The Red Wolf's Daughter (Book 3 Part 2: The Making of the Siran)

Chapter 46

I woke up to something stirring in the tent, and I instantly opened my eyes only to be greeted by darkness with nothing visibly there. My whole body was tense, and I could feel this sense of danger and excitement that I could not describe and the will to protect the next Red Wolf became far greater than I had ever before today.

The feeling was heavy and stuffy, and it made it harder for me to breathe, which I did not like at all, and I couldn't help but wonder if Caroline was feeling the same way that I was feeling, even though I had a feeling that she didn't know because she was still asleep.

I stirred and turned toward the feeling while I sat up and shoved the blankets off of my body, and the feeling and thing disappeared until there was nothing left, not even a trace of the feeling being left behind.

What the fuck was that..?

I instantly jumped out of bed and ran toward the front of the tent, flinging the tent flap open so that I could see if I couldn't find what caused the feeling before it disappeared for good.

But there was nothing there...

"Ky?" Caroline asked groggily before I could fully get out of the tent and chase that feeling before it left me in the tent. "What happened? What's going on?" She started to shift in the bed as if to get out but stopped when I gestured for her to stay put.

"Fernos, keep her in the tent," I said, my voice turning darker and becoming more protective of her. I waved her off when I felt her open her mouth, knowing full well that she wanted to argue. "Also, can you show yourself and stay here with her, please?"

"Bu-"

"Not this time, Caroline," I said, interrupting her with a shake of my head while I set my jaw and narrowed my eyes but didn't turn to look at her. "This is something that I need to do on my own before it is too late. I will explain everything to you as soon as I am done. I promise."

Fernos appeared in the tent with us, his hands behind his back and standing at attention. He didn't say a word while he looked between the two of us, setting his jaw and narrowing his eyes, and I could tell that he felt it and was worried about what it meant.

"Bu-"

"Please," I said, tucking my head closer to my chest.

Caroline bit back a small sigh and slowly nodded, relenting as if she knew that I wouldn't change my mind and let her come with me. "Go," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, and I bit back a small sob of relief while my whole body shook. "I will stay in the tent with Fernos. Just... be careful. Please? I don't think we can lose you, Ky."

I bit back a small smirk while I turned to look at her, my eyes turning red before they turned gray. "Always," I promised and bowed my head just a tad before I looked at Fernos, growing serious. "Make sure that she stays in and no one else comes in until I come back, please. That includes Cooper."

Fernos set his jaw and nodded.

And with that, I turned away from them and ran further from the tent and felt the feeling again, leading me toward somewhere, and I wasn't sure why it had waited for me but grateful that it did.

Hopefully, this feeling would lead me to Cromwell, even if it meant that I had to leave the confines of this place with nothing standing in my way...

Oh, Goddess, please don't let this be a mistake... I silently prayed, pressing my lips into a thin line while I ran after the feeling. Please...

***

I made it to the edge of the barrier and stopped before I ran into it, the feeling beckoning me to pass the barrier and follow it further into the woods, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to escape from right there and would need to find a weaker place for me to cross.

"I can't," I said with a small hiss in my voice, my voice barely above a whisper, but the feeling didn't loosen or try to move a different way so that I could try again. "I'm serious. I cannot escape from right here." I pressed my lips into a thin line and bit back an annoyed sigh when the feeling didn't leave. "Watch."

I placed my hand on the barrier and pushed against it with the barrier growing thicker and harder against my hand, and I wasn't able to push my hand through and step outside, outside of the confines of the barrier to follow the feeling just as much as I wanted to. "See?"

The feeling seemed to grow tighter around me before it started to release and move in a different direction, and I breathed a small sigh of relief while I slowly relaxed just a tad, glad that it understood that I couldn't go that way.

"Ok," I said and nodded before I started to run after the feeling again, hoping that the feeling would find a way for me to escape so that I could follow the feeling further to wherever it was and for the person that created this feeling to show themselves.

The feeling moved through the barrier again, and I had a feeling it wanted to see if I could pass through it this time.

I bit back an annoyed sigh and shook my head, not even slowing down or even stopping because for some reason, I knew that I wouldn't be able to escape that way. "No," I said, even though the feeling didn't move in front of me but stayed back as if they wanted me to at least try. "I will not be able to go that way. I promise."

Still, the feeling didn't move toward a different area, and I couldn't help but stop and close my eyes, biting back an annoyed groan.

"I'm serious. I cannot go out that way. We're wasting fucking time if you don't move further forward in front of me. I'll be able to tell if I can escape or not, but I know that I can't go the way you want me to go."

Finally, the feeling started to go forward and moved past me again, and I breathed a small sigh of relief and started to run beside the barrier again.

"Oh, thank Goddess," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'll let you know when I can escape. Ok?"

The feeling seemed to become relieved as if they understood what I meant and kept moving forward, waiting for me to tell them that I could escape from the confines of the barrier that was still weak in some areas.

And all I needed to do was find one area...

Finally, after about thirty minutes of following this feeling, I stopped and turned in the direction of the barrier, my heart pounding hard and fast in my chest. My whole body was tense and became filled with excitement because I knew that this meant I would be able to escape the confines and find out what this feeling meant.

"I can go out this way," I said, my voice barely above a whisper while I looked around to see if I could see anyone but didn't while I turned my attention back to the barrier. "Start leading the feeling to yourself. Ok?"

The feeling seemed to agree and did what I asked, and I took a deep breath before I released it with a small whoosh, sending a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess before I started to take a step to the outside world...

...until I was shoved to the side and landed on the ground with a small oomph, and the feeling disappeared, leaving me feeling completely alone and useless.

Oh, no...

Please no. Please.

Don't leave me, too...