Thomas flushed.
“Oh, never mind. We all need to work together to save Aylin.” Luna's quiet voice chilled me to the bone.
Save Aylin. My wolf glared at the young man, but didn't attack. Instead, her lips curved, showing him the sharpness of her canines.
Oh, finally. Luna’s words held my wolf at bay, as if my wolf sensed Luna’s words suggested help.
“Thomas, how on earth did you find us here?”
“I followed your essence.” He shrugged his shoulders as if tracking someone was a normal part of life. “Second, the arrow isn’t laced with poison. It’s marked with white snakeroot. How else am I supposed to fight off creatures like”— he looked at my wolf — “crazed wolves?”
“You're not.” Luna tsked. “And you shouldn't be messing around with that crap. You could end up on the receiving end of it.”
“I'm a pro.” His voice rose.
I tried to imagine this wobbly kneed, young man as a professional at anything, and couldn't.
“Listen, I think Aylin is being tainted either by magic, poisonwood or both. It's preventing her from shifting back.”
“And it's choking me!” I tried to shout. My wolf stifled a howl. Maybe she could sense the turmoil I faced since I could not shift back or meet her in the spirit realm.
“Hmm.” Thomas tilted his head and approached with caution.
My wolf pawed the ground, excited with the prospect of help.
He shone a bright red light in our eyes. She yipped at the searing sensation that pierced our brain. “I think it's a combination of both.” He grabbed her snout and forced us to look into the torture device again. “Yes. It's black poisonwood, which would typically only cause an allergic reaction to the skin, but it's amplified probably by very ancient dark magic. I can see it encircling your friend's life source. She's smothering slowly.”
Luna shook her head. “That's what I was afraid of. The shift probably made it worse. I can't read her like I did before. We need to extract it and soon.”
“How'd this even happen?” He forced my wolf’s eyes to his. It felt as though he read the depths of my soul through her eyes. I no longer saw a young man, but a well-versed wizard. His deep red hair and freckles made him appear harmless, but he was far from it.
He placed the red pointer on the ground and stretched his hands as if pulling an invisible string from his palms. The red light illuminated a transparent hue that formed an octagon at least six feet in height and eight feet in diameter. He casually walked around the cage, testing the frame every so many feet to ensure its durability.
“Wow, it's nice to see your magical octagon in person instead of on a blueprint,” Luna said.
“She's definitely a beaut, but let's see how she holds up against her.” Thomas's eyes sparkled as they met my wolf’s.
“Now, it's my turn.” Luna rubbed her hands together, then smiled. She circled the inside area, eyes focused. Her platinum hair shimmered; her body glowed. Small purple gems formed and floated in her hands. She placed one at each corner. When the purple gems adorned all eight points, she placed a ninth one on the center of her forehead.
She sat in the center of the octagon, cross-legged, palms held upward. “C'mon, girl. Come in here with me,” she whispered to my wolf. “I call forth with the crown of conscious beings. You are here. You are safe.”
My wolf whined, backing away from the cage.
Aylin. Not safe.
I called to her. Begged her to go forward – to allow Luna to help us.
A force wrenched her forward. I screeched in pain. It was as if the power pulled us in two different directions. I struggled to remain conscious and feared what would become of us.
But it was my wolf’s need to protect us, which trudged us forward—despite the horrific agony we were both facing.
Protect!
I cooed to her, encouraging her. When she stepped inside the octagon, her mournful cry pierced my heart. She collapsed against the wall of the cage, her body limp as it fell to the ground. I sprang free and into the present, demanding vengeance of whoever caused me and my wolf so much pain. I was ready to fight.
Strands of darkness lashed out, binding my arms, legs, and body until I was suspended in the middle of the octagon and coated in the evil tendrils. The ties coiled around me like a boa constrictor squeezing its prey. I screamed as my spirit was extracted from my body and floated nearby.
“Ah, there you are. The body and the soul,” Luna said.
“I've seen nothing like this.” Thomas circled the outside of the octagon, mouth agape.
Aylin. My wolf called to me. Confusion evident in the way my name quivered in our mind. The black char I had cured Connor of now divided my body and soul from my wolf like a chain link fence.
I looked around the area. My reality blurred. Everything appeared as though I were peering through red goggles. Luna sat smiling in the middle of whatever god-forsaken thing held me suspended in the air. My poor wolf lay on the ground. Her fur a wet mass. My heart broke.
Again, the boy circled the boundary of the cage. I eyed him as he studied my bonded soul.
“Help. Me.” I tried to twist and turn in hopes of snapping the black tendrils encasing me.
“Relax,” Luna said.
Easy for her to say. Her body wasn't being smothered by dark magic.
“Thank you, purple crown of consciousness, for bringing my friend forward.” Luna's mystical voice became muffled. “Aylin, close your eyes and focus on the color purple. Imagine it inside your body. There will be several balls. Pull each one toward one another until they form a single massive sphere in the pit of your stomach. Think of it like a form of chakra, but instead of multiple colors, there will be just one. Do you understand?”
I hadn't practiced this form of meditation, but I had heard of it.
