Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Upon arrival from the nightcrawlers, Maira was waiting for me at the kitchen table with Timber. Both sets of eyes turned in my direction as I appeared in the living room.

“Maira. Timber. I hope all is well with you, my child.” I greeted them both while taking off my coat and walked over to hang it up. She nodded her answer smiling.

“How did it go with the others?” I asked Maira for an update.

“As well as to be expected. It appears the Faes came into a small run in like the dragon shifters. But everything is handled now. Like the dragon shifters they are more on board with us than before due to the senseless attack.” she said, sipping her tea.

“So it seems as though Shamira is trying to either deter supernaturals from getting involved by intimidation or reduce their resources to keep them from helping. Interesting.” I spoke as I poured myself some tea and sat with Maira and Timber.

“What do you mean Elder Selene?” Timber asked for clarification.

“This war she’s bringing is bigger than we thought. She must be nervous she will lose now that the elemental stone has left her. We noticed she has been recruiting rogues from other supernatural communities. In doing so, she is using them to discourage those same communities from wanting to stand with us.”

“Although, it is not working and making them become a bigger threat to her cause while becoming a more solid asset to ours.” Maira chimed in.

“Where were you? You were not here when I returned? Is everything alright sister?” Maira asked, realizing I just got in.

“The nightcrawlers summoned me.” saying before I could finish I was interrupted.

“The Vampires?! What did they want?” Timber asked nervously as Vampires do not typically seek out other supernaturals and like to stay to themselves.

“Well, apparently the vampire Elder has been gifted with sight and he saw our war recently. It bothered him since he only seems to get visions about his people. So he elicited my knowledge of what is to come. In the process we have gained another ally.” their mouths agape at my confession not believing what they were hearing.

“The vampires are going to help us?” Timber asked quizzically. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing made itself evident in her voice.

“They are. Elder Keenan said he saw the war take place, but not the ending.” pausing to take a sip of my tea before continuing. “He also said, he saw the elemental energies being used in protection and offensively?” stopping to look at Timber I noticed Maira's head had already snapped in her direction.

“Timber dear. Is there something new you have been working on you would care to share with us?” smirking over my tea cup as I saw Maira start to chuckle at my question.

“Weeelll…actually Johnathan and I have been working on putting part of my essence in the stealth uniforms our warriors wear?” her statement came out more like a question causing a chuckle to escape me at her constant fidgeting. It was obvious she thought she was going to be reprimanded for her actions without asking permission first. When in all actuality, to our knowledge no one has tried to do what Timber and her were doing. This piqued our interest that much more.

“And how did that go?” Maira asked, curious.

“Very good actually. I put it on the inside of the material in hopes to help them in case Shamira hit them with her energy. The uniforms actually adapted to whatever I hit it with and protected them from it the next time they were hit with the same thing again.” Timber went on to explain their findings.

“Interesting. How much did you need to wove in it?” I asked, never seeing this technique done before. I should have known that it would be Alpha Johnathon’s pack to find a way to do the impossible. Their training center and lab is known throughout the world as being one of the best.

“Not a lot really. More like a drop of essence and it took over. If she tries to freeze them it will hold no effect on them while wearing the suit…” she paused before her brow furrowed and we noticed she was debating on the next part. Maira and I looked at each other, then back at her.

“Go on Timber, what else happened?” I urged her to finish.

“This part is actually why I wanted to come to see you. Normally our clothing will shred if we shift wearing them…” pausing again.

“Uh uh?” I muttered out knowing where this was now leading.

“Well, they were able to shift into their wolves without tearing them. But the part of concern was when they shifted back the suits were still intact on their human bodies. It was like…”

“It shifted with them?” Maira interrupted her thought. Timber’s eyes lit up with her comment.

“Yes, exactly! How is that possible?” she questioned.

“Timber dear. The essence is a small piece of the element that makes up the total quantity of the person using it. When you placed, even just a small amount, of it in their suits it became part of the suits and then the wearer of those suits. Once they were activated, the user became protected by the element propelled to it.”

“Like a second skin if you will.” I interjected what Maira was saying to assist in the clarification for Timber. Maira smiled and nodded her agreement in return. We watched Timber momentarily waiting for a response that came in the form of a smile and a nod.

“I see…” she said while contemplating something else. “So I activated the essence I placed into them. But it was my essential element not Shamira’s or the boys. Would it still work the same way to protect them against Shamira? We want to protect our pack from certain death if she hits them with any and everything she has.” Maira and I glanced at each other smiling before turning our attention back to her.

“You were right Selene. She is most definitely Queen material. Already thinking like a mother to all wolves.” I couldn’t have been prouder of her than I was at that moment. My face lit up with delight knowing Maira now sees what I’ve been telling her. Timber looked at us a little confused at her statement. Brow furrowed and head tilted to the side in question.

“Timber my dear. The elements' energies are one with each other. Even though Shamira has fire, you hold all the elements now. Meaning you also hold the same fire she does. The same goes for your boys. When they use their energies on you… how does it affect you?” I asked to help prompt her to an epiphany.

“Well, I feel it, but..” she paused looking for the right explanation. “...it also seems as though I absorb it too? Like it makes me stronger.” she replies thinking about what she just said. Her face and eyes brightened at her own understanding of it, smiled and then spoke again.

“So, since I have all the elemental energies, and they are all one in the same… then using mine will be like her using hers on them! So it will work with them all being one in the same, just different people using them.” her eyes lit up with the realization as she talked herself through the problem.

“You are now understanding, yes?” she nodded vigorously at the question.

“Yes! Fire is fire no matter who is warming next to it, like water is just water and the air is everywhere even though we are all using it at the same time.” she stated while motioning with her hands between the three of us at the latter part of her words.

“Good. Do you have any other questions?” I asked before we could move on to preparations being taken around the supernatural communities. Timber wiggled her head no. Giving her a slight nod and smile we moved on.

“Did Elder Keenan say anything else that could be of importance to us sister?” Maiara asked me once Timber gained the knowledge she sought.

“It was brought to my attention that Queen Shamira is gathering an army of rogues.” gasps were heard from both Timber and Maira at my statement. “And not just were-rogues. Rogues from all supernatural communities. She is trying to gain the upper hand using the outcasts and banished against her own people.”

“Hmmm, interesting. I wonder, what was the reason behind attacking the other communities then?” Maira chimed in.

“I am guessing in hopes to deter them from participating in the war?” I said more like a question.

“However, it does not seem to be working as she is only angering them to fight now for their own retributions.” Maira spoke up again. “From what I have gathered speaking with other supernatural Elders, this is the case. They are all waiting for the word of when and where to arrive. Their own preparations have also begun.” she finished with.

“Wow. This really is going to be a war of all wars isn’t it?” Timber asked coming into full understanding how big this war really was going to be.

“There is one thing he said that concerns me a little. He said, although the Queen was powerful and the power itself was spread throughout many, there was still someone hiding in the mist he could not explain.” pausing briefly before continuing. “Not being sure, possibly more than one of these unexplained persons. The aura around them was great although blurred from the greatness of the power which I am not thinking was elemental energies.” stopping my statement as I slightly drummed my fingertips on the table. “Who this could be I am not quite sure.”

“It could be a witch.” Maira spoke up finally. All eyes settled on her like she grew another head or two. “According to Elder Rani of the dragon shifters a witch was seen cloaked in the forest trees.” pausing briefly before looking at Timber. “Timber, when you were captured by Kronin wasn’t there a witch involved?” her statement sent mind in a whirlwind that this was more than possible. But how, and why would a witch be doing this? What would she have to gain in all of this?

“There was. Yes. She cloaked the rogue's scents and movements to make them almost invisible, making us unaware of their presence until it was too late.” concern slowly etched over her face as some sort of realization took place in her mind. “The only way we knew they were there was because the scent of nature was more vibrant or deeper in strength, and the temperature changed slightly when they approached. Johnathon figured this out during recon when I was abducted by Kronin.” worry laced with great concern covered her face. Maira and I looked at each other, nodded and back to Timber.

“Lucia” we spoke in unison.

“Who’s Lucia?” Timber asked.

“A very powerful rogue witch who was punished to banishment from her coven.” Maira said.

“A many hundred years or so ago Lucia was in love with a werewolf named Dirk. Back then not very many supernaturals had destined mates outside of their kind. Dirk had not found his destined mate when he met Lucia. They spent many days and nights together. Dirk unaware that Lucia believed she was going to be his chosen mate.” pausing briefly before standing heading to the kitchen. “More tea ladies?” I asked as I got myself some, picking up the freshly made cookies cooling on the counter bringing them back with me.

“Dirk misled her and she became revengeful?” Timber asked.

“Something like that.” Setting the cookies on the table as I took my seat again.

“So, what happened?” She inquired.

“Well, Dirk’s destined mate showed up after being with each other for almost a year. She was a marked Royal like yourself.” realization stretched over her face at the comment.

“His mate was deeply saddened and hurt by his betrayal and tried to reject him right then in front of Lucia. He begged her not to and declared his love for only his destined mate. He pleaded with her saying Lucia was only a filler until he found her and that he never really wanted her or was going to choose her as his mate.” Timber seemed angered at this historical event that happened to Lucia.

“So he just rejected Lucia after all that time? Just threw her aside like an old shoe?” she questioned feeling her pain at the public rejection. I just shook my head in response.

“When Dirk mated and marked his destined mate, he tried to have Lucia killed. She wasn’t letting him go easily and tried poisoning his mate. If I remember correctly, she also tried to do a reversal spell on him so he would come back to her. Which did not work.” taking a bite of cookie after dipping it into the tea.

“She was caught and banished from her coven for breaking their sacred laws. It has been rumored she had created her own coven of other rogue witches trying to take revenge on any marked Royal. Keeping them from being with their destined mates.” taking another bite of the cookie I dipped into my tea again.

“But, if this happened centuries ago, how is Lucia still alive? I thought witches had a lifespan of one century tops?” Timber questioned the timeline.

“She has apparently found a way to prolong her life, or maybe a child?” Maira spoke up.

“Hmmm. That’s an excellent question in which we need to find out. Until then, keep training and preparing for the impending war Timber. I have a feeling the Graves Pack will be getting visitors soon from other supernaturals willing to fight alongside you and your family.” with that I placed the last bit of my cookie in the mouth standing while heading to the kitchen.

“Thank you Elder Selene and Elder Maira for your time and the chat.” Timber nodded and smiled before closing her eyes; disappearing.