Chapter 0508

“Like I said, I need you too.” We all hop in and Cameron takes off. “I have been doing research with my dad since I have been gone. My mom has been trying to figure out your abilities and what has been happening with the warrior brands breaking. But, when I told them about what I was noticing in your pack my dad started looking into magic from the practical side. Totems, plants, stones, crystals, all of that stuff. He was helping to look for Gentry when he came across herbs that can be used for mind control and make people susceptible to suggestion.”

She stops to take a breath. “Okay, I think I’m following you, but what has you so excited now?”

“Well we came across a spell that sounds like the one that Mike was using on his warriors. There’s this star and each point is made up of different plants and then a spell is cast,” She waves her hand dismissively like that part doesn’t matter. “Then a candle is lit and another spell is said to keep it burning in the center of the star.”

“Well, that sounds an awful lot like this f*cking pentagram we have been looking for. Did you and your dad figure out where it is or what plants were used?” Oliver asks next to her.

“That’s the thing, you guys have looked everywhere, for this candle and pentagram, even used Nathaniel’s heat sensors, but what if the pentagram isn’t small at all, what if it is so large it’s easy to miss?”

“What do you mean? How does something big go unnoticed?”

“If it’s literally a part of the pack lands.” Her eyes widen and sparkle.

We pull up to the packhouse and she literally pushes everyone out. Then we are all running toward the Luna’s office.

“NATHANIEL!” She yells his name down the hallway like she did mine. He comes blasting out of his office ready for a fight. “I need you! Can you get me eyes on the pack borders in very specific locations?”

He looks at her with a ‘duh’ expression.

And I need a paper map of the pack grounds.” She looks around at all of us. I move to one of the side tables to grab the most recent one we have.

“Okay, can you get me eyes on this spot here?” She points to a spot on the map that is the Easternmost edge of the island. Nathaniel pulls it up easily. “YES!! I knew it.” She circles the spot on the map. “Okay, now this spot. She points to another spot. He repeated the process again and again until there were five circles on the map evenly spaced. We all just keep watching her as she progresses through whatever it is that she is doing with Nathaniel and the search through the pack.

She looks up expectantly. “This is what my dad found, it’s why I had to get out when I did. We couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t be affected by the magic.”

“What are you talking about?” Cam asks.

“This is the pentagram that you have been looking for. Look.” She connects the different circles and it makes a star. The thing I notice is that the packhouse is the center.

“Oh sh*t! Are we safe here?” Now the guys are looking at me.

“I think so. I think the spell was tied to the Alpha and the twins. The Alpha died, releasing his attachment and you broke the twins free. I think that was the massive black stain you left on the ceiling of the hospital. I think you ripped the spell out of them, that’s why it was so painful and aggressive, it didn’t want to leave its nest.”

“But the spell’s not gone is it?” I ask, feeling slightly defeated.

“Yes and no. I mean you were strong enough to unintentionally cast out an evil entity living in the twins. For what I understand that is hard to do with a skilled witch and for you it was the side effect of your protection spell on them. She looks at them and they look at their simple little woven bracelets and tattoos. “I do think that since all of the elements are there, the spell can be recast. The problem is, none of you can be touched with Sky’s protection.”

“So talk me through all the things you have circled.” I point to the map.

“Well in many spells herbs and plants are dried and bound for the spell, but live plants can also be used. When I found that out I started looking around the pack for crops of plants that didn’t look quite natural when I got back, and I found them. Oleander is used in love potions.” She points to the eastern point and gives the guys a look, “But it is hallucinogenic. Aconite or wolfsbane we are all familiar with, brings harm to wolves, but is also used in spells to bring harm and it is a paralytic.” She points to the next circle. “Then we have Belladonna, it is used for beautifying glamors, making people see things.” Another pointed look at the twins, pointing to the next circle. “Hemlock is a sedative.” The next circle. “And wormwood is another hallucinogenic.” So you all were susceptible to the suggestions given to you by the caster or casters.”

“Wouldn’t a witch have to cast something this elaborate?” I ask. “And what about this forever burning candle?”

“I think if all the elements were in place the witch who cast it could do that from anywhere probably. Maybe even using a phone on speaker. That’s a theory dad wants to test, but obviously now is not the time. Or if all someone had to do was read words of an incantation, anyone could have set the spell. As far as the candle I have a theory that only came to me this morning when we left for our run. I went out back with my coffee this morning and the firepit was lit. I thought it was a little strange, but then I thought maybe other come out to have their coffee and it was just something nice in the midst of all the bullsh*t. But then I discovered the massive patch of wolfsbane, then the Belladonna, then the Hemlock. After that I kept going and realized that they were roughly evenly spaced around the perimeter of the pack. Now that I’ve seen the map I am convinced that the firepit is the forever burning flame.”

“That’s crazy. There’s no way anyone would put that much effort into a spell to control our dad.”

“But they would, to get to Sky, or to take over a pack that they thought should be theirs. The Cunninghams found common ground with Mike or the Rogue King they would both get what they want out of this whole thing, just by controlling your dad. What no one expected was for the girl in the prophecy to be a badass that could outsmart them, out fight them and use magic willingly against them.”