Shadow of the Wolf

Chapter Twenty-Five

Saleene. Where are you? I need your help. Waking up drowsy, Saleene shook her head to clear the cobwebs. Saleene, I’m in trouble and need your help! Kara? It couldn’t be. She had been trying for days to reach her sister, but never got a response. Closing her eyes, she listened intently, trying desperately to pinpoint the voice.

Why won’t you come help me? It was Kara! Moving slowly out of the bed, she quickly changed clothes. Racing through the door into the common room and out into the early morning light, she shielded her eyes from the bright light. Scanning the area, she tried to find where the voice had come from. Following the sound,  she made her way into the woods, her feet lightly touching the ground.

“Kara? Where are you?” Her inner warning system was going off in full force but she ignored it. As she turned the corner, she saw her sister, tied to a log, her eyes pleading for help. Rushing to her side, she jumped a log and stopped. The image of her sister had vanished. Looking around, she found the area empty. Behind her she heard a twig break. Turning she found herself face to face with the one man she had wanted to avoid. Viktor.

“I told you I would get you alone my dear. Mortals are so easy to manipulate when their loved ones are in peril.” His voice raked against her skin. Trying to back up, she turned in the direction of the town. Attempting to bolt out of the area, she was pulled back. Viktor’s hand grabbed hold of her hair and yanked with every bit of strength he possessed, her body flying back into his brace. Before she could fight she heard him whisper a small incantation in a language that made no sense. As soon as the words were said her body felt limp, her mind going black, but not before sending a shout out to Dartian. 

Dartian! I’m sorry, I fell into his trap. Forgive me. Darkness engulfing her, her last conscious thoughts was of her sister and the only man she had ever loved.

*****

Stirred from his deep sleep, Dartian felt her presence gone. As he began to rise, he heard her scream echo in his head, and then a void of blackness intruded into his heart. Jumping from the bed, he dressed like a man possessed, anger boiling through his veins. He could not sense her, could not feel her presence, yet he knew she was near. He knew she was not dead, but something had definitely severed their connection. Moving toward the door, he heard Nadrin moving frantically around the common room, as if searching for something.

“She’s been taken. I felt a disturbance in the air, but could not find her in time.” Dartian could tell the old man was berating himself for not acting sooner. He couldn’t blame the man. He felt the same way. They both had been sound asleep, and when Saleene put her mind to go do something, nothing and no one could stop her. No, whatever had pulled her out of the confines of the healer’s home had to have been important; otherwise, she would not have gone alone.

“It is not your fault. If either of us is to blame it would be me. I slept so soundly that I did not hear her leave. We will find her and put an end to this once and for all.” He was sick of the tricks that the evil kept playing on them. Gathering his sword, he once more geared himself up for battle, though he knew this battle might take him straight into the gates of hell.

Still, none of that mattered; the only thing that did was finding Saleene and removing any threat to her. If he could get rid of the evil in the process, all the better.

As they moved toward the door, a foul odor permeated the room beckoning death and destruction with it. Looking back toward the hearth of the fireplace, two blood red eyes appeared out of the soot and smoke, forming into a ghoulish figure. Shadows embraced the creature giving the illusion of something not quite there. Its eyes searched the room and came to rest on Dartian, hate reflected in the deep red depths.