Shadow Wolves: His Black Rose (Book 6)

Chapter 1 -Facing Esmeralda.

Elizabeth

TRAINING WAS TOUGH and I sometimes wished I had spent more time reading Isabella’s journal in detail about the training. At first, aunt Meg denied everything. She denied knowing about black roses or the order or any of them. Then when I told her that I was going to go and see my grandmother she changed her mind for some reason.

I never knew she could be so tight-lipped about something! But as the months passed and my training continued, I understood why. Mother, of course, nearly had a heart attack when she found out I had left and couldn’t for the life of her understand why I would come to the packhouse for training when I was going to go to the witchcraft university in a month or two. Not that she would ever say that there was anything wrong with training with the wolves, but I wouldn’t need the knowledge of physical combat once I learn to protect myself with magic.

Well, that, of course, was if I lived to see another day, once I told her that I would be going to human university. Mom shouldn’t judge, she grew up as a supernatural in the human world, and look at how amazing she turned out to be! Besides, auntie Meg would be paying for everything, so they didn’t have to worry about anything like they did with the boys.

Okay fine, so it was a bunch of cr@ppy excuses, but I was hoping they worked on my mom. If you couldn’t convince them, then you have to confuse them. That was what I always said. I felt the wind blowing seconds before the punch landed right on my left jaw, knocking me to the floor.

“Lizzy! Concentrate! Why are you all over the place today?” Meg frowned. Pulling my gloves off in frustration, I dropped on the floor mat and rubbed my jaw. Hits from werewolves really hurt! Badly.

“It’s nothing. I guess I’m just having a bad day.” I moped slightly, hoping I hid it from her by rubbing my cheek.

“Nope, I don’t believe you. Out with it girlie, or I’m calling your mother.” She glared at me.

“You wouldn’t!” My voice went up a couple of octaves.

“Oh hell, yes, I would, and you know that!” She sighed. I looked at her, and felt the adrenaline rush through my veins. I knew she would, she might not tell mom the entire truth, but she would tell her as damn close to it as she could. Then where would I end up? First, in the row to go to witchcraft school!! No, thank you, I enjoyed having a mind of my own and thinking for myself!

“I guess I will have to go see mom and tell her about university, huh?” I tried to turn the tables on her.

“You guessed right. If you do it over the phone or via a message, she is going to send you to witch school for sure.” She laughed at me. That went pear-shaped quickly! I knew for a fact that she was telling the truth. She had known my mom for so many years that you would think they were twins.

“I guess I should do it this weekend, huh?” I sighed.

“I would say so, yes. School starts next week!” Auntie Meg reminded me. I couldn’t help but laugh with her. I’ve clearly put it off to the last minute! Mom was expecting me home this weekend, and I was going to prepare for our trip to witch school next weekend with her. Only I would be prepping for Uni and going to school with auntie Meg. Oh boy, that was if I survived the week.

WITH MY BAGS ALL PACKED, I stood waiting at the car door, looking at auntie Meg with puppy eyes, hoping above hope that she would at least join me on the trip there. You know? Save me from being murdered by my mother when I told her.

“I believe in you, sweetheart. It’s all part of being a Rose. You will be fine.” She smiled and hugged me, opening the car door for me to get in. GREAT!!

I TRIED TO SLEEP ON THE FLIGHT BACK to the castle, but the cold wind in the snowy mountains was something I'd not felt for a while, and it kept me awake all the way there. Thanks to the Fairy Queen and her generosity, I travelled to the castle in record time in one of her personal airships. Wasn’t she just a doll? We pulled up to the castle entrance and I wished I could turn the ship around and run. Seeing mom and uncle Julius smiling and waving as we pulled up. That smile was fake! She was preparing to strike at me the second I got off the ship, I was sure of it.

“Oh darling! I’ve missed you so much! Let me look at you!” She pulled me tightly into her arms for a moment before letting go of me so that I could breathe. Her hugs seemed to be getting tighter with each visit.

“Hi mom. Hi Julius.” I smiled and he winked at me.

“Welcome home, Princess. We really did miss you. You know?” He gave me a soft cool kiss on my forehead. “Come on, let’s get you settled, and then you and your mother can talk over breakfast while I take a well-deserved rest.” He winked at me again and this time mom saw him.

“Hey! What secret language is this between the two of you?” She frowned.

“Nothing.” We replied in unison, making her even more suspicious, and we all giggled on our way into the dining room. I knew he was purposefully leaving us alone. He had never gone to bed without having a chat with us first. Aunt Meg! I wondered how much she told him!

Breakfast with mom! That was going to be interesting. I'd done all the charms I could to block her from reading my thoughts, then realized it would just make her realize something was up sooner than I might be ready to tell her, so I had to lift the entire bunch. My palms were actually sweating, and I pulled my hand away when she wanted to take it before walking into the dining room.

“Sorry, I have a skin rash, I wouldn’t want you to get it.” Yeah, I was lying outright by now!

“Oh darling, let me see, I will just heal it for you.” She smiled. Oh cr@p!! Completely forgot that your mother was a goddess, did ya?!!

“Mom! I actually need to talk to you. Can we please sit down?” I decided I had to get it over with!

“I believe that is my cue to say goodnight.” Julius gave each of us a kiss on our cheeks and said goodnight. I had never really gotten used to this lifestyle of theirs. Saying goodnight when it was a good morning. Mom hooked her arm into mine, seeing that I didn’t take her hand, and we walked into the dining room.

“Now tell me, what is so urgent that you have to talk to me about?” I suddenly didn’t want to say it!

“Let’s eat first.” Best not to give her the news on an empty stomach. We sat down and talked about what I had been up to in training and how things were going with aunt Meg and uncle Ant, and I told her how irritating all the boys had become. “For the life of me I don’t understand it, mom. Even my brothers… surely dad wasn’t that bad?”

“Your father was the worst, but… the best.” She kept quiet for a moment, staring into the distance with that longing look she got every time he was mentioned. I guess, no better time than the present!

“Mom…” I hesitated.

“Yes, darling?” She smiled.

“I’m not going to witchcraft school.” I sat and waited for her to burst out into her red outfit! All judge and jury like telling me that I will do no such thing…

“Okay, what is your plan if you don’t go?” She calmly sat back, looking at me, and listened. Which actually felt scarier!!

“I want to go to human university as you did. I want to study history and politics and philosophy.” I stuffed food into my mouth in the hopes that it would give her time to digest what I said.

“And what will you do with it when you are done? What kind of future are you planning to have?” She frowned, but there was still no red outfit yet.

“Well, I can work in a library or as a history teacher even.” I shrugged. I hadn’t thought about that yet.

“I’m sorry my darling, but you clearly haven’t thought this through. I can’t allow you to go. We will go to the witch school and that is that, okay?” Cr@p! She wasn’t listening to me!

“Mother!” I sighed.

“Oh, this is going to be good.” She smiled.

“Why would you say that?” I frowned.

“Because you’ve only ever “mothered” me when it was something you really wanted, but you didn’t want to tell me what it was. Now out with it young lady!” She frowned. Aunt Megan popped her head around the corner, scaring the living daylights out of both of us! She must have followed right after I left!

“Seeing as I will be funding this little adventure of Lizzy’s I thought I had better show my face.” She grinned.

“Megan! How good it is to see you!” Mom got up from her chair, hugging aunt Meg, and I nearly fainted with relief. She gave me a wink and all I could think about was kicking her @ss in training when we got back home! “What is this about you paying for this adventure? Elizabeth hasn’t even told me what all this is about.”

“It’s simple. I want her to work as my assistant. You have your own responsibilities now and Fiona has her hands full with the new babies. I can’t trust anyone else with my secrets, but I would like her to get a good education in the meantime.” Auntie Meg had clearly planned it perfectly!

“Well, now see there, Elizabeth. That makes more sense. Of course, you can go. Honestly, Megan, I don’t understand these children most days.” Mom rolled her eyes at me.

“You are lucky to have such a beautiful and intelligent daughter, Es. Believe me, the boys are driving the big boys mad at boot camp.” They burst out laughing and I quietly excused myself from the conversation. Go, auntie Meg!!! But why didn’t she tell me she was going to come in the first place? She made me go through all that for nothing! It was probably another of her many tests. I was ready. I told her, I was. I might not be at university yet, but I turned twenty-two a month ago already. I missed it so much while I was hiding here in the castle.

Walking into the library, I found my way back into the dusty corner where it all started. Tucked away in the corner, I saw the petals of a black flower and moved closer. There was a note attached to it and when I pulled it out from its hiding spot, I realized it was a black rose with a note! This couldn’t be happening! She wouldn’t do this to me surely! My hand started shaking and one of the blackthorns pricked my index finger, leaving behind a bloodstain on the inside of the note when I opened it.

“Congratulations, Elizabeth,

You are the next Black Rose in the Order. Your blood on the note is your oath to uphold our vows that I have taught you over these past months.

Welcome daughter of the Order of the Black Rose” What?!!! I made it?! She wasn’t going to kill me?

“I see you found it. Well done, Lizzy. I am proud to call you my daughter in the order.” I whipped around to find her standing behind me smiling. She did think that I was ready all this time! “Now go and spend some time with your mom. I just told her that we are leaving for university in the morning and I think she is in shock.”

“You what? We are what?” I gaped.

“Yup, that’s about how she reacted, now go.” She giggled, and I almost ran to find my mom with the rose in my hand. I instinctively knew where she would be and headed straight there.

“Mom, mom! Are you okay?” I heard the sorrow in her voice before I saw the tears in her eyes.

“I’m fine, my darling. I’m a little shell shocked. But your aunt Meg has that effect sometimes.” She laughed.

“Yes, so am I. I thought I still had a week at home, and she just told me a couple of minutes ago we are leaving tomorrow.” I realized I was still holding onto the rose, but when I looked, I found only a dead stick in my hand and no sign of the note.

“Oh, none of that matters. You are going to have such an amazing time working in the publishing world and the imaginative world aunt Megan lives in that time will simply melt away.” She took my face into both her palms and left a soft butterfly kiss on my forehead.