Embers (The Wings of War Book 1) (46 page)

He gave me a long, hard look and said, “The Demons might know about you and Sawyer and are punishing him, or far worse, attempting to bring you to them.”

The suffering of my mind and body seemed to be over, scaring me all the more.  Did that mean that Sawyer
was
dead? 

No, Ivan was right, I’d know that for sure, at least it made sense that I would.  Maybe he was sleeping or unconscious? 

I sat in the straw and thought about what Ivan had told me. He was more observant than I’d originally thought.  He could be a helpful ally.  I looked at him again and saw that even though he was my height, he appeared strong, his arms long and muscled.  His eyes were bright and inquisitive, and his features were sharp and intelligent.

Do I risk putting him in danger though?  I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to him because of me.  But do I dare try it alone?  Ivan had knowledge of the compound, and the Demon’s routines.  It might be a fool’s mission without his help.

“I will help you save Sawyer,” he told me before I had to ask. 

It felt better to have him volunteer.  Sawyer was his friend too.  He had the right to make the attempt to save him.

“You need to tell me everything about the compound, and the Demons, as quickly as you can.  We don’t have much time.  And, Ivan, don’t say a word about this to Ila.”

Revelation 7:1

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.

Ember ~ Forty-Four

W
e ate a lunch of summer squash, cheese, and apple pie while we made small talk around the table.  It was difficult to not arouse Ila’s suspicions.  Ivan played the game well, keeping the conversation going, even when I was at a loss for words. 

After the meal was picked up, I asked Ila if Ivan and I could go for a walk.  She relented, even though she still thought I should be resting.  Before we got out the door, she commented that it was strange that Sawyer was not back yet.

“I think he said something about picking up a few things in town.  I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” I said, turning away quickly before she could read the lie on my face. 

At the edge of the pasture, just before we climbed the rock wall to enter the woods, Angus came bounding through the grass.  I sighed.  My dog wanted to go with us, but I wouldn’t risk losing him.  I told him with my mind not to follow, and he reluctantly dropped his head and turned around.

I hated sending him away, but it was for his own good.

Once over the rocks, we moved quietly through the trees.  Ivan knew the way to the compound, and I stayed close to him.  The day was cool, but the sun kept popping out from behind the puffy, swiftly moving clouds.  Between the physical exertion, and my anger at what the Demons had done to Sawyer, I was sweating.  The heat billowed off of me.  I pulled the sweatshirt off, tying it around my waist.  Ivan didn’t seem to notice that I wore only my black camisole now.   

I tried to feel for Sawyer, but there was only blankness.  My instincts told me he was unconscious, at least that’s what I hoped. The only reason I was able to maintain any semblance of calm was that I knew I’d need all my wits about me to get him out of there alive.  Once that was accomplished, I’d take care of those rotten Demons.  But as long as Sawyer needed me, I’d hold the fire in. 

The breeze picked up, and a cluster of dry leaves spiraled down around us in a chaotic swoosh, causing my insides to flutter. 

To anyone else, it was the perfect fall day.  The air had just the right mixture of crispness and sunshine, and the warm smell of pine needles and dried leaves was all around.  As I followed Ivan, dodging tree trunks and clusters of rock formations, I felt better than I had when I’d left the valley.  The giant, unnatural fence that protected the Demons was scary, but it was surrounded by the forest, which was my friend.  And, although fire was my first element, I had to admit that I could feel the touch of the earth, always teasing me.  It’s very strong presence here on the mountain gave me strength. 

For a minute or two, I could pretend that I was hiking in the mountains with a friend, and that the world was a pleasant place.  That is, until memories flashed of the day before, catching my breath in my throat every so often. 

I could still hardly believe what I’d done to those monsters with my very own hands.  It was insane.  Yet, I’d accepted the craziness of all the powers and supernatural creatures with ease.  Sometimes I felt as if I was living in some alternate universe.  Other times, I was just an ordinary teenager. 

The sorrow of losing my parents was never far away, but with each day that passed, I became stronger, and that part of my life, living in Ohio and riding through the flat croplands with Piper, faded further and further away. I could never go back now. 

I shrugged off the cold tightening my belly as we neared the compound. The evil chill was attempting to chase my inner fire away.  When the fire almost blinked out, I summoned an image of my guardian covered in gore and lying on the wooden floor.  The flames sparked to life within me once again. 

As long as I kept focused on my goal, I’d be okay. 

I stopped alongside a cluster of Mountain Laurel bushes.  A pocket of humid air hung around the thick, sun covered vegetation. Closing my eyes, I enjoyed the sensation for a moment, letting it ground me, before I whistled to Ivan.  When he looked back, I told him I was going to use a bird to see what was going on inside the fence.  He frowned, but nodded his head.  Before I had to ask, he went into wolf form. 

I picked a large crow, one that had been following us since we’d crossed the rock wall, and entered its mind. It turned out that it was the same crow that had been with me when I torched the Demons. The bird’s sharp little mind remembered me too, and the fellowship with it felt good. We soared up above the trees with the wind at our back.  I saw the fort immediately, and was startled that we were so close to it, just over the next hill and we’d be there.   I asked the bird to fly lower for a sweep over the compound. 

It looked eerily quiet.  Since no one was out in the open, I asked the bird to drop further.  We skimmed over the middle of the enclosure, the
flip, flip
of the wings, beating loudly in my ears.  Seeing nothing of interest, we flew upwards, racing towards the ever darkening clouds. 

We didn’t get very far when a shot rang out, an explosion in the air.  There was no time to react or even think, but somehow I did.  Just as I exited the body, I felt the poor crow blown apart, its guts flinging through me as I blinked away. 

Back in my own body, I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Ivan was human again.  He urgently asked me to tell him what happened.

“They know we’re coming,” I choked out.

I forced myself to breathe and forget about the bird.

“Ivan, we have to go back and tell Ila about everything. She’ll know what to do.”

Before I could get up, there was a thunderous growl behind us.  I twisted to see a huge black bear watching us.  Ivan was a wolf again, standing in front of me snarling right back at the bear.  I tried to reason that Ivan probably knew this bear.  That it must be his friend, Lutz—the one he liked to wrestle with. But seeing the gigantic mouth opening, and gobs of saliva dripping out of its jaws, I began to tremble uncontrollably. 

Its teeth were the size of my fingers, and for a second, I sat cemented to the forest floor. I stared at the animal, an irrational fascination growing within me at the immense size of the beast.  The bear could eat me and Ivan, no problem, and have room in its stomach for a deer besides.   

It stepped closer, the dried leaves crunching under its weight until it was just a foot away from us.  I quickly stood up and Ivan pressed up against the front of my legs, a short whimper erupting from his mouth as he guarded me.  The hair was raised along his spine making him appear even larger, which, even as an adolescent wolf, was still bigger than Angus.  But compared to the bear, the wolf was too young to threaten the huge animal, whose mere breathing pushed back the loose hairs around my face.   Maybe in a few years, and with a pack at his side, Ivan would have a shot, but for now there was nothing he could do to keep this beast from ripping me apart. 

I rested my hand onto the wolf’s back, letting my fingers spread through the course hair to touch his skin.  I wanted him to know that I was there for him.

I tried to pull the fire into me, but it wouldn’t come.  My core was cool.  The glorious flames were beyond reach.  I had no anger towards this creature, just a throbbing fear that was blocking my access to the heat. 

When the bear stretched its neck to bring its mouth just above my head, and a spatter of its drool splashed down on my nose, I couldn’t help but compare him to Angus.  At that instant I had an idea. I closed my eyes and reached out to the bear’s mind, softly touching it.  Very gently, I caressed his mind, and gave him the suggestion of familiarity and friendliness.

It was difficult; his brain was as solid as a boulder.  I stretched the limits of my abilities, carefully searching for an opening.   

Time ticked slowly by.  The only sounds were a mixture of Ivan’s low growls and the bear’s heavy breathing.  Then it looked me in the eye, and I saw its humanity
. 
I
had
gotten to it.  The giant animal closed its mouth and turned, lumbering away into the denser stand of trees as if it was thoroughly bored with us. 

It took a few more seconds before I breathed a heavy sigh and began rubbing Ivan’s head in relief.  He seemed content in his wolf form, and I was grateful since the motions of my hands petting him were slowing my pounding heart. 

Finally, after another moment, I stood up, and as quick as that action was, I was flying through the air.  I landed in the Mountain Laurel bush, the branches slicing into my back and arms.  Ivan was knocked away from me when I took to the air. I heard him hit the ground with a sickening crack and yelp right before the bush caught me.

Lifting my head, I felt stinging on my stomach, and I glanced down.  My top was ripped, exposing four angry looking slashes that resembled the cuts kitchen knives would have made if racked across my belly.  The blood gushing from them quickly obscured the view until only a pool of the red liquid was puddled there.  I was almost sick, the bile lifting in my throat, but somehow I managed to swallow it down and concentrate on healing myself.  Multitasking, I jerked my head around, searching for the source of the injury.

It blended in with the yellowing undergrowth, but I heard the low, deep rattle from its throat, and knew exactly what it was.  It padded out of the bushes and stood between Ivan and myself.  Its thick, tawny colored fur reflected the sunlight, changing shade with the movements of its muscles.  The animal’s face had black points that made it beautiful to look upon, but that thought quickly evaporated when I gazed at the creature’s freakishly tall height.  Its shoulder came close to the height of my own if I was standing up, making it the largest cat that would ever have prowled these mountains. 

This must be Cray. 

The arrogant lion glared at me with golden eyes before it unleashed a sharp, angry roar.  The sound knocked me backwards, the same as if I’d been physically pushed. 

I tried to reach its mind, but the cat wouldn’t allow it. His wall was battened down with no chance of penetration.  The brute didn’t give me time to come up with other options either, leaping at me, and swiping my shoulder with such force that I went smashing sideways into the nearest tree. 

My camisole was in tatters, the blood from my shoulder, which I feared was broken, was leaking down into the blood still pumping from my stomach.  Pain shot through me as I tried to roll into a sitting position.  I crumpled back down to the ground.  My body wasn’t working right.   

Cray stood there, twitching his tail, purposely prolonging my death, the same as a barn cat playing with an injured mouse.  Anger began to grow within me, and a trickling of the power washed lightly over me.  I began healing myself, slowly from the inside out, but without my full attention, it wasn’t going well.  I was losing too much blood.  I wasn’t sure how long I could stay conscious either.  At any moment, I expected to drift away into oblivion, and then bleed to death
.

I had to do something before I weakened even more.

Ivan must have been thinking the same way.  He pulled himself up.  Inwardly, I screamed
no
to him loud and clear, but only a whisper gurgled from my mouth when I tried to say it for real.  He hurled himself at the cat that was twice his size. Even in his damaged state, Ivan managed to knock the beast to the ground, but only for an instant as Cray rolled, and was on his feet again. The lion shook himself off and stared at Ivan with malevolence, lightly stepping towards the wolf, deliberately. When it was within a couple of yards, it gathered its muscles and sprang at the wolf.  Its claws were fully extended and spread wide. 

It was as if I was watching the scene in slow motion.  The lion was in the air, falling towards the wolf, and the wolf was rushing to meet it with its teeth exposed.  They slammed into each other, snarling, roaring and yelping.  The lion had the wolf down, and was ravaging his head and neck.  The wolf was fighting back, but his movements were lessening, until he suddenly dropped limply to the ground.