WITCHES OF WOLF CREEK: TRUTH

Chapter 31: Neeve

A month has passed since we left the cave. We’re not going to lie to each other. I’m breathing again. After those few weeks, my heart was bruised by the reaction of the cousins to the revelation of my nature as a witch. I got back on my feet. I kinda miss it, by the way, being a wolf. Lyle’s little dishes too. Bland salads found their way back to my plate.

I found my family, too. I still remember my mother in tears throwing herself into my arms, and my father hugging me in his. The concern in their eyes when they saw me bruised, hurt. My brother was upset when Sixine, Elinor and I climbed the steps of the coven, where a whole battalion of sorcerers had come to welcome us. Well, "welcome" is probably not the right word to use. Apart from Foris, Mona and Shadwe, no one was really happy with our return. The rumour had spread. Three witches had made a pact with the wolves to save their lives. The second part of this sentence could have softened the most embittered hearts, but that is not at all what happened. On the contrary...

After the family outpourings were over, we were immediately ushered into the coven amphitheatre. Eli, Six and I had to stand in front of a packed room; Levenach and Luthor Mona led the assembly. It took them a long time to silence the cries of the outraged crowd. Some sorcerers have claimed our heads; others, the stake. Despite his status as the leader of North Carolina’s sorcerers, Luthor Mona struggled to contain the most strident. Then Lord Raven, his Virginia counterpart, a handsome man with greying hair – and Sixine’s uncle – spoke up:

"I find you all very sneaky to demand the death of these three young women, while each of you should rather wonder about the identities of the sorcerers who led them to consort with our enemies.

"What do we know about them?" finally asked a sorcerer.

"Unfortunately," Lord Raven replied, "we can’t investigate without the bodies and…"

"Yeah, it may be because this whole story is a big lie!" shouted one of our detractors, immediately acclaimed by his peers.

At that moment, I regretted that the girls and I had reduced our enemies to a pulp; the forest animals must have been picking their teeth with the bones of their skeletons.

"You dare to question the declarations of the heiresses of our oldest lines?" thundered Lord Raven.

At these words, the words of invective turned into whispers. Eli’s father looked distraught. Which was not at all reassuring from one of our leaders. That’s when my brother raised his voice.

"Are you kidding me?!" he shouted. "We’re in a small town. Most of you have known Elinor, Sixine and my sister since they were born. Do you really believe that overnight, they would piss on our laws to mess with wolves? Seriously?"

Well said, Mark! Without a doubt, he managed to capture everyone’s attention. A smile stretched the features of his handsome face; his expression was proud, under his brown, slightly curly hair. Feeling his wings grow, he continued:

"They protected themselves from a mysterious threat and decided to be kidn*pped by wolves to better hide their tracks. It’s not like they slept with the wolves!"

My gaze drifted to Eli and Six. We didn’t need words to understand each other. Eli has the Alpha under his skin, Six is dating his brother, who has been pretending to be a human since he’s been squatting in our apartment, and there’s me. But, I have to admit, that’s not quite the version we delivered to the coven. If I’m to believe the suspicious eyes that have been cast on us since our return, we’ve done well to keep quiet.

Since then, I have had no illusions: it would be impossible for us to claim again that we only played a role during this whole affair. Because the truth, we know it. Each of our actions was sincere and cost us a lot. My ego took a hit. Eli has taken refuge in the Mona castle and Six freaks out every day that Jaxson’s true nature is discovered. Not to mention the fact that the latter is not at his best since he left his pack. He spends his time transformed into a wolf and hangs around all day long in a nearby forest, to finally find Six in the evening, exhausted. It’s not easy to leave your family… I know something about that.

Seeing my family again pumped me up. I missed them so much when I was locked in the den. It made me realize how much I need them, how happy I am in my house nestled in the heart of the forest, with my dad, my strong-willed mom, and my crazy brother. I even found my little nursery, my trees, and my streams… happiness! Well, almost… In the meantime, I discovered that I was fired from my job for flimsy reasons. And as if it weren’t enough that an entire community was suspicious of us, the coven gave in to the revolt of the sorcerers, which had still not calmed down several days after our return. It didn’t take a week for our detractors to get what they were screaming for. Eli’s father’s hold on the coven is no more, and despite Lord Raven’s help, the sentence has fallen: the girls and I will be judged.

It was Levenach who stopped by my parents to tell them there would be a trial. The date is still undetermined, but the prospect that Eli, Six and I will be condemned scares me. In the den, I told myself that if I ever got back to my normal life, I would fight so that wolves and sorcerers could get along. That I would strive to shake up traditions so that the two clans get to know each other. The welcome my fellow men have given us has dashed this hope. And I have a hard time accepting it.

So, like every day since Levenach’s announcement, I quietly stay in the loft, in a sullen mood. Eli is still with the Monas, and Six with her family for the weekend. It’s the last day of the full moon, and Jaxson has left the apartment.

"Neeve…"

I turn quickly and find Levenach near the couch. My eyes widen when I discover his crumpled face, the circles that adorn his eyes a translucent green. He is even paler than usual and looks worried. Despite our differences and our common past, a painful point crosses my chest. I don’t like to see him like that. So I walk over and put my hands on his sunken cheeks.

"Lenny, what the hell is wrong with you?"

He pushes my hands away and stares into my eyes.

"I believe that…"

"What?"

"That it’s not over."

"Eh?"

He pulls back a little and nervously runs his hand through his dark hair. He is unshaven, tired. His austere and intractable air is shaken. I grab him by the arm.

"What are you talking about, Lenny?" I inquire, suddenly anxious.

"You’re still in danger," he says in a dull voice.

Bewildered and perplexed, I watch him for a long time. I shake my head, refusing to understand what he’s trying to tell me.

"The sorcerer who wished us harm died in the forest with all his clique. We managed to get them…"

"It wasn’t him," he asserts.

"What?! Who is it then?"

Levenach turns away from me as if hiding his face so that I can’t read what is overwhelming him in his features. But I wouldn’t let go of his arm, so I tighten my grip and force him to look me straight in the eye.

"Damn it, spit it out, Lenny. What do you have? What happened?"

He still refuses to look up at me.

"Eli, Six and you are still under threat."

"It’s been a month since we came back and nothing has happened to us. What makes you say that?"

"I know, that’s all. I believe you should…"

"Should what? Hide? That’s out of the question! We are on trial because we wanted to save our lives by hiding among the wolves. And we couldn’t hide, you see!"

"Neeve!"

Levenach shouted and he was never the type. He grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me saying:

"You must disappear!"

I pull away quickly and push him back.

"No, damn it! If you’re right, we’ll fight. We’re not going to leave. I’ll not leave my family or my friends. That’s the end of it!"

His gaze becomes almost pleading, then turns into a strange expression. I don’t have time to say anything as he grabs my neck in his hands and brings his face a few centimetres from mine. I feel his breath spread over my cheeks which colour immediately. I’m barely breathing I’m so surprised.

"I do not want…"

"What?" I murmur, no longer understanding anything.

His lips approach slowly. My eyes widen. Levenach? Then my memories come back to me and I push him away, panting.

"No!" I shouted.

He remains planted in the middle of the living room, arms dangling, looking dejected. A second later, he teleports away and I still don’t understand what got into him.

My heart is pounding. Tears drown my pupils. My breath is jerky. So I rush to the entrance, put on a pair of sneakers and leave the apartment. I run and run again. Tears overflow and roll down my cheeks. Levenach… I reach the forest that separates me from the domain of the Shadwes. The moon has completed its cycle. Distant wolf songs reach my ears. I’m still running. A flood of images crosses my skull and breaks me. My thoughts collide. Eli can’t get over our stay with the wolves. Sixine tries to live a relationship doomed to failure. A woman jumping out of a window. A battle against sorcerers. A trial. Levenach, Levenach...

"Neeve of the North!" Suddenly a voice that I know only too well calls out to me.

I stop dead in my tracks and turn around. In front of me, they are there. Emmitt and Tyler. Their ebony-skinned bodies glisten with sweat. Their muscles bulge as a result of their transformation. They show up naked in front of me, and I swallow in front of these two who protected me, pampered me, perhaps a little loved, to finally attack me. That last thought sets me back. I turn around, ready to resume my run.

"Stay!" cries Emmitt. Please."

I stop. The quavering tone of his voice touched something inside me. I bite my lip and face them. I remain silent as they approach slowly.

"Talk to us, Neeve," Tyler pleads.

They both stop a stride away from me. I still don’t say a word. My thoughts repeat to me:

They hurt you.

They attacked you.

They don’t like you.

"We miss you."

Emmitt’s voice is soft. He stretches out his hand and leaves it suspended in the air. My eyes land on it. Will I take it?