Rejected Academy, page 15
“The borders of the magic have been set a long time ago,” he explains. “It’s not just a matter of casting a spell on an object to keep it safe from harm.”
“But, I can’t leave Vlad...” My heart is heavy, laden with helplessness, the worst feeling of all. “You’ve seen what Kaige has done to Stefan. He almost killed him.”
“Stefan and Vlad are well aware of the potential consequences,” he comments. “And, sometimes, fate leaves emotions aside so it could make things right.”
“How do I make things right?” I demand to know. “Stefan believes you. Everyone here believes you always know best. So, tell me then. What am I supposed to do? How do I save Vlad?”
Taarus doesn’t speak immediately. I see I have left him speechless, but I’m not proud of it at all. I actually feel exactly the opposite of that. I want him to shout at me that I am wrong, and that he knows exactly what needs to be done. But, his eyes assure me that isn’t so.
My heart sinks inside my chest.
“I will go even if it is without the book,” I exclaim. “I will not sit here, while Vlad’s life is hanging by a thread.”
“Sometimes a life has to be lost in order for many others to be saved.”
That is Taarus’ reply. Just sit back, let Kaige kill Vlad and go on with your merry fucking lives. As if that would ever be possible for me.
My nostrils flare up angrily. I can’t believe he is telling me to just let it go. Is the book really worth all the lives lost over it? I sure hope so.
“I refuse to believe that,” I snarl at him.
Suddenly, there she is. Behind me. I feel her warm breath. She brushes her muzzle against my hand, leaving a moist stain. She has come to me. She wants me to know that I am on the right path, that I shouldn’t stray.
I wont. I promise.
Now, I know that both Taarus and Willow can see my wolf. They are moving their eyes in the direction where she is moving. She is also not taking her eyes off of them.
“The silver white,” Willow gasps, pressing her hand to her lips. “She is magnificent.”
I lower my hand, raking through the wolf’s soft fur. She is calm under my touch, just as I am calm under hers.
“I won’t sacrifice him,” I tell Taarus. “You can keep your book. I will go and save Vlad.”
I turn to go, but Willow grabs me by the elbow. My she wolf growls loudly at her, and Willow immediately lets go. She is still overprotective of me. I guess that’s a good thing. It sure will be when I face Kaige. It will be soon. Too soon.
I rub my wolf’s fur once again, soothing her. Willow would never hurt me.
“Wait,” Willow says, then she turns to Taarus. “What about the other book?”
I turn to him as well. “What other book?”
He pulls on his long grey beard, then massages his chin. It seems to help him think. He walks over to the bookshelf, and extracts two books, which were situated on the opposite sides of the shelf. I notice that they have the same kind of leather binding, the same kind of illegible writing.
“Are there two books?” I gasp.
“No,” he replies. “One is the original. The other a mere copy I had made ages ago.”
“I made him do it,” Willow interferes. “Because I thought something like this might happen, and we would need a decoy book.”
I smile. “Well, that solves everything, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe,” Taarus still doesn’t seem convinced. “Those who have seen the book before can recognize it by its smell. You see, the copy we had made smells differently. I’m afraid that Kaige will recognize it’s not the one.”
“What if I stay far away from him?” I wonder. “Will he be able to tell then?”
“You’d have to be really far away,” he voices his doubts.
“What if I just quickly pull it out of my backpack, then quickly shove it back in?”
“That might work,” Willow jumps in. “Kaige won’t pay much attention to it that way. He’ll just see she’s got a book, with the same binding, and he’ll assume it’s the one. Just like he’ll assume that he has already won.”
“Maybe,” Taarus nods. “I just don’t feel right sending you off on your own.”
“That is the only way I want to do this,” I remind him. “This man murdered my father.”
“You know what I told you about revenge,” he reminds me.
“This time, it’s not only about revenge,” I vow. “He has dared take yet another person I hold dear, threatening to hurt him. The other one he has already hurt. I can’t stand idly by and let him think that he can get away with this.”
“Just listen to your wolf,” Taarus gives me the same advice. “Forget all about your human instincts, and just be her. Be a wolf.”
“I’ll try.”
“There is no try, kid,” Willow assures me. “You have only one chance.”
“That is all I need,” I smirk, taking the copy Taarus offers me.
I inspect it in my hands. It looks exactly like the original. Whoever has done it, did an amazing job. I’m sure Kaige won’t know the difference, as long as I keep him occupied.
“And, don’t worry, you won’t need to convince him to fight you,” Taarus suddenly adds. “I’m sure he already knows or has at least been suspecting that you are a silver white wolf. Your blood has magical properties, which can enhance the spells from the book.”
“Really?”
I almost can’t believe it. I always thought that I was nothing, even worse than nothing because I was related by blood to someone like Kaige. Now, it turns out that although we still share the same blood, mine is something that belongs to a different world, to a power that could bring him and his evil rule down.
Chapter 24
Cat
I tread through the Wailing Woods, and it all feels like the first time, the time I was banished from my home. Only now, I am not running away. I am returning to the place of my roots, the place that very well might become my burial ground.
I try not to think so bleakly. The truth of the matter is that Kaige is dangerous. He’s much more dangerous than I could ever imagine. He’s never been an uncle to me, not in the real sense of the word. He’s always been Kaige, the alpha, the same thing he was to everyone else.
The sun is already setting. I’ve been walking for hours. I have nothing but an inner compass which is, hopefully, leading me in the right direction. My backpack is hanging on my back, with the book safely tucked inside. A part of me still wonders if Kaige will see through the ruse. It’s up to me to focus his attention on myself. An angry shifter is a careless shifter. As long as I make him see red, which shouldn’t be hard, he will focus on me and not on examining the book.
I elbow my way through thick shrubbery, and I try to walk over small streams, not getting wet. Although that would be the least of my concerns. Strangely, I am not tired. I feel like I’ve been through so much these last couple of weeks, and especially these last few days. I’ve gotten to know myself more deeply than I ever thought possible.
My hidden desires have all surfaced, desires and needs I never even knew were there. Is this how it truly feels to be one with your wolf? I’ve only heard from others what this experience feels like, and I always wondered when it would be my time.
I thought, actually I hoped, my wolf would come to me as I watched my father lose his life. I can’t help but wonder whether I could have done something. Maybe not, but at least I wouldn’t be plagued by this gnawing feeling that I just stood by, doing nothing. My father died before my eyes. I was cast out, like a leper. They averted their gazes from me when my eyes met theirs. People I grew up with, people who were my friends, my family. I left that place with no one but myself, and I return there emboldened with a new sense of family, of belonging.
Somewhere on the distance, I see the faint flicker of fire. I am close. All the hairs on my body prick up. My she wolf is also here, by my side. She can sense them, too. Kaige’s stench is overpowering. He’s not alone. He is never alone. That is why it would be almost impossible to sneak up on him and take him by surprise.
With a heavy sigh, I realize that my best chance lies in me approaching him head on. I shall walk into the compound bravely, with my head held up high, stepping on the same ground that has drunk the blood of my father. I won’t even blink. I won’t show Kaige that I am afraid, although every inch of me is trembling. But, it’s not only fear. It’s a strange mixture of fear and exhilaration. I’m waiting for the moment when my wolf will take complete control.
Slowly, I come closer and closer, until I can already hear the crackling of the fire. There are distant voices, but I don’t recognize any of them as either Vlad’s or Kaige’s. The rest I couldn’t care less about. I linger for a moment, hidden by the deep shadows of the trees around me. The moment I take a step out, I will be in plain sight. So, I need to calm down and focus. I grip the straps of my backpack with my fingers. I inhale deeply. Then, I reveal myself.
Immediately, several eyes have spotted me. I pay no heed to them. They are of no interest or importance to me. I just need them to tell Kaige that he has called for me, and so, I am here. I keep walking boldly, my head held high. When he sees me for the first time since he has made me a fatherless child, I want him to see that he hasn’t broken me. I am still standing strong. Stronger than ever.
My stride is confident, my chin aimed forward. Whispers flicker all around me. I hear them, but I pay no attention, just like I didn’t on that fateful night. I walk all the way to the fire, in the middle of the compound, then I stop.
I look around. No one dares approach me. They are looking at me as if I were something abnormal, something they’ve never seen before. I don’t know... maybe I am.
“I wasn’t certain you would come,” I hear Kaige’s voice behind me.
I turn around slowly, completely in control of my entire body and the expression on my face.
“With such a lovely invitation, how could I refuse?”
He is staring at me from the other side of the blazing fire. The light is making his muscular, sharp jaw lines even more prominent. I notice there are a few fresh new cuts to his cheek. I can’t help but smile, wishing it were me who made them.
He is wearing a bear skin on his back. Underneath, he is wrapped up in black cloth. I know what that means. With one effortless swoosh of his hands, he will be naked, free to shift on command. I look down at my own jeans and t-shirt, and I frown. I forgot to take that into account.
“Do you have it?” he asks, grinning at me.
I see his canines long and sharp. I bet if I were standing closer to him, I’d smell fresh blood on them. I doubt Kaige goes long without killing someone or something. It has become a pleasure to him.
He takes a step towards me, but I lift my hand to him. “Not so fast.”
He smirks. His eyes hooded, stealing my breath. He had that same look in his eyes when he tore my father’s neck open. I swallow heavily, feeling my knees turn to water. But, I manage to keep my balance somehow.
I need my wolf. Where is she? Did I lose her back in the Wailing Woods?
“Where is Vlad?” I demand, as my flesh tingles with both apprehension and excitement.
A soft snarl pricks my ears. There she is, and just like that, my fear transforms into anger. My every muscle tenses up, and my entire body locks up with rage. I need to calm myself down. I can’t freeze. I have to flow like water. My movements need to be fluid, effortless. That is the only way I will be able to beat him.
Kaige lifts his hand. Immediately, Vlad is brought out from one of the shacks surrounding us. His eyes widen in alarm when he sees me. He tries to rush over to me, even with his hands bound behind his back, but the two guys by his side keep him steady.
“Cat!” he shouts my name. “Are you alright?”
“Ah, what a tender reunion,” Kaige mocks us with a voice that makes my blood run cold. “But, I’m afraid we don’t have time to kiss and make up. I’ve proven to you that Vlad is alive and well. I haven’t killed him... yet. I’ve kept my end of the deal. Now it’s your turn.”
I slide my backpack down my shoulder. It falls to the ground. They’re all watching. I can feel the heat of their gaze burning me with more intensity than the fire I’m standing right next to. I unzip the backpack and I take out a bundle wrapped in brown paper. A few gasps are heard.
I open the packaging and lift the book over the fire. The light bounces off the stained yellow paper. I’m far enough from Kaige. All he can see from here is the binding, which is identical to the original. His eyes sparkle with desire. His lips are parted, as he takes a step closer. I immediately take a step back, keeping the distance between us the same.
“Give it to me!” he demands.
“You’re kidding, right?” I reply, as heat courses through my veins.
The she wolf snarls, electrifying me to the point of sizzling. I’m close. But, I can’t shift now. Not yet. I need to speak to him a little longer. I need to push his buttons, to piss him off as much as I can.
Immediately upon saying that, I can see that his annoyance flares.
“Did you really expect me to just walk over to you and hand you the book?” I protest. “Are you really that stupid?”
It’s only insult number one, and it’s already working.
“I warn you, Ecaterina, it is not wise to call me stupid,” he retorts. “Not when there is just one step separating Vlad from death. Do not tempt me to kill him.”
“If you touch a hair on his body, I swear I will throw the book into the fire,” I growl louder this time. I can hear the she wolf growling with me.
To my surprise, Kaige laughs loudly.
“Do you really think Taarus would allow that?” he continues. “I don’t know how he let you take it outside the confines of the Hermitage, but I thank you for your resourcefulness. I suppose he is somewhere nearby, overseeing the whole thing, isn’t he?”
I’ve never even considered that fact. Could it be true? Although I’m not carrying the original, Taarus really might be here.
“Come out, you old know-it-all!” Kaige shouts, but no one comes out.
“He’s not here,” I say. “It’s only me.”
“Then it’s only you stupid enough to face me alone.”
I smirk at his weak effort to insult me.
“I have brought the book just for you to see it, because you will never get your hands on it.” I choose not to reply to his comment.
“Is that so?” He quivers with indignation. “You may not know it, but that is the only reason you and everyone at the Hermitage are still alive. If you hand me the book right this minute, I might consider leaving you alive, just so you can watch everyone around you die... just... like... your... father.”
Rage pours right through me as he dares to mention my father.
“He was a better man than you’ll ever be!” I snarl together with my wolf. She is as furious as I am.
Good.
“Good men die too soon,” he snickers. “Haven’t you noticed that?”
“And bad men live way too long, longer than they should have,” I argue. “I’ve come to fix that. I challenge you, Kaige.”
“And what if I refuse?” He stares me down mercilessly.
“You took my father’s life. You were a brother to my mother. Your blood and my blood are the same. You cannot deny my right to challenge you.”
“You are but a mere child,” he scoffs. “You can’t challenge the alpha.”
“I can if no one here objects,” I sneer, feeling the rage and need for vengeance fuel me. I turn to everyone around me, knowing they are all listening. “Does anyone here object to me challenging Kaige, your alpha?” I shout as loud as I can.
Fiery flames flicker all around me, but they are nothing compared to the flames of anger which are shooting through me. The wolf inside of me is desperate to come out. I can feel her trying to claw her way out. But, I can’t show her until Kaige has officially accepted my challenge. I try to calm her down, but she doesn’t want to be soothed. She wants to be let out to play, to hunt... to kill.
I wait a few more moments. My eyes traverse the sea of people around us. They all avert their gazes from mine. None of them dares look me in the eyes, even to refuse my request. The only reply I’ve received is silence, but that is enough of a response.
I focus my attention to Kaige.
“Your pack has spoken,” I announce. “Or, should I say their fear and cowardice speak more than their words ever could. Now you have to accept my challenge.”
He hesitates for a moment, then replies. “If you are so eager to die, then I shall gladly grant your wish, Ecaterina. I will enjoy burying my teeth into your scrawny neck, watching the life blood ooze right out of you. Then, I will kill Vlad, and everyone else at the Hermitage. And, there is nothing you can do about it.”
I can only smile at him.
I feel it coming. She’s here. And, she won’t go away until I give her exactly what she wants.
Complete control.
Chapter 25
Cat
The time has come. Soon, I will shed my human self and transform into the self that I have always been meant to be. My wolf self. My true self.
I try to remember my father’s words. The first shift hurts the most. But, once you relinquish control to your wolf, it will be your guiding light. It will know what to do.
His voice inside my mind is reassuring. It feels soothing. My heart aches at the sweet sound, and tears swell in my eyes. His words are comforting, but the truth in them is beyond terrifying. What if I get frightened, and my wolf senses it? She will tear me to pieces. It’s no urban legend, as I used to think.
“Aargh,” a moan escapes me.
The source of this discomfort is placed in the back of my neck, as if someone just pressed a scorching hot piece of coal to that spot. The painful sensation slithers down my back, like a river which separates into streams that only seem to infect the rest of my body, threatening to swallow me up whole.
