Warrior

Chapter 11-2

I released her, and she sat on the floor a few feet into the room, close enough for me to grab her if the wolf somehow managed to break his chains.

“Roland, do you know who I am?” she asked him softly.

He growled and bared his fangs.

“I see. Well, that won’t do at all,” she said calmly as if she wasn’t sitting less than ten feet from a crazed werewolf. “I know you’re in a lot of pain, and we’re going to deal with that soon, but first I think we need to have a talk. Or I’ll talk and you can listen. How does that sound?”

Another growl.

She shifted, settling her hands in her lap. “I know I said that Remy was my first friend here, but you were always my best friend. The best times of my life have been with you and Peter. Remember when we used to have slumber parties, and Brendan let us camp out in the hayloft that one time? We told ghost stories until we were all too scared to sleep, and we ended up sneaking back into the house after everyone else went to bed. Or the time you nipped some of Brendan’s whiskey, and we got drunk for the first time. I never touched that stuff again.”

Someone chuckled softly, and I looked behind me at Brendan who smiled fondly at Sara.

She continued to speak in warm, gentle tones, remembering humorous stories from their childhood and all the mischief the two of them and Peter had gotten into. Every now and then, someone else would smile and nod, and I saw how rich and happy Sara’s childhood had been, despite all she had suffered.

“Roland?”

The wolf’s yellow eyes were fixed on Sara. He whined, making me realize how quiet he had become. He no longer growled or struggled to break free. He was as enraptured by her voice as the rest of us.

“You were pretty shocked to learn about Remy, weren’t you? But he’s not my only secret. Remember the other day after the marina when I said there were things I had to tell you about me? Do you want to know what it is – what I can do?”

Secret? Marina? What was she talking about? What else could she possibly be hiding?

She got to her knees and moved toward the wolf.

In a second, I had her by the arm. “What are you doing? That’s an injured werewolf. He’ll rip you apart.”

Her eyes never left the wolf. “No, he won’t. You always ask me to trust you. Now it’s time for you to trust me.”

Every part of me screamed to hold on to her, to keep her safe. But her plea and the quiet confidence in her voice loosened my fingers until she pulled from my grip. I held my breath as she crawled toward the wolf, stopping just short of the mattress.

“I know it hurts a lot, but I’m going to make the pain go away now. You know I would never hurt you, don’t you?”

My whole body tensed as she reached out to touch one of the wolf’s paws.

“There you are,” she crooned. “You had me worried there.”

The wolf lifted his head and made a mournful sound before he collapsed back onto the mattress. Whatever Sara had done, the fight had gone out of him.

“Shhh,” she said softly as she laid one hand over the wound on his chest.

I held my breath, waiting to see what she would do.

After a long moment, she placed her other hand on his chest. The wolf watched her trustingly, and I wished I could see her face. What was she doing?

Her hands began to glow.

What the –? I stared, transfixed, as the white glow from her hands grew brighter. Whispers broke out behind me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the sight before me if my life depended on it.

“I think this is going to require a bit more contact,” she said. She began to lower herself to the mattress.

I took a step forward.

A hand on my shoulder stopped me, and Brendan whispered, “Wait.”

I clenched my jaw as I watched Sara lie beside the wolf and slip her arms around his body. Her back was to us, and she looked so small pressed up against the large werewolf. My heart thudded in my chest when he wrapped his hairy arms around her. His jaws were too close to her bare throat. One bite could snap her neck.

Sara began to glow again, and this time it wasn’t just her hands. Her arms and torso emitted the same white light that grew until it nearly blinded me.

Minutes passed, and Sara and the werewolf stayed in their tight embrace, bathed in light. People whispered, some sent up prayers. All I could do was watch the miracle I knew was taking place before my eyes.

At last, the light faded, leaving Sara sagging against the wolf.

“Now you know my secret,” she said.

No one moved or spoke.

The bloody paw resting on Sara’s shoulder flexed, showing one-inch black claws. I tensed and called on my Mori speed so I could reach her if the wolf attacked.

The wolf let out a low whine. Seconds later, the paw became a human hand.

Shouts broke out behind me, and Brendan blessed himself. “Holy Mary, Mother of God!”

I went to Sara and lifted her into my arms. I stepped back as Judith rushed over to lay a blanket over Roland, whose naked chest bore not even the trace of a scar.

“Mom?” he said sluggishly before he closed his eyes and slept.

Judith’s shoulders shook as she tenderly brushed damp hair away from her son’s face.

“Is Sara okay?” Maxwell asked from the doorway.

I gazed down at the closed eyes of the girl in my arms. Was it normal for her to be like this after she did…whatever that was?

She mumbled incoherently and curled into me. The emotions that welled in my chest were indescribable.

“I think she’s just exhausted. Hopefully, all she needs is some sleep.”

Brendan nodded. “She’s earned it, poor thing. I had no idea you Mohiri could do that.”

“We can’t.”

My words hung in the air between us. Brendan’s eyes widened, and Maxwell stroked his beard thoughtfully. Behind them, people pressed as close as they dared to see what was going on in the room.

Judith stood and came to me, brushing her hand against Sara’s cheek. “You brave, wonderful child,” she said in a voice filled with awe. “Thank you.”

Her eyes were wet when she looked at me. “Take her upstairs. Second door on the left.”

Brendan cleared a path to the stairs. I followed him, carrying my precious burden, ignoring the stares and whispers around us. I didn’t blame them because I was still reeling from what I’d witnessed.

Upstairs, I found Peter waiting for us in the hallway. His face was pale and drawn, but his eyes were filled with hope. “Is it true? Is Roland…?”

“He’s okay,” I said, and he sagged against the wall.

“And Sara?”

“She’s sleeping.” I carried her past him to the room Judith had mentioned. Laying her on the bed, I pulled a thick quilt over her.

“I wanted to give this back to you.”

I turned to Peter, who stood in the doorway holding my cell phone. Walking over to him, I took the phone and stuck it in my back pocket.

He cleared his throat. “Thanks for what you did tonight. We would have been goners if you hadn’t pushed us down.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t ready to let him off the hook that easily. “Why did you come there when I told you to stay put until we took out all the guards?”

“Remy said his cousins were in trouble, and Sara said they were going in. Roland and I couldn’t let her go without us.”

My brows drew together. “Two werewolves couldn’t stop one girl?”

It was his turn to frown. “Dude, you ever try to stop Sara when she’s set on something? And she had the troll on her side.”

“Point taken.”

He looked past me at Sara. “All this time, we never knew…”

“She’s good at keeping secrets.” How closely she must have guarded this one. Only the fear of losing her best friend had made her reveal her ability.

“Peter?” Maxwell called from below.

“I better go,” Peter said. “Tell Sara I’ll see her tomorrow.”

He ran downstairs, and I stepped into the hallway to call Chris.

“Nikolas, where are you?” he asked as soon as he answered. “Erik said you left with Sara.”

“We’re in the Knolls with the pack.”

“The Knolls?” He paused for several seconds. “How is Sara holding up?”

“She’s good and so is Roland. They’re both sleeping.”

“But he took a silver bullet to the chest. I was there when the wolves came to get him. Even they didn’t think he’d make it.”

“Let’s just say he had a guardian angel.” I ran a hand wearily through my hair and decided this was a story that needed to be shared in person. “I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. Are you still at the house?”

“Yes. The rest of Erik’s guys just got here, and they’re collecting the bodies for disposal. The human guards are still out. We’ll call in the authorities to handle them after we’re done here.” Sounds on the other end told me he had walked outside. “By the way, you’ll never believe what we found in the cellar.”

“A pair of hellhounds?”

“How did you…?” He sighed. “Sara?”

I smiled. “Where are they?”

“Still in the cellar. We had to close them in there because they tried to follow you. I take it then we’re not putting them down.”

It was our policy to destroy any creature that posed a direct threat to humans, and hellhounds definitely fit into that category. They were savage beasts, bred and trained for one thing. But the two I’d encountered in that cellar were as tame as pets.

I just tamed two hellhounds, remember?”

Werewolves, trolls, hellhounds. It seemed no creature was immune to her charm. What would it be next? Dragons?

I looked at Sara, who slept with a tiny smile on her lips. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep it there.

“Arrange a pickup for them. We’ll figure out the rest later.” I lowered my voice. “Before you dispose of the vampires, take a photo of each one. I’m the only one who’s seen Eli, and I want to know if that bastard is one of them.”

“You think he’s involved in this?”

“I don’t know, but this seems like too much of a coincidence to me.” I clenched my free hand. “Sara has vampires hunting her, and now we have humans and vampires working together to steal trolls that just happen to be friends of hers.”

His breath came out as a hiss. “I’ll take the pictures myself and text them to you.”

We talked for a few minutes more about the cleanup operation, and then we hung up. I was confident Chris would handle everything in Portland, and that left me free to be with Sara. I entered the room again and quietly shut the door before I pulled a chair over beside the bed.

Her hand lay on top of the quilt, and I covered it with mine, taking advantage of the opportunity to touch her. In my youth, I’d laughed at the way my sire held my mother whenever he returned from a trip. He would raise his eyebrows and tell me that one day, if I was as blessed as he was, I would understand. I finally grasped the meaning of his words.

In sleep, Sara looked young and vulnerable, making my protective instincts flare. But I also knew that behind her innocence lay a strength she’d chosen to keep hidden from the world.