Shadow of the Wolf

Chapter Twenty-Six

Closing her eyes, she had no idea how much time had lapsed. Her body had begun to ache a while back and her mind felt like a jumbled mess.  After a short while she heard chanting coming from the far end of the cave, the sound reverberating off the high ceilings of the caverns. She opened her eyes, moving them to the direction the sounds were coming from. Dancing around the stone slab was her cousin with Raku lying in the middle. Her cousin looked to be adorned with strange symbols. She knew they were starting the ritual. That knowledge shattered her hopes to find a way out in time.

Pooling as much strength as she could, Saleene forced herself to stand, only to find herself falling back to the ground. There had to be a way to combat the binds the spell he had woven. Every spell had a reversal; the trick was just finding the right pattern to undo it.

“Think Saleene, think dammit.” She cursed under her breath. An idea began pooling in her mind. Perhaps the spell only had the effect on humans. What harm could it do to try? Closing her eyes, she reached for that part of her she did not fully understand. Intense pain began to course through her body as she allowed the beast to take over.

Falling flat onto her stomach, her arms stretched out in front of her. She could feel her body begin to contort into the shape of the wolf once more. A deep blue-black fur pushed through her skin, until nothing of her human side remained. Raising her head, she allowed all the information of the cave to flood through her senses. She was right, the spell held no effect on the forest creatures.

Lifting her nose into the wind, she breathed in the scent of her enemy, vowing to send them back to the underworld. She ventured into the shadows, her eyes unerringly finding her cousin. The contempt she felt for all she had done crashed through her mind, filling her with anger. Though she wished otherwise, she knew the only path for her would be death. Leaping through the air, she was prepared to take her kin’s life.

A low growl caught in Saleene’s throat as she held Dena to the floor. Anger pulsed in her blood at the perversion her cousin had become. Her anger increased hazing her with the need to kill. She found herself ready to sink her sharp teeth into her cousin’s neck, ending her life completely. Just as she was about to end her cousin’s life she heard Raku stir. Shaking her head, she returned her stare back to her cousin, who remained motionless, her breath ragged. Sniffing, she concluded that the force of knocking her down had also rendered her unconscious. Good, she would deal with her later.

Returning her gaze to Raku, she noticed Jocabe standing near him, a knife placed too close to his neck for her liking. Growling, Jocabe did nothing more but burst out into laughter. Why was he not standing in fear of her in this form?

“Because, my dear, you did exactly what I hoped you would do. You see, I need you in that form for the ritual. The idiot did not know about the ritual and neither did you.” His laughter continued.

“No.” Denial laced her words. Attempting to make a mad dash for the corner, Saleene tried to change back into her human shape, desperate to distance herself from him. Instead, she found herself stuck, chains wrapped securely around her paws. Try as she might, she couldn’t gain her freedom from the binds that held her. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on regaining her human form, to keep Jocabe from doing what he had already promised. No matter how hard she tried, she could not transform back. What was the problem? Did she do something wrong? Was there something that triggered it? Confusion burned in her chest as she looked around the room, trying desperately to locate Jocabe.

Before she could move he was there, next to her. “Ah dear Saleene, you see, knowing you would change into the wolf was easy. Making sure you did not change back until I was ready for you, was a bit more difficult. In order to keep you from shifting back, I needed a few minutes to chant a specific spell. The only way to keep your attention long enough was to build your hatred for your cousin deep in your mind.” His breath, so close to her ear, that it brushed her fur like a small caress. The sensation sent her stomach rolling.