17. Ylfa
It turned out thatRaven left the continent several days before we arrived and just freaking fantastic. It’s like fate is keeping us apart.
It this some test from above?
Yeah, Luna, what gives?
Mother won’t answer your prayers now, Ylfa. Keep your nose on the ground.
I gripe inwardly as Silver scolds me, and she’s right. I won’t go throwing the blame on the moon now; I need to keep my head in this world.
The humans lead us into a steep cave, and I can feel the walls closing in. We are truly and utterly trapped. There’s nothing stopping them from killing us now. For all we know, they could be leading us into a trap.
But one reassuring look from Brianna and my fears melt away. She’s got my back, and would you look at that... I’ve made one more friend.
It seems I have a way with humans.
The air is thinning the further we descend into the cave, and I’m struggling to breathe. A strong, mineral scent seeps off the walls, which I’m too afraid to touch. They seem to bleed with some strange, salty substance. Seawater flows through here, and I choke on the sharp smell of brine.
Does seawater taste as salty as the authors say it does in all their books? I’m not about to find out any time soon. I’m not that crazy.
I just wonder where the humans find fresh drinking water here. Is there a stream close by?
We reach the end of the narrow passage, spilling out into an open area. Light filters in through cracks in the rocks above, and this is it...
The rendezvous site.
There are more humans down here than there were on the beach, and it looks to be some kind of communal area. Every single one of them stops what they’re doing, gazing at us in a state of shock. One old man who’s messing with some wire and fishing tackle drops his things on the floor as his chin pops loose. A woman plucking the feathers from a dead seagull snarls, twirling her small blade.
They’re a mean-looking bunch, and they’ll skin us alive if we dare so much as step a toe out of line.
I guess I need to repeat what I said on the beach to these humans. Fortunately, Tim addresses the ragtag bunch in my stead, and now I stand back with my mates as his voice bounces off the walls.
“Do not fear. These wolves come in peace. The cute blonde one at the front assured us.”
Wait, does he mean me? Am I the cute blonde? Well, call me flattered...
Hunter peers down at me and winks. Patrick rolls his eyes, managing a small smile. Annabel looks happy for me that someone in this world finally noticed how beautiful I am.
All eyes are on me, and I guess this is the part where I speak. Brianna has got my back though, and my mates.
I clear my throat. “It’s true. I came here looking for Raven. But I’ve come to learn that she is no longer here. Not to worry. I suppose I can get the message across here. Take me to your leader. I have a very important message for him.”
I suppose I no longer need Raven’s assistance. She was only a mediator, but now I have the attention of all these humans.
Still... It would have been nice to have seen her. A familiar face. I’m not so sure if I can trust Brianna completely. I know she would turn against us in a heartbeat if she truly felt threatened. She has the advantage of numbers here.
The humans far outnumber the wolves, even with Butch’s squad on our side.
A hunched old woman hobbles toward me, gazing up into my face, and I hold my breath. I’ve never seen a human so wizened, and she must be tough if she has managed to live this long. She’s blind in one eye as her left is a milky white, and it’s that eye that seems to see more than it lets on.
She cackles, a dry, scratchy sound, and she reminds me of a storybook witch. This was the woman who was waiting for Hansel and Gretel in that gingerbread house...
“The wolf girl speaks the truth. I see it with my mystical eye...”
Mystical eye?
Brianna leans closer. “Ethel is psychic. She sees all with that blind eye...”