Sacrifice of Love (20 page)

Sally glared at Cynthia while hearing her words, hearing their truth, and hating them. She knew that there were some things that weren’t her business because Decebel wasn’t just Jen’s boyfriend, he was her husband and that did make it different.

“But he’s making the wrong choice,” she whined.
Way to be real mature Sally,
she thought to herself.

“That is not for you to decide,” Peri told her, the words of the Great Luna echoing in her mind. “The Fates will ultimately decide whose life they will accept. There is so little we control in this life, and as much as we would like to think life and death is one of those things, it just isn’t.”

Sally let out a deep, resigned sigh. She couldn’t tell Jen. In fact, she couldn’t tell anyone.

“This freaking sucks,” she grumbled.

“So goes the story of our paranormal lives,” Peri agreed.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” the Great Luna said softly to the wolf in human form before her. The warm night air blew through her shimmering hair and the moonlight made her skin glow.

“You knew I was coming?”

“Yes, and they have agreed to hear you.” She motioned for the wolf to follow her. She walked into the forest. As the trees swallowed her, the wolf paused just for a second before following the goddess inside.

They wound through the trees until there was a canopy of limbs that hung over an opening to a cave. Light flickered at the entrance as if a fire burned inside and the flames danced, tempting them to enter and seek its warmth. The Great Luna stepped aside and motioned for the wolf to go into the cave. “This is as far as I go,” she told the wolf who continued forward, following the beckoning light.

The wolf walked deeper into the cave until a voice said to stop.

“We have agreed to hear your petition.” The three figures of the Fates suddenly appeared before the wolf. “What is it you ask for?”

“I come to offer my life in the place of one that you have claimed. I ask that you allow the child to live and let me fulfill the debt. Let my blood wipe clean the slate.” The wolf’s voice was full of sincerity.

“Why would you offer yourself as a sacrifice for this child? It is one thing for the father to do so, but who is this child to you that you would lay down your life?”

“The child is pack. She is family and she is loved. What greater way to show that she is loved than to give my life for hers?”

Silence filled the cave as the Fates watched the wolf, and then they finally spoke again.

“We will consider your sacrifice, but you will not know our decision until the moment it is due. You must tell no one of your choice. For true sacrifice does not seek approval or crave attention. You will do this and no one will know until you have left this life and passed on to the next.”

The wolf left the cave and walked into the arms of the Great Luna.

“Can you restore what has begun to be broken?”

The Great Luna’s eyes filled with moisture as she shook her head. “I cannot. They still might choose him. If their bond was restored, then she would die also. I am proud of you, but I hurt for you as well.”

“It is what should be,” the wolf told her.

The Great Luna nodded. “Just because it is right, does not make it easy.”

“No, but it just might atone for my wrongs.”

“Oh child, all you need do is ask for forgiveness and the wrongs are wiped clean.”

“I want to believe that,” the wolf looked into her eyes, “but there is a part of me that feels that I can never be forgiven, that I will never be worthy of it.”

The goddess took the wolf’s face in her hands and held it gently. “You are not worthy. Not on your own, but
I
have made you worthy. My love for you has made you worthy.”

Chapter 13

“Peace is a fragile thing. It is forged on the trust that your enemy will choose respect over pride, selflessness over greed, and mercy over power. It is not won in wars, nor bargained for in treaties, for it can’t be won and it can’t be negotiated, not real peace. Real peace, peace that lasts, comes when parties who do not agree, set aside their disagreements for a greater purpose. It comes at the price of self. That is why true peace will never last on this earth, because we are not beings who find many things worth the price of our self.” ~Skender

“Will you not welcome one of the Fae Council into your midst Thead?” Lorelle asked the troll king.

Thead’s eyes narrowed on the fae and the stirrings of mistrust rolled in his gut.

“Since when has the Fae Council ever shown interest in the trolls, Lorelle?” Thead asked. His deep voice rumbled and he smirked as he watched the female shift nervously.

“Since we have heard rumors of war coming your way.”

Thead didn’t give her the pleasure of acting fearful, or surprised, though he might be both of those things. He could tell that there was something amiss with this Lorelle of the fae.

“Then tell me your rumors and be on your way.”

She drew herself up and pulled her shoulders back. She met his eyes, and though she was taller than he and probably more powerful, he didn’t flinch under her gaze. He didn’t flinch until she spoke.

“Cypher, King of the Warlocks, has declared war on the trolls for the murder of Thea, mate to Reyaz, the king’s brother. He will accept no prisoners; he will extend no mercy, blood for blood, life for life.”

Thead continued to hold onto the mask he had donned as soon as Lorelle had appeared, but it took everything in him to keep from lashing out. Cypher had promised him long ago that no retaliation would come after Thea’s death. He had told Thead that he would not condemn an entire race for the misdeeds of a few and he had believed him. Now, centuries later, what would bring him to go back on his word? What would change his view on something so very important?

“You do know that Cypher has taken a mate don’t you?” Lorelle said, as if she had just read the questions in his mind.

“No, I had not heard that,” he admitted.

“I suggest that you ready yourself King. Cypher will not be swayed and war will be at your door before you know it.”

Thead stood there staring at the spot that Lorelle had just occupied. He had always hated the disappearing act that the fae could perform; it left him uneasy in the sudden silence. War was coming, she had said, and at the hands of the warlocks. He and his did not stand a chance against them. They were not very powerful to begin with, but with the magic in the human realm waning, their ability to protect themselves had dropped greatly. He honestly had no idea how he could possibly ready himself and his clan, but he knew he wouldn’t just lie down and let Cypher destroy them. If he was going to die, he would die fighting.

“Cyn, Prince Thalion, it is good to see you again,” Vasile told his unexpected guests as he motioned them to take a seat in his office. “I have a feeling this is not a social call.”

“I wish I could say otherwise,” Thalion said as he took a seat. Cyn sat next to him on the love seat, her serious face firmly back in place.

“Cyn has come across some very disturbing news,” Thalion began. “Let me back up. I went to see Gerick at the warlock stronghold. Cypher has commissioned my elves to make his warriors’ weapons. I was there to verify the amount and the types today. While I was there, Gerick exhibited some very strange behavior. But he said he was fine, and so I took my leave,” he paused and looked at Cyn who took it as her cue to continue.

“He mentioned the behavior to me so I went to check on the situation. When I arrived, Cypher was there in the great hall, along with nearly all of the warlocks. They were in various states of illness. Some vomited while others writhed in pain. But still others were standing up appearing perfectly normal, other than their eyes being a blood red. Then I heard Cypher talking about war.”

“War?” Vasile had been listening quietly as the two spoke but at the mention of war, his wolf perked up. “With whom?”

“He has declared war on the trolls,” Cyn said.

Vasile sat back in his chair as her words sunk in. They reverberated through his mind and crawled into his veins like thousands of tiny ants. War, the word rung ominously in the room. Hadn’t there been enough war? Hadn’t there been enough blood spilt, enough lives taken to last many lifetimes? And where had this idea come from? Cypher hadn’t mentioned any ideas of attacking the trolls when he had met with Vasile. He had seemed completely focused on his brother and dealing with that problem. As his mind wrestled with the questions and thoughts surrounding this new dilemma, he stood and pulled his phone from his pocket. He pressed the number three and then waited.

“Alpha,” Skender’s voice came through the speaker.

“I need you in my office now.” Vasile hung up without waiting for a response.

Cyn and Thalion had also stood and were staring at him, waiting. He didn’t like repeating himself so he didn’t speak until the door opened and Skender came striding in with Decebel right behind him.
No surprise there,
Vasile thought to himself. Decebel was attempting to find any way to stay busy, to keep from having to be still and deal with whatever it was that kept him and his wolf so riled up.

“Skender, I need you to go see the King of the trolls,” Vasile said.

Skender nodded once before asking “Is there something…,”

Vasile held his hand up, cutting the wolf off. “I will give you the information you need if you will be patient and let me get it out.” A low growl emanated from his chest as he spoke. Skender immediately dropped to one knee and exposed his neck. Vasile’s power was radiating through the room and it caused the others to shift uncomfortably.

“Cypher has declared war on the trolls.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Decebel grumbled under his breath. Vasile ignored him and continued speaking.

“I need you to find out if Thead is aware of the declaration and if so, what response he is mustering.”

“Yes Alpha,” Skender said.

“Stand up Skender,” Vasile said in exasperation. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger and squeezed his eyes shut briefly. “My anger is not at you. It is at the situation,” he explained.

Skender simply stood and nodded.

“I will go with him,” Decebel spoke up.

“I would prefer you stay here, but as I am not your Alpha you may decide.”

Decebel met Vasile’s eyes trying to get a read on him, but all he could see was frustration and irritation.

“Fine, I will send Costin with him.”

“I am not going to deliver the weapons to Cypher,” Thalion told Vasile, “not until this threat he has professed has been retracted.”

“I think that is wise,” Vasile agreed.

“Decebel, I would like for us to speak with our top males about this. We will need to take action and it will need to be swift and hard. Thalion, you are welcome to stay and listen in. Cyn could you please summon Alston?” Vasile turned then and looked at Skender, “Wait until after we’ve discussed everything before you leave.”

Fifteen minutes later, Vasile’s office was filled with wolves, fae, and an elf prince. Decebel had quickly gathered Costin, Fane, Sorin, Gavril, Adam, Wadim, and Drake. He had asked Vasile about Boian, but Vasile had simply said that he had the wolf looking into other things. Cyn had brought Alston, and Thalion had chosen to stay. He stood leaning back against his desk, staring at absolutely nothing.

“I’m beginning to see a pattern here,” Wadim spoke up. “Every time we meet like this, you tell us that someone wants to kill us.”

There were a few snorts around the room at his joke but it died down quickly when Vasile finally looked up at them all. His eyes glowed with the power of his wolf and frustration was written across his brow.

“Unfortunately, I
have
gathered you because of death, but it is not our death that is being sought after.”  Vasile informed them of everything Thalion and Cyn had told him. He watched as expressions changed from shock to confusion and anger.

“This doesn’t sound like something Cypher would do,” Sorin said.