Authors: M. R. Merrick
The cabin wasn’t large, but it was more than adequate for the two of us. A small sitting room with an old couch and a single chair crowded a wood burning stove. In the opposite corner, a single counter made up most of the kitchen where a green fridge and a two burner stove sat.
Past the kitchen was a single room with two beds and a night table between them. The bathroom sat outside the bedroom made up of a small, green shower with dark rust stains throughout, a sink, and a toilet.
“And that’s it! I’ll let you two get settled and come check on you in a bit.” Chief’s excitement was clear in his voice and he smiled as he closed the door.
“Well, this is…cozy.” I said.
“Is there even hot water?” Rayna asked.
The door swung open and Garrett strolled through, carrying a few pieces of Rayna’s luggage. “There…you…go.” He struggled and set the luggage down with a
thump
. Another man came in behind him, set down the last few pieces and left.
“Only a week, right?” Rayna whimpered and moved into the bedroom.
“I’m sure you can find something in one of these suitcases to help you through.” I laughed.
“Funny.” Rayna unzipped the main pouch on one of her suitcases and a few books spilled out. She grabbed a small one with yellow pages and a creased spine and came towards me. “I almost forgot; I’ve been looking through some of Marcus’ books, and I think I found a lead on the ring and how it works.”
“That’s great…”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“That’s not important right now.”
“What do you mean? It’s the most important thing right now; you said so yourself.”
“Not now it isn’t. We’re not here for me, or the ring. We’re here to help you, and until that happens, nothing else matters.”
Another knock came at the door and I used it as an opportunity to get away from the conversation.
“This isn’t over!” Rayna yelled from the bedroom.
I was ready to respond, but when I opened the door, the words were stolen from my lips. The light blue eyes of Jonathan Winter stared at me.
“You're not supposed to be here.”
“I need to speak with Rayna. It’s important.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Who is it?” Rayna stepped out of the bedroom and froze.
“Rayna…” Jonathan pushed past me and stepped into the cabin. He put his hands out in front of him and walked slowly towards her. “I know I’m not supposed to be here, and you have every right to want nothing to do with me, but–”
“You’re damn right. I don’t want you anywhere near me.” Rayna stepped back.
“I just want a chance to explain.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Please, I just need five minutes.”
“I don’t–” Rayna cut her words off with a scream and keeled over.
I pushed past Jonathan and dropped down next to her. “Rayna, are you okay?”
Rayna was breathing heavily. She lifted her head to look at me, but the eyes that looked out belonged to the beast.
“Shit…” I whispered.
Chief and Garrett came rushing through the doorway, and without a word, Garrett pulled Jonathan back, dragging him outside.
“I need to talk to her!” he said, fighting against Garrett’s grip.
Garrett didn’t reply with anything but an inhuman growl. Jonathan snarled back and met Garrett’s gaze, but as a low, angry rumble came from Garrett's lips, Jonathan pulled his eyes away.
“Rayna, don’t fight it; own this moment,” Chief said. He was down on all fours staring into Rayna’s eyes. The beast growled and swiped towards him, but Chief leapt backwards with reflexes no human could have. “You control this beast; it doesn’t control you.” His eyes were fixed on Rayna's, not daring to turn away and give up dominance.
Low rumbles vibrated from both of their throats until Rayna's body gave out. She collapsed to the ground, bones cracking and moving beneath her skin. Thick blue veins rushed with black and pushed below the surface, causing her skin to have a ripple effect. The skin on her arms split, black fur pushing its way through. The clear fluid didn’t burst across the room this time; instead, it seeped out in a steady flow over her skin until there was no skin left on her arms. Bones broke, reformed, and in minutes her arms were gone, replaced by massive legs. Wide black paws held them up with fierce white claws protruding between them. Rayna’s lower jaw cracked, her human teeth reforming into short, jagged points. Rayna screamed in pain through thick fangs.
“No, don’t fight this!”
“It hurts!” Her words were muffled through feline jaws and a half snout that began pushing out from her face.
“You need to see past the pain. Push your beast to the surface on
your
terms.”
Rayna stared at me for only a moment before the beast took over. The sound of bones rubbing together sent a shiver down my spine before her kneecaps buckled. They dislocated themselves and moved, bending her legs at opposite angles. Rayna’s lips parted, but instead of a scream, a growl came from her mouth.
“Yes. Take control. This is
your
moment!” Chief said.
Her body flipped and pushed itself up on four paws. Rayna’s shirt stretched, her skin rippling as something pushed from inside. Her spine cracked and arched in a way a human’s couldn’t, forcing her shirt to ride up her body. Clear fluid dripped from the fabric as black fur pushed itself out from her hips.
Rayna’s body trembled and Chief brought his beast to the surface, slamming his power into Rayna. Her voice broke out in a scream and she collapsed to the floor, lying motionless on the ground, half-shifted and panting for air.
“What’s happening?” I asked in a panic.
Chief sighed. “Nothing.”
“Is she okay?”
Chief pushed himself to his feet. “She’s fine. Unconscious, but fine.” He adjusted the long black hair he'd tied into a ponytail. “I didn’t think it’d be that easy, but she’d shifted so far I thought,
maybe
.”
Rayna’s body twitched a few times before it began changing. Bones cracked, moving back into place, and claws slid back into her fingertips. Blood dripped from her lips as the fangs receded, and the thick black hair that covered her body pulled itself back inside through the wide slits in her body. The skin closed itself shut and returned to its toned, human form.
Chief slipped his hands underneath her and scooped her up with ease. He carefully guided her body through the narrow, crooked doorway and laid her in one of the beds.
“Is she going to be okay?”
“She won’t wake up for a while, but she’ll be fine. Too bad. She’ll miss out on some of the festivities tonight.” Chief grew quiet, and dark brown eyes watched Rayna.
“What the hell was that about? I thought we had a deal; she comes, he leaves her alone.”
“He was given strict instructions–”
“That's not good enough! Rayna trusted you. There’s enough going on right now. We don’t need him making things worse.”
“I assure you he will be dealt with accordingly. For now, she needs her rest, but I must ask you to do something for me.”
I sighed and shook my head. “What?”
“When Rayna wakes, she’ll be in pain, but you must promise me you will keep your magic to yourself.”
“Why?”
“Each time you heal her from the shift, her body reacts to the next one as though it’s the first. It prolongs the process. I think you’ll agree that we don’t want that.”
I looked to Rayna lying still on the bed and nodded.
“I know it’s hard to stand by and watch when you have the ability to help, but with this, I need you to do just that.”
“I understand.”
“The pride will be going on a meditation tonight. If you–”
“I have to stay with Rayna.”
Chief paused a moment before nodding. “I want you to know this retreat can be good for you as well. Marcus explained what has been happening to you. The power inside you is strong, but you are stronger. Perhaps some of what I have to teach Rayna may be of value to you as well.” I looked at Chief, but I didn’t respond. “Just think about it,” he said, and his feet tapped quietly on the floor as he left.
Rayna was passed out, her chest rising and falling with deep, heavy breaths. Bloodstains covered her body, and her clothing was torn in random places.
I set up a chair by the bedroom window and watched as dozens of people walked through the clearing and disappeared through the brush. I hoped I’d made the right decision in making Rayna come here. Every time I pushed to get my way it never worked out. I hoped this time was different, for Rayna’s sake. The last thing I wanted was to have anyone else die because of me.
Everything was hazy and I rubbed my eyes. My back ached from sleeping in the chair, and my spine cracked as I stretched, giving me that
hurt so good
feeling.
Rayna was still asleep and in the same position I’d left her in. She’d been out all night and hadn’t made a sound. She was still breathing; at least that was a good sign.
A fog so thick hung over the clearing outside you could barely see the forest. I watched as hues of pink, red, and orange exploded over the tree line, trying to push the fog back as warm rays dove into the clearing.
With the exception of Rayna’s breathing, everything was quiet. The scenery surrounding us was beautiful, and for a brief moment I stared out the window and enjoyed the silence. An odd feeling overcame me then and in that moment, I felt at peace. I was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nature. No phone, no TV, and most importantly, no one trying to kill me. For this one moment I was hidden from reality. I couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling of calm, and the thought that Chief might be right crossed my mind. If I could gain control of my elements, I’d be one step closer to stopping Riley. Maybe this retreat could be beneficial for both of us. We were here for Rayna and that was the priority, but maybe there was more to Chief than just taming the beast.
The last few days I’d had more control over my elements than ever before. Something had clicked inside me and they were working, but there was something else there, too. It was unfamiliar. It stirred inside my soul, dancing among flames and rapids, but I couldn’t explain it.
“Morning.” Rayna stretched out over the bed.
Even with the blood and fluid from the shift covering her body, she looked better than yesterday. The bags that had started to swell under her eyes from stress, lack of sleep, and too many tears were gone. She almost looked refreshed.
“How are you feeling?”
“I hurt.” She gave a pouty face.
“Chief said you would. He also said I can’t help you with that.”
“Why not?” Rayna swung her legs over the bed, wincing with every movement.
“He says healing you is making things worse. Every time your body tries to shift and I heal you, it makes the next one feel like the first time all over again.”
Rayna groaned and fell back on the bed. “I tried this time. I really did, but I couldn’t do it. It's too strong.”
“You can’t think like that. Chief said nobody does it the first try. It’s going to take time and practice.”
“This isn’t the first try and it’s not something I want to practice. Getting better at turning into an animal was not something on my bucket list.”
“Bucket list?” I laughed. “I think you’re a little young to have one of those.”
“Well, considering how often someone tries to kill me, I should.”
Silence fell over us and I watched her stretch again, her expression alone told me that she was in pain and I wished I could help.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know. There are no clocks here.”
“We’re so far from civilization that time doesn’t exist here. Great.” Rayna shuddered and looked up at me. “Did Jonathan come back?”
I shook my head. “He was told not to come at all. I don’t know why he was here in the first place. Chief assured me he’d deal with it, but his way of handling it hasn’t worked so far.”
“I can’t believe him. How can he just walk up after all this time and be like “
hey, let’s chat
.”
“I don’t–”
“It’s unbelievable to think he has the guts to try and strike up a conversation. It’s been eighteen years, I’m my own person, and I don’t even know him.”
“Maybe–”
“I just don’t know how to deal with him. How do you talk to the guy who was supposed to be your father, but vanished and let the world think he was dead? He could’ve stopped them.”
“Them?”
Rayna looked up at me and although her voice was angry, her eyes were full of sadness. “The Circle. He knew they didn’t approve of what he and my Mom were doing, but still, he just disappeared and left my mother to…” Rayna started breathing heavily and anger pushed itself over her last few words.
“Okay, you just woke up. Let’s not do this now.” I moved to the edge of her bed and crouched in front of her. “Look at me.”