Shift

Chapter 18

18

In the shack Vera dropped Raven to the ground. She’d been carrying her over her shoulders and so far Raven hadn’t resisted her.

She stood in the middle of the shack, and Vera felt sorry for her. She looked completely lost.

“Why would he leave me here? Who are you?” She whispered.

“He left you here because he’s trying to protect you. He’s deceiving Valdor and if he gets caught he wants you out of harm’s way.” Vera explained. Raven asked again who she was.

“I’m the one who imprisoned him here.” Raven flinched.

“This is the shifters’ castle?” Raven asked. Vera nodded.

“But Drake wouldn’t leave me here!” She protested.

“I’m also the one who kept him alive and freed him.” Vera supplied. Raven looked at her, bewildered.

“Why would you do that?”

“I attacked him and got him locked up because he was trying to kidnap me. I freed him….” Vera trailed off, she still wasn’t really sure of her motives. “…because I trust him.” Raven was quiet for a while.

“Drake is honest. It might not seem that way, since he works for Valdor, but he is.” Raven said.

“You aren’t afraid to say his name,” Vera remarked.

“Whose name?” Raven said confused.

“Valdor, most people stutter over it, or don’t say it at all. Even Drake doesn’t refer to him directly most of the time.” Vera explained.

“I’m not afraid of him,” Raven shrugged.

“You should be afraid of what he could do to your brother.” Vera muttered softly, but Raven didn’t seem to hear.

“Why am I even talking to you?” Raven protested.

“Because now, I’m the only person who can help you see Drake again.”

Raven swung her mouth shut and nodded. Vera continued; “I promised Drake I’d get you in here. He said you could take care of yourself so I presume you don’t need much?” Raven brightened a little when Vera mentioned Drake’s opinion of her survival skills.

“Yes, I just need a knife.” Raven said eagerly.

“There’s one in that chest,” Vera nodded towards a corner of the room. “Other than that, just a warning, keep your head low- If you attract any attention they will hunt you down and lock you up, and it will be very hard to get you out.” Vera cautioned.

“You got Drake out,” Raven countered.

“That was different,” Vera said, cursing herself when she felt her cheeks warm.

“Well, if you really are helping Drake, thank-you, I guess I’ll just hunt or something now?” Raven made it sound like a question.

“Just don’t do anything stupid, be careful,” Vera said before she left the shack. Raven sunk onto the floor and thought through her brother’s apparent alliance with the strange girl, and whether or not she should trust her too.

***

Vera checked in with Raven the next day and determined that she could take care of herself, like Drake had said.

Instead, Vera devoted herself to helping Lana and Erika, and working on creating a working, administrable cure. There had only been one more infection so far, but now Vera had given the Elders her cure and the plants the guards had brought back were flourishing inside the walls.