Rogue Eight

Power of Strong Wills

Chapter Five:  Power of Strong Wills

MADELINE

During our run back towards the house, Tink and Viv filled me in on the events in the forest.  Caleb, Tink’s Big Man, appeared to be as agile as she was even in his human form, charging towards a large oak not far into the vast greenery.  Just before he reached the tree, Tink lunged at him with her giant paw outstretched to find and hit its mark on his right side.  Caleb writhed in pain as he fell to the ground, managing to roll out of the stumble his injury caused and jump high to catch a large branch, pulling himself up onto the limb. 

Tink and Viv clawed at the base of the tree trying to grab his leg to pull Caleb back into their reach, unsuccessful in their efforts.  Following my orders, Vivian told Tink that she was going to go after Kristoff.  As she turned to begin her pursuit, the girls were caught by surprise to find Kristoff charging directly at them.  Before they could wrap their heads around his confusing action, Kristoff reached into his pouch, pulled out a small vial, and launched it towards the base of the tree where Vivian and Tink stood.  As soon as the vial shattered against the bark, a powerful jolt of force sent their wolves sailing backwards landing several feet from the base. 

Regaining their footing, the Viv and Tink were shocked to see a large swirling black hole where the bark had previously been.  Caleb fell from the limb, blood covering his hand that was firmly clamped to his injured ribcage as he quickly scampered into the darkness. 

Kristoff, who was right behind him, halted himself directly in front of the black hole and turned towards them, “I commend you on your abilities and your intelligence.  I wasn’t expecting your very talented witch.”  Looking directly at Tink, he seethed, “Next time, bring the rest of your men!  While also talented, your two she-wolves do not belong in battle!”  Apparently, Tink’s size and strength gave him the impression that she was a male werewolf.  She growled low at him in her fury. 

Kristoff did not relent in his verbal assault, “Alpha Nicholas’ Beta, I’m afraid, is going to die.  If you want to live, I advise you to bring all the members of Rogue 8 to our border by noon tomorrow.  Alpha Roman will be expecting you.  If you join us, we will protect you.  If you don’t, it is your choice to die.”

Right as Kristoff stepped into the sea of black swirls, Tink launched herself towards him, snatching the pouch from his grasp and firmly holding it within her clinched jaws.  She looked up to find that her timing was perfect as Kristoff’s infuriated face dissipated into the darkness and the now charred bark returned. 

Finally, we made it back to our shielded home on a dark edge of the forest that was actually not far from large rocky pool of water that contained a beautiful waterfall.  Other rogues tended to stay away from our little area as they did not feel its proximity gave them enough protection, which was why it was perfect for us.  Between that and the protection spell Raven had casted, coating our home in what would appear to any outsiders as a massive patch of aralia spinosa.

After Raven’s disappearance, the exhaustion I felt after our battled waned, replaced with urgency, worry, and anger.  The talk I had pushed aside earlier would need to be had soon.  This whole “act before M can speak” needed to end—now.

Viv, Tink, and I quickly shifted and changed back into our clothes as we reached our doorway.  I threw open the front door and immediately started running towards Raven’s lab. 

“Slow down, boss lady,” Tink called after me, “We all know she isn’t going to want you in there.”

“Tink’s right,” Vivian agreed, “Especially knowing how angry you are after her little disappearing act in the clearing.  It won’t help things with the Beta, M.  We all need her take care of him first.”

“I know that saving Gavin is the most important job at hand,” I grumbled as I neared the common room, “I just want to make sure that Raven is okay and doesn’t need any help.”

As I rounded the corner into the room, I was met face to face with a wall of women as Jade, Remi, Constance, and Charlotte stood before me strategically spaced to block the opening that led to Raven’s lab. 

“Move!” I ordered, urgency filling my tone. 

Jade slowly shook her head from side to side, “No can do, I’m afraid.  She doesn’t want you in there.”

I went to push my way through only to be pulled back by Vivian, who maneuvered her way around until we were face to face.  Her tired green eyes narrowing into mine as she placed her hand on my chest, an effort to stop my forward progression, but her stern tone was directed towards our other green-eyed girl behind her, “Is Raven okay, Jade?”

“Fine,” Jade curtly confirmed, nodding her head firmly once at the same time causing her bright red ponytail to bounce, “Remi and I helped her get the Beta on the table.  She’s got Little One with her and said for all of us to wait here for her until she’s done.”

A tight thin smile crossed Vivian’s face as she now addressed me in an authoritative tone, “Then that is what we will do.”

“Fine,” I muttered, backing away from her hand, “But if she isn’t in here in an hour, I’m going in.  Period.”

The tightness in her smile eased in victory as Vivian replied, “Fine.  If she’s not back in an hour, we will go in.”

I fell into a chair behind me as Vivian sat on the couch close by.  Jade and Remi moved over to sit in the oversized chairs closest to the entryway towards the lab.  They were obviously very serious about adhering to Raven’s command.  Charlotte and Constance’s identical tall slender frames, however, had not moved from their spot.

“Where’s Tink?” they asked in unison, their piercing blue eyes full of concern.

“Kitchen probably,” Vivian tiredly replied, leaning back into the couch as she ran her hand over her forehead, “You know she empties the fridge after every battle.  Good thing Raven, Jade, and Remi just restocked it.”

“But she’s hurt,” Charlotte protested, quickly walking across the room, her long blonde hair whipping around her, “We felt it.”

“Her poor head,” Constance worriedly whined, directly behind Charlotte, “We need to make her an ice pack...and maybe get her some of those brownies we hid in our makeup cabinet.  Brownies are her favorite.”

A soft chuckle passed through Vivian’s lips as her head fell back on the couch, hand still on her forehead, “Triplet telepathy…no mind link required.”

Jade laughed out, “Except when it comes to the food stash thing apparently.  Poor Tink…she hates it when they dote on her.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Vivian lulled, her eyes now closed, “She just acts like she does.”

“She is okay, right?  You’re all okay?” Remi quietly asked in a very atypical dull tone, causing both Vivian and I to both turn our attention her with alarmed glances.  Her head was down and her eyes were glued to the floor in an almost mesmerized state. 

Behind Vivian, Remi was my most steadfast piece of our little unit.  Even-keeled, outgoing, strong-willed, positive, happy and with her natural athletic muscular—yet somehow still feminine—frame, quite the force to be reckoned with in a fight.  She had natural abilities that even rivaled my own.  I always enjoyed training with her as she would push and challenge me making us both better at what we do.  Unfortunately, it did not happen as often as I would like because I was not her preferred choice in sparring partners.  She and Jade, both 20, were inseparable.  From the very beginning, where you saw one, you saw the other.  They even roomed together, despite the fact we had enough space for both of them to have their own room.  I understood Charlotte and Constance rooming together as their bond was familial—drove them crazy when Tink moved into her own room.  But Jade and Remi’s bond went beyond blood.  If I’m truthful, I was often in awe of their cadence and connection to one another.

The tone of her voice just now, however, was not my Remi.  As I thought about it, her silence since our arrival home was incredibly out of character as well.  Something was definitely wrong with her…and I needed to find out what that was.

I looked over at Vivian, whose deep concern matched my own as she peered back at me and had already read my mind, quickly entering my conscience.   

“Jade just told me that Remi is upset because she thinks our family will be torn apart if Gavin dies. Think she need some reassurance.”

I nodded and peered back over towards the entryway, “We’re all fine, Remi,” I assured her in a calm but resolute tone, “and I promise you, we will all be fine and together no matter what happens with Gavin.  If anyone can save him, it’s Raven.”

Jade’s apprehensive sideways glance towards Remi was not lost on me.  Neither was the fact that only a moment later, Remi lifted her head and gave me a forced smile, “I’m sorry.  I usually handle things like this better.  Today has just been…a lot.”

“I know,” I reassured her once more, while a great sense of unease fell over me.  Jade had obviously linked Remi to Vivian’s and my concern.

 “Jade says not to worry,” Vivian filtered through, “She’ll calm her down.  Let’s just keep an eye on her for now.”

I gave a slight nod of agreement before laying my head on the back of the chair.  Moments later, I heard heavy footsteps stomping towards us.

“I don’t need ice!” Tink’s irritation was evident as she stormed into the room carrying four brownies in one hand and her beloved oversized stuffed brown bear in the other, “Food!  I just need FOOD!  And my Roly of course”.  Behind her, Constance and Charlotte were attempting to keep up with her to hold an ice pack to the back of her head and failing miserably. 

Throwing her hands up in the air, Charlotte defeatedly groaned, “Fine!  I’ll take it!  I need it now anyway for my ankle.”

Tink’s expression turned anxious as she plopped down heavily into the middle of a long couch across from Vivian, “Ankle still bothering you?” 

Charlotte sat down beside her, “It felt fully healed until I had to chase you around!”

Her anxiety was instantly relieved as Tink scrunched up her nose and smiled in mocked humor, “Ha-ha, very funny!  Maybe we are related.”, before rolling her eyes and taking a huge bite of brownie.

“Lucky for you,” Constance cooed, sitting down on Tink’s other side, a wicked grin spreading across her lips, “My arm is fully healed!”  Leaning slightly forward, Constance winked over at Charlotte whose lips instantly widened to match her sister’s smirk. 

Just as Tink shoved a huge bite of brownie into her mouth, Charlotte and Constance reached out on either side of her, wrapping their arms as tight as they could around her bulky shoulders and squeezed her into a hard sandwiched hug declaring giddily in unison, “WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH TINK!”

Vivian and I were both able to let out much needed laughter as Tink instantaneously and completely tensed beneath their embrace, her eyes wide, lips locked solidly in place, and cheeks puffed out on both sides as the huge piece of brownie remained still in her mouth.  The big worn out bear she was holding in her arm now looked to be without any stuffing at all as it was clutched so tight in her solid grasp that it now laid flat against her stomach. 

Forcing the brownie down in a hard gulp, Tink choked out, “Anyone want to play what two things are NOT like the other?”  Another round of giggles and snickering ensued.

If there was one thing I loved most about these unusual triplets, it was the humor they brought into our home, especially during the stressful times.  Tink, of course, was always the instigator.

Charlotte and Constance finally released their sister from the hard embrace with satisfied smiles.  As she lowered her arm, Constance gently placed her hand on the bear’s head as she fondly admonished, “I can’t believe you still cling to Roly Poly.  He’s so old and ragged.”

“Two things you don’t mess with,” Tink possessively defended, pulling her bear close, “My food and my Roly!” 

A loud ear-piercing shriek echoed through the room ending our small reprieve as I heard my little sister's frightened voice, “Raven!”.  We all jumped, instantaneously on our feet, eyes darting towards the hallway that led to Raven’s lab.  My moment of stress relief gone as I charged towards the entryway once more.  I could feel my heart pounding ferociously in my chest as panicked thoughts raced in in head. 

“Stop!” Raven’s harrowed voice echoed in all of our minds, “I’m fine!  Just needed to catch my breath.  I have finished my incantation and will know more once I remove the blanket.  For now, please stay put.  I need to concentrate.”

Anger filled every pore of my being, my hands clinching into fists as I voiced my rage out loud, shaking the walls all around us, “YOU USED THE BLANKET?”

“It was the only way save him, M,” Raven’s soft voice attempted to console me internally, “I promise, I’m fine.”