The Raven and the Wraith Book 2 (Completed!)

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 56

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 56

I took a slow breath, then shrugged. "As threats go, that one was pretty good. But ya know what? It just didn't do the job, I don't really feel all that threatened. What else ya got?"

My bravado had carried me through many a terrifying incident before, and I had also learned that if I could make my enemy unreasonably angry, I had a better chance at either defeating them, or escaping. Although making a being as powerful as this Wererat insanely angry didn't actually come across as that good of an idea.

It's rage did increase, but it still didn't make a move towards me. I was watching it's body language as close as I knew how, looking for clues, looking to try to predict what it might do in the next instant. And I abruptly realized I was right, it was trapped in this half-state. And for some reason it needed me. Knowing that gave my confidence a boost. It wouldn't likely kill what it needed. I hoped.

I looked back at the shadow flames wreathing the clearing. Though they danced and swayed like flames, they still held to a defined shape. It looked like they were forming a small replica of a ring of mountains, complete with valleys, tiny trees, boulders.

I realized that the shadow cloak draped over the Wererat was tied to these flames. Tied to this place, here in Possum Hollow. And maybe even tied the same way to these mountains, which I suspected actually existed somewhere.

"You're trapped. You want me to join you, to set you free."

The Wererat confirmed my words, shivering with a dark rage, a trapped rage, and all the darker for it.

It began to speak, some kind of terrible threat I'm sure, but I wasn't listening. My Werecat power was finally awake, although only in my eyes. It didn't yet bring that surge of raw, seething strength, but it did allow me to see those strange, multicolored paths leading off in every direction from me.

They were as beautiful and drawing as that time in the garden, where they had shown me the way to escape without being seen. The colors were as wildly varied as ever, a warm kaleidoscope of color, beyond my ability to understand. Then I saw the biggest, brightest path. It led straight to the Wererat.

I stared at it, at the Wererat and how this path was linked to it. How could this be? It made no sense, the option of joining this utterly foul, perfectly evil being shouldn't be the most appealing.

The Wererat seemed to understand what I was seeing. It laughed, and lifted its hands.

"Your greatest Path leads to me, doesn't it? So join me, embrace the Power, and your friends will live."

I looked at the shadows draped over the Wererat. I saw them through the eyes of the Werecat, I saw them for what they really were. Those inky black flames were the source of that consuming hunger that had overtaken me. They were the link to something...some ravenous void. A Power, an entity, trapped in a mountain ring somewhere.

"You're a puppet. Just like you tried to make me your puppet my entire life, just like how you manipulated my dreams, my thoughts, to do your will, you're being controlled the same way." My voice was surprisingly level, even though I felt like collapsing just from seeing those black flames for what they really were.

The Wererat said nothing, but I sensed I had its attention. I gestured to my eyes, which I knew were glowing with my Werecat Power. "I can see it. I can see how it's wrapped around you. Inside of you."

"You see nothing but the true Power I've embraced. The same true Power you'll have if you join me."

I heard the denial. This creature couldn't fathom that it might have been tricked, that it was not, in fact, as free as it thought it was. I could gain nothing from it. I motioned to the empty throwing knives sheathes at my side.

"I'm leaving. I've let go of you, I've let go of your promises of revenge, the empty promises of freedom. I made my decision, I'm Werecat now."

I turned and walked away. Right through those foul, black flames. Behind me, I heard the Wererat screaming in impotent rage. It was still trapped, it was still only halfway through its transformation. Only halfway breaking through that ring of mountains, that ancient ward, that caged it.

By not joining it, by leaving it and all it represented behind, I had sentenced it to try to break free on its own. I had not combined my strength with its, I had not helped it break free. That fallen Werecat, with its shadowy puppet master controlling it, would not be free to reign over reality.

And now I knew where to send Riva and the great black cat, on their mission to hunt and kill the Werecat that had dared upset The Balance.

"You think you can just walk away from the Hunger? You think you can walk away from me? I'm part of you now!" The Wererats voice was suddenly different.

It was the chilling shriek of ten thousand DraelWar, the sound of eternal rage, echoing with depthless emptiness. I staggered, only vaguely aware of my knees hitting the stones, my hands wrapping tight around my temples as I fought to hold onto consciousness.

As I fought to keep the Wererat from reaching inside of me, and releasing the Hunger in me once again.

My Werecat power surged up in response, my willpower and the entire focus of my being honed down, trying to keep the Hunger at bay. It was no use, I felt myself falling, I felt that eternal emptiness inside once again. The emptiness that could only be appeased by consuming Life.

I felt the Hunger sweep me aside. I felt it overcome me. In a mindless panic, I threw the last bit of my strength into a call.

I screamed with everything I had. "Genevieve!"