the researcher said, bowing his head. “I brought the sage you requested along with the mix.”
“Good,”
she said calmly. “I’m a little too weak, so I’ll need your help.”
“Of course; what can I do for you?”
The researcher asked, approaching her bedside.
“Burn the sage sticks and walk around the room,”
she said slowly. “Make sure the smoke of the sage gets in each corner.”
“Sure,”
he said with a bit of uncertainty in his voice.
“Alpha, come sit by my bedside and hold the mix. I need it close to me.”
“Okay,”
I said, taking a seat beside her and taking the mix from the researcher’s hands.
At that moment, I smelled the sweet and florescent scent of the sage being burned as the researcher began his journey around the room, pausing at each corner and making sure the smoke lingered there for each moment before moving on to the next.
In a low and calm tone, Hazel began to speak in a language I didn’t recognize. But each word she spoke drew me in and caused me to be calmer each second. The scent of the sage grew stronger, and the overall atmosphere felt protected and cared for.
I realized that Hazel’s eyes were closed and she, with great effort, lifted her bruised arms above her head, facing her palms to the ceiling as she spoke a bit louder as if she was speaking to the heavens above.
I felt a light gust of wind, which was odd because we were inside, and the sweet smell of the earth filled my senses and calmed my entire body. I felt the troubles of my mind erasing and for a second, I almost fell asleep.
What brought me back to the present moment was the feeling of her hand on the mixture canteen I held in my hands. I opened my eyes and saw that she was staring at the mixture with such intensity I thought she was going to burn a hole in the canteen.
Her grip was firm and that’s when I realized it was also glowing a light green color. I stared in amazement, shocked at what was happening before my eyes.
I saw the researcher taking quick looks in our direction as well, but he continued to circle the room with the sage while she continued to speak her enchantment.
The mixture began to move on its own as if it were being mixed with a finger or something, but none of us were touching it.
Soon, the movements of the mixture stopped, and her words died down; the sage seemed to have stopped burning on its own and all that was left was silence.
Another smell hit me and it made me almost drop the canteen.
“Oh, my goddess…”
The researcher said as he approached; the smell must have hit him as well. That familiar and horrid smell made our stomachs turn.
Even Hazel had her nose scrunched as she took in the scent.
“The masking spell has been broken,”
she announced, tiredly. “The true mixture is what remains in your hands and now you know the truth.”
Yeah, we knew the truth all right, and telling from the researcher’s face, he knew exactly what this was.
He didn’t need to say the words for me to know, but he looked up at me anyway, taking the canteen from my frozen hands and his words brought me to my feet.
“Wolfsbane.”
Lila’s POV
It felt like my entire body was numb, and yet, all I felt was pain. It wasn’t the same fiery feeling I felt earlier, but it felt as if I was just beaten. My body felt heavy, and my breathing was rash, but at least I was breathing.
I had yet to open my eyes, but I knew once I did, I wasn’t going to find myself in the arena. I wasn’t sure where I was expecting I was, but I knew Professor Xander had to do with this.
I also had this strange sense of loneliness, but it wasn’t that I felt alone in general, I somehow knew, without even opening my eyes, that I was alone in this area. I didn’t feel safe, but I also didn’t feel as if I was in immediate danger as well.
Managing to open my eyes, I finally got a glimpse of the darkness that surrounded me. I heard myself groaning as I lifted my head, trying to get a grasp of my surroundings, but I was getting nothing. All I felt was pain and all I smelled was nasty mildew and maybe even Hay.
Was I in a stable?
The school didn’t have a stable, which meant I wasn’t on campus. But I can’t imagine he took me far from school.
How long have I been out for?
I moved my hands, trying to grip the ground under me and I was relieved to feel that my hands were free of any cuffs. When I moved my feet, I was even more relieved.
He didn’t shackle me for whatever reason, but that didn’t help me if I didn’t know where I was. The quick movements of my body caused pain to shoot through me and I gritted my teeth at the very sensation, trying to keep myself from screaming in agony.
That fiery feeling was returning to my veins, and I took a steady deep breath to keep myself from passing out again. I gripped the dirt that lay under my body, silently begging for the goddess to relieve some of this pain.
Soon, the pain eased, and I found the strength to sit up.
I scooted backward until my back was able to rest against a wall and I allowed my body to relax slightly. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I was able to get some kind of look at my surroundings, I realized he didn’t shackle me because he had locked me in some kind of cage.
I was also right about the hay; I was surrounded by it. It was like a stable, but I didn’t sense any life around me, which meant there were no animals. The walls were made of rustic wood and on the very top of the tall wall sat a couple of windows. They weren’t big enough to crawl through though, so I didn’t find much hope for them.
In front of me, beyond the cage I was placed in, I saw a giant arched closed door with streaks of light breaking through the cracked corners and I realized I was inside of a barn.
My heart was racing rapidly; why would he bring me here to just leave me?
I tried to remember the last thing he said to me.
“You need to learn to escape the impossible.”
Was this some kind of test?
“Val?”
I whispered out loud to my wolf. “Are you with me?”
I knew the answer long before I even asked the question; her silence only confirmed it. I was completely on my own. She was too weak to say or do anything, but I knew she was there in the back of my mind, itching to come out.
Take it in. Embrace it. Own it.
Those words still haunted my mind.
I wondered if Enzo could feel my distress, even if I was out of range.
“Professor Xander?”
I called into the dark, knowing he wasn’t there.
I lay defeated on the ground, with zero hope of getting out of here.
You need to learn to escape the impossible.
What did that even mean?
I pressed my knees to my chest and buried my face in my lap as tears freely escaped my eyes. I was so defeated, I was in a lot of pain, and I was exhausted. All I wanted at that moment was to be wrapped up in Enzo’s arms.
It was clear to me now that Professor Xander was targeting me because I was a Volana. He, like everyone else, must have had some kind of vendetta against us and this was his way of getting rid of me. Maybe he’s trying to make it look like an accident, or maybe he had a sick and twisted way of playing games.
I gazed up at the small window above my head; it was high enough that I couldn’t reach it without standing on something. The light that peered through was fading, which meant it was becoming dusk quickly. I knew once night fell completely, I’d be in even more danger.
That’s when the creatures of the night start lurking around because they can blend with the shadows. Like evil rogues, dark witches, vampires, and other rogue shifters.
My heart was pounding at the very thought; it wouldn’t be long before they could smell me and come looking for me. I doubt Professor Xander properly sealed this barn before he left. Why would he? The whole point of this is to kill me without getting his hands dirty.
I pressed my lips together angrily; I was stupid to try and investigate him by myself. I should have told Enzo of my problems with him from the beginning. Maybe he could have helped me, and I wouldn’t have ended up in this position.
I fought to stay awake, though it seemed like a losing battle. I was so exhausted, and I felt so weak. I knew something was wrong with me, but this was a feeling I never had before, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing on my senses though they weren’t particularly strong. If I could just figure out where I am, I might be able to find my way out of here.
As I gathered my senses, the strong smell of Hay and mildew consumed my nose, making me want to gag. But then I heard something that made me freeze entirely. It sounded like footsteps coming from outside; I could also hear the rustling of trees from the wind, but these footsteps fell in line with one another, so I knew they belonged to more than one person.
Or whatever creature it was.
But maybe it could be someone who could help me. As my hopes began to rise that I was about to get out of there, the words of Xander played in the back of my mind.
“Trust no one… even if you think they can be trusted, when it comes to your life… think survival.”
At the time, it didn’t make sense as to why he was giving me this lesson, but as I lay in this barn, caged in and weak, I realized that there was nobody around to help me in this situation besides myself. Whoever was approaching this barn was not a friend and I needed to be careful.
The footsteps grew closer and soon, I was starting to hear the murmuring sounds of voices. It sounded like a guy and a girl and once they neared the barn doors, the scent of rogues invaded my nose.
I quickly scurried to the farthest corner of the cage, engaging myself with the shadows that lurked nearby. I might not have the ability to manipulate the shadows, but they still worked in my favor, and I knew I was safe within them.