The Answers

RORY

Mariah points at the chair, and I sit down, watching as she opens a wooden box. Inside are small cloth bags, strange trinkets, and candles. I can tell it’s a ritual, but I don’t know what kind.

After laying everything on the table and lighting up the candles, Mariah sits down across from me. She opens a small blue velvet bag and dumps out the contents in front of her.

I look down at the collection of dust and rocks. She waves her hand over them, and when they appear on the other side of it—they’re transformed into perfect, polished crystals.

I watch her closely, amazed by what she just did. Then again, I guess I shouldn’t be. If men can turn to wolves… if I can come back from the dead… why shouldn’t she be able to turn dirt into gems?

She opens a red mesh bag this time and pours the contents into a small black pot on the table before arranging the surrounding crystals. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” I reply. I want to show my resolve, but I can’t stop myself from adding, “What are we doing, though?” I can’t just not ask any questions.

She seems amused by my curiosity. “I will send you to the spirit realm without any need for you to die. There, you will be able to gain information useful to your quest.”

I can’t believe she can do that. Crossing over isn’t easy, that’s why I only do it in death. “That sounds incredible. Thank you.”

She holds up her hand, face grave. “You do not need to thank me. All who wish to see the world continue will stand on your side in this.”

“What do you mean?” I don’t know if she’ll tell me any more—Professor Xander said witches are secretive and private. It’s amazing that I’m in one’s house at all, really.

As I expected, she gives no answer but a shake of her head. Instead, she continues the ritual. “These are your stones,” she says, scooping a few of them up into her hand.

I look down into her open palm, but now they’ve turned to ash again. No, not exactly ash. A pile of countless tiny, silver specks that glitter under the light.

“They’re just… sand,” I say, confused.

She laughs softly. “Until you see them under the light.”

She holds a candle to them. The silver specks light up, twinkling like stars. I study them and feel myself grow tired suddenly, like the glittering flecks of sand are hypnotizing me.

“Close your eyes and try to relax,” she says, holding out her hands to me. When I slip my hands into hers, the sand is gone. I find nothing but her smooth skin instead.

I close my eyes, and she begins to chant in a language I don’t understand. It’s soft and slow, a melody coming from the back of her throat. Then she begins to hum. She sounds just like in my dream.

She’s still for a moment after that, and I can feel the energy in the room. The air grows thick, her presence swelling. It reminds me of the magic I saw all around her house in the dream.

I keep my eyes closed, slowly relaxing in the warmth of Mariah’s presence, the resonant sound of her voice, the softness of her hands in mine.

Just as I’m starting to drift, I hear Mariah say, “Open your eyes.”

I do. Between us, a tiny flame dances in the air. It just flickers and waves in the air, changing colors every few seconds, first pink, then orange, then blue.

Mariah smiles and says, “That’s your spirit.”

My spirit? What is my spirit doing outside of me? What happens next? Within seconds, I feel strange. My body feels weightless, like I’m floating.

I can’t help but try and fight against it. It feels a bit like dying. “Mariah? What’s happening?”

“Just what I said. Relax, and let yourself go. You will return, I promise.” Her voice is soft and reassuring and I find myself believing her.

I do my best to remain calm as I enter the spirit realm. Mariah’s hut fades away, replaced by the familiar mists. As I watch, they swirl and part, revealing a familiar figure.

In front of me, I see Achlys in her black dress, her raven hair flowing around her snow-white face. She reaches out for me.

The next thing I feel is cold. I feel Achlys’s icy hands wrap around me. But I don’t fight back. I don’t feel the need. There’s something peaceful about her touch, something that makes me calm.

“Aurora. We don’t have much time,” she says softly. She looks as sad as always, but I think she seems worried, too.

“I don’t understand,” I say, feeling uneasy. “Why do we have to hurry? I’m not dead, I came here via a ritual—”

Another chill shoots through me, more painful than ever. It’s like being stabbed with icicles, like frostbite is eating away at my muscles.

Her grip tightens and I’m not so sure if she’s causing the icy feeling, or if she’s protecting me from it. Maybe she’s making sure Nemesis can’t find me here. Somehow, that seems right to me.

Achlys looks strained. “Nemesis is alive. She is still out there looking for a way to destroy you. You must be careful, Aurora.”

Shock rocks me to my core. I almost let go of Achlys’s hands. I knew she was reaching out to me, but I never imagined she was still alive. “That’s impossible. I killed her.”

Achlys shakes her head. “You may have killed her body but her soul is still alive, only it’s in pieces. When her body died, her soul was fractured. You need to destroy all the pieces to stop Nemesis.”

I can feel her letting go. She can’t be going already, I still have so many questions! “How do I find all of the pieces? Achlys, I don’t know what to do!”

“It is not safe here. I’m sorry.” Achlys says, and fades into the clouds. My body starts to drift again. I feel something pull me and I begin to fall faster.

My eyes open and I gasp for air. Mariah hovers over me, helping me to sit up. She hands me a glass of water that I struggle to drink.

“What did you see?” she asks.

My head is pounding and I can’t focus for a minute. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself and process what Achlys said.

“I barely saw anything. I spoke to Achlys, but she said it wasn’t safe to stay. All I learned is that Nemesis isn’t dead, and that her soul has been fractured.” My stomach clenches. I feel nauseous.

Mariah puts her hand on my shoulder. “That is not nothing. These pieces of her soul have great power. They will be drawn to life, and their presence will be known. All you need to do is find them.”

She’s surprisingly comforting. Her confidence and bearing kind of remind me of Everett. “What will the effects be? How will I know if she’s near?”

Mariah looks at me. She’s like a bit of the spirit realm in real life. “I cannot tell you all, but I can tell you this. Those who are sensitive, like you, will respond.”

I wonder if that includes children. I want to ask, but I have a feeling she’s already telling me everything she can.

She says, “The longer the spirit lingers, the greater the effects. These are the common signs: You may feel like you are being watched. Another way is a drop in temperature, a sudden sharp chill.”

My eyes grow bigger and my mouth drops open. I stare at Mariah in disbelief and then I’m hit with an overwhelming sense of dread.

Mariah’s hand tightens on my shoulder. “What is it, Rory? What have I made you think of?”

I hesitate, worrying about putting my trust in someone else. My error in judgment over trusting Xander will always haunt me.

“I understand if you don’t want to tell me,” Mariah says.

The fact that she gives me a choice makes me sure I do want to trust her. “Those signs you were talking about: I’ve experienced them.”

Her expression changes to one of pure terror. Her hand convulses so that her grip is briefly painful. I see her force herself to relax, but her hand stays firm. “When was the last time you felt it?”

I think it would be very dangerous to lie to her. There’s no point, anyway. She can help me best if she knows. “On my way over here. It felt like someone was following me up until I saw you outside.”

“Do you feel this often?” She’s scrutinizing me and I have the feeling she’s looking at more than just what normal eyes can see.

“It only just started. Yesterday, I hit my head and saw Professor Xander’s and Nemesis’s faces floating above me.” I shudder when I think of it.

She makes a gesture in the air, one I recognize as warding. “They are watching you, Rory. You must be careful, especially now.”

“Watching me? Especially now?” I don’t know what she means. What’s special about now? Nothing’s any different than it was last time we crossed paths.

“You need to get back to your mate before it gets any later,” she says, ushering me out the door.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, confused by the sudden fear in her. Is seeing them that big a deal? Surely they can’t do anything to me. She’s just a spirit.

She shakes her head sternly. “That’s enough revelations for today. The rest can wait. You need to go. The later it gets, the more danger you’re in.”

Her alarm is catching, and suddenly I’m worried about walking home in the dark. But there’s nothing to do about it now. I’ll just have to hurry. “Okay…thank you for everything.”

“No need to thank me. Please just be safe,” she says, hurrying me down the steps of the porch. I can feel her watching me until I’m out of sight.

I enter the woods, glad to find the path I took is still visible. The air cools and the darkness grows as I make my way back toward the pack lands. I go as fast as I can, but it’s not that fast.

I’m prone to tripping at the best of times, but I can hardly see and there are tons of roots and fallen branches in my way. It’s taking all my focus not to fall every three steps, and I’m still stumbling.

A surprising chill shoots through me, causing me to shiver. I remember what Mariah said, and I check for other signs of a spirit. Being watched. Am I being watched?

I swear I can feel eyes on me from somewhere in the darkness. I keep moving, hoping I’m not too far from the pack house. The woods seem so different now that the sun is gone.

After a few more minutes of walking, I feel another chill sweep over me. Just like before, I feel eyes on me. Something is out there and watching me. The weight of their stare presses down on me.

The sound of twigs breaking catches my attention, and I turn to look for what it might be. From behind a tree, a wolf emerges, and my heart races. Not one I recognize. A rogue.

He’s got black fur that seems to bleed into the shadows around him, and his eyes seem to glow red in the limited light. I stand, unable to move, while the wolf watches me.

Another shot of icy air surges through my body. Knowing what the feeling means makes the feeling a hundred times worse. Professor Xander and Nemesis are close.

All I can see is the wolf in front of me, staring at me. I can’t take my eyes off of him. What is he doing this close to the pack lands? I can’t run, that would just make him chase me.

All I can do is wait to see what he does. The wolf continues to stare, his red eyes pierce through me. The pounding of my heart echoes in my ears.

My head throbs, and a pressure builds that makes it hard to think. My knees feel weak, like they will give out at any moment.

The wolf remains still, his body stiff like a statue, with his fangs exposed. I’ve never seen a rogue simply stare down their prey. I should already be dead.

Finally, he moves. His steps are strange and jerky, almost robotic, and his red eyes don’t really seem to see me.

I watch in horror as the rogue moves closer. The pressure worsens, and I hear Nemesis and Professor Xander’s voices again. Are they somehow controlling this rogue wolf?

The wolf approaches, bringing the voices with him. They jumble together in my head, making them impossible to understand.

I try to force my legs to move, but they refuse. Everett was right, this was too dangerous. No one knows I’m here. No one’s coming to save me.

I’m going to die out here, alone.