He pulled free of me, scrabbling back when he realised what he’d done, leaving me to fall heavily onto the bedroll. I looked up drunkenly, not completely sure what my name was let alone what had happened, and dimly recognised a bloody-faced Aaron and a huge grey wolf sitting by his side.
“I’m sorry,” he said, holding out a hand. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
What the fuck does he have to be sorry for? I thought. I was aware I should roll to my knees, scramble over there and see what the fuck was upsetting him, but I was broken. It’s why I just lay there when Brandon came to my side.
“Fuck…” He turned my head, and I couldn’t have stopped him if I tried. I was limp as his fingers gently touched my neck, but he pulled back when I hissed. He probably thought it was pain, but instead, it was aftershocks shooting through me. “Jules? Jules, are you—”
I was falling, some kind of terrible gravity yanking me down, no wind or air marking my passing, only my lurching stomach letting me know what was happening. And then I wasn’t. That same heat burned within me, but right now, it was a gentle glow. A glow that filled the whole place.
I’ve been here before, I thought, and as if summoned by that, the Great White Wolf appeared. I jerked backwards, she now sat almost nose to nose with me, reaching forward to close the growing gap when I scrambled away. And then bam, the white place dissolved to reveal something else entirely.
This is some next level Inception shit, right here, I thought, looking around me. The featureless space had given way to a bustling city, but unlike the ones I had seen in my lifetime, this one was beautiful.
Buildings soared into the air in a series of fluid arcs, great crystalline windows filled with jewelled coloured glass depicted scenes from stories I was completely unfamiliar with. Broad plazas paved with rainbow mosaics were filled with elegant but oddly dressed people promenading to and fro. Huge sculptures of wolves prowled along public spaces, the white and black stone they were carved from containing a faintly iridescent glow. A sweet-scented breeze ruffled my hair, jerking my consciousness back to my own body.
“OK,” I muttered. “So wow, this is amazing, but I have no idea why I’m supposed to be here.”
As if summoned, a great procession of people emerged from behind one building, obviously having been walking along perpendicular to where I stood. Massive bouquets of flowers were carried, and confetti that shone in the sunlight was scattered, while those nearest to me immediately moved closer to watch the proceedings. By the time I hustled over, the crowd was four bodies deep, but in the end, it didn’t matter.
I might’ve only been able to dimly make out the participants over the top of people’s heads, but the main attraction was clear for all to see. There, striding up the boulevard with a quiet dignity, was the Great Black Wolf.
I took a step back instinctively, remembering that massive set of jaws that had emerged in our vision, the white fangs about to close around us. I blinked, jerking my attention to the here and now as I realised that I’d walked through the bodies of several onlookers as I’d done so. It appeared I was little more than a ghost. I didn’t get too long to ponder that, as the crowd all joined the end of the procession as the last of it passed by, and I followed along.
People walked through the crowds, distributing leis of flowers, until everyone had one around their neck. A song in a language I didn’t understand was sung by one or two of the crowd with the rest soon joining in, and not long after the whole boulevard rang with it. And that wasn’t a metaphor of speech. By the sides of the road, tall crystal pillars had been erected. The stones shone, then let out a high pure note as the singing grew louder, the tips beginning to glow and then sending out bolts of light that connected the crystals together. I scanned the scene with a frown as I walked, trying to work out what the hell it was all for, when the crowd slowed down.
I struggled to peer over the tops of people’s heads as some now performed some complex dance moves as well. Joy radiated from the face of every person I passed as I slid through the participants, making my way to the empty footpaths. I strode down the stony surface and saw the Great Black Wolf standing there at the edge of an immense plaza, waiting for something. I stopped when I got to the point he was at, my eyes darting over to catch a sidelong look at those massive black furred paws, before jerking away as some noise across the plaza had me turning to take a look.
There, in mirror image to our side, was another huge singing and dancing crowd, and standing at the head was the Great White Wolf.
She lifted her head, staring across the large space at her other half, and when I glanced up at him, he did the same. That gaze, green eyes burning into red, seemed to be the trigger they were waiting for. They strode forth into the square, the people following them much more slowly now, but their paws ate up the space and closed the gap between them until they reached two large podiums. Both climbed the steps with ease, then came to sit with tails tucked about their bodies, each watching the other. The music and celebrations grew louder. Worshippers toting instruments played them with wild abandon as dancing groups were formed, some centred around a woman, others around a man, though there were smaller groups of mixed participants. My head whipped up when I heard the hum, so similar to the one I’d heard in my head sometimes when my pack came together. The crystals ringing in the space, the podiums, even the ones people wore at their wrists and necks, all began to glow. The participants seemed to be inspired by this, moving their bodies in wilder and wilder movements so that when the glowing forms of their beasts appeared beside them, it was as if they had been shaken loose. The vast area filled now with both humanoid and lupine figures, the shadowy Tirians in every shade of black to white. And then it happened.
The rise in sound had me looking back at the two wolves, their eyes glowing so bright, it hurt to look at them. The light, the sound, the increasingly frenzied dancing, all led to this. The two wolves shivered, their forms transforming until a man and a woman stood where the animals had. She was majestic, still a giant compared to us, her long red hair tumbling over her shoulders, her green dress hugging her shapely form before pooling across the podium. She smiled at him, that same gentle knowing smile women in love give their beloveds. He was tall, muscular, and dressed in simple brown leather armour that somewhat resembled what the Volken wore. His black hair was long as well, the ragged fall, the ice-blue eyes all very familiar. I watched the two of them step towards each other with a rising sense of dread, but not because of what they were about to do as their hands went t
o each other, their lips on a collision course. When they kissed, light exploded, washing everything away.
My eyes jerked open, and the view of the tent reasserted itself. Both Aaron and Brandon hung over me, eyes creased with concern.
“Sylvan,” I said, and then scrambled to my feet, wrapping a sheet around me as I left.
12
I dimly heard them calling my name as I left the tent, but I strode out into the camp, eyes searching the darkness, looking for the Volken seer.
“Jules.”
My head whipped around to see Slade standing by the fire, looking at me with concern. I loved that, but he was not my focus right now. I took a step, but was yanked back when the sheet I had wrapped around me caught on a tent peg. I pulled it furiously, hearing the fabric rip, but surged forward now I was free. Or I would have, if Slade hadn’t gotten in the way.
“What’s going on?” he said, eyes taking in my dishevelled state.
“Later, Slade,” I said. “I need to find Sylvan.”
“Of course, it’s ‘later, Slade.’ You’ve got blood all over you, no clothes on, and look like you have a mating mark bitten into your neck, but now’s not the time to talk.”
I frowned as I looked back at him. “What?”
“This is the way it's been…well, since we mated.”
“What? No. And anyway, I need to find Sylvan, now.”