91
Lucy
“Are you Lucy Graves?”
I looked up at the official looking woman. David grew stiff beside me.
“Who are you?” David asked. I looked between the two.
She lifted her chin. “I work for the Council.”
“Then you should know that you have to formally introduce yourself: name, badge number, and position.”
She scowled at him. Her eyes flashed, and I drew back. I realized that she had to be a werewolf.
“She won’t be talking to you until you do,” David said, glaring at her. “I suggest you follow protocol.”
She huffed. “Petty Officer Helen Korte, ID L-25809-90. I’m here to deliver an official summons. Now, are you, Lucy Graves?”
I glanced at David who seemed to be eyeing her suspiciously, but he met my gaze and nodded.
“Yes.”
She threw the paper at me and walked off grumbling.
“I’m reporting you for misconduct.”
She turned around and hissed at David. I looked down at the paper then looked at David.
“What’s a summons?”
Three days later, Riley drove me to a building in the territory capital. My heart pounded in my chest as I walked down the hallway with Riley. She rubbed my arm and drew me close. Stacey wasn’t around since she was meeting with Eva and Emily to do something.
“There’s nothing to be worried about. It’s just an examination. “
I couldn’t stop shaking. My stomach was in knots.
“Why do they need to examine me again?”
“The Council is just… trying not to get into a fight.” She sighed. “It’s politics. Their scans aren’t going to do or say anything we don’t already know.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
We got to the entrance of the door. My heart was still pounding.
“You’ll be dealing with a panel of witches who represent the Council. They might be a bit crabby, but they’re harmless.”
I nodded as she knocked. The doors creaked as they opened.
“I’ll be right outside.”
I nodded and walked forward into the dimly lit room. The air was thick with the scent of herbs. The room itself was adorned with strange symbols and the shelves were filled with strange things. I saw a few crystal balls, potions, and spell books. There were flickers of light drifting through the air that I knew now were magic. It made my nervousness worse. Every step I made echoed off the walls. My palms were sweaty. I took a deep breath, but it didn’t help.
As I cautiously stepped into the room, the doors creaked closed behind me. Then, the three women seated above me were illuminated. Each of them wore flowing robes of various colors. Their eyes seemed to shine with magic. One of them looked about my age. The second looked significantly older, and the third looked really old. They said nothing but continued to look down at me.
“Lucy Graves, you will be examined for three things,” the youngest of them said. Her voice was cold. I was surprised since she was so young. Her gaze made me feel like I shouldn’t be there. “There is no chance that you can lie, though if you have an intent to deceive, we will know. Do you understand?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Then, let’s begin.”
The witches motioned for me to approach the center of the room, where a circle had been carved into the wooden floor. I took a hesitant step into the circle, feeling a subtle change in the air as I did. It was as if the room itself came alive. A hooded person appeared with a tray of vials in different colors. They walked towards me and set the tray in front of me as a small table seemed to grow out of the ground. Then, they vanished.
“Drink the silver vial.”
I took a deep breath and did as she asked. My chest felt warm. Then, the world grew dark around me. It was kind of like walking into one of my dreams. Then, I heard them chanting in a language I couldn't understand. It was a bit like a song, and soothed a bit of my fear. I felt like I was floating as the air started to crackle with energy. The world seemed to vibrate around me.
I was swirling and falling through time and space, then, I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. I turned, gasping at the contact. We weren’t back in the room, but the three women were standing a few feet away from me. The second older of them smiled at me. The oldest woman’s hair was long and silver. There was a dark crown of thorny-looking branches on her heard, but her eyes seemed to know so much.
The young woman wore a crown of bright spring flowers. The third one had a frown of orange leaves and bright red berries. They seemed so different than they did when I was in the room.
"Lucy," the oldest said, her voice echoing through my mind. "We have brought you here to help you understand your true nature. We sense a power within you, one that has remained dormant for far too long."
“Is… it related to the restraint on me?”
She nodded. “I believe, at the moment, until you are stronger, that the restraint is the best for you.”
“But,” I swallowed. “It’s killing me. H-How can…”
“Time kills everything, but you cannot grow without it,” she said and pat my shoulder. She smiled. “You cannot get stronger or gain experience without it either.”
She tapped my chest and I felt something inside me shift around.
“You my dear simply need time. You may only be half, but you have the power of all of your ancestors in you. The more you learn, the more you will see that anchors are nothing more than tools, including the anchor that was meant for you.”
She sighed. “It is a shame that your predecessor had never known the truth… They could have done so much good for this world.”
She stepped back. For a moment, they vanished.
“Wait!”
I heard them chanting again. I felt like pressing through my eyelids. The energy swirled around me. I felt it pouring into me. My skin tingled and I felt the fur rippling through my skin. It felt strange, but not uncomfortable.
I opened my eyes and found myself sitting on the wooden floor, looking up at the three women. The middle-aged woman was writing. The older woman smiled and the youngest was scowling.
“As you knew before you arrived, you have no bond to the twins,” the eldest said. “By now, we know that you understand what mates among werewolves truly is, thus I will tell you the truth about yourself as well: you will never feel that pull.”
I blinked. Something inside me relaxed in relief.
“If you are to marry, if you are to go through a mating ceremony and it mean something, it will have to be out of love, completely uncoerced. That means you can just as easily break it when it no longer serves you as well.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Keep that in mind that this is a strength for one such as you. It means you will never be swayed.”
I licked my lips. “Is it… because I’m only half?”
She shook her head. “It is because of who you are. The woman who put that restraint on you, knew what you would grow to become, and I look forward to seeing how you will use your power when you learn to harness it.”
Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Luke Whitetower is perhaps the only person alive who could teach you properly.”
The doors creaked open behind me.
“The tests are done, dear Lucy. Safe travels home.” She chuckled. “Good luck on your studies and all that.”
I nodded and turned to leave.
“Wait.”
I turned back to look back at the youngest. She looked a little upset, but she got down from her seat and came to me. She took the last two vials from the tray and gave them to me.
“These are restoration potions. You’ll need them soon. Get your anchor recharged, and… is Cursed Slices’ Dark Magic really as good as they say it is?”
“Rowena!” The middle-aged woman cried. “Honestly.”
She pouted. “The test is over!”
I looked between the three of them and smiled. “Are you… all related?”
“Sharp eye,” the eldest said. “We are.”
I nodded and looked at Rowena. “It really is, especially when it’s warm.”
She beamed. “I’ll have to stop by before we head home.”
I nodded and headed out of the room. As soon as I passed through the circle, the air changed again. When I left the room, I felt different. Riley stood up and came to me.
“You… don’t look as tired as I thought you would.”
I looked down at the vials and sank onto a seat. Visions flashed behind my eyes. “I think it’s… hitting me now.”
I opened one and drank it all with a sigh. I felt it rushing through me and pushing at the exhaustion.
“Wait a few hours before you take the next one, double dosing isn’t a good idea. When you’re ready, let’s head out.”
I nodded. “I’m ready.”
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