When the Ravens Sing

Chapter 8

The globus moon shone bright and true over Nova's head. Its pregnant glare casting ominous shapes in her path. She tried not to jump as the wind twisted the branches into sinister shadows come to life; shifting and swooping in the slightest of motions. Nova did not know how long she had been running, nor did she know where she was. Witches were told to never seek the pack, they had been described as unpredictable and dangerous for all of witch kind. Even the tamest wolf could snap at a moment's notice. It was partially why Nova had never met the alpha or any of their pack members, not even when those members visited the coven on their own. She was too valuable; they had said.

It was ironic. They had shielded her from them her entire life and now she sought them out, for protection or guidance, she wasn't sure. For all she knew, she was heading for her death. What would they do with her? A witch turned by the bite that should have been her doom. Nova was now the only one of her kind, yet another special trait she had no desire for.

The looks on her family's faces had said enough. She was an abomination, a monster. She was something that never should have been, and now the world could see it. Her magic lay dormant, either from the stress and strain she had endured or maybe the unthinkable happened. Maybe it was gone for good. Maybe the bite had only killed the witch in her and left the broken girl that remained. A small part of her hoped so. A small part of her wished maybe she would not have to face her coven after this. For a moment, she was glad. If her magic was truly gone, she would not have to ascend.

Her joy was fleeting, leaving regret and despair in its wake. Life as she knew it was over, at least before she had a support system and a plan. Now all it left her with were questions and nothing more. She was used to being the black sheep, but not to her family. Never her family. They had always stood by her and protected her. They had taught her everything she knew; her family was her lifeline, no matter what.

The memory of Rose recoiling and her Aunt's sinful question kept replaying over and over inside her head on a never-ending loop. As if the havoc and pain she had caused earlier that day weren't enough, now her own mind tormented her without mercy. There never would be any mercy for her now. Even if her family welcomed her home with open arms, the others would shun her. A grey area among the treaty. She didn't want to think about what Haider would say if he knew what had become of her. Nova hoped he wouldn't blame himself.

Nova could tell the temperature had dropped significantly. Her new fur coat was the only thing keeping her warm, which she was grateful for. She just hoped she was close. Since she had never seen the pack before, she didn't exactly know where to go. All she knew was they lived in the middle of the woods on the eastern side of the forest. She ran for hours in that direction, only coming to a stop after the sun had set over the horizon. Being a wolf had a few perks, she decided when she realized she could still see in the dark. It wasn't much, but it was enough so that she didn't give up and head straight back to the war zone that had become her home.

Her paws had grown raw and bloodied after racking over hundreds of razor-edged rocks and roots. After making her frantic escape, the adrenaline let her push herself to the brink; she had hardly noticed the fresh injuries until she had slowed to a walk. If she allowed herself to rest, she was afraid she could not continue. The snail's pace made her twitchy and easily spooked. Not being used to the heightened senses, this new body allowed for putting her at a disadvantage against anyone or anything that might come across her path.

Now and then she could swear she felt eyes on her. Call it paranoia or intuition. It raised the hair along her spine painfully. She was all alone for the first time in her life; she realized. The witches and the wolves were similar in that aspect. They were both stronger in numbers, much stronger.