The Wolf Series #3: Between Two Worlds

Chapter 9

A/N: Here's a nice, long chapter for you guys! Enjoy!

Chapter 9

France, four years ago...

Sounds of spears colliding and fists smashing into skin filled the air. We are outside today, which doesn't happen often. I sit in the sun and bask in its warmth, not wasting a moment to thaw out. Several Prophets sit on the grass with me, doing the same.

Kaoru lay back and felt the earth beneath her blind fingers, "Who's winning?"

"Serani, of course," Dafina, The Prophet of Time, rests her chin on her knuckles, "Mansel's useless against her."

"Rowan's giving Arthur a run for his money," Dayton, The Prophet of War, stares a little longer at Rowan than I think is appropriate. When he catches me watching him, he only winks. "Kaoru, you better watch out. Arthur's your lead Sentinel, isn't he?"

"He does his job just fine," Kaoru shuts her eyes and rolls flat on her back. There is only a slight wince when she does. Her lashings must have healed now.

"I'm surprised you're outside here with us, Crow," Dafina has never warmed up to me, despite staying here for just over ten months. "You haven't left your bed much this past month—"

"Shut the fuck up, Dafina," Dayton leans forward as he becomes more engaged in Rowan and Arthur's fight. He ducks to the left just as Rowan does, and taps his fingers to the tempo of the fight. It reminds of how Aiden used to watch Jace and Rachel and Natalia fight.

My fists tighten as their faces pop into my mind's eye.

"What's to happen to the boy?" Dafina sneers at me. I narrow my eyes at her but she only laughs loudly, "Careful, Crow. You're in no state to start a fight that we both know you can't finish. Your body has been pushed to the brink in these past months—you're weak."

"Ignore her, Amelia," Kaoru's words are quiet, as if she's about to fall asleep.

When I look back at Dafina, she's already turned back to the Sentinels. I look up at how both Rowan and Mansel are doing. They were assigned to be my lead Sentinels when I first became an Initiate. And from the looks of it, I can understand why. I've known Mansel longer—he often came to watch over me while I was bedridden these past weeks. But this is the first time I've seen Rowan up close. She often oversees my Sentinel Guard from afar, or when I'm not around.

But she is just as skilled as Mansel. Both skilled fighters, which would come in handy if they came across Orion.

"Do Prophets ever learn how to fight?" The question is out of innocent curiosity, but the other Prophets stare at me like I sprouted a third arm.

Darian, The Prophet of Hunt, smirks, "She is such a newb...though I like the way she thinks."

"I second that—why don't the rest of you take an interest in fighting like Amelia," Dayton, who is still ogling my redhead Sentinel, blindly points at us all.

"You two know then?" It makes sense. They're both Prophets of things that require force. I would be surprised if they didn't know a little bit of how to take a hit.

"They do. But the rest of us don't need to. That's the whole reason why we have Sentinels," Dafina raises an eyebrow at me, "What—do you want to learn?"

"Who wants to learn what?"

We all turns to Mansel, who is limping away from Serani. He shakes it off quickly, but there's still pain in his eyes when he walks towards us. He meets my gaze and nods, as he always does when he walks by me. I've realized very quickly that Mansel is a very proper and well-mannered individual.