Darkness & Light: Book 1: Shatter Our Fates [COMPLETED]

4 - Hayley

I feel my body fill with power and energy and pain relief. I take a shuddering breath in and out, and reach into the satchel that my brother dropped beside the sword in the grass between us. Whispering low, I say, "Healing salve."

I pull my hand free, and the small cylinder of salve is resting in my hand. I turn to Tiber, but then, the wolf who's fighting the one after us is thrown onto the grass in front of us. He whimpers, trying and failing to rise.

The evil wolf stalks toward us, and I shiver hard. I set the tin cylinder down and grab the sword.  But I've seen that the wolf has healing powers. The sword is useless. But as I grab the sword, the wolf pounces forward, leaping toward me.

A scream finally is ripped from me, and Aldrea rises within me, fast, faster than the wolf. She rips herself free of my aching body, and surges forward, striking the wolf with an almighty blast of magick. The beast is thrown backward and impaled upon a tree branch, black blood gushing from its new wound in its chest.

The energy within me swirls, and purple light blooms around my hands. I am still sitting, but a shield of shimmering purple light is raised between Tiber, the good wolf, and I and the mean wolf.

I lower my one hand, and grab the tin of salve. I pass it to Tiber, and he groans as I carefully apply it to the wounds on his leg. His eyelids flutter a bit as his bloody bite marks and slashes are covered in the special salve he created to heal the worst wounds.

He doesn't wake, he's lying on his back on the grass, his hand reaching toward me and the sword. The good wolf rises onto his all fours, and he turns to me. I swallow another pitiful scream. Aldrea does not rise within my soul this time, though. She is dormant. My wings twitch a bit under my cloak, and curl around my shaking form.

I look at the wolf who helped us. He turns back to the evil one, but it is gone, a trail of blood flowing into the woods. I turn back to the wolf, and watch as he morphs. Moments pass, and then, there's a man hunched over beside me.

His dark skin is sweaty, and his brown hair is sticking to his forehead, falling into gray eyes. He looks at me with worry on his face, then turns to Tiber.  "Is he okay?"

"Passed out from pain," I whisper. Then, I look back at the man who was once a wolf. "Who are you? And where did you come from?"

"I'm Dax," he says. "I'm a werewolf. I'm sorry that it took me so long to reach you, but these woods are confusing as the Seven Silver Hells."

"Oh," I say.  "I'm Hayley, this is Tiber. We are siblings."

Dax nods and chews his lip. "Well, Hayley, where are you two headed? It's not safe for the two of you to be wandering alone."

"Tempyria," I say.  "I can't carry him there, and we can't stay here."

Dax stands up and smiles, passing me my cane.  "Then I will come with you, my lady. We shall explore the world of Espynn together."

I chuckle.  "Thanks for the assistance, Dax."

He helps Tiber stand, and my brother groggily wakes up, looking at me and Dax. A panicked look in his eyes crosses over him, but I assure him that it's okay.  That Dax is helping us.

The three of us retrieve our things, and then, the three of us walk out of the small clearing and toward north, which is where Tiber's compass said to go to reach Tempyria. We three walk along in silence, Tiber and I limping, but Dax's stride is even and strong.

Aldrea whispers in my mind once more.  "You can trust this wolf boy, Dax. He is not going to hurt you."

I hope she's right. I hope this isn't some elaborate ploy to hurt us. I hope he's not another Achard. Or another version of that wolf, or our mom.