Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
“No, I don’t suppose you did.” She sighs, the und ancient and weary. “But here we are.”
“Can you help us find Lisa?” Kellan asks, his voice tight.
Sister Miriam’s gaze slides to him, considering. “We already know where she is. I suspect you’re asking me to help you save her, but that’s not why I’m here.”
“Then why are you here?” I ask, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.
She smiles, slow and dangerous. “To teach you, of course. You’ve finally awakened your power, Ava. But you have no idea how to control it.”
I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. “I don’t…”
“Don’t what? Want to learn?” She laughs, the sound harsh and grating. “You don’t have a choice, child. Your power will consume you if you don’t learn to master it.”
Vota
“What do you mean, consume her?” Jericho demands, his eyes narrowed.
Sister Miriam sighs, flicking ash from the end of her cigarette. “Magic is a living thing, wolf. It has a will of its own. And right now, Ava’s magic is wild, untamed. If she doesn’t le to control it, it will control her.”
When they still stand there, waiting for more, she rolls her eyes, making even that seem almost elegant, even if the rest of her face is too blank to make it seem natural. “Your girl will go boom, wolf. And everything around her will pay the price.”
“What’s the difference between now and before?”
Sister Miriam’s brows draw together slowly, just a little out of sync. Sometimes, she acts so naturally. Other times, it’s like she can’t control her entire face. This is one of those times, and the wrongness of it causes shudders of repulsion. “Before?”
It’s a struggle to find the correct wording. “When I first got my powers. I went into heat. It was painful.”
“Ah.” Her brow smooths out almost instantly, and it’s fascinating. Like there was something beneath her skin, and it just dashed out, leaving it flat and expressionless. “Yes. It was more of a half
awakening.” She holds out her hand, tight as a fist.
“Once, you were empty. Then, small cracks appeared, allowing the power to flow within.” She opens her fist a little, spreading her fingers, as though holding onto an invisible ball. “This is the state of most of you as children. You have power coursing through you. Some of you will tap into this power in times of immense stress.” Memories of running through the forest, almost as fast as Lucas in his wolf form, flash through my mind. Sister Miriam nods, seeing whatever expression on my face tips her off.
“You have experienced this. But you cannot feel it, no matter how hard you try. Right?”
Before I can even nod, she opens her palm flat nd now, you have made a connection with the power inside you. It’s a contract, of sorts. Can you feel it? A warmth in your chest?”
“Yes.” My answer is a mere whisper; hearing her say what only I’ve experienced is surreal.
“It invites you to touch it. To tap into it. To use it. But, Ava,” and she snaps her fist closed, before bringing it back to her side. “You have no control over that power. Even now, you can only access a flicker of your potential. And that is still enough to level several houses around you.”
“How do you know all of this?” Jericho demands, grabbing my arm and yanking me behind him. Kellan closes the ranks so I can barely see over their shoulders. “You’re doing a lot of talking but no real explanations. You know too much for someone who isn’t around. How? What spies do you have on our land?”
“Your land?” Sister Miriam sneers at the old shifter, and for the first time I can feel a violent intent coming from her direction. “Your land. That is what you are taught, isn’t it? That your wolf territory is sacred. That any who come within are trespassers on your land.
“The Westwood Pack has taken over the Blackwood territory,” Kellan asserts coolly, “It has been approved by the Council and by the highest level of human government. Until such a time as a new leader has been established for the Blackwood Pack, Alpha Lucas Westwood is the leader of this territory.”
“Ah, yes,” she mocks. “Your petty little laws.”
“Petty?” Kellan’s back tenses, and I grab onto his elbow, squeezing hard in a reminder for him to hold back.
We want answers from Sister Miriam; not a squabble.
“Sister Miriam, can you answer my questions?” I interrupt, squeezing between the two men. They don’t let me at first, but Jericho eventually grunts and steps to the side, letting me through.
“Of course, my dear.” She’s once again calm toward me, with no hint of the fury she harbors against the two shifters.
Is it because I’m more human?
“We were working with someone named Steve. She disappeared. Everything about her disappeared. The building she was in doesn’t exist anymore. It’s like it was never there.”
Sister Miriam’s entire body straightens, her ruby eyes narrowing. “You worked with the Fae? Child, what were you thinking? You don’t know enough about this world to step foot in it without a mentor.”
“How do you know she’s a Fae?” Kellan interjects with a frown. “We haven’t even told you anything about her yet.”
“Illusion is a Fae’s bread and butter, wolf.” Sister Miriam bares her teeth at him, and for the first time, I can see her long canines.
All of the wolves behind me growl; even Vanessa.
The strange woman licks her canines, never one blinking as she stares Kellan down. “You know nothing about the Fae, and yet you are prepared to walk into the fire with your Luna. It is commendable to be that much of an idiot, I suppose. But wolves are always frantic over their mates. Don’t worry, you pathetic canine soul. Your precious mate will be in good hands soon, far from the Mad Prince’s tower.”
Her eyes dart toward mine. “Did you make a contract with this Fae? Eat anything she gave you?”
I shake my head.
Sister Miriam relaxes a little. “It is unusual to see a Fae in the human lands, but not impossible. They are an adventurous people.”
“Should I be worried? She disappeared not long after we went to her.”
She shakes her head, her long black hair swaying with the gentle movement. “No, child. It is likely that she felt some sort of danger, and escaped. There are many out to get a wayward Fae. It is a hard life.” Her eyes pin me in place. “Much like it is to be a little witchling, unaware of the extent of her power. Did you know that you’re now like a beacon for anyone in the area?”
“A beacon?” Startled, I can’t help the urge to glance down at myself.
“Those attuned to you could feel it immediately.” Sister Miriam looks me over with some curiosity. “Though I feel you won’t explain how this change happened to be, it is both blessing and a curse to you, as you are right now.”
There are so many questions rushing through my head, but I know she isn’t going to answer them. She’s too cryptic to explain how she knows what’s going on with me, or what she wants from me. So I switch tactics.
“Someone’s calling me. Texting me. Telling me to come to the city.”
“Yes. He is reckless and wild in his old age, but it is a teacher. He’s been waiting for quite some time, and is eager to meet a new student. They are quite rare these days.” Her eyes flicker toward everyone else in the room. “Though he does hate your people.”
That isn’t the answer I expect, and it throws me off. “Are you sure? He did want me to come to the city, but he also sounded very…” my voice trails off, unsure of how to explain how menacing his words sound, without ever having threatened me to my face.
“Strange? Blunt? Sadistic?” Sister Miriam tosses words at me, seeming to be genuine in her desire to help.
“Doomsday, maybe? At first I thought he was one of the people who took Lisa.”
“He, work with the likes of the Mad Prince?” Her lips curve in something like derision. “You should have no fear of that, little witch. You will be safe in his care. Access to your phone. Free reign of the city, with guards. You can even leave and see your alpha lover, if you so wish. We are not monsters there.”
Her last words are shot toward Kellan and Jericho.
The old man looks thoughtful, but Kellan continues to scowl. “Pretty words, with no guarantees.”
I sense only truth from the dhampir, Selene says, the most relaxed out of all of us. Even so, I can feel the wariness and caution emanating from her end of our bond.
“Can I bring my guards with me?” I wave a hand at them. “It would go a long way to assuring my safety in the city.”
Sister Miriam sighs, her gaze sweeping over the wolves surrounding me. “It’s too dangerous for pack wolves to enter the city, even with scent blockers.”
Jericho’s jaw tightens. “We’re supposed to trust your protection alone? Why would a vampire even want to help Ava?”
“Vampires are driven by pleasure. Inherently selfish creatures.” Kellan’s eyes narrow at Sister Miriam.
She regards Jericho for a long, heavy moment. “I remember your situation well.”
Jericho stiffens, his face paling.
“You did nothing wrong,” Sister Miriam says, her voice almost gentle. “Some vampires, when they’re too young, they can’t control themselves. They make for great friends, being so close to humanity still. But that lack of control also makes them dangerous.”
Questions burn on my tongue, desperate to know more about what transpired between them. But Jericho’s shock at Sister Miriam’s knowledge keeps me silent.
Kellan’s brow furrows with concern, but he doesn’t speak.
Vanessa steps forward, taking advantage of the awkward silence. “What can you do to assure us of our Luna’s safety?”
“What more must be done? I have done all this without any payment from the girl. And no gratitude.” Sister Miriam arches a brow.You should know that vampires value their time. A contract is required for every transaction, and yet Ava has been forced into nothing. I’ve been quite generous, only to be treated like some sort of leper.”
All of the wolves stare at her with suspicion, but guilt crawls in my gut.
Sister Miriam has yet to do anything to harm me, even as I harbor more and more suspicion against her. Even now, when I call her here, everything sounds as though she’s an ally. And yet I can’t trust her.
It’s not a good feeling.