Spurned Queen

Chapter 1: From The Other Plane

Lexi

I dove silently into the ocean. Kicking swiftly and strongly, and controlling the water around me, I made it to the bottom in under a minute. Having done this before, I easily navigated the dark water. I had it push me into the underwater cave.

I emerged from the water not even dripping. The glowing jewels studded on the inside of this cave provided enough light.

I briskly walked deeper into the cave. I had been here for nearly a month; who knew how long had passed at home.

Let's hope it's not a whole decade, said my wolf, Lattis. I nodded solemnly.

This plane, parallel to the home plane, had the exact same geographic features, but everything was extra magical here. And the magical things here were so obviously magical, not like at home. At home, you wouldn't find an underwater cave with glowing jewels inside as a passage to this plane.

I hurried along.

I walked deeper and deeper until I finally found the jewels that hadn't been lit up yet. I just had to supply one with some of my power and it would send me back to my home plane.

I placed my hand on the black crystal and closed my eyes. "Home," I whispered, allowing small gusts of wind to shoot out of my palm. I felt the sucking sensation as I was pulled into the In-between.

The In-between was a swirling mass of multicolored lightning. It made me feel like I was falling, falling, faster and faster. I braced my legs.

I landed on my feet, my legs buckling under me. I rolled, hearing the crunch of leaves below me. I was back at the veil between the planes where I had passed to get off this one. I watched it shimmer out of focus behind me.

I turned around. The tall pine trees stood around me, their thin branches moaning in the cold, sharp wind. Through them, I saw the half moon behind a rapidly moving cloud.

I smiled at it. The moon seemed larger on this plane; I couldn't wait to get home. Home meant the pack, my brother, and my best friend, Cindy. It meant their kids and all my childhood friends.

I stripped and tied my clothes into a manageable bundle in preparation for the sixteen-mile run ahead of me.

I shifted into my large red wolf, my bones shifting and snapping into place. I shook myself and let Lattis take over.

And ran.

She sped me off at a speed that would get us there in less than ten minutes.

Unfortunately, in under two minutes, she stamped on a large thorn which pierced our front right paw three inches deep. I whined loudly and rolled over in pain.

I shifted back into my human form immediately, muttering curses and profanities and hissing with pain. Even after the shift, the thorn remained stubbornly lodged deep in my hand.

I stared at it.

Stupid thing. It would take at least two full minutes to heal this. I didn't want to spend all that time here naked in the cold, so I dressed up quickly and carefully. When I was done, it took a great effort to calm myself down enough so as to not screech in pain when I plucked out my enormous splinter in one speedy motion.

Blood pooled in my hand and dripped to the ground.

I whined lowly, holding my wound closed and wishing it would heal faster.

I closed my eyes, waiting. If the passage over the In-between hadn't practically sucked my Witch powers, I would already have recovered from this.

Lattis sat bolt upright in my mind, ears perked as if for danger. Her tail thumped the ground once, but she didn't growl.