Chapitre 25

The darkness enveloped us, but I was pressed tightly to Ero's side, which gave me not only support but also warmth. Our shoes crumpled the snow as we strode through the pack.

Warm light shone on the layer of ice below us from the houses we passed. I soon saw where Eros was headed.

The tree house of Demetrius.

"What exactly are we doing here?" I asked excitedly, tugging on Ero's arm.

"If I tell you now, it's no longer a surprise."

With these words we climbed the stairs. As if he had been expecting us, the door swung open. Behind it stood a grim looking Demetrius. He wore an extravagant green robe and eyed us sharply.

"This is the first and only time I'm cleaning my house for you guys. Woe is something is not in place when I come back."

"I gave you my word," Eros replied, unperturbed by the old man's grumpiness.

"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do," he grumbled, beginning the descent of the stairs.

Eros shook his head and let me go first. The warmth enveloped me along with the jumble of gadgets, books, and scrolls that turned the frame house into a maze.

I felt comfortable with Demetrius.

"This way," Eros said, taking my hand.

We passed the living room with the drawing table and the huge window front that allowed a view of the dark night. Behind it was the smithy. Only a heap of ash slumbered in the furnace, which flared up every now and then as if it were still alive.

Without hesitation, Eros pulled me on to the secret door I had seen but not passed through so many days ago. At first I saw nothing but darkness. Then I heard a soft click.

Brightness streamed down the walls like wildfire, conjuring up a warm glow throughout the room. I looked in amazement for the source. A glass tube was let into the wall at regular intervals, and a fire seemed to come out of the wall. However, I saw no wood.

"Demetrius worked on that for a long time. He built a network of gas pipes that light up everything here. And with just one switch you can control the light of a room or the whole house."

To demonstrate, he pushed the metal switch to the right and all brightness died out as if by itself. After a second click, she was back.

Then I looked at the walls. On the completely black background lay white drawings of planets on rings, star arrangements and the moon.

"It's like magic," I breathed.

"Oh wait till you see this."

He pointed to a telescope that stood on three legs. Only now did I notice that there was no normal roof watching over us, but a round dome.

Eros pushed another switch aside and a loud crack was heard. Very slowly the roof began to shift. The dome opened to reveal the night sky with thousands of stars looking down on us.

"That is beautiful."

It reminded me of the nights in the far north. Each star was a dead soul, lighting up the darkness in death. The more they appeared, the greater deeds they had accomplished on earth.

Eros turned off the lights around us, but it made no difference. The celestial bodies threw their mystical light into space.

"You can take a closer look at them with the telescope," said Eros, pointing to the telescope.

I ran over expectantly and peered through the lens with one eye. My breath caught at the view of the universe.

Not only white stars, but also pink and yellow dots cavorted kilometers from us. A blue cloud surrounded them, coloring the sky above.

Like a scar, a white path stretched across the sky that seemed to consist of pure stardust. For the first time I realized how small we were in the powers of the world.

There was so much about us that we couldn't comprehend, so much beauty and so much darkness. It was like a work of art drawn in front of our eyes by a higher being.

I took my eye off the telescope and turned to Eros. His blue eyes shone like the stars above us. Everything in me was drawn to him.

Without thinking further, I stood on tiptoe and pressed my lips to his. Eros returned the kiss and I ran my fingers through his hair. My mouth opened and he immediately took over. My stomach clenched as his hands stroked down my back and buried themselves in my hips.

Ero's touch was all I needed. A moan made our lips vibrate and sent a shock through my nerve endings.

Finally we had space and time for ourselves again and I enjoyed it to the fullest. Eros parted his lips far too quickly and I looked at him. My eyes must have been coated in a layer of pure lust the way I gasped.

Suddenly something moved above us. A shooting star flew overhead, leaving a trail of white sparks.

"Someone must have fallen out of favor with the moon goddess," Eros said, wrapping his arm around me tightly.

"For real? Shooting stars mean something different here," I said, turning to face him in his grip.

"Oh yes," replied Eros with lustful eyes. "And what?"

"You can make a wish," I whispered in his ear. "But only in secret. If you say it, the wish will never come true."

Ero's nose brushed my neck and a tremor ran through my body.

"But I already have everything I want," he breathed against my mark. I closed my eyes to capture the feeling forever.

His teeth brushed the vulnerable skin before his lips took over. A moan escaped me as I pressed closer to Eros. His hair was all messed up as many times as I'd stroked through it.

Eros laid me carefully on the soft carpeted floor. The starry sky lay far above me.

I wish that we will be together forever.

MONDAY OF THE 9TH MOON COUNT:

I stood in front of the desk, on which countless books were open. The candles were almost burned out while the liquid wax stuck the book pages together.

Damned!

Frantically I started to save the books.

"Demetrius is going to kill me," I murmured, recognizing one of his works: Plants and Their Toxicology.

The wax had settled between the pages and I tried to wipe them off with my sleeve. Raspberry, rowanberry, deadly nightshade, black currant...

I was unsuccessful. Now the wax was not only spread on the sides but was also attached to the sleeve of my dress.

A dress?

I was wearing the brightly colored floral dress the nomads had given me for the winter solstice. Why did I wear it in the musty library?

What was going on here?

Created from water, purified with water.

Suddenly the candlelight flickered. For some reason I knew exactly what it was. I jerked around and, without looking around, ran.

The image of the moon goddess.

It was after me.

Created from holy water, invulnerable.

The stomping of paws followed me along with a thunderous growl. The carpeting had turned to quicksand. I barely advanced an inch.

He can hide his tracks.

I felt hot breath on my neck. I jerked around. Red eyes stared into my soul as the beast gazed down at me. The razor-sharp saber teeth gleamed, ready for the final thrust.

Death follows him everywhere.

The primeval wolf.

My eyes shot open and I sat up, panting. I was drenched in sweat as my eyes darted back and forth. It took a while for my racing mind to realize where I was.

In bed.

I was sure. It was just a dream. I brushed the wet strands from my face and rubbed my forehead.

"Honey, are you alright?" a female voice asked. Karen was standing by my bed with a tray and I nearly had a second heart attack just looking at her.

Her forehead wrinkled with worry.

I breathed in as much air as my lungs could hold and just nodded. The sky was dark blue like the ocean while the rising sun was hiding behind thick clouds.

it could not go on like that.

I couldn't live in fear just because of one friggin' hallucination or secret visitation in the night. It was time I got to the bottom of this and didn't burden Eros and the others with it any further.

"Here sweetie," Karen said, putting the tray on the bedside table. "Wouldn't you like something to eat?"

I glanced at the pink tea and egg bread next to it, but even that failed to elicit my appetite. There was work to be done.

I jumped out of bed.

"Thanks Karen, that's very kind. But it's time for me to get to work. There's work to be done," I said, making my way to the bathroom to wash away the sweat.

"Work, but what kind of work?"

"I have to interrogate people, lots of people. Someone here is playing the wrong game, and I'm going to find out who it is. He can dress warmly!"

****

The gray clouds had not promised too little. Thick snowflakes trickled to the ground behind the window panes, quietly and secretly. Despite the weather, Eros was at the training ground, draining the budding warriors of fighting.

I had other things to do. In my hand I held an improvised notebook of yellowed pages along with a graphite pencil.

"So..."

My gaze slid to Lucia, who was sitting across from me on the mouse-grey sofa. Her eyes were downcast as she twiddled her thumbs.

"Tell me everything that happened after I fell asleep."

Lucia lifted her head before she began to speak.

"It must have been about 11 o'clock. I left the tray because I didn't know if you still wanted something to eat or drink. I left the room and said goodbye to Castor and Pollux. Then I went home."

She thought for a second before nodding.

"And Julien was already home?" I asked skeptically.

Lucia laughed, her eyes starting to sparkle like beautiful rubies.

"Once Julien has fallen asleep, only the sun can wake him up. He needs his beauty sleep or he becomes unbearable."

I grinned and scribbled the main points on the paper.

"Did you notice anything walking home?"

"No, I was all alone," Lucia replied, looking like she was walking the path in her head.

"Thank you, Lucy. You can go," I said, watching as she nodded and made my way out. I was satisfied with my first interrogation, even though I hadn't learned much new. Next up were the twins.

Castor and Pollux took a seat in front of me, where Lucia had just been sitting. But unlike her, the two werewolves towered over me even when sitting. I tried to soften her up with silence and a sharp look.

"Would you like some tea, dear?"

Annoyed, I looked at Karen, who destroyed my attempts at intimidation with one sentence.

"I'd like one," Castor said, raising his hand.

"Ephilia?"

I just shook my head and demonstratively took a sip from my water glass. I impatiently waited for Karen to put down a cup, but she wasn't done yet.

"Here, if you don't want to eat anything real, at least I made some cookies."

My cold facade collapsed when I saw the steaming plate of chocolate chip cookies. The chocolate was still glistening from the heat of the oven. Water pooled in my mouth and suddenly my appetite was wide awake.

"Thanks Karen," I said, grabbing one.

I bit into it and closed my eyes as the sweet taste melted on my tongue. You were perfect. Finally something my stomach could look forward to.

Karen looked content and left us alone. The twins stared at me with unreadable expressions. I cleared my throat, stuffed the cookie down my throat and washed it all down with a long gulp of water.

Work before pleasure.

"So," I began, embarrassed. "What exactly happened? Tell me the whole story from start to finish."

“Well, Karen sent Lucia with the tray. You guys talked and as Lucia promised she stayed until you fell asleep."

My head was spinning in confusion.

"Wait, could you hear what we said?"

"Naturally."

Silence fell over us as realization seeped into my brain. They had heard everything, all along. Damn wolf ears! I tried not to let on how uncomfortable I was.

"But you don't tell anyone about this, do you?"

"Of course not. Alpha Eros just wants to know who was there," Castor replied casually.

I stared at him perplexed. Eros asked who had visited me? I didn't know what to think about it. Should I be upset now? I really didn't have the time, energy or desire to do that.

I looked at Pollux, who was sitting next to his brother, completely disinterested. Nothing in the world seemed to upset him, not even the red scar crossing his eye.

"Not a second after you fell asleep, Lucia came out of the room without a tray. She seemed very tired herself."

I nodded and refocused on the matter at hand.

"What time was that?" I asked as professionally as I could.

"11:02," Castor replied, as if he had expected the question. I just nodded and noted the time. "As always, we stood guard. We didn't notice anything unusual. Then we heard your footsteps. You came out and the window was open."

"When was that?" I asked.

"Around 3am," Castor replied without batting an eyelid.

I nodded and scribbled everything down. It couldn't have been Lucia. If she had opened the window from the inside, I would have woken up much earlier from the freezing cold. The window must have been opened from the outside just before 3am.

Someone had been sneaking around the pack during the night.

"You two have been investigating the tracks with Johnson. Were there any clues on the balcony, aside from the missing scent?"

"Tracks are usually the most important thing for a werewolf. But there was none. No tracks as the snow had been cleared from the balcony. Unfortunately, the footprints on the ground didn't show anything unusual either. I'm very sorry Luna."

Castor sipped some of his tea. I stared at my notes, hoping to make sense of them. By now I could also search for a ghost. Nobody had seen, heard or smelled anything. The only clue was the missing soap and the open window.

"Next on my list is Gamma Johnson."

I pulled myself off the sofa, tucked the notebook under my arm, grabbed another biscuit, and went in search of the fiercest wolf I knew. Castor and Pollux followed me like two shadows.

It didn't take long for me to find Johnson at the pack house. He flipped through some papers. I cleared my throat, but he ignored me as if the words held me captive.

"John, I need to talk to you. Now."

My tone was sharp, although the nickname still tasted very strange. His blond hair was perfectly styled as always.

"What is it?" he asked distractedly. He didn't pay any attention to my words for a second. His disinterest turned my patience to anger. My footsteps thundered toward him, tearing the papers from his hand.

I glared at him defiantly, expecting an appropriate backlash. But nothing came, at most mild irritation.

"What exactly happened last night before I stormed into your meeting?" I asked, pulling out my pen.

"Is that what you do all day? Bothering other people with unnecessary questions?"

If I hadn't heard the spark of humor in his voice, my anger would have boiled up again, but I had to learn how to deal with his taunts.

"Very funny," I replied dryly. "Now the truth, please."

"As you said before. I was in the meeting with Eros when you just barged in," he replied, annoyed.

"Aha. And what did you guys talk about?" I asked, trying not to sound as curious as I felt.

"About the training, the training of the warriors, the trade, the border posts, the-"

Suddenly Johnson fell silent, as if realizing that the words he was about to utter weren't meant for my ears. I lifted my chin.

"The what?" I asked.

Johnson grabbed his head in irritation and sighed loudly.

"You know what, ask your companion that. I've already said way too much. But I have to ask you one more thing. Has it ever occurred to you that it could have been you?"

His answer stole the air out of my lungs. I stared into his eyes for signs of humor, but he seemed deadly serious.

"Are you saying I'm lying?" I asked sharply. Now I was upset, all thanks to Johnson. His words seemed to have that talent.

"All I'm saying is that there were no scents or tracks. The door can only be opened from the inside, and Verbena can't be touched by anyone but you."

My brow furrowed as I imagined how it could have happened. My brain only came up with one conceivable solution, in my sleep, unconsciously.

"You think I sleepwalked?"

My words came out as a question. Johnson just raised his arms as if in surrender.

"All I'm saying is that humans are strange creatures and maybe you don't even know what you were doing in your dreams," he replied. Then he snatched his papers from my hand I have more important things to do."

I nodded and made my way outside. Of all the interrogations I had conducted so far, this was the best. And maybe it contained the truth, too. But I had never sleepwalked before.

In addition, the soap would have to be somewhere in the room. She couldn't just disappear. What else was Johnson trying to hide from me? Questions upon questions piled up in my head and I pushed them all into the corner of my mind.

There was one other person I hadn't interrogated.

The border guards.

But to get to her I had to talk to Eros first. I couldn't just walk to the border behind his back. I had to trust that he trusted me.

I glanced out the window. The gray clouds sent everything they had towards earth. With no wind, the snowflakes fell slowly and leisurely, covering the ground with a fresh layer of snow.

I ran upstairs to our room and grabbed my coat and the bag that held my three treasures: the holy water, the glass silver bracelet and my grandma's cookbook. When I came back from my research, I could finally leave the recipe collection to Karen.

With Castor and Pollux in tow, I made my way out the door, where the winter chill greeted me. I could already hear the dull fighting on the training ground. I gripped the handle of my bag tighter.

It was time to convince Eros of my plan.