33

A R Y A

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His name was Jack, he came from the east coast of Semeera, a pack that called themselves the Oceanhowl pack. He had a younger sister called True and loved the taste of coffee with a touch of vanilla. At least, that was the Jack before Echinda grabbed him and erased his whole personality. Now he was nothing more than an empty shell of who he had once been. Just like Rowtag.

We had blindfolded Jack in case Echinda could get messages about his eyesight and then brought him up from the dungeons to the healing room and bound him to make sure he couldn't attack us or run away.

"Number ten," Reah announced, then approached Jack with the freshly made potion and fed him while Zaira and I held him by the sides.

His eyes rolled up in an unnaturally gross way and he slumped. Then we waited quietly. Five seconds... ten... one minute. Jack opened his eyes. They were still as dark as night.

"Oh fuck it!" Reah cursed, sitting back down at the table and burying her head in her hands. "How many more vomit potions should we try?"

"There's another option, too," Zaira argued softly, stroking Reah's arms soothingly, pulling her hands away so she was facing her.

“Oh no.” Reah shook her head. "Aramis will mince me alive if I let you even approach him energetically."

Like Georgie, Zaira was a healer werewolf. Healed physical and mental wounds like they were never there, but that wasn't all. They could influence the life energy of anyone. As the demons took them away and let them flow within themselves, Zaira could empower them even more and empower them with their own light. And maybe she could see something in Jack that we couldn't see.

"Then we're lucky Aramis can't stop me for everything." Zaira tried to cheer up, but then squeezed Reah's shoulders when she saw it was no use. "We're running out of time."

She had hit the nail on the head. Last night two Moonwater Pack members went missing and still haven't returned. Two pack members who now sat alone in a cell like Rowtag and stared out of dark eyes into the void.

"Do it," I heard myself say.

Reah pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine, but I want Aramis to know before you approach him. Because if you get hurt” Gaia help us,” I don't want to have to pay for my head. And certainly not Arya.”

Zaira smiled and gave us a conspiratorial wink. "Don't worry, I'll get Aramis around."

I didn't doubt that for a second.

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I left the old lady's healing room that Zaira, Reah and I have temporarily occupied, walked down the elegantly paneled corridors lit by torches, and then climbed the stairs into the light-filled entrance hall. Georgie and I had arranged to meet for a training session this afternoon. At first I had wondered how wise it was to charge her with more training hours on top of the public soldier training, which was already being intensified due to the impending danger, but then I agreed to her suggestion. She needed as much practice as possible and in truth I was already looking forward to our next lesson. She might finally banish last night's awful memories and distract me from the fact that Xenos hadn't slept with me.

I hadn't noticed him slipping off, but I woke up in the middle of the night and the hollow in the mattress he'd left was cold and empty. Even when I woke up in the morning, he still wasn't back. I could have gone and spoken to him about it, but God knows we had enough to worry about. Besides, I couldn't blame him, neither of us had any happy hours behind us and he couldn't push back his memories any more than I could. The only thing I wished for was that we could have gotten through it together.

I sighed and then went to the intermediate wing, which led from the entrance hall to a large glass dome that was supposed to be a beautiful winter garden. I had made it a point to take my time and explore the wonder of the beautiful plants and trees within, but I hadn't had a chance until long. Maybe Xenos could show me around the garden one day and we could marvel at Gaia's work together.

“Aee”, that would be nice.

In the middle of the covered arcade, I leaned against the stone column, enjoying the sound of the howling wind blowing through the archway, which was open on both sides, and ruffling my hair. I looked at the training field, which glittered in a fantastically beautiful orange-red in the setting sun and immediately pushed myself off the column when a dark-haired, slim girl discovered between all the training soldiers. With a small smile on my face, I approached Georgie who was standing by the gun table.

I should have brought the cloak, I thought, fighting the urge to wrap my arms around my torso, which I wore to nothing more than a single, dark blue, long-sleeved top. "Where's your bow, student?"

She looked slightly pinched and shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Arya, I..."

"“Tazim” for you." I put it correctly, but didn't mean it badly. To be able to call someone “Tazim” was a great honor. I was about to put it right, especially as I realized that Georgie had taken the improvement wrong when she forestalled me.

"We have to postpone the training, I can't today."

My eyes narrowed. "My student is skipping a fight class?"

She bit her lip as someone yelled, "“Georgie?”"

"I have to go! I'm sorry!' Georgie said as she ran across the field to Cecilia, who was staring at us from the arched passageway.

She preferred “Cecilia” to my training? I snorted and grabbed a sword on the table. Go ahead, let her chat with Cecilia and waste her time. If she didn't realize we were at war, maybe she didn't have what it took to be a warrior after all.

I whirled around, swinging the sword, practicing alone “Zisara “- State of highest concentration and precision “- “from” “and engaged in a shadow dance with the sword.

One by one, one soldier after another left the field to go to the dining hall and have dinner, but I wasn't hungry. I was about to continue concentrating on my martial arts when I spotted a certain blond man.

Deciding to go to him, I put my sword aside and ran through the fighting crowd.

"Are you training with me?"

He had just finished his training with the young soldiers and then turned to me. “Arya, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Jack?'

Dark circles under his eyes, sunken cheeks. The fact that he had lost two pack members and was unable to protect them weighed heavily on him. So I swallowed a comment on his stupid question and pulled his hand to me instead. "I bet you can't beat me this time."

But he didn't play my game. "I was actually just about to go for a run."

I noticed his restless eyes, his pounding pulse. "Okay, then let's go." I squeezed his hand gently and pulled him towards the edge of the forest.

He stopped. “Arya, I said “I” want to go running. “Alone”."

I almost tripped over my own legs. I looked at him puzzled. "You know how fast I am, I certainly wouldn't stop your wolf."

He pulled his hand away from me and rubbed his face in stress. “Listen, I need to be alone for a moment. I can't now...” He pulled me to him with a jerk, kissed me and then groaned almost in agony as he pushed me away just as quickly. Breathing heavily, he leaned his forehead against mine. "This has nothing to do with you, okay? I just need to be alone right now. I need rest. I need to sort this out for myself."

He spoke raggedly, completely lost, and I wondered how much that had upset him last night.

"All right, then go." I stroked the shadow of his beard. "Just promise me you'll be with me tonight."

"Promised."

A quick, rushed kiss, then he disappeared into the woods.

Hours passed while I waited for him. Night fell - I was still waiting. But he didn't come.

It was the second night I spent without him. And it was the first time he broke a promise.

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