Chapter 50
Flora’s P.O.V
The first rays of sunlight hit the earth as Clay and I reached the hills. The road was tough and the land unwelcoming, but the pack had been able to find shelter; that was all that mattered.
I saw several of the wolves come out of their hiding spot as soon as they scented us approaching, and the ones that I had worked with closely, they came to greet me, walking alongside us to brush their bodies against my leg in welcome. I patted the heads of those who came near, nodded at the ones who stayed away. They were weary and I didn’t blame them.
Clay took me inside a cave and handed me a shirt to change into. My clothes weren’t wet but it was probably better to change in order to avoid getting sick. So I put down my weapons and took off my wet shirt before putting on his larger shirt and tying it in the front so I didn’t swim in it.
“You’re connected with all your wolves mentally, right?” I asked Clay when I was done.
“Yes.” Clay nodded. “They are my pack.”
“Good.” I patted the area in front of me, telling him to sit. “Then I can reach them through you.”
“What do you need to do?” He asked, sitting in front of me, face to face.
“I don’t know, but I had no idea when I used my healing power on you to turn you into your human for either.” I held out my hand and he placed his on mine. “So I’m going to channel all my healing power into you and the Alpha bond should help channel it to your wolves. If I’m able to heal you, then your wolves should be able to turn back as well.”
It was all theory and had no real proof, but in a world filled with the supernatural, Gods and magic, how can I not believe it was a possibility? I had to try my best. This was my only shot at saving Malachi and Ezra. Saving Clay.
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the powers within me. I felt a tingle on my palm where I had cut myself to form a bond with Ezra.
Ezra…kind and courageous and loving. Her light shore a bright golden in my mind and I imagined that light inside my mind.
At first there was nothing, only darkness, but then a flare lit up, tiny at first, but the light kept getting brighter the more I concentrated, the more I thought about my pack and I grasped onto that light.
Now, I imagined Clay’s essence. A bright emerald green with a rim of red around the orb. It was the colour of his eyes and I imagined it inside my mind, next to the bright golden orb of Ezra’s light.
Something trickled down my nose and I had a vague feeling that it might be blood, but I paid it no mind. I was going to complete this ritual even if it meant I was to die.
The orb of green with the red rim appeared in my mind, a bit far away from Ezra’s orb, but now I had two essences inside my mind. I only had to connect the two so their energy could flow.
I imagined myself as the medium. I caught hold of the golden light, feeling the warmth of it in my body and stretched it across to the green orb…connecting the two together.
It was like an explosion of energy inside my head. The golden orb was now joined with Clay’s red rimmed green with a thin blue thread and the light of the gold was being transferred to the green. Sparks of gold were battling the red, shoving it back with all their might.
The red rim was resilient at first, refusing to budge, holding on to the green. But then I saw it retreating inch by slow inch.
More sparks flew and the warmth that had spread throughout my body now felt like fire consuming my flesh. I wanted to scream, but it felt like my mouth was glued shut.
And then came the explosion. The red disappeared from around the green orb, leaving an emerald so pure it hurt to look at it, before my mind was consumed by darkness.
*
“Flora…Flora…”
Groggily, I opened my eyes with much difficulty. My head was pounding and my body was still hot, but whoever was calling me, didn’t stop until I looked up at them.
Clear emerald eyes stared back at me from the face I loved the most in this world.
“Clay…” I reached up with my arms, touching his face to have a better look.
“I’m back, Flora.” Clay’s smile was radiant. “You did it! You healed us.”
I got up from the ground immediately, looking outside the cave to find three men standing behind Clay, looking at me in wonder.
“The rest of them?” I asked Clay. His pack had almost seventy rogues. Were only a few of them able to transform back to their human forms?
“I didn’t have that many spare clothes.” Clay said almost sheepishly. “But we need to head back now. Something is happening.”
“The sacrifice!” I gripped Clay’s arm tightly. “We need to head back to the castle.”
Clay shook his head. “That’s not where the ritual is going to take place. I followed the soldiers yesterday. I know the location.”
“Let’s go.” I got up with his help and Clay’s wolves were instantly ready to head out with us.
I looked into their eyes, happy to see different colours instead of just red. We had really done it. We were able to heal the rogues.
But when I came out of the cave, the air got knocked out of my lungs in horror.
The sky…had turned blood red.
*
Ezra’s P.O.V
“…tie…”
“...no time…Andre…”
“…now!”
Bits and pieces of conversations reached my ears as I floated in and out of consciousness.
My entire body ached from the beating I took and it was getting difficult opening my eyes. That was until a whiff of a familiar scent filled my nostrils and my eyes snapped open.
I was in a clearing somewhere. This place was unfamiliar and yet, the woods were there all around us. I tried to move but found myself tied to something at my back. My hands were tied at my sides and another rope was tied around my shoulders and my waist. I felt another rope at my knees and they were all holding me standing to a wooden pole at my back.
I tested the grip, but it was firm. I couldn’t escape using my strength, not when I was this weak from the drainage of power.
The scent came again and I whipped my head around in the direction of the scent…and there he was. My Malachi.
He was tied to another pole not far from me, in a similar fashion. But he looked to be in really bad condition. His clothes were torn and his body was filled with gashes that looked old. He needed healing urgently.
“Ah! Look who’s finally awake!”
My attention immediately went to the man who was now standing between me and Malachi…with a gleaming dagger in his hands.
“Let the rituals begin.” He smile a sinister smile and the sky, I now noticed, had turned blood red.
