Oracle of Wolves

XXXVII

"What truth?"

Kayla walked towards us in the most menacing way she could, I could tell that she was enjoying this, see the twinkle in her eyes. My own flickered over to Ulijana who was staring at the other Kayla.

Which one is her?

I don't know.

How do we know what to do then? Do we help her? Do we let her die?

I'll deal with this one, Uli, you focus on that one. Try to get over to her with out causing any suspicion.

I could feel her agree and she waited patiently by me as the more menacing Kayla took her steps forward like a predator stalking her prey. She hit the palm of her hand with the knife in a pattern with her steps. Click. Slap. Click. Slap. Click. Slap. Click. Slap.

She was trying to disturb me, make me loose focus. She taught me that. Is this the real one?

"The truth about your very own pup," she poked the air with the knife in the direction of him and I restrained the growl," Or shall I say, pups?"

"Pups?"

"Didn't you know? That's okay," she leaned in a bit with a knowing smile," Tyler didn't either. You are pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. Much to the cliché, one will bring about a time of darkness and the other will be the bringer of joy and peace. There is a ying-yang in your stomach and one will destroy the world, Nova."

"That's impossible, I can only feel one."

"That's because his power is so much greater than that of the others. It is not safe for us to let both grow and become so powerful when we do not know if the one with the most power- the boy- is good or evil. We must kill both."

"And the entire wolf race?"

She smiled and walked around me, my back straightened when she was directly behind me. Her mouth went near my ear and I could all but feel her smile.

"You're a smart girl, Nova."

"I know."

"Too bad your mate wasn't smarter, when I told him that his child would bring only evil he immediately listened to me. He didn't want to believe that anything that came from him could be anything but damaged goods," she shook her head in mock shame," Pity, he's so good looking too."

"Don't speak of him. Tyler isn't damaged!"

"No? Then I suppose that you didn't notice him over by our friend Ulijana, did you?"

My head snapped in the direction of Uli to see Tyler behind her with a hand over her mouth ad the other holding a knife matching to Kayla's against her throat. My eyes studied the dagger in hopes of finding a way out of this from the little magic Faye had taught me.

It was about a foot long with a bedazzled handle, Kayla's has rubies on it while Uli's is covered in amethyst. The knife itself was covered in intricate patterns with the name Horatia in the center of it all. I wondered if Kayla's said Asa.

Tyler leaned down and shushed Ulijana to keep her whimpers quiet while he led her to the spot on the other end of the stage like alter. My mind was wound with questions as the vision began to come true.

Nova? Nova, listen to me. I read Tyler's mind.

What did you see?

Faye is working on a potion that will lead all the wolves here like a beacon. It will bring about the final part of the prophecy. Don't let them kill you, too. I don't know what will happen if all the Oracles die before another can be born.

I had no intention of it.

Tyler laid her down on the alter and she glanced at me one last time. Her beautiful, blue eyes held only hope in them. The fight was gone but there was still hope.

It was an honor being an oracle with you, Nova Sterling.

See you soon, Uli.

She said a silent prayer. I could see her lips still moving as Tyler slid the knife across her throat, stopping midway through and leaving the knife in it like he did with Kayla.

"Interesting, isn't it? The knife prevents their souls from leaving the bodies. It only works when the right knife is used on the right person. I happen to have Xena's right here."

The living Kayla lifted a dagger from behind her and I saw that it was the same as the other ones but with onyx stones on the handle. True fear began to quake in me as she handed it to Tyler.

My ears began to fill with the sounds of wolves entering the endless seeming room from all sides. Scents I recognized and those I didn't. The very first one in here was my little sister. Holly was in her wolf form when she got to the alter, she fell about a foot away from it. She began to sweat uncontrollably and shed onto the floor.

Kayla left the room and Tyler walked up to me, taking my hand into his ever so gently. My head flashed back to when he had once led me to my bed while I was worrying. This is the same man.

My back hit the cold of the alter and I looked around me. It was all happening, just like I saw that it would.

Tyler held the knife over my stomach as if he were about to plunge it into me. I screamed for him to listen and stop.

"We can still fix this! It's not over yet! Please, Tyler, don't do this!"

"No, Nova, I have to do this. It's my destiny. I'm meant to end all of this."

I opened my mouth to plead again but it was too late. The baby was gone and I was bleeding out.

Then there was darkness.

____

"Mommy..."

"Who's there?"

"It's me," I turned around and saw a little girl staring at me. She had blond hair and blue eyes but she looked like me," It's your daughter."

"But, I just-"

"You didn't loose me, there is still hope. The knife is still in all of us."

"All?"

"Yes," I turned around to see a boy standing behind me with the same features as the girl but in a more masculine fashion and brown hair," I'm still alive, too."

"But, she said that one of you was evil."

"That part can only be decided by destiny," the girl said," For now you need to remember what the Alpha said."

"Alpha said- What?"

"Just remember what he said. Promise me?"

"I promise, but-"

"I love you, mommy."

"Protect us," the boy said before taking the girls hand and they both disappeared into the darkness around us.

____

My eyes flew open and I took a deep breath of the air surrounding me. My mind flew back months to when I was about the fight Teresa.

"Strength isn't a relative thing, its something that we can give and it's something that we can take. Always take what you need."

I will.