The Wolf Girl

Chapter Thirty Three

Molly's POV

  After explaining Morte's situation and his warning about Zack to everyone, silence falls over us like a fleece blanket. Nikki is the first to speak.

  "Perhaps we should get going, then," she sighs. She looks over at Morte. "Would you like to come with us?"

  His eyes light up. "Really?" he asks excitedly. Nikki smiles and nods at him. "Thanks!" he cries.

I smile in spite of myself. "You don't go on a lot of adventures, do you?" I ask.

"Nope," he replies. "Demons don't get to leave camp. It's like your camp; we can't leave. I-I had to sneak out."

I look down at my hands. "What about Zack?"

He hesitates for a moment. "Have you seen anyone leave your camp?" he inquires, and I shake my head. "Well, people probably leave while you train. Certain powerful people are sent on errands. Zack was sent to retrieve you and darken your soul, but leaving enough of your angel power to be collected. Does that make any sense?"

I nod slowly. "He was supposed to make me into a partial demon so that I would be on your side and so that they could get my power."

"This is what I was afraid of," Nikki says with a grimace. "People know that you're a powerful angel. I know move explained this before, but the angels are sort of at war with demons; some angels and demons are sent to fight." I lift my head to see her looking at me. "You're heir to one of the most powerful bloodlines of angel in existence. Each generation has more power than the last, meaning that you have even more power than your father. The demons must want to take your power and use it against the other angels."

"So, they want to use my power against my family?" I mumble.

"I'm sorry," Morte whispers. "I hate this!"

"We all do," Adrianna soothes. "Don't worry. It'll be okay someday."

"War can't last forever," Alex agrees softly.

Morte looks at us all. "What are your names?" he asks.

"Shoot," I say. "We haven't introduced each other."

Adrianna, Jason, Bella, and Alex introduce themselves in turn, and Nikki tells Morte that she's The Dreaming Wanderer.

  His stunning gray eyes widen. "You're The Dreaming Wanderer?" he breathes. "I've heard so many stories about you!"

"You know," she says, amused, "Molly comes from a long line of power, as I said."

"What's your last name?" he inquires, looking at me eagerly. I smile a little.

"Reynolds," I reply.

He looks back at Nikki. "She's from the bloodline of Iara?"

"Yes," Nikki laughs. "She is."

"I am?" I breathe. I'm from this family? My father told me stories of Iara. That makes sense now; he is an Iara.

"Morte," Alex says. "What're your parents like?"

"Well, I look just like my dad," he explains. "I've got the hair and the eyes. But I've got my mom's rebellious side and her reflexes. Both of them wanted better for me. I was born in that camp because they couldn't leave. You guys have it easy since you can go home after six to eight years. At our camp, it's rare to leave at twelve years. They force you to work as slaves before you actually start training. Now, my family may as well be trapped in the camp." His eyes glisten with sadness. "I had to leave them. They told me to so I could find you and help you. We'd heard about the escapees, and we wanted to help. Here I am."

"Wow," I murmur.

"Yeah."

"How did you hear about us?" Nikki asks, suddenly anxious. Morte gives a tiny smile.

"There's one very, very special and unique thing our camps do," he says. "We report to each other when people leave, come, or escape. Our messenger, a thirteen-year-old girl named Ciara, told us about you. My parents sent me off."

"You seem fond of this angel," I tease, and crimson touches his cheeks.

"I-I don't like her l-like that!" he retorts. "E-even if I did, an angel and a-a demon?! T-thats forbidden!"

"I know," I giggle. "I was teasing."

"It wasn't very funny," he mumbles.

"I'm sorry," I sigh.

"You know," Nikki says slyly, "you're one to talk when you seem to be very close to Alex."

Heat scatters across my cheeks, and Alex's own face is red. "W-what do you m-mean?" I stammer. "O-of course we have some kind of s-special bond. We've known each other f-for a decade."

"Exactly!" Alex agrees, burying his red face in the blanket that he hasn't put away yet.

"Sure," Adrianna teases. "I saw the way you two acted when Molly dealt with the Wolfloxes."

"S-shut up!" Alex exclaims, his face growing even redder as I hide my blood-red face in my hands. "I-I was worried b-because I t-thought an old friend w-was gonna die!"

"Whatever," Bella says uncertainly, a smile tugging at her lips.

  "I think Jason and Adrianna would be cute together," Morte says bluntly. All of us, except for Adrianna and Jason, burst into giggles when the two faces burn a bright red color.

  "Not funny!" Adrianna barks. "We've known each other for a long time, okay?"

  "Now you know how Alex and I feel," I laugh.

  Nikki's laughter fades. "We really should get going," she sighs. "If Zack escaped, he could be on our tails now."

  The thought makes me recoil in fear, and I instinctively begin to tremble. Alex hushes me and gently grasps my shoulder.

  "Can we go?" I plead in a small voice.

  "Yes," Nikki says. We all stand and help each other scatter the contents of last night's fire. No one wants Zack to know we were here. We can't have him following our trail.

  We begin our tread through the forest again, and every time I hear a noise, I snap my head up and step a but closer to Alex. I grabbed his hand in fear a long time ago. I know I'm being paranoid, but if I come across Zack again, I know it won't be fun.

  For any of us.

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  Another chapter. Woo. I finally stopped arting to just UPDATE. Yay!

  Thanks for reading, and stay heavenly!

  ~Mabel