand away.
“Meddlesome child. You should have grown out of that behavior by now.” Before I could respond, she opened the bag, reached inside, and retrieved a dark glass ball about a foot in diameter. Gently placing the ball in the center of the desk, she steadied it before removing her hand.
My brain immediately went into overdrive, working to connect the prospect of getting answers with the sphere. “Is that a crystal ball?”
“Crystal balls are the tools of witches.” Catori spat in disgust. “This is a scrying orb.” My guardian had experienced a few run-ins with spell casters, and each had left a foul taste in her mouth.
Okay. “What is the difference?”
“Intent.”
I stared at her, waiting for more of an explanation, but it quickly became apparent that was all she planned to give me. “And you call me vexing,” I grumbled.
“I am not vexing; I am mysterious and mystical. I only speak the truth.” She pulled out another hemp bag, drew open the tie, and peered inside. “You might want to move your book.”
I picked up the pack diary and set it aside. Catori upended the bag, and a mixture of potent-smelling herbs slid over the orb, creating a ring around it on my desktop. Before I could ask any questions like ‘what is that?’ and ‘why does it smell so awful?’ her eyes snapped closed, and she started mumbling. Magic thrummed from the depths of the earth, answering her call. She splayed out her fingers and drew the power into herself as the volume of her chant increased. I recognized the musical language of the ancient fae, but my knowledge was limited, making it impossible to discern meaning from her words.
Catori’s tone deepened, and she began to sway in steps choreographed from centuries of wisdom and instinct. As she danced and chanted, magic built, charging the air until it prickled my skin and made the hair on my arms stand up. Pages of my overturned notepad fluttered. The woven tapestries depicting my family history smacked against the wall behind me. Catori threw her arms out toward the open window, and a gust of wind blew in, billowing the curtains and adding disembodied voices to her chant. The orb pulsed with weak bursts of light in response. She reached into a pocket and produced the vial of blood collected from my sword. Still chanting and stomping, she tipped the vial above the desk until one fat drop left the rim to splatter against the top of the orb. The pulses of light intensified as the orb raised a good six inches above my desk and started spinning clockwise. After several rotations, Catori clapped her hands three times and froze. Instantly, the spinning and pulsing stopped, and the orb lay dark, still hovering in the air.
Silence settled over us, a stark contrast to the chaos of mere seconds ago. Minutes ticked by, and nothing changed.
I looked to my guardian, but her attention was locked on the orb. The ends of her dreads had risen, shooting out from her head like branches of a tree. Magic gathered and pressure built against my chest and forehead.
With the rest of her body stiff and still, Catori’s head swiveled until she faced me. The whites had vanished from her round, pupilless eyes, turning them into bottomless pools of darkness. Her focus appeared to be beyond the physical realm, but I was ensnared the moment her gaze met mine. Images flashed in the depths of her eyes, changing with every rapid beat of my heart. As I watched, time passed, seasons changed, wars raged, and forests withered. My life was but a speck of dust within it all, insignificant and small. Fleeting.
No! I am dragon! I wanted to roar, but I had no voice in this frozen place and time.
“What are you waiting for, child?” Catori asked, her voice deep and hollow as her eyes went still again.
Released, I staggered, gasping for air. The dark orb between us beckoned for my attention, but I resisted the impulse to face it.
“Do not fight the power; use it. Come closer. Pour your intention into the scrying orb and make your request,” Catori said.
Her instructions caught me off guard. It would have been helpful had she prepared me for this ahead of time, but I had a feeling I was not dealing with my guardian anymore. At least, not entirely. There was something else inside her, something older and more fearsome. I instinctively knew to be respectful and obey without question. As for my request, I knew what I needed the orb to show me. Stepping forward, I focused my energy into the darkness and said, “Show me the owner of the blood.”
Catori cocked her head to the side in an unnerving gesture that reminded me of a bird. “Be more precise.”
Okay. What else did I need to see? The little wolf’s surroundings. If I planned to swoop onto her location and retrieve the chalice, I needed to know what I would be up against. I needed information on the terrain, her pack numbers, and their defenses. I needed a complete reconnaissance. Opening my desk drawer, I retrieved the glove she had abandoned in my trove. Clutching the thin fabric, I focused on my memory of the thief, recalling the compassion flickering in her eyes.
“Not a plague,” she said. “And a scourge would have gone for your jugular. I’m certain of it.”
I pushed that part of the memory aside, refusing to allow her confusing show of compassion to dissuade me. This was my destiny. My duty. I spread my awareness to the orb.
“Like a hummingbird hovering above the broken little wolf, let us watch her from above, going where she goes and seeing what she sees until we break the connection.”
Catori focused back on the orb, chanting once again. Palms open, she reached toward me, closed her hands around an invisible rope, and tugged. Power ripped out of me in an agonizing gush. I had expended a great deal of magic to transform and heal myself mere hours ago, so the sudden, unexpected loss stole my breath and buckled my knees. My pulse pounded in my ears as the room swam. Dropping the glove, I grappled until I caught the edge of the desktop. Hands latched on, I locked my arms and struggled to keep myself upright as I found my feet. The drain of magic ebbed.
The orb iced over.
“Interesting,” Catori said, studying it. My guardian was back to herself. The endless blackness had receded from her eyes, and gravity had reclaimed her dreads.
“What is?” I asked, my voice worn and raspy.
Catori’s gaze swung toward me, and concern creased her brow. “When your mother and grandfather scried, the orb would fill with smoke. I should have expected yours to freeze.”
How long had she owned the orb?
Why was I only now learning about it?
Could we have used it to find my mother’s killer?
Questions formed on my tongue, but condensation dripped onto my desktop before I could decide which one to ask first. The frosty casing around the orb was melting, revealing the thief. Like the first time I saw her, she was dressed in a black T-shirt and black pants. The straps of her backpack were still over her shoulders, but her hat was gone. Her hair was the color of fire, blazing shades of reds and oranges that hung in loose waves. Intelligent green eyes practically glowed with joy as she smiled down at the little ball of fur in her arms. It moved, and I realized it was a pup. Something twisted inside of me, sending sharp pains through my chest.
“Is she a… a mother?” The question slipped out before I could even consider the implications. I felt the pressure of Catori’s gaze but could not drag my attention away from the orb. Who was that male with her? Her mate? I would rip the motherfucker apart. No, I would gut him and strangle him with his own intestines, leaving him somewhere public for all to see. My chest tightened as I imagined all the ways I could make him pay for daring to put a single paw on her.
“Breathe, Arioch,” Catori commanded.
Power punched through the haze of rage.
What the…
I shook myself. My lungs filled with air, and I held it for a count of four before exhaling as my mind spun. I had no idea what had just happened. Why was I so furious?
“Good,” Catori crooned. “Now open your fists and unlock your jaw.”
Every inch of my body felt tense and ready to pounce. Forcing my hands to unfurl and my shoulders to drop, I attempted to relax but still felt coiled as tight as a bowstring. I had no idea how long the orb had held my attention, nor did I understand why the sight of the thief with another male had evoked such a bizarre reaction. Befuddled, I looked to my guardian for help.
Catori met my gaze with a knowing look that made me want to defend myself.
“Oh, child, you have been keeping things from me,” she said.
“I have told you everything,” I insisted.
“There is a spark between the two of you.”
Leave it to the dryad to pick up on the one thing I had not wanted to admit, not even to myself.
“She is a thief,” I said. “The broken beast come to steal and destroy. I will kill her, Catori.”
My guardian chuckled. “Ah, to be young and foolish again.”
Before I could argue, sound came from the orb, drawing my attention.
“Once you guys get through this, there are herbs to keep her from conc—”
The man silenced her with a hand. “Stop. Don’t ask me to defy my alpha, Chip.”
Chip? Her name was Chip?
“This is your third child, Rust. Surely you and Janey have taken enough chances with her life.”
“You should go.”
Chip stood unsteadily and handed the pup to the male. “Want me to find Doc?”
“No need.”
Her head tilted as if she picked up a scent or sound. “I’ll let him in.” The orb tracked Chip as she navigated a brightly lit, sparsely furnished living area and down a narrow hallway. The space was clean and comfortable, the furniture modest but cozy.
“Chip,” Rust called out. When she stopped and turned, he said, “Thanks. For breakfast and everythin’ else. You’re a good kid.”
“You mean a good thief,” I said to the orb.
“A courageous, compassionate thief,” Catori added. “Willing to risk her alpha’s wrath to suggest herbs to prevent pregnancy.”
I did not know what to say to that, so I kept my mouth shut and watched Chip greet an older male before exiting the house into a narrow tunnel illuminated by a strand of lights. A brick wall ran along her left side, and brick buildings along the right. A large, cracked window gave me a peek at the inside of another brightly lit home. This one had a young boy seated at a small table, writing on a piece of paper, a textbook open in front of him.
After reading the journal, I had expected the pack to occupy a rudimentary village nestled beside a freshwater stream, where they could hunt and thrive in the wild. Possibly even a cave in the side of the mountain.
“Where did they find an underground city?” I muttered to myself as frustration and despair dug under my skin.
The answer did not matter. Chip and the chalice were beyond my reach as long as she stayed put. Dragons, in general, were not fond of underground places since there was no room to fight or shift. Unlucky bastard that I was, my aversion to tight spaces was due to reasons more personal. Memories of the two weeks I had endured being buried in a pine box, courtesy of one of my many sadistic trainers, invoked a visceral reaction I could not control. My hands felt clammy, and my stomach roiled at the mere thought of once again submitting myself to the helplessness I had experienced while trapped underground.
I collapsed in my chair. “Shit.”
“If we are patient, an answer will present itself,” Catori said.
