Chapter 19

Sophia

A week flies by like nothing.

On the last day, Marlene hands me some food, and some of the young witches, girls my own age, tearfully bid me goodbye.

Alex and Logan are waiting by the edge of the village while Marlene speaks to me.

"Removing the curse on your companion will require at least an hour of work every day. He's already had the potion, and he should begin to see its effects soon. I placed a barrier around the village, and extended it all the way to the edge of the Central Alliance till the point where you will exit. Cyrus is already looking for you. However, he will not be able to bother you."

I feel worry for the older woman. "Won't you get in trouble for helping me?"

Marlene smiles at me. "I'll happily accept the consequences. I should've stood up for your mother years ago. I'm proud that it was my niece who did it. You tell Elsa that. Tell her that I am proud of her and I will come and see her one day. Tell her that she will always have family here whenever she wishes to return. I will not let your grandfather get in the way of that anymore."

"She'll be happy to hear it." I smile back at her.

Marlene cups my cheek gently, her eyes pleased. "It seems things are finally going well for you and your mate. Just remember that you two are together for life. You, my child, have to learn to hold your temper sometimes. And listen to him. His job is to protect you. He may be your mate, but he's also your protector. The Silver Wolf needs a protector. There will be times you will let your emotions guide your decisions. In those moments, you have to trust Alex's judgment. And one day, when you give birth to your own child, I hope I will have the honor of teaching her."

I don't know why my eyes well up. I hug her again. "I wish I could stay here forever. I have never been happier. Your home was like a whole different world to me, Marlene. One day, when everything settles, do come and visit me."

"Of course I will," Marlene says, gently. "Now go. There's a long journey ahead of you."

She walks with me to the edge of the border of the village, and then says goodbye to both Logan and Alex. Before we leave, she tells Alex, "I've been hearing noises of unrest within the witch covens of the North. You should be careful. Keep this with you."

She hands my mate what looks like a small marble. "It is a portal. Like my ancestors, I also have the gift of foresight. Unlike them, however, I can't see the future the way they can, but I can feel what is needed. You will need this marble one day. There will come a day, young Alpha, when you will have to summon me and my coven. Break it then. We will arrive within your very next heartbeat."

Alex is about to hand it to me, when Marlene shakes her head. "No. You have to keep it. The one to summon me will be you. When the sky is burning, then summon me and my coven."

She leaves us with this last cryptic message. As we head toward the exit, using suggested Logan's route, I ask, "The sky isn't going to catch fire, is it?"

Alex grimaces. "Let's hope not."

***

It would have been easier if Marlene had given us a portal to travel but the shield she had built around the coven to keep us safe from Cyrus would have been broken if she used magic that would transport us outside.

Logan wasn't lying when he said he must have traveled these paths quite frequently. He manages to get us out of the Central Alliance within a few days. We use caves to bypass the creepy forest. In another week or so, and we will be back home.

I feel relieved at the idea of seeing my mother. Alex told me what Marlene mentioned something about my father possibly being alive. That is what fuels my urgency now. I don't have any particular emotion toward my father, since I have only just heard him mentioned in passing. I don't even know his name. But if he is alive, then that means my mother can survive. She has some chance.

As soon as we cross the border into the South Alliance, I am finally able to breathe. Alex is the same way. We stop for the night while Logan goes to catch some food, we're set up the campsite. Alex suddenly looks up sharply. Before I can ask him what he is doing, he lifts his finger, and a dove comes to land on it.

"Alex?" I gape at him."What is that?"

"A messenger dove," he replies grimly, reaching for a tiny piece of paper attached to the dove's leg. He reads it before tossing it into the fire I just made.

"What's going on?"

He doesn't respond immediately, his brows knitted together.

"I have spies all over the North Alliance." Alex has a dark expression on his face. "They were watching the last remaining witch coven in the North. Last night, the entire coven vanished."

"Someone kidnapped them?" I ask, alarmed.

He shakes his head. "I don't know. They were watching the place and a strange fog rolled in around midnight. When the fog lifted in the morning, the entire village was empty. They've also sent word that Karina is preparing an army and marching in the direction of the human towns nearby."

"An army for what?" I ask slowly. "What is she planning?"

However, I fear I already have the answer to that.

Alex stares into the fire. "I already knew about the army. At first, I thought it was meant to attack the other alliances. But I think what she's intending is worse. She means to go after the humans."

I feel alarmed. "Why the humans?"

"More land, more resources. I've had my suspicions for a few years. I believe she's trying to accumulate the power of the witches. If she controls the entirety of the North Alliance, including the human-run territories, she might be able to weed out those witches who don't live within covens. There are some powerful witches out there who don't require covens to survive. She will become a force to be reckoned with. And with the Central Alliance too arrogant to intervene, it would be her against the South Alliance. We will not stand a chance, not if she gets what she wants."

My heart is beating fast at his every word. "That means if she can control the South and the North alliance, she can crush the Central Alliance."

"With the help of the witches and so many packs and soldiers under her command, she will have no problem sacrificing as many of them as she needs to in order to get through to the Central Alliance." Alex presses his lips into a thin line.

"This isn't something new, is it?" I ask him.

"Brian is already aware of my findings. He is mobilizing forces in the South as we speak. We will be ready for an attack. However, the message I received has confirmed what I already feared. She's not going to come to the South first. She's going to wipe out the humans, or at least capture them and enslave them. Even though I am also not above using human artillery, the military in the North Alliance is incredibly strong. I fear my limited number of soldiers will be nothing against such a powerful attack. We have to stop her before she captures the entire North."

"What should we do then?"

Alex tosses a stick into the fire to keep it going before answering me. "We will have to move fast. How far along are you on your portal magic?"

I give a slight shake of the head. "The farthest I can take you is a few feet. Not very useful right now."

"So be it then," Alex says grimly. "I'll send word to Brian and tell him to have a meeting with the other Alphas. By the time we get back, we should be able to create one team to start the search for your father. We will have to march to the North. Even if it means forcibly dethroning Karina, it will have to be done."

He takes out the map from his pocket and the small pen he had used to mark it. Fortunately, the clothes the witches make for shifters allows anything concealed in the clothes to disappear and reappear during our shift. Alex tears off a corner of the map.

I watch him scribble a message and as he does, I recall what Brian told me about a war approaching. I hadn't paid much attention to it then, but now it all seems so real. A war is the last thing we need. I know Alex is trying to take measures to prevent it from happening. If the humans decide to go against us as a result of Karina's actions, it will be even more catastrophic.

When Alex just stares moodily into the fire. I press him for more information. "Is something else bothering you?"

He hesitates, then says, "I did make sure that the security around your pack will be tight, but I'm just worried about information leaking out."

"That we left the South Alliance?"

"Yes."

I grin. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

I flex my muscles and he chuckles. "Well, you've protected me plenty of times before, so what's one more time?"

"That's the spirit." I try to cheer him up. "Besides, even if Karina finds out that we left the South Alliance, she won't have an exact idea of our location. Just one more week and we'll be back home."

Alex tries to relax. "You're right. I'm worrying needlessly."

Logan arrives soon after Alex sends the messenger dove to Brian. The two begin to skin the meat and for a moment, I marvel at how they're slowly starting to get along. Logan is still derisive toward my mate but he seems intent on looking after me, and Alex is beginning to accept that. According to my mate, "he's just a deranged old man who needs something to do with his time", to which Logan had replied, "if you were to do your job properly, I wouldn't have to step in".

Maybe they're not getting along just yet, but there is a peace between them for now.

I like Logan. He's quiet and unassuming till he opens his mouth and shoots out barbs instead of nice, sweet words. He's also a skilled fighter. Alex has been sizing him up recently, and along with the hourly sessions when I try to remove the darkness inside him, we are becoming a harmonious group of three travelers. At least when the two of them are not trying to insult each other. I hope he decides to settle within our pack. It would be nice to have him around.

"You guys do this. I'm going to go get some water." I pick up the flask from the ground.

"Don't wander too far," Logan instructs, and I roll my eyes. "Sure, Dad."

"He's right." Alex looks up. "Should I come with you?"

"I'm sure I can carry a flask of water back without falling over my feet," I say irritably. "I don't need to be watched like a hawk."

The two exchange a look that has me bristling. "Just finish getting the food ready. I'm starving."

The sun is just about setting as I make my way over to the stream. It's not that far from the campsite. Lowering the flask into the water, I begin to fill it up. The weather is quite warm now that we're in the South Alliance, so when I feel a chill, I look around in surprise.

Is that mist in the distance?

Narrowing my eyes, I look around and see a strange fog rolling in from every direction. By the time I get to my feet, the flask of water all but forgotten, the fog is surrounding me. It's so thick that I can't even see my hand if I lift it in the air. Alarm bells go off in my head.

"Alex!" I shout out, but there's no response. I am not that far away from the campsite. Why can't he hear me?

Turning on my heel, I quickly begin walking, but soon come to a halt. Why does it seem that I'm moving away from the others, rather than closer to them? I simply turned around and began walking in the same direction I came from. Something is very wrong.

My first instinct is to panic.

My second instinct is to take a deep breath, and lifting my hand, I summon a ball of fire. However, the fire is useless, because it still does not illuminate my surroundings. I'm not that easily intimidated, though. This is not a normal fog. The fire should have helped.

I cast a barrier around myself. A normal one doesn't work, but when I add a couple of layers to it, I can see my hand. I start expanding the barrier, but it takes more out of me than it should. Whatever is in the fog is affecting my magic. A normal witch's magic wouldn't work. I'm sure of it. However, I still have to struggle to maintain control.

I am only able to expand the barrier to a couple of feet ahead of me. Everything else is a struggle. As I begin finding my way back to the campsite, I am reminded of what Alex just told me a while ago about the strange fog that had surrounded the village where the witch coven resided, right before the witches disappeared. It can't be the same fog.

Can it?

It's a struggle to maintain the barrier, but with each step, I focus. Just like Marlene taught me, I let the magic flow through me, pushing out every external force at play. My breathing is harsh when I finally reach the campsite. As I do, I begin to feel the effects of the spell I'm casting. I begin pushing the barrier out, having negated the effect of the magic within the barrier. As I push the fog away, and the barrier expands, I smell blood.

My heart stutters when I recognize the source of the blood.

Alex!

I don't have the strength to speak yet, all my focus is on the magic. With a vengeance, I push the barrier out as far as I can until the entire campsite is covered. With one hand, I summon a ball of fire, lighting up the area. The fire I had started has long been put out.

I see a slumped figure beside the half-skinned deer carcass. I hurry over, but I've just taken a few steps I realize that it's not Alex. I turn over the unconscious Logan, and his eyes are wide open. They're also moving.

He's paralyzed.

Frantically, I look around, shouting for my mate. "Alex!"

But there's no sign of him. Instead, there's a large pool of blood on the ground.

It's Alex's blood, there's no doubt about it. I would recognize it anywhere. I put my hands on the ground, sending out feelers for magic. They will pick up on Alex's presence if he's in the area. But nothing comes back.

As I cradle Logan's head in my lap, dismay and horror pierce me. What happened during the time I was gone? I wasn't even gone that long!

Logan is conscious, but whatever was done to him has him unable to move.

"Relax," I tell him, struggling to stay in control of the situation. "I'll fix you. I'll fix this."

My head moves around anxiously as I wait for any response from the magic feelers I sent out. However, minutes tick by and there's nothing. I practiced this magic back at the village. It took just under two minutes for me to figure out where Alex was each time. The only reason the feelers will not react is if he's not in the area.

My heart sinks.

I can't wrap my head around this situation.

He was fine.

Just a while ago, he was fine.

What happened?

Did somebody follow us?

Was it someone from the Central Alliance? Is it Noah?

Why attack Alex, though? Why not attack me?

Unless Alex has other enemies I didn't know about.

Looking down at Logan, I turn my attention to him. The paralysis in his body is because of a strange darkness that is moving through his blood. One hand on his forehead, and the other on his chest, I begin drawing out the darkness.

After a couple of minutes, I release him and turn to the side to throw up. Dark blood spills out of my mouth. Breathing harshly, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and begin again.

Hours pass by and I'm exhausted. The magic in his blood is not all dark. It's mixed. It's almost as if dark witches and normal witches were working together. It's just an assumption, but that is what it feels like. I sense two completely different kinds of magic within Logan. The only person who can tell me what really happened here is in front of me, unable to speak.

My hands are shaking.

Every time I begin to falter or panic, I have to remind myself of who I am. Not the Silver Wolf, but Sophia, my mother's daughter. I have overcome so much in life. I will get through this moment as well. I'm the leader of the South alliance. There are so many identities attached to me now. So many people depend on me. I cannot let anybody down, most of all myself.

I will find Alex.

Whoever took him is going to pay dearly.

My wolf is furious and raging, but I force it to calm down.

Logan has passed out by now. I throw up the last bit of the dark blood in the bushes before wiping my mouth and restarting the fire. If my magic could not find Alex, that means he's already too far away. They must have used a portal to transport him. That must be why I can't sense him. How two very capable shifters were taken out like this is beyond me, but I guess once Logan wakes up, he'll tell me what took place here.

I stretch out the barrier to cover the stream, and once the fire is burning steadily, I go to fetch some water. The flask is still there, right where I left it, and I check the water in the spring to make sure it is not tainted in any way before I fill up the flask.

It feels strange to behave this calmly when Alex has been kidnapped. I should be giving chase or something, but my actions are calm, controlled.

I know that if I try to go after Alex right now, I wouldn't even know where to begin. I have to wait for Logan to wake up. He's going to need something to eat if I want him to recover quickly and so will I. I begin skinning the remaining deer, my body cold inside. Tearing the flesh, I stick it on pieces of wood and start cooking it over the fire, watching my unconscious companion all the while.

Every time I feel the hopelessness rise, I squash it down. This is no time to be panicking. I have to be in control of myself. I have to think like a leader. This is what Alex would be telling me. This is how I should be behaving.

With Logan still sleeping, I pick up a stick to toss it into the fire, only to see something sparkle in my peripheral vision. It's near the trees. Heading over, I push away the leaves covering it and realize that it is a red brooch. The jewels on it are distinctive, and I realize that I've seen it before.

My jaw tightens in fury as I realize where it was that I saw it. At that moment, I hear Logan stir.

He's awake.

But I don't turn around just yet, my eyes trained on the red, bejeweled brooch.

At the banquet, I saw this brooch pinned onto Karina's long cloak.

My hand tightens around the piece of jewelry, crushing it.

I'm going to kill that bitch.