Forsaken Mate, page 19
part #1 of Shifted Fates Series
This had been the last of Hecate’s instructions. Drop the moonstone into the water and I would soon find myself in the capital.
For a moment, there was nothing, nothing save the ripples in the water that soon faded.
Had I misunderstood? Or had Hecate lied?
But then, the water drained in front of me. Not the entire lake. No, it was as if the rest of the water remained untouched while the water directly in front drained further and further, forming steps. I hesitated only the barest second before taking the first step down, then quickly walked through the rest. The water dampened the fur of my paws, but nothing else. It made no sense, but so little did in this realm. By all rights, I was walking under the lake, but no water touched me anywhere else. If I looked up, I could see light shining through the water overhead. The path grew darker and darker, my shifter vision allowing me enough to see.
It wasn’t a short journey, something Hecate could’ve stood to mention. Adrenaline and my preternatural stamina kept me going along the path for hours, but I was fatigued. Worried too. My plan had a lot of holes—how to find the demon, how to make it take me to the surface, how to even rescue Daphne. I hadn’t exactly had a lot of time to lay out a plan.
One thing at a time.
I kept going down and down, and yet against any laws of physics, I eventually emerged from a cave. A glance down showed I was actually well above ground. Not too far in the distance, I saw what could only be the capital.
The city was lined with a tall wall around the perimeter, but I could make out the tops of buildings. It was a dark city, no mistake, under the same red sky. Now, dawn had come. I’d been on the move all night.
My bones ached.
I leaped down the side of the mountain, balancing carefully. As I got lower, I saw more, smaller settlements on the fringes of the capital outside the wall. The farther out, the more sprawling.
A city.
It was bizarre. On the one hand, simply from the fact I’d only encountered a small handful of individuals since descending to this realm. But even in Moon-Ghost, our pack hadn’t been more than a few hundred. We were considered large—Maddox often called us the largest pack in the continent, but I was suspicious of his tendency to self-aggrandize—but we weren’t much more than a small town ourselves.
Ironic how many more things I was seeing dead compared to the vague life I’d lived before.
But the city was there. In sight.
Once I got there, the real work would begin.
Part of me wanted to push on at all costs. But the logical part, the one that had learned some form of restraint, cautioned me. I needed rest. Not a lot, but I was nearly dead on my paws as it was. Better to rest here. I didn’t detect anyone nearby, scenting the air. I moved to a small inlet on the mountain, still slightly elevated and hidden from the ground but nowhere near as far up. I circled a few times to get comfortable, wrapped my russet tail around myself, and shut my eyes. Just a few minutes, I promised myself. An hour at most.
Sleep came quickly.
But I was not alone in it.
I was in darkness, but not the impossible darkness I sometimes found myself in. Rather than being in an utter void, it was more like I was in a room with the lights shut off, without the aid of my supernatural night vision. Like a human. Which, for a while, had been my status quo.
I wasn’t in a room, though. I sensed I was outside. The feet beneath me were unsteady, the oxygen slightly thinned, like I was at an elevation. I knew it was a dream, in the way I always knew. They’d been sparse in the past months.
“There you are.” The familiar disembodied voice. The one I’d heard in dreams for half a decade.
And then, the darkness eased just enough that I could make out another figure.
A massive, black wolf. Barely distinguishable from the dark.
I recognized him instantly. Cole.
The wolf spoke. “Little wolf, I’m coming for you.”
The voice…
The voice was Cole’s. Realization slammed into me. Impossible, inexplicable, yet undeniable.
The voice hadn’t changed. Yet it was a perfect match for the one always in my dreams. I’d thought, on occasion, Cole’s voice sounded familiar but had dismissed the thought each time. I could blame the fact I’d had only two—no, three—dreams in Hell. The one when I’d first arrived, before meeting Cole. The one where I’d been in a magical coma from Hecate’s magic. And the third, when I’d been able to see Cole. Weeks apart.
But now, I could see it. I didn’t understand how it was possible.
“It’s been you all along.” My voice wasn’t more than a whisper.
His amber eyes glowed. “Tell me where you are.”
I bared my teeth at the black wolf in front of me. Suddenly, I was a wolf, too. At least in my dream, though, I had some self-control.
“How can this be?” I felt like I was going insane. “You’ve known me all along.”
“So, you finally recognize me.”
“How have I dreamed of you before? Why didn’t you say something?” This was another betrayal. Somehow, I knew it, even if I lacked the puzzle pieces. More secrets. I’d been played a fool.
“Answer my questions, Avery.”
“No!” I roared. “You owe me an explanation.”
Cole growled back, dominance rolling off him in waves. My fur stood on edge. But I wasn’t backing down.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve met, little wolf.”
“You mean when I was in Moon-Ghost.” How, how, how?
“No. Long before that.”
I cast my mind back, flipping through memories like a Rolodex. The dreams, I now recalled. The first, before they’d been dark… I had seen him. Just once. It had been so long ago, and I’d told myself it was only a dream, but now I was certain.
I’d never seen Cole in a dream after that. He—who I’d thought was simply my subconscious—had been an incorporeal voice. He must have some type of control over the dreams.
“When?” I demanded.
Cole stalked closer.
“You heard Hecate call me the king.”
I had. I had so many questions, so many Cole had refused to answer. Now that I had reached the capital, I had even more.
“Avery… You were once my queen.”
He said the word with a gentle reverence I didn’t think him capable of.
“No.” The word was out of my jaws before I could even process what he meant. “You’re screwing with me.”
“I’ll explain everything,” Cole swore. “But don’t go. I know what you’re planning. There will be consequences, Avery. You can’t know what you’re about to unleash.”
There would be consequences for Daphne if I didn’t do this.
“You should’ve thought of that before you kept this from me,” I snarled.
And then I forced myself out of the dreams vise and back into the waking world.
Chapter XXXV
Iwas in my human form once I woke up. I should’ve anticipated it.
Well, no sense shifting at this point. I could manage the last of the climb easily, and I’d need to communicate with whoever I came across anyway.
The knowledge that that dream had been more than a dream, that I’d really spoken to Cole, weighed on my bones. It was true. I couldn’t begin to fathom what that would mean, but I didn’t have time for that.
He’d asked where I was, yet said he knew what I was going to do. Translation: I might have some time, but not a lot.
I pushed all thoughts of Cole aside.
Daphne. I had to help Daphne.
I climbed down the last of the mountain. Once I looked up at it from the base, I better understood the scale. It was taller than I had initially thought. I set off for the city. I was only a few miles out. It was mostly open terrain, covered with tall grass. I stumbled on one of the small settlements I’d seen dispersed around the city, and I didn’t waste the golden opportunity that an unguarded clothing line offered.
Add theft to my list of sins.
Well, what was going to happen? I was going to damn my soul to, um, Hell?
I tried to mark the place. Maybe one day I’d offer some reparations. But for now, I couldn’t go around parading myself in the nude, even if shifters had more relaxed views of modesty.
To ease the guilt, I picked the most worn pieces of clothing. A simple pair of trousers, a loose-fitting shirt that would’ve fit Cole better than me, and a cloak that offered some protection from the slight chill of the atmosphere. I remained barefoot.
I eased out of the encampment quickly but wasn’t able to resist tasting the different scents of the inhabitants. Not shifters. But some notes were familiar. The statues of all sorts of creatures had greatly expanded my understanding of the magical world, and I recognized some of those here.
Now dressed, I continued to the city. And it was a city. The walls I’d seen from a distance were solid stone, easily fifty feet tall. There was a ring outside the walls, but unlike Cole’s moat of lava, there was only nothingness. I suspected if I dropped a stone to gauge the depth, it might be over a minute before I heard a sound.
The drawbridge was down, the gate open, saving me any trouble testing that theory.
I didn’t know what I would tell any authority who stopped me, but no one was around. For a capital city with big walls and a scary pit outside, they didn’t seem too preoccupied with security.
The book I’d read had only given the vaguest details about Libra demons. The description had been abstract, talking about their “attention to detail” and “unnatural keenness for dealmaking.” Height? Skin color? Number of eyes? A frickin’ picture? Nope. Maybe if I’d had more time, I could’ve scoured the library for more books about demonology, but I’d perused most of the titles in the library at some point or another and come up empty.
The other two demons had been animalistic, one bull-headed, the other lion-bodied. But that went with their zodiac names. I tried to recall the symbol of the Libra but was coming up blank. I didn’t think it was an animal one, though.
The inside of the city was unlike anything I expected. When you hear “capital of Hell” you picture pitchforks and brimstone. Of course, despite some unsavory characters, Hell also hadn’t been as Hellish as I might’ve expected, if I’d known I would actually be going there.
The city was brimming with people. For my first few steps, I stumbled through, nearly open-mouthed as I marveled. People were moving around, calling out to each other. There was a market or something set up that looked fresh out of a medieval book. The snippets of haggling I listened in on said these weren’t your usual fare—toad eyes and rat’s breath rather than apples and pears—and the threats that went back and forth during the bargaining process were certainly, well, descriptive.
How big exactly is an ogre’s toenail and how much would it hurt to have it shoved up there?
I’d never been around so many people. If I’d had time, I’d have been angry at Cole for denying me the ability to see this place before. I’d have explored at my leisure.
But I had to rescue Daphne.
Some wanderers noticed me. The hairs on my neck rose at the attention. A reminder this might be an interesting place, but I shouldn’t linger. Shouldn’t stand out or look like I didn’t belong. I tugged my hood up closer to cover my red hair and continued on. The hair always drew attention—and contempt, when I’d been in the pack. I wandered through the throng of people, trying to figure out my next steps.
Tragically, there was no obvious sign declaring LIBRA DEMON HERE. I was going to need to ask someone. But who? Asking too many people might draw attention, and that seemed like a mistake waiting to happen. I zig-zagged up and down the aisles, keeping an ear out for anything that might help me. Bits of conversation about prices, flirting, a few brawls down alleyways. Different merchants called out, heralding their wares.
“Buy a bottle, get a bottle, real wishing well water!”
“Fresh potions! As powerful as Hecate’s!”
“One bite of this and you’ll be tupping like it’s your last night alive!”
“Secrets, salacious and suspect, sold here…”
I turned towards the last one. It was the most promising I’d heard. I wove through the crowd. Different tents were set up, some barely taking up any space, while others were sturdy and basically functioned as shops. Most were single cart stands, sheltered under a makeshift tarp.
“Secrets, sold only once…” the voice said again. I honed in on the source.
It was a small tent on the fringe of the marketplace. I couldn’t see the seller from outside. The tent was completely covered, having a split flap at the front.
I walked in.
And it was… empty? There was a small table, barely more than a side table, with a stool behind it. No one was on the stool, though.
“Seeking a secret?”
The voice had come from below. I glanced down, and there, on the floor, was a small cardboard box. And in the box… was a cat.
I frowned. I hadn’t actually seen too many cats in MoonGhost. They didn’t exactly get along with shifters, and shifters weren’t the best pet owners. At least not in my pack.
Then again, this cat could talk, so obviously some rules didn’t apply.
“I’m looking for someone. Can you help me find them?” I asked.
The cat hopped out of the box and arched, stretching. It had white fur, which was somehow clean despite the dirt floor, and pale blue eyes that were unnerving. In a bored voice, it informed me, “My trade is secrets, dog. I’m not a directory.”
Crap. “Well, how to find them was kept secret from me. Does that count for anything?”
The cat hopped up on the stool and sat, looking at me. “Perhaps.” The rumble of the r was a veritable purr. The cat might be playing it cool, but it did seem interested now. “Who are you seeking?”
“A Libra demon. One who can make a portal to another realm.” I didn’t want to reveal too much about which realm I was headed to. I shifted on my feet, waiting for an answer.
The cat lifted a paw and licked it, contemplating. The tarp of the tent effectively muffled all outside sounds, even from my enhanced hearing, leaving the wet sound as the only noise while the cat considered my request.
Me, I was trying to keep a straight face. This was serious, yes. But I was asking a cat for help finding a demon. Daphne would never believe this. I’d become pretty accepting of many oddities in Hell, but now that I was on my way back, well, it struck me how bizarre all this was.
“This is a secret I have,” the cat said at last.
Thank the moon. “Great. Where do I find them?”
The cat hissed. The hiss turned to a hacking cough. The cat put two paws on the table and hacked and hacked. I was contemplating trying the Heimlich on the feline when it finally passed a hairball.
Ewwwwww.
I was so glad I wasn’t a cat shifter.
“Not so fast, dog.” The cat looked at me from over the hairball. “I don’t give my wares for free.”
“I don’t have any money.”
If a cat could snort, this one did. “I want nothing so ordinary as gold or jewels. I will give you this information. You must give me a secret in turn. One only you know.”
A secret? “You first,” I said.
The cat curled up on the stool and yawned.
Fine. Me first.I didn’t exactly possess a certain other wolf’s unending supply of secrets. “Um… I’m afraid of clowns.” It was true. And it was embarrassing. I hadn’t even told Daphne. The one time as children one of the adults had dressed up in face paint for one of the Alpha clique’s birthday, I’d run all the way back home.
Home had been empty, even then.
“I can keep this information, if you prefer, dog. I offer you something of value, and I expect something valuable in turn.”
I bit down on a growl. Plan B could be turning into a wolf and shaking the mangy thing in my mouth until it volunteered the information, but fair was fair. “I don’t have any good secrets.”
The cat’s eyes seemed electric as it looked at me. “I doubt that. Tell me something no one else knows. Something you keep secret even to yourself. So secret, you don’t even let yourself think it.”
I opened my mouth and shut it. Something I kept secret from myself?
I racked my brain for an answer that would satisfy the cat. I needed an answer if I was going to save Daphne. I shut my eyes for a brief second, trying to put the complex swirl of emotions into words. I thought back, back before I was in Hell. To the time when I’d been in the pack.
And then, I had an answer. I didn’t like it. The cat was right, I had kept it a secret from myself. Because I hadn’t wanted to admit it. Acknowledge it.
I hated it. But I forced the words out anyway, because they were true.
“The night I found my moon-matched mate, the bond made me want him. Even though he’d tormented me for years. I know that now. But it wasn’t just that, because he wasn’t affected like I was. There was something else. And deep down, the reason I wanted him was because I thought if I mated with him, the pack would have to accept me. The torment would end. And in that brief moment, I was willing to ignore every cruel thing they’d ever done to me if it meant I’d finally be part of the pack. And when he killed me, and I knew I was dying without ever having had a place to belong, that was my last thought.”
The cat looked at me for a long moment, a single, unimpressed blink its only reaction.
It’s gonna be Plan B, isn’t it?
But the cat sat up and jumped down from the stool, then walked over to me. It wove between my legs. “Satisfactory.” Its tail trailed over my calves. “You will find your demon in the Lone Eye Tavern, three blocks west of here.”
“How will I know who it is?”
The cat tensed, and I just knew it was about to go and lecture me on how that wasn’t a secret and it wasn’t its fault I didn’t know. “Come on,” I urged. “That was a juicy secret I gave you. Give me a freebie.”
