The Blackfang Alphas and Slaves

Chapter 18

KAI

I grabbed Ivara by the arm and dragged her away from the body, my heart still racing from the sight of that green light. I pushed her back against a thick tree trunk, making the leaves rattle above us, and I stared hard into her eyes. My hands were still stained with the blood of the slave I had just killed, but I couldn't focus on that now because my head was spinning with questions.

"How did you do that?" I demanded, my voice coming out in a harsh whisper. "The light, the markings on the ground, his wounds were actually closing, Ivara. Tell me what the hell just happened!"

She looked completely dazed, her eyes wide and her breathing shallow as she stared back at me. She shook her head slowly, her hair matted with dirt and dried blood, and she looked just as terrified as I felt.

"I don't know, Kai," she said, her voice trembling so much it was barely audible. "I was just crying and wishing he wasn't dead, I didn't mean to do anything, I’ve never seen those markings in my life and I don't even know what they mean."

I watched her face closely, looking for any sign of a lie, but all I saw was raw confusion and grief. I could tell she was speaking the truth, which only made things more confusing. I wanted to ask her more, find out exactly what she felt while she was crying over him so I could understand what triggered a power that could literally bring someone back from the brink of death.

If I could figure out the trigger, maybe I could help her control it, or at least understand what kind of target it put on our backs.

I opened my mouth to ask the next question, but I stopped when a sound ripped through the air from the distance. It was a wolf's howl, long and cold, echoing from a nearby mountain top. Then another followed it immediately from a different peak, and then another. I stood perfectly still, my ears twitching as I counted the sounds.

In our pack, the mountaintop patrols always worked in pairs. To ensure that everything was safe, both wolves had to howl in succession. If only one wolf howled, or if there was silence where there should be a second call, it was the signal for an intruder. On the ridge closest to us, there was only one howl. One single, lonely cry.

"They found us," I whispered, the realization hitting me like a punch to the gut.

I didn't waste any more time with questions. I grabbed Ivara’s hand and jerked her forward, forcing her to run. We scrambled through the thick undergrowth, the branches clawing at our skin and clothes as we sprinted blindly through the trees.

Suddenly, the sharp whistle of an arrow echoed right next to my ear, and I heard it thud into a tree bark just inches from my head.

"Move!" I barked, shoving Ivara ahead of me.

More arrows followed, whispering past us as we dove into a dense thicket. We were lucky the forest was so overgrown, because the brush was the only thing keeping the archers from getting a clear shot at our backs. We kept running until my lungs felt like they were going to burst, pushing deeper into the forest until we found a steep, narrow gorge hidden behind a wall of vines. I practically threw Ivara inside the damp, rocky opening and followed her in, both of us collapsing onto the cold stone as we tried to quiet our breathing.

We sat there in the dark for a long time, listening to the sounds of the forest. I stayed near the mouth of the gorge, my eyes scanning the tree line and my ears straining for the sound of boots on dry leaves. Ivara was huddled in the back, her head down and her shoulders shaking as she struggled to process what had happened to her friend and the terrifying power she had just displayed.

I looked back at her once, watching her in the dark. The idea that she could resurrect others was monumental, something that could change the entire balance of the world if people found out. It was the kind of power kings went to war over, but I didn't want to think about the politics of it right now. All I knew was that she was the only reason I was still breathing, and I made a silent vow to help her keep that secret hidden from everyone, even my father.

My thoughts eventually drifted away from the magic and shifted toward home. We were close now, I could feel it in the air and the way the territory felt beneath my feet. Tomorrow was the coronation, the day I was supposed to take my place as the rightful heir.

I leaned my head against the cold stone of the gorge and let out a long breath. I started wondering how my mother was doing in the palace. She had probably been worried sick since the ambush, thinking I was dead or captured by rogues. I could almost see the look on her face when I finally walked through those heavy oak doors. She would be so happy to see me alive, and that thought was the only thing keeping me going as the darkness of the gorge closed in around us.

I just had to survive one more night, and then I would finally be back where I belonged.