250
David
I stretched lazily, letting out a contented sigh as the haze of sleep started to fade. The warmth of Lucy and I's shared moments lingered in the room, and Lucy's comforting scent still clung to my sheets. I couldn't help but smile despite her absence. Her thoughtfulness always managed to touch my heart.
I reached for the note she had left on the nightstand. Her delicate handwriting was a familiar sight, and I read her words carefully.
Hey, David,
You looked so peaceful sleeping, so I didn't want to disturb you. Please get some rest and eat something. I'll come check on you after I finish my homework. See you soon!
Lucy.
The tenderness in her message warmed me. With a sense of gratitude, I folded the note and tucked it into the small book on my nightstand. I tried to sit up and groaned at the pain that still racked my body. It wasn't as bad, but it wasn't good either.
I looked over at the window and noticed that the sunlight filtered through the window had shifted. It was at least the afternoon now. I gave a thought to heading downstairs for something to eat. Blue would have a fit if I did, but I was still tempted. Then, I saw the tray just inside the door with a note from Blue.
I shook my head and waved at the cart. It stuttered a bit before gliding towards me slowly.
I opened the tray and grabbed a muffin off the top. As my thoughts kept drifting back to Lucy. I know that this is a symptom of me starting to form a bond with her. The memories I had gotten were pretty clear on that. Knowing that it had been part of the reason I was able to get through the Trial was something else. I had to tell her soon, but I wanted it to be special and not on the wings of terror.
Did Lucy even know what it would or could mean for us to be bonded?
I ate the muffin and leaned back in bed before grabbing the book I had been reading again.
Her insights felt like they were pointing me in the right direction.
If I could just figure out her end game, there was a chance I could beat her to it. Selene and Oren were going to rue the day they decided to start on this path.
A knock sounded on the door before it opened. Trent came in, his mischievous grin dancing across his face. My wariness was well-founded; that particular grin usually meant he had some magical endeavor in mind that would likely be taxing.
"Trent," I greeted him cautiously.
"David," he replied, his grin broadening. "I hope you're not too busy because I've got something quite intriguing to discuss with you."
"Just bed rest." I narrowed my eyes as he closed the door behind him. "I don't like you when you grin like that."
"That's because you know I'm going to push you." He wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm testing a theory."
"I'm not a guinea pig."
"You're the best guinea pig, actually." He sank into the seat beside my bed. "Your lovely Lucy is busy right now with homework. It won't take long, I promise. I want to pick up that dragon experiment. I think it may help push out the rest of the poison. You've clearly gone through the blood rite, but you don't have much time before the Cresent Moon Festival."
I tilted my head. "The Festival is some kind of deadline because...?"
My voice trailed off, and a surge of pure, vicious anticipation filled me.
I could challenge Oren there, and if he died on the challenge ground, no one could say anything. More importantly, Oren would most likely challenge me based on the fact that he knew that I had the crystal necklace.
"What do you want?"
He sat down. "That vision, the rite, the whole thing is a big flag for some magical work needing to be done. Unlocking the full range of what it means to be Fenris wolf is going to take time. We're talking about breaking through some of the magical barriers that have been holding you and your ancestors back for a long time."
My heart sank a little at the thought. That's right. Fenris hadn't been that old when he'd been infected. There was probably a whole wealth of power he hadn't known about when he'd died. The prospect of pushing beyond those boundaries was both tempting and terrifying.
"What do you need me to do?"
Trent's grin widened. "I need you to tap into your ancestral memories, farther and farther back. You'd done some of it already, so I figured we could start with the dragon ones first."
I frowned, thinking back to my conversation with Lucy.
“Jormangandr.”
“What?”
"The World Serpent that's supposed to kill and be killed by Thor, the son of Odin," I frowned. "How likely is it that the World Serpent is actually a dragon?"
He blinked. "You think these mythological figures are… what? Ancestors of yours?"
"Loki, a god of chaos, and Angrboda, a jotun, had these children. Isn't it possible that Fenris is just... an aspect of Loki in some ways? Or that shifters are all connected? We still don't know how shifters are made exactly."
He hummed. "You think Selene did?"
"I think it would take a hell of a good set of guesses to make something like the werewolf virus." I narrowed my eyes. "I think she experimented with shifters."
"Good theory, but unless you can ask her directly, your next best bet would be to ask your ancestral memories."
"Fenris?"
"Fenris wolf."
I blinked at him. "I think I'm following…" I sighed, feeling the weight of the request. It was daunting, and I was acutely aware that not all ancestral memories were pleasant or desirable. "What's the goal, Trent? Having answers won't do much for me, will it?"
He became more serious, his usual levity fading. "The goal is to give you the ability to harness your power without restraint, to break free from the limitations imposed by past events and traumas. With this knowledge, you could be an unstoppable force against Oren, against Selene, against anyone you needed to be."
I thought back to my father's words and glanced down at the book. Ragnarok: was that connected at all? Had Selene been a Seer of some sort, or had she heard some prophecy? I considered the offer. It was an opportunity to push my abilities to their fullest potential, but it also meant delving into the darkest corners of my family's history.
"Are you sure this is the right path?" I asked, my doubts lingering.
Trent's expression softened. "I'm not asking you to shake hands with spirits, but I think getting more of a grip of as much as you possibly can before shit hits the fan will be in everyone's best interest."
I eyed him and nodded.
"Alright... but if Blue gets mad, I'm blaming you. I'm still just a kid."
He grinned. "If I'm right, you'll be too healed for her to fuss. Eyes closed and dig deep."
I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths as I delved deeper into myself. The image of a dragon began to take shape in my mind. Its scales shimmered with iridescent hues, like water.
Like a Leviathan. I felt it swimming, twirling and sprouting wings, melding with other parts of my bloodline or separating them.
It came so much easier than before. I could feel the water on my skin, hear the sloshing of waves over me, and the wind above that.
I felt it filling me with power. The aches started to fade.
Then, I was pushed under into a deep darkness through cold and ice. I shivered, but I held on until I was drifting in the dark, hovering above a vast tundra where there was no life.
Then, I saw something: a bright light falling from the sky. I rushed after it, floating, flying, soaring towards where it landed until I came upon it. I fell to the ice and dug through the snow. Light bled out like liquid as I reached it. Eyes as bright as the sun and the color of amber met mine.
Kin.
My heart trembled as I pushed the snow apart. It was turning back and bleeding, whatever it was. Then, it went still and faded away with the wind. I felt the hummingbird fast heartbeat of a rabbit drift over me. An image of a bunny appeared in the snowdrift before breaking apart until I heard nothing, felt nothing but the darkness, the snow, and the air shook with a great cry of grief.
This was Hel, a graveyard of spirits.
I screamed, sitting up, pulling back, and escaping the storm. Trent was on me, wrapping a blanket around me. I heard the door open, but I couldn't make sense of it because now I could hear them. I could hear every dying cry in that snowdrift. I felt blood on my hands from the snow. I could taste their grief, fear, and desperation telling me one thing over and over again.
Run.
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