Wolf Queen - Book 1 of The Nightfall Series

Twenty Four

They hadn't spoken in the hours that had followed. They had moved quickly and travelled a long distance.

Their power allowed them to keep up with one another and move faster than if they were burdened by other wolves. The snow had receded the further they moved away from the north.

They had moved through old human cities that had long since decayed. Natural plant life had retaken what was ripped from them and entire buildings were covered with plants that now flourished. The world was thriving without the humans that had once destroyed it.

Adam hesitated as they passed through the physical evidence of a devastating past. He had never experienced the cities while they were full of life, he would have only experienced what the wolves had claimed for themselves.

They didn't linger for long as she pushed for them to move onward. Her connection to Grace had grown stronger the further they moved from the north and it had soon become clear to Adelaide where they would be going.

Sgaoileadh.

The Blood Rock. As the wolves had the Moon Valley as their sacred ground, the vampires had the Blood Rock. It was where they sacrificed innocents in the name of the Moon Goddess.

The Goddess of the night was shamed by her first creation as they began to destroy human kind and therfore created wolves as her second creation to hunt down the plague that scurged the earth. As millenia moved on and time passed, wolves guarded the night and humans flourished. But over time the original purpose of their race lost its meaning and the world fell into a lull of false security.

The vampires fed when they needed to but kept to the shadows while the wolves took justice for any life wrongly taken.

The death of mankind should have eradicated the entire race. The lack of blood would have ceased their bodies ability to contunie their life and they would have run dry. Their increased appearance and the knowledge that some human life still existed had made it apparent that something far darker was at play.

Night had fallen by the time the Blood Rock came into view. It sat high up on a cliffside that rose high above the sea, the crashing waves thundered against the rock and the pounding of the waves spoke of death from its depths.

There was no snow on the ground, the north was the only one to still be affected by the snow, and only a cold wind whipped across the land. Adelaides hair whipped across her face as they stood on the beach. Adam shifted on his feet beside her and she felt his nervousness as his eyes darted around his surroundings.

The cold air bit into her skin and spray from the sea hit her in a refreshing wash. It would have been peacful if it didn't hold a sinister tinge to the air.

Adelaide allowed her eyes to change to a deeper red as her eyes picked up on any possible threats that could hinder their way. She pulled in a breath at what she saw and the beast of her mind fell silent.

Purple hazes should have filled her vision but instead thousands of red and yellow figures did. Humans. Alive and living.

"What is it?" Adam asked her in concern.

She did not respond to him, she began to move forward, her eyes focusing on one light in particular. It shone out brighter than the rest, a pillar of gold against her eyes. Grace was there. She was alive.

Adam called after her as she continued to move forward but she spoke no words as her hand sliced through the air, forcing the reality to split in two.

They both stepped throught the rip in reality quickly and crouched to the ground as it closed behind them. Adelaide had taken them right into where they were holding Grace, a cell with no windows and only an iron door. It was deathly silent for only a few moments before the sound of a sniffling nose filled the space.

Adelaide turned slowly to one of the corners of the room and held out her arms as the small child raced into them. She held her tight in her arms, feeling the coldness of her skin before holding her back at arms length.

Her curls no longer bounced against her and were instead a limp mess that surrounded her face. She was covered in dirt and her clothes were ripped with countless bruises covering her. Adelaide could only imagine the ordeal she had gone through since she had been taken.

Tears ran down her face in relief at the sight of her and Adelaide watched as a spark made its way back into her eyes. Adelaide ran her hands over her and let her eyes come aglow as she soothed her aches and pains.

"Where is your mother?" Adelaide asked her softly.

"I don't know, they took daddy too." She told her.

She began to shake at the mention of her mother and father and Adelaide felt her blood run cold at the thought of what could have been done to them.

Grace grew still in her arms and Adelaide moved back, still crouched on the ground, and looked at her. She looked in fear behind her and Adelaide realised that Adam was still in the room. He filled the space with his large frame and cast an imitating shadow across the room.

"He will not hurt you." Adelaide reassured her.

"He is safe." She continued when she continued to look unsure.

She relaxed at her words and Adam smiled at her to ease her worries. Adelaide could see the wonderment in his eyes. He'd never seen a human in all his years, he could see how fragile but how precious this little girl truly was.

Adelaide stood to her feet and unclipped her cloak from her shoulders before sliding it around Grace's small frame. The fabric pooled on the floor because of its long length but it did the job of beginning to warm her.

She lifted her hand to re-open a path to the outside when loud shouts began to echo around the corridors outside. Blood began to pump in her veins and her eyes turned crimson as the beast licked its lips in anticipation. She could see them, bunching together, sensing the mass of power in the room and getting ready for an attack.

Her fingers tingled with the thought of drawing blood, ending the lives that her kind was made to end. It was tantalising.

She turned and picked Grace up in her arms before giving her over to Adam. He held her tight in his arms and looked her in the eye for confirmation. Adelaide nodded when she saw how protectively he held her with her head tucked into his neck so she couldn't see.

Adelaide had never felt such a longing as she did in that moment and Adam knew it, just by looking into her eyes.

Adelaide turned from him, stopping any further thoughts, and swiped her hand at the back of the cell. A gateway opened back onto the beach and the wind whipped through the cell like a hurricane. It forced her hair away from her face as she moved back to face the iron door.

She had seen it only once in her life, the only vision she had ever seen to do with herself. A solid iron door and nothing more. For Adelaide it only meant one thing and a thrill ran through her.

"Keep her safe."

Adelaide turned her head as she spoke the words and looked at them. Confusion covered his face before she reached out and pushed him backwards as the door swung open.

"Go now!" She commanded before turning her back.

They came quickly and no matter the amount of power that she used it was nothing against the iron that was laced within the walls. She could smell it, feel it dim her power and leave her defenceless. She had used the last of her power to make sure that Adam and Grace would be safe.

She roared as their cold, dead hands gripped her flesh and a thick chain was wrapped around her neck. A mighty tug pulled her from her feet, and she writhed on the floor.

Her eyes met Adams as he yelled her name. The only time it had ever left his lips.

She roared, shaking the walls.

And the gateway closed.