Book 2: Chapter 102
Heidi
Grandfather had to borrow clothes… that didn’t fit to ride in the front seat with grandma, but otherwise the night had almost seemed to come early… the sunset was cloudy and crimson, meaning that I knew I could not put off summoning my patron any longer, even though I said I was going to tonight anyway.
I didn’t really pay attention to the conversation they had around me. They were in high spirits, going to JFC and ordering Buckets of fried chicken and mashed potatoes… but I didn’t really have an appetite… the impact of being around the church made all that good food smell like vomit to me….
But what made me feel a little guilty about it was that the older wolves did that for me and John… Wolves that old can’t even eat greasy food, yet they did that for us to try and keep spirits up.
“Heidi!” Shouted John. “Do you want any?” He asked.
“Not if you want vomit in your lap. She fasts.” Said grandfather.
“Yeah… sorry. It doesn’t even smell good right now to me….” I said looking a little defeated, and he rolled down his side of the window.
“Don’t block stuff like that from me.” He chastised, putting his chin on the top of my head for a moment. “I didn’t know… sorry.”
“It’s not you… it’s the church. Also, I can Feel that I need to commune with the Horned One.” I said quietly.
“I imagine so.” Said Ron. “It’s officially been two days since the death of your familiar, a High Demon at that… you’ve given no offering, but I know he likes food… maybe make him something and commune with him tonight.” He encouraged.
“I didn’t this morning or last night… making excuses. I was Tired yes, but I was Still supposed to do something…. Anything… but I’ve done Nothing.”
“I’m sure he isn’t mad at that. Talk to him.” Said John. “From what I’ve seen, he treats you almost like a child.”
“That’s true, but I’ve been warned multiple times about his bad side…” I mumbled.
“Then don’t get on his bad side by not saying anything.” He persisted. “I support you and all your magical needs Heidi… never think that I don’t, or that we will hesitate to give you the room you need.”
“I am not a child of his. There was no way a wolf would know anything about what he thinks or plans… Also I must admit amidst all this, I was a little blindsided with worry.” Said grandfather. “I even lost my form… and I would again.”
“You saw the Horned One?” Asked Ron.
“His aura…. It made me want to run away, hide, anything to not be near him, but he was reasonable. I don’t think I’m allowed to say anything else though. Their ritual was private and I feel I should respect it.” He said as if he were thinking out loud.
“That is enough then.” Said the King. Grandpa only Looked his normal self; I could smell the charcoal scent he carried.
“Drop me off in the forest…” I said feeling the symbol on the ground call me… We weren’t even at the pack yet, and this had to be what the priests were talking about.
“No.” Said everyone at the same time but me.
I wanted to be timid, but I mustered up the fur to speak up… I wasn’t loud, but I did get my point across.
“This land was heavily marked because of the battle here… There was a stamp in the ground that likely left unattended would be almost as a gateway for my creator’s energy… that isn’t a good thing. He is destruction, and his realm is one of punishment. I am the only one of us who can commune with him… his anger will not subside without intervention.” I said fumbling my fingers.
“I say ‘no’ because I do not want to lose my smallest pup to the darkness after having her pardoned by the Light…,” Said grandfather.
“You don’t have an offering, supplies or a plan.” Said Ron.
“Not to mention that Rahrraam is gone… and that’s part of the reason I reckon that he’s upset….” Said John.
“That’s part of the point… We’re almost an hour from the pack, yet I feel that the energy from Lapis is Worse.” I said defensively.
“She’s right.” Said Grandma. “It almost feels like the time humans tried summoning demons…”
“Why would they do That?” Asked John.
She chuckled. “They thought they could control what came out. They thought they could bind what was set lose, but the only thing they summoned was a swarm of spiders about the size of horses…”
“The only way we know how to close a portal is to destroy the land around it, and turn it into a lake.” Said grandpa. “It took about 300 wolves 2 days of hand digging, and the Fae Queen 10 hours of filling it with water. Tools rust unnaturally. All that had to be done by hand.”
“My mate, that will not work with Ronitus’s pack. There are no priests to bless the waters daily.” Said grandma.
“If I do this, I can at Least reduce the aura by half.” I said with confidence.
“How do you know that?” Asked grandpa as a king would.
That was a good question… but I had no real answer other than instinct.
“I… I just Do.” I said breaking the silence.
“If not for seeing Sparkle myself, I would think you a whole witch little granddaughter.” Said grandpa. “Every day you impress me, and more and more I see you are beginning to really Shine.”
“Thank you.” I said with a small bow. He turned around a little so I could see him smile.
“Do not bow to me at this moment. I am no King in this tiny man shirt.” He joked.
Ron snorted, then cleared his throat.
“You look Fine dear.” Said grandma.
“Mmhmm. I suppose I could attend the next meeting in this shirt then.” He countered.
“You will Not.” She growled.
He seemed pretty satisfied with himself.
“The pups rub off on you too much.” She complained.
“Yes, especially little Isabelle.”
“Oh hush.” She grinned. I could see it in the rearview mirror that they were both all smiles. Even with such long lives, you could tell their love was still as strong as the day they met.
The king took a deep breath once we got within 10 minutes of the pack.
“You two are so young. It pains me that you both have been placed in so much danger in your young lives, mostly because of us.” Said the King. “The Pale Lady… she loves us as her children. She names our wolves… she makes us one at a time, but I know nothing of the rage of the Horned One… I like to think maybe she is his mate because of his absolute power…. She is his balance.”
“My mate… do not.” She was cut off.
“My sweet little mate… I know I am long winded.” He said putting a hand on her leg. “The energy thrown by that emblem is so strong I had a vision. She is to see him. It will not be long before our people began to get Sick from so much raw power… Remind him of Why he staves his hand off this world.”
“I will….”
“Take this.” He said, mumbling a small prayer, and pulling out a small vial of glowing silver water from thin air. “…. This is water from the In-between… the last thing I own from my father, as I am banished. I chose to be in the world of flesh, but this is Why I am here. Moments like This.” He held a growl, being convicted in his words.
“…. This is sacred… there’s no way I could possibly take this.” I said silently.
“If he creates a portal to walk this realm, there will be no one left on this planet. Take it and go… hopefully he is as sentimental as he is offended.”
He handed it to me and I hesitated to touch it… but when I did I saw a flash of how he got it.
Grendel stood proud but his eyes were sad at seeing his son on the other side of the barrier.
“Son. You can never come home.” He said. “As I am the King of the Forest, You are the King of our mistress’s creations.”
“I know father. But here I am King… here I am part of this world, but not…. But also… I met my mate. She is an off-white wolf, with fur pale as a rising moon, but dark, rich flesh as beautiful as potter’s clay….a Soul Mender… with her touch I feel as though I will be ok… She heals all ails.”
“I lament you leave… but someone Must watch over the mortals… and Gwen’iethra.”
“Aye…. Also, someone Must Stop the Adversary’s Son…. “
“So much death.” Said Grendel, looking off into the distance.
“So much…,” Said Grandfather.
The wind blew a cold chill, and with it the great wolf of the In-Between began to vanish.
“I will not say goodbye. You will see me when he kills me again.” The King shifted to his human form. He shed tears waving.
“And I will not speak to you until your work is done.”
“The work will never be done.” He said quietly.
That was the last time he saw Grendel.
Once the mist separated them, I was in the forest, at the foot of the Horned One’s red glowing mark.
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