Purple Rain

Juliet

My morning sickness was no joke this time around. Smells sent me gagging; the motion of the beast below me made me yak down the side of the thing. Two months of torture, and if it went on like this, two more before I evened out... Unable to eat. Losing weight for too many reasons. No soft beds or a good night's sleep. However, I couldn't stop to take a breath; Caleb, Niana, and I were searching our hearts out for Michael without any results. We had traveled East, and as Jade predicted, three stations later, the tunnel was corrupted. Although it was still manned in each small town, you couldn't travel any further. If anyone still arrived, they had to remove the balls altogether to keep them safe—for one day, when the dheka could rebuild what the werewolves had destroyed. Luckily, the werewolves were strategic and not stupid, leaving the last net active, or we would be dead after crashing into a wall of rubble. However, it also meant between the three stations, we didn't know at which one they had gotten off with Michael and in what direction they went from there.

It was also the moment we all decided to learn to speak the language. We couldn't communicate with any of the dheka to ask if they'd seen a kidnapped white guy and a few werewolves. I drew pictures. Caleb played charades, and nowhere could the dheka figure out what we wanted. At that moment, my palmyrian was better than my mirachian.

Our royal pardon also couldn't magically make the dheka conjure up a dignitary who would understand English. So our next plan was to ride on to a major city in the region and ask for any information. We were doing this with the help of three giant yaks; it's what they looked like to me, anyway. There were three choices of ridable animals on Mirach. First time, we chose the fast option. The thing was taught to move from one place to another at a grueling speed without any control… We gave the thoroughbred a miss in the next town. The second beast was—what I figured Charlene and Romero rode on toward the dark city. The third option was what we chose; an animal the size of a rhino but covered in russian water dog hair strands—built for long distances and a type of pack mule plus transport all in one.

I desperately wished Michael was with me. After my time with him, I had seen how easy it was to travel anywhere you wanted to go—suddenly—all the time; only to then travel at the pace of a donkey was just irritating. When I got really bored, I'd talk to the others to check in, nudge and make them speak to me in the only way possible. I didn't always get a response… Michael was the least to reply. I figured he didn't want the wolves to know we could communicate in any way. Marcus was the sweetest when I needed reassurance or a chat. The most patient to figure out how we could make it easier… Louis had, in the beginning, asked for help—forgiveness and for me to come to get him… He didn't know about the teleporters yet. Then, one day, when I nudged, he said I should forget about him—let go and move on with my life.

The only way he could've figured it out was if he met up with Lyla and Jacklin at the compound. Or he thought I didn't want to come for him… Which was wishful thinking. I didn't want him to be with her. I should've killed both of them—no—all of them before I went on my adventure. "I blame this all on you!"

"Me?" Caleb asked. Unperturbed.

"I should've killed Lyla."

"Oh, yeah… My fault… I take full responsibility… But… when I asked Marcus not to kill Fahan, the outcome was pretty good… You never really know what will happen… Honestly, the chadari is leagues above the wolves."

"When will you learn? You can't make decisions based on feelings."

"Around the same time you do."

Niana's head went from Caleb to me like the audience at a tennis match.

"Smartass."

Caleb chuckled.

"How can you speak to your mother like that?"

"Easily."

I laughed for the first time in a long time. Couldn't contain my mirth.

"You would be punished severely on Palmyra for speaking to any woman the way you just did."

"Well, on En-gannim, my mother would clean my shoes every day and accept anything I said."

"You're not a vampire."

"No…" Caleb looked away over the horizon, biting the inside of his mouth.

"Hey! What just happened?" I asked.

"Ira!"

I sighed, "What did the man do now?"

"I forgot to tell you! He knows what's in Palmyra's vaults and was worried about the chadari getting their hands on whatever is in there… And… he spit in the ground when Silvanus complimented me with having Furrow blood in my veins."

My upper lip pulled in disgust. One thing at a time. I turned to Niana and waited. "I don't even know what you're talking about… Vaults? Where?"

"The harbor tunnels under the embassy."

Niana frowned and thought for a moment. He slowly shook his head… "No, never even heard any tales about tunnels… What does it look like?"

"Magical… Eerie… Yet welcoming… Giant doors into the mountain unable to open in any way with something in the Embassy."

"Did you try and push them open?"

Caleb chuckled, and I pressed my lips together. "Do you know how long my father tried to open them… And you're telling me—push, not pull."

Niana laughed, "Maybe. When we get back there, I'd love to see it… Maybe I could figure it out."

"We should've asked Liv."

"Too late now."

"Hey, look!" Niana stood up in his saddle, using only his thighs. The man had a pair of legs on him. Muscles flexed under his shirt and around his forearm, gripping the reigns to balance. Constant sunny days had given us all a dark tan. He had become a rich golden color, accentuating the bright green tattoos around his upper arms. Niana caught my eyes, studying him. He looked down at the markings… "Marriage certificate… Birth identification."

I steered my beast a little closer to his and handed him my reigns so my hands were free to explore. With one finger, I traced over the patterns inked on his skin. Much of it was writings… some modern and others in their ancient language. "It is beautiful… Carefully designed… Do you regret leaving your house…? Your wife?" I wrapped my hand around his arm and, with my thumb, stretched the skin to see a part of the images hiding from the naked eye. Niana's skin pebbled right down to his elbow. I looked up to see if he was really so affected by me or if he was only ticklish. Placid green eyes met mine. I didn't have a green-eyed guy. He could fit right in. Caleb cleared his throat. The instant he did, Soren came to mind. How wrong I'd been about trusting a man and taking any stock in what he said—deceived by what he did and only for him to change so abruptly. I didn't know Niana. Even if I did, I really, really couldn't do it to Marcus. Or Chris. Or Louis… Michael might not care… No, Juliet—it's time you grow up—no matter how long it takes. Niana was only a temptation… One I'm sure you can master. I drew in a reluctant breath. Niana's manly, sweaty scent hit me out of nowhere. Instead of making me nauseous, it worked its way into my core, settled my queasiness, and brought me full circle to say f—it. My eyes traveled to his mouth as I lifted my face to be close to his.

"If I may?" he said tilting his head ready to kiss me.

The next moment, Niana was off his horse, and my lips were aimlessly hanging in the air. Both the beasts Niana was controlling took this opportunity of freedom to up their pace. I scrambled, hanging down the beast's neck for my ride's reigns. Getting a hold of my own I pushed my heels into its side to meet the other trotting away. I leaned over—stretched out, coming closer. Caleb appeared and grabbed hold. He pulled the beast into a circle around him and to a standstill. I glanced back. Niana was hurrying after Caleb's mount, who had decided to run in the opposite direction away from the group. It was the second time I laughed and couldn't control myself. Fully overcome by the absurdity.

"I know you're pregnant… And it's going to be really hard to control your urges… But do you think having a willing, available, pent-up man around was the best choice?"

"It's pregnancy hormones… In five months, I'll even out… If you can do what you just did and keep me… uhh, let's say unadulterated until then, we should be good… Unless we can find Michael, and he can take over all husbandry duties… Where is he? Where are they? Not one clue… Or footprint?"

"Maybe we will find one there," Niana pointed into the distance. We made it. The outlines of the buildings were only tiny smudges on the horizon.

As we neared the city, I didn't know if Zoreah was the best place to live anymore. Mirach had an aura about their cities… Everyone was distinctively unique to the region they were in. A cold breeze blew over us. We looked at each other. "Water." I could smell the relief in the dry desert air. Freshwater. It became apparent why; the whole city was built around and in the middle of a giant lake. The entrance was caved out in a canyon that spanned high into the sky. Within the entrance walls, buildings were constructed halfway up the mountain and connected by a bridge to the other side to form some sort of gate. Soldiers were looking from various vantage points at the three lonely figures. We moved through underneath them and came to an astonished halt, pulling hard on our reigns… We couldn't go any further because we were at a drop, and in the distance were muted mountains as far as the eye could see with valleys, grass, and trees, yet alien in the scene of plant life. Down in the valley, the dheka had manipulated the lake to run through the city. People were swimming, laughing in a turquoise shallow stoned river for as far as we could see. On the edges of the water were their dwellings, shops, and houses built on different levels of the canyon.

Someone spoke in mirachian next to us. I turned suddenly to the voice. The man was as tall as my horse—his head at my knee. Shoulder muscles bulged and glistened sweatily in the sunlight. His neck was thick, hidden by long, white, dreaded locks, giving away his age. Strong features with a heavy beard looked up at me. He kept talking, and I couldn't understand him. Niana knew more than either Caleb or I. Around his neck hung a beaded necklace connected to a massive medallion resting on his bare, chiseled chest. I stared at it and took out my royal emblem. For his age, the man nimbly dropped to a knee and kept speaking. He stood and walked off. Niana said we should follow him. We turned our giwa and followed him out the entrance and around the mountain to a stable yard. The noise from people talking had increased exponentially. We dismounted; another dheka took our rides, and we followed our guide through a gate.

Again, we stopped and gawked. A bustling street headed straight through more of the city. Paralleling the walkway on either side were vendors selling everything from fruit to clothes and trinkets. Lanterns hung above the stalls on wires underneath canopies of little material rooves. Behind the vendors were buildings from single-story to four stories high. At the end of the street, in the distance where we were headed, was a palace the size of five of the one in the dark city.

Even if it was so beautiful, the chances that any of the kidnapped men were anywhere in the vicinity were zero. With a place this big, the wolves wouldn't dare come close to it… The dheka in the streets stared at us, commented, and the crowd spoke to our guide in intervals all the way to the stairs leading up to the palace.

Once we reached the steps, our escort spoke to a man sitting on a cushion with a view over the people. He was reclined back onto one elbow, his legs stretched out in front of him. In the other hand, he held a fruit and bit into it. He looked like a commoner, dressed in a simple, loose-fitted—open over his chest—black vest. The men really liked to show off their assets. No jewelry or trinkets. Dark hair was thickly dreaded in rows over his head and hung in a disarrayed mess about his face as if he couldn't sit still so whoever did his hair could finish styling properly. The two men spoke animatedly—laughing—it seemed—at us. What was going on? Weird for their formal customs. I looked at Niana, "They are talking about some fight in the arena later." So, not about us.

The younger man abruptly stopped speaking and tossed his fruit away. A young woman scurried to retrieve this discarded item… He said some more to the older guy and then fell on his knee. The whole city behind us did the same. The quiet descended in waves until I could swear we were alone. "Queen Charlene, please forgive me."

"I'm not Charlene." He looked up. I pulled out the emblem. "My name is Juliet."

"Queen Ahmed, forgive us."

Caleb laughed, "You should've kept your maiden name."

"I never changed my name!"

"Oh, but you did," Caleb whispered.

I clucked my tongue; now was not the time for him to get fresh. "Forgive us for coming so unannounced. Could you take us to your leader?"

"I am he."

"You?"

He smiled with the most beautifully formed dimples I'd ever seen. All his teeth were visible between perfect lips. He stood and clapped his hands and spoke in their language. "My name is Saleh… Welcome to Matara Aeolia," he turned and walked up the steps, "If you will, please follow me."

"Thank you." 

Women servants came running, and each held a basin of water out to us. Saleh washed his hands and dried them. We did the same. Those servants were replaced with more, putting new basins with fresh water on the floor. He stepped in, and so did we. The women washed our feet. Niana was so taken aback that he stepped out and dropped into a kowtow in front of the women. She, in turn, did the same. Saleh's head turned to me, "He is a wolf? Why did you not kill him?"

"He pledged his life to me in return for his."

"A verbal understanding with a wolf is as good as the sand that gets swept away by a strong wind."

"I'm not afraid. Are you?"

His smile was infectious and honest. Genuinely open. "Your reputation proceeds you. I have read all your history."

"My history?! No way! Awesome!"

"All to go save a son. A noble cause." I looked at Caleb. "Is this him?"

"Yes, Caleb, and this is Niana."

"Welcome, Prince Ahmed." My son was instantly revived. Ira's stupid comment forgotten.

Barefeet, we walked on pristine floors, away from the elements of living outside for so long. Even if I had to piss and crap into a bucket, it was better than doing it out in the open. Digging a hole and leaving your excrement somewhere on the planet was not cool.

We were taken to a beautiful greenhouse surrounded by glass on all sides and filled with plants. Trees in pots stood sporadically with fruit hanging off their branches. "That does not look like an apple."

"May I."

"Of course, please… Xonya, please pick one and wash it." She didn't even have to turn. Plucking one, Xonya handed it to another, who rinsed it in a bowl of water and handed it to me.

"What does it taste like?"

I chewed, "I would like it peeled."

Xonya held out her hand. Feeling a little like a brat, I placed it down. She picked another and handed it to a second servant, who peeled it in seconds on a platter held by a third servant. She held the board out to me, and I lifted a slice to my lips. "Delicious… I am with child, and nothing has been able to stay down… This might do the trick."

"Another child? Wonderful. This will be number four!" I beamed, stroking over my belly. In Louis's lifetime, I got pregnant in the first year… "Come, take a seat, and you can tell me what made you come to my humble city."

"Have you received any communications?"

"I heard the army conquered Nasuq, the abandoned city… Hmm, but that was four months ago, and since then, all communications ceased… I sent a man to Romero, but as you know, it takes a long time to travel so far."

"After the werewolves declared their intentions, they took two of my husbands and Charlene's other husbands captive… The wolves split them up, and we need to find any one of them." Saleh's beautiful face turned away—serious—and expressively disgusted. "Did I say something to displease you?"

"As you know, we do not have more than one partner here… To us, it is an insult to take more than one mate… The harem systems are… not the way… Maybe your lives are so difficult because you can not commit to waiting for your true mate."

I glanced at Caleb who was thinking the same as me. The further we were from Romero, Yazen, and Imani, the more likely we were to be received like every other planet with their own customs.

Caleb reassured me with a slow blink to calm down, "I can understand if you would like us to leave… We only came to be able to talk to someone… Have you seen or heard about pale-skinned people sightings, or are there wolves close to this region?"

Saleh stood and walked to a bookcase. He took off a large and long material rolled up—balancing it on two arms. He then dropped it on the floor. Carefully he rolled it open. I gasped and sat forward. It was a map I'd not seen before. Intricately cataloged. Carefully drawn.

"I am a bit of a traveler, you see… This is my life's work." Caleb and I shared a knowing glance. He wasn't angry about our culture; Selah was searching for his mate and obviously hadn't found her yet... Lonely, and maybe he lost a little hope along the way. It must grate on him for me to have four men, and he hasn't found 'the one.' Jealous of Romero. Goodness, if I was born here, I would've died of loneliness a long time ago or joined the raiders. A little more interested in their way of life than figuring out where to go next, I asked, "Do some of you die without ever finding your—life partner." He nodded. "So how do you know if you meet her? I've read enough fated mate romances to know there should be some kind of experience… Romero never did want to say."

"It is our people's most revered secret… No one would tell you." Saleh stared at the map, "Here is my city… There is Akl-hir, where Sara is queen… Nisiri—Romero's village is over here."

I leaned over and followed the tunnel line—for three stops out from the abandoned city called Nasuq... "We've been here… here and here. My finger moved and covered a vast area of all three towns and the different directions we'd been able to cover… Nevertheless, it was tiny—only a speck on the scale of how far Saleh had traveled.

The wolves could've continued with Michael and broken down the tunnel after he was through… which would've come directly here. No, they wouldn't have come this way… So, not East… They needed to bypass this area. "How far does your protection span? How far do you scout?"

"You think the wolves evaded our patrols."

"They couldn't have gone back West… Liv said she claimed that territory… The other three men were taken from Nasuq—North, South, and West dividing those areas... I guess there aren't many places they could find—uninhabited… This was done with careful planning."

"Hmmm," he rubbed his clean-shaven chin. "Strange that they would dare to go North… Look, the ocean covers this wide expanse. The barrier behind Nasuq keeps it contained and probably ends where I have not even been."

"Why would it be stupid for the wolves to follow this barrier North?" Caleb asked.

"Because they would either travel for however long it takes to get past it and go all the way around… and the dheka don't know what is out there…"

"It is true; we were never able to cross the desert."

"Okay… So the wolves would end up going Northeast anyway to bypass the eastern parts where we've been looking… And go here… What is in this area?"

"The lost."

"Oh… Oohh… It would be interesting to know how the wolves would integrate themselves with purple-fingered men ready to mate with new females."

"Mom, it will take us months to figure out a proper plan of search… With Basaam coming, do we really want to take on the raiders? Which is my best bet… Michael is there…To keep him contained, cut, and protected… And we've been only looking for dheka to help us… The wolves would stay clear of any of the towns… We should be looking at places off the radar… Remote and abandoned with water and food…" Caleb traced the map all the way west, past the abandoned city to the edge of the map… He leaned closer and asked, "You ended at this city? Why? Have the people there not gone further? Couldn't you have added to your map?"

He looked away, and Caleb realized the problem… Saleh wanted only to mark off where he'd been. "I don't understand; you could've gone to a place, and she could've been born in the next year. Twenty years later, your mate might be where you've already been… Charlene is like five hundred years younger than Romero."

"Could the dheka not find a better way? Hold a gathering of some kind and bring all the unmarried people together. Once a year… on Earth, certain religions do it… They have to go take a bath in a particular water source… Or pray on some mountain."

"Gatherings are where most women get taken… And it took me fifty years to travel from here to the end of the map to the west."

"Fifty years?" Caleb exclaimed, staring at the distance we would need to go if we decided to change direction."

"Another fifty to the east. Same, north and south."

"Oh, I see, you gave yourself a time limit… Why you were lounging on the stairs in common clothes… Why, you're one of the people."

"Yes, I will not look anymore… We have to let fate play out at some point." Caleb and I looked at each other, always having these quiet conversations when hearing confirmation of our choices. And yes, this time, fate will play out.

"Saleh… Caleb and I will go east to the raiders."

"Why? How? They will kill you."

"We both have supernatural gifts." I disappeared to show him we'll be in no danger. "I have to know if one of the men is there, or else we can't rule out this section of territories."

"I can help," Niana offered. "If there are as many as I think, blending in with armor won't be a problem."

"Mom, do you want to take the chance with the baby coming?"

"Juliet, it takes a month to get there."

"That's perfect… It's better than them coming here eventually, isn't it… With the sudden population growth, it's only a matter of time before the wolves come for a fight… And I need to know before I'm heavy with child." I looked at Selah. "I would like to ask you a favor."

"Of course."

"May we stay here until I give birth… I don't want to be out there alone and—."

"It will be an honor."

"Another favor… Caleb and I have to learn the language."

"I will teach you myself… You will stay in the palace, and we can practice every day… I have nothing else to do… But first, I will send out a communication to the nearby warriors to join in our cause… I will take half the army with us, and we will have a fair fight."

"No, I don't want to put anyone at risk… If all the raiders are there, won't it be too dangerous?"

"I think you are right about the wolves attacking us… It is time I declare our intention if the raiders decide to join them."

"Very well."

Our party set out a week later. Saleh had around a hundred thousand soldiers in his regiment. Fifty went with us, marching at a grueling pace. I had my horse, and the trip was well organized. The men who were married had to take their mates with them. So, most of the time, I was in the back of the procession with the wives. Some of them were also pregnant. The others had decided to leave their children with family.

The route was through many different diverse landscapes. Mirach had so much untamed land. It must be hard for Romero to rule it all. For me, it was a rude awakening of the road ahead of us. Once I gave birth, how long would we need to navigate this uncharted territory with a baby to find four needles in a haystack?

A regiment of seasoned soldiers scouted along the route in every direction surrounding the army, creating a barrier around us as we walked. Sporadically, they will float into camp to report any sightings. I scanned the terrain up ahead on the horizon. I could only see we were heading into a new area because enormous rock pillars stood high in the sky. White against the blue sky background. 

As we approached the road through the maze of natural statues, millions of orange flowers covered the red-soiled earth as far as I could see. Together with the stark, bright rocks, it was strange yet magnificent. The happy part only lasted a few days, and again, a definitive line in the ground showed us we were moving from one place to another. I did not like this new dark and twisty area. Here, the rocks were as black as a turned-off monitor screen. The ground rumbled, and lava eruptions sputtered out from tiny volcanoes. A river of magma flowed and twisted in many directions. From high mountain tops, the red liquid dropped thickly to the steaming ponds. I had to cover my nose with a cloth I could sweep around my shoulders, protecting myself from the foul smell and dense air filled with who knows what.

The army stopped, and we made camp in a desolate rocky area away from any danger. Or so I thought. Saleh found Caleb and I, "Come, the four of us will carry on. The raiders are a day away."

"Then they know we are here."

"Yes, they will send a representative… We will take a hidden path into their settlement."

For the rest of the day, Caleb made Saleh disappear, and I was in Niana's arms, being carried like the queen I was. By nightfall, I understood why Selah couldn't, even if he wanted to attack and kill off the raiders… Maybe if we had the teleporters, we could drop the Dheka into the middle—but this, this was a fortress. The mountain before us was crafted and chiseled to perfection, forming a wall as high as the one at the entrance to the dark city. Only this one was covered in thin streams of lava flowing over the edge. "Are they in there?"

"No, it is only a wall used to separate them from the us. On the other side is a valley."

Selah gestured for us to move in a direction directly toward the wall of death. My gut did not agree once we reached one of the few tunnels leading to the other side, a way for the raider to have access and protection. Would the wolves really come this far or off the beaten track to mingle with the dheka? The tunnels were wide enough for an army to swiftly move through, hundreds at a time.

We moved quickly through the mountain. I heard no werewolf sound out a howl to alert the residents they knew we were there. My fingers gripping onto Niana's fur relaxed. He chuckled down at me. "What? Are you not freaking out right now?"

"Freaking out?" Selah asked.

"Nervous."

"No, I'm rather enjoying the traveling… We were stuck for years in places the dheka deemed we needed to stay… On Palmyra, I was forced to stay in the same place."

By the time we headed into the valley, it was the middle of the night, and I couldn't see much of the lay of the land. We followed Selah as he navigated the terrain. "How do you know where to go?"

"We infiltrated with one man who mapped the area for us in great detail."

A deep howl resonated and echoed. Another wolf answered. Across the ground down a hill, lights came on. Dheka were lifting tarps off the lantern stones they used. Unevenly and in scattered patches, the tented camps came to life deep into the gorge. They had clusters of neighborhoods or maybe families. Where were the wolves? Around the stones, shadows flickered past the dim light, blending in with the night again.

We walked freely down the street, headed for their detainment building. None of the dheka were able to see us, and the wolves had yet to show themselves. If they would. There was not much they could do to the intrusion. "I'm just telling you now… I'm not appearing for any reason… I've been taken by the raiders, and they have no morality."

"You were?" Saleh exclaimed.

"They saw Charlene's mark and decided against raping us."

"You were here?"

"No… Another part where Iku lived… There was a tiny camp… Don't know how you leave 'the way,'" I air quoted the words, "And still have a difference of opinion to the degrees in the defection."

"You didn't have any idea what to do with En-gannim," Caleb chipped in.

"No… If we had given it a few decades, we probably would've been as divided as Earth."

"Romero will not let it happen here… Did you kill them?"

"Oh, yes. No more raiders, but here… I think… Who knows? Mirach is one of the biggest planets we've encountered."

"True…"

We came to a more established part with many buildings and lit streets. The sound of many waterfalls in various directions and distances away dispelled other noises. Mingled with the quiet of the late hour, it was disorientating. If the wolves didn't bring anyone here, it would have been a miracle.

The prison was a large structure made from glass. Weird. Maybe not if the dheka could float through bars… From the outside, you could see many cell chambers divided around the outer walls with a hallway running from one side to the other. A simple layout, but they were all empty. "We have to find the wolves."

"Where would they have allowed them to settle?"

The city was enormous, built on either side of the valley up against the mountain; it took us the rest of the morning to travel from one side to the other. There had to be millions of raiders. Why did Romero allow it to get this far? It could be a generational issue.

As the sun came up, we were nowhere near the dheka anymore, walking through untamed grounds; the river was wide in this part, and we had yet to find the wolves. The scenery was beautiful in the morning; a heavy cloud of fog hung in the air, slowly dissipating. It was green all around us. Trees, plants, and beasts, small and large, scurrying through the undergrowth. No wonder the raiders could stay so isolated.

Birds called vociferously far in the sky, the sound echoing through the gorge. A soft thrum pulsed. Was I losing it? No, because the rest of our party suddenly looked about. "Wolves," Niana whispered. Another deep hum of thousands of voices droned for a long stretch, and a silence followed. Deep drums took up a beat in harmony. A moment later, the hum resonated again. This happened a few rhythmic times, drawing us closer. The bird beautifully screeched again as if on cue, bringing in a few female voices, some deep and others higher, going into song. The men carried the base, and instruments followed the music. Tribal. On a steady beat. Entrancing. As we walked closer, multiple sets of feet hit wooden structures in a choreography of movements. My breathing deepened. Was this some sort of war dance? With anticipation, I wanted the fog to just go away. The noise surrounded us and drilled into my bones, louder and louder, holding there to crescendo at the end of the song. An abrupt silence followed.

Niana turned in a circle, and Caleb went the other way; the three men stood back to back. Through the fog, a woman came dressed in a skirt and a top. She waved her hand in the air. I took a deep breath. What was she doing? Birds swept down… Uhh, not birds. Giant alien birds. One by one, they flapped their wings as hard as they could, moving forward but still hovering above our heads. If they got too low, they took to the sky again, following the flock. In a minute, they had executed their job, and the fog was gone. My eyes widened at the millions of faces looking down at us. We were in the middle of an arena.

A very young male werewolf, much like Jerry, came running in. She made another gesture, and the birds flapped away to go sit on poles cemented into the mountain as perches. "I think this lady was in charge of training the beasts on Palmyra." The boy held out his hand to our location for the women who couldn't see us.

"Otaibi," Niana whispered.

"You know her?"

"Yes. She is the best… Her lands on Palmyra were vast and surrounded by seas… Another woman built all the ships, and she trained the fish, birds, and war beasts."

"I can understand why Brylee fought so hard to protect it all… Can she be reasoned with?"

"No."

"Great."

"There is a reason they settled here… She is… ruthless."

"You didn't want to be a part of her harem?"

"I would've been number five hundred."

Saleh's mouth opened to say something; however, he changed his mind and shook his head. Nick was right when he said my five-man little mormon thing I had going was a joke to him… "What now, Mom?"

"Now we do something stupid."

"Mmgh," Caleb complained, "I don't want to."

"What do you want to do?"

"Look!" Saleh pointed in the direction we came from, where the fog was still heavy. Out from the grey sky walked a man—he had to be dheka—although he was not manifested. Tall, dark, and perfectly layered dreaded hair—short on the top yet longer around his shoulders and a few long strands hanging down his chest. He walked with confidence in heavy strides, a black cloth hanging over one chiseled shoulder. Around his neck, he wore leather jewelry of different lengths, with small pendants in the middle of his colored bones and more hanging between perky pecks. Two dark grey eyes set in strong facial features walked toward us. 

"Oohh… booyy…" I said in a sultry tone. The man's skin was smoother than mine. Milky, silky, and his lips soft. "Ahh…"

"No!" Caleb said vehemently.

"Please," I begged.

"No! He's one of the men who rapes women because he can't stand the rules."

"Oh, thanks. You know just what to say." I turned to Selah, "Tell me it's not true!"

Selah sighed.

The drums pounded, jolting me to turn away. The rhythm flowed into a beat, announcing the worrier. Deep dheka voices repeated a word, coming out of the fog behind him. "I think we came on fighting day." Wolves answered with a deep hum on the pounding base.

"Vittore," Saleh said.

"Come on. Let's go sit down and see what they do." I scanned the crowd, "There is an open box." Niana carried me in the direction I pointed; the boy followed us, showing the women in the crowd where we were going. We climbed over the barrier, and he followed, sitting down next to us. Caleb teleported right in. The wolves growled in response, the stands vibrating behind us.

I leaned over to Selah, "They don't like riphaths."

Vittore came to a stand in front of Otaibi. The music stopped, giving them a chance to converse. He looked our way, and she turned to do the same. "How rude… Gossiping about us," Caleb joked.

Otaibi elegantly moved over the sand toward us. Her nose was high in the air, too high. "How old is she, Niana?"

"Hmm, maybe three hundred."

"Why hasn't any of her daughters taken over?"

"She sent them all to Earth… Here, she probably killed them."

"So Brylee wanted a true descendant to take over, and she doesn't?" Caleb asked.

"Otaibi is a true wolf; she only takes on challengers… No one has won since she killed the last woman in charge."

I had to shake my head.

"Juliet! Is that you?" Her tiny voice irritated me immediately. A judgmental shudder ran through my shoulders. "You must be here for your friend… However, did you know he would be here?" I stood to my feet, fully visible and unable to hear Caleb's protest. Her manifestation happened in a blink of an eye. Her attack came with a sudden leap on all fours out from the arena. Before she was halfway in the air, I did the same and dove right into her midsection, halting her progress. As a jumbled mess, we landed in the sand, skidding, rolling. My claws had by then stabbed repeatedly into vital organs and sliced open major arteries in quick succession. As I stood up, she was human, gasping for air, the blood gushing and pooling in heavy streams. "Where is he?" I hissed.

The crowd was too quiet. Louis didn't want to shoot Brylee because it would force the wolves to attack. There was no point with me there and Caleb.

Feet squelching in the sand from behind pounded toward me. As Vittore unsheathed his sword and struck out, I disappeared. "Matsoraci!" He yelled, finding his footing. For a few seconds, he paced two steps one way, then the other; then he manifested into a dark cloud. One shadowed solid arm wielding the blade nipped through the air, slicing in a circular motion of his wrist. "Ka aljani!" his deep voice pitched. "Ba zan kashe ka ba... Amma anjima zan kai ka dakina." I figured he was taunting me by the look in his eye and the genuine pleasure on his obvious smart mouth. Still roguishly handsome… A moment later, there was a sword in my hand. I reappeared, and he was quick on his feet—dodging. I caught every strike with my own; our swords met with violence and power. Vittore was caught off guard—with the sudden weapon in hand and my ability to keep up. He decreased his strength and speed, stepping back a little. With a disappearing teleporter in the stands, we didn't mind playing dirty, and he didn't want to die. He thought he was actually going to get me. Not very bright… That was mean, Juliet… He didn't know about Caleb.

Vittore faltered a little and clutched at his heart with one hand for a moment off balance. He shook his head as if trying to catch a dizzy spell. What was going on? His stabs became even more uncoordinated in his decisions and where to block. The sword dropped lower than where it should have been, his wrist unable to hold it up. A very feebly last slice moved through the air. Vittore shoulders dropped while his legs sluggishly tried to keep him upright. "Wannan ba zai iya zama ba," he mumbled, shutting his eyes tightly. His chin slowly lifted into the air; the wind whipped through, "Me nayi?" The hand still on his chest splayed and caressed his perfect pec. Was he having a heart attack? I know I'm ugly like this, but really. I laughed. He opened his eyes at the sound and fell to his knees. I took a hesitant step back. Maybe he's faking. His one hand reached out to me—palm up. I tilted my head to stare at the gesture. Uhh, no, thank you. What was it with men? The other shoulder lowered slowly, and the sword dropped to the ground. "Saleh, what the f— is going on?" I yelled.

Vittore's golden eyes were stuck on me—boring into mine—he couldn't let me go. "Ka gafarta mani. Ba ni da hakuri. Na yi zunubi," he said in a whirlpool of foreign words. When I didn't say anything, we stared at one another in silence; the crowd slowly disappeared around us. The soft flames of his manifestation drifted upward in lilting waves. When I still didn't take his hand, he reached for the sword and lifted it up above his head. Ten fingers closed and clasped on the hilt. Two hands pointed the blade toward himself.

I gasped and left my manifestation, "Don't!" I whispered. "I have no idea what you're saying."

His arms faltered, held up in the air; his eyes took in my face and moved over my body to my shoes and up again. Vittore laughed lightly, "M… Kodadde. Kyawawa."

I chuckled and looked away, "I know you're having some kind of moment. I just wish I could be here for it."

"Na rasa imani," he drew my attention back to him and returned to his human gorgeous self… Agonized deep grey eyes met my blues… He took a ragged breath and, with purpose, stretched his arms in the air, ready to stab himself. I closed the gap and halted his efforts. As our skin touched, his eyes fogged with a hint of purple. Oh f—, did I fall for the oldest trick in the book. Only from his hands, his shadow surrounded my fingers, and lovingly caressed up my arm. He let out a rough groan. I reciprocated with a pleased moan. To fight my sudden need for the man, my fingers gripped, and I pushed the sword up into the sky. In the most endearing way, his lip quirked in the corner at my efforts. It was not enough. What was he doing? In one strong, sudden plunge, the enormous blade stabbed through his torso. I drew in a breath, shaking my head slightly, unable to breathe. The large steel kept disappearing with every deeper thrust. With his eyes still on me, Vittore coughed and choked. A gurgle of blood passed his lips as he said, "Rabbina na rai." He fell down on the sand. I screamed inaudibly and yelled, "Come and help him! Saleh!"

No one moved. I did—and ran to the other dheka men, taking a knee. No matter how hard I tried to get them to their feet, they didn't want to budge. I feebly only moved their bodies here and there, unable to get them to even look at me. Why was no one doing anything?

A hand rested on my shoulder, "Juliet, stop."

"What happened? I didn't ask him to do it."

"I know… I know…" Selah put an arm around my shoulders and subtly urged me out the way we came.

"Please tell me. Did you hear what he said?"

"Yes. Not now!" He looked back and called the other two with an urgent gesture, pushing me into a run. Caleb and Niana joined us a moment later. Saleh picked me up in his manifestation, upping the pace… Their feet hit the ground, stampeding as fast as they could.

The men didn't stop. We ran through the raider's city, Caleb in the middle, his hands on either of their shoulders. I still didn't know what was going on. I looked back to see if anyone was following us. There was no one. Why were we running?

They finally came to a walk as we approached the lava wall and the tunnels. At the top, one of Saleh's men saw us and sounded the alarm. I pushed out of his arms. As I landed on my feet, wolves came out of the dark circles, barring our way through. "We didn't make it," Niana said.

"She attacked me! How can they be angry?"

"Mom! This isn't about her… They want you…"

"Me? Why?"

"If they kill you… The brandings are broken… I don't even know if Fahan and Jade are still alive… I think… they want Michael free—"

"Free of me…"

Caleb's eyes softened, "There is more… when Selah and I were still in the stands, a dheka gave him a message… It was about Chris… And he's not here anymore."

My breathing deepened. Chris was here! And because they saw the army, they moved him. "Where?"

"They took him east… It wasn't Otaibi who had him—he left long ago—other wolves used this way to get him out and bypass Saleh's army."

"Is this how it's going to be? Every time, just out of reach." My mind went back to the abandoned city—We went this way because we thought they'd use the tunnels to get Michael out faster… And it wasn't even him, it was Chris… So Michael was all the way in any of the other directions… F— we were at least a year in the wrong direction if we tried to catch up… Or… four months behind Chris... No, also more because they knew where they were going… S— Now, the wolves had us at a disadvantage. I rubbed at my brow, my memories jumping to what happened in the ring… A stranger killed himself right in front of me… Why? Was the world coming to an end? My world. Everyone on En-gannim—dead…

"We have to fight," Caleb said.

"No. No, we do not," Selah said, offly calm. "However, we will have to wait for the army to arrive if the raiders do not put their foot down and make the wolves stand down."

"Explain."

"The raiders know the power our armies can yield—but not the wolves… My small battalion will be able to kill," he waved his hand over the valley behind us, "All of them."

"Why don't the raiders tell them and open the tunnels before your men get here."

"Vittore was their leader… Their king—"

"So… they need to… appoint—" my eyes drifted to the sky, "Another king."

"Don't they have a second in command—a successor?" Caleb tried.

Selah shook his head.

Hours later, none of us had eaten for some time, and our stomachs grumbled at intervals during the rest of the day. We sat against a tree in the shade. I was in Niana's lap; Selah was with Caleb to hide us from any attacks. There was no napping or respite. I had to concentrate the whole time and wait for the moment when Caleb couldn't hold his invisibility anymore. The wolves stood guard at the tunnels. I wished I could go through things and didn't bounce off them. No… then you'd go into the ground when you fell down cliffs. I chuckled. Niana tightened his hold on me, "Do you feel better?"

"I always feel better when I'm held for so long… I kinda need it after emotional episodes."

"I hear you went to our doctors to calm you down a few times."

"The face you saw in the arena needs… maintenance… My drugs are on another planet."

"If you do not take these… uhm… drugs… your skin changes?"

"Yes… I don't want any more of my body to cover… Although I have the cure for the skin after Caleb and I went to the dark city to travel in time."

"Romero does not allow anyone to do it."

"My mom has special privileges."

"If he gave you his emblem, I'm sure he trusts you."

"Oh, yes, Romero is more than family to us… We would die for each other."

"Remember when you came for me, Mom."

"Oh, I know this story… A monster the size of a mountain knocked your mother off a cliff," Saleh said animatedly.

Caleb and I laughed together. "I was so weak back then… Urgh! How embarrassing."

"No, you held on, and he came to meet you."

"Yeah, Mom. You did hold on before you passed out."

Too fast to see what was going on, Saleh stood, taking Caleb with him. He manifested to hear whatever Saleh had noticed. I manifested and tried but had to look to Niana for help; he shrugged. "There," Saleh pointed. "Do you not see it?"

"See what? The sky is so dark; how can you see anything? Even with my eyesight, I—" Caleb stopped talking.

Niana stood, "I hear them. Rocks are falling." Saleh nodded.

"Your men are coming up the lava wall."

"Nothing can harm them."

"Super cool, man."

We moved closer to the entrances, able to see the wolves standing guard at the top disappear for a few seconds only to fall in slow motion to the ground. The others in the tunnels came out, but they could do nothing as the darkness from our side engulfed them, pushing them out of the valley toward the dheka army. Roars and fearful yelps came from the deep. Niana slowly held his breath behind me. The cries stopped with a last fading life drained.

Organized and a few at a time, the dheka piled out like ants, thousands of men from all the different tunnels. Not as one cloud of death anymore, the dheka was vulnerable; birds swept down and picked up a few. Saleh pushed out of Caleb's grip, darting in the direction, killing one as it dove from the sky. In the process, Caleb came out of his invisibility. Before I could touch him, a wolf jumped out from behind us and pummeled him to the ground. The red blade was prominent in the darkness and nicked Caleb. Niana hurled out of my hold, landing on top of the two men and biting into the other wolf's neck. More leaped over a little hill and came at us in a run. Whistling spears flew through the air—targeted at Niana. Caleb got to his feet with the sword in hand, slicing through the air, deflecting the first. He was stuck in human and wouldn't be able to dodge all of them. I grabbed Caleb before any of them could hit. Niana cried out just as my other hand touched. My eyes darted over the scene, looking for Saleh. Shadows and wolves were slamming swords while our enemy surrounded the three of us. What can I do? As if the wolves knew it was now or never, the ground shook. The rest of the army was on its way, stampeding. Close. Too close.

Dheka scouts at the top of the wall gave a command. How could they go into formation? They were divided. I looked down; Caleb was trying to stop Niana's bleeding, pressing around the spear lodged in his chest. It was no use; gravity would do its work at the exit. A wolf howled in excruciating pain, drawing my attention. My eyes widened as his fur caught fire, igniting his armor. He dropped down a massive hole in his chest. More lava bubbles hit bodies, burning right through. Where was it coming from? The gentle streams of liquid were being jostled by the wall, rocking from side to side… As if a curtain dropped—everything and everyone disappeared around me, shrouded in a cloud. There was no sky or ground. No air or sound. The whirlwind swept past, slowly revealing life again, only to consume the thousands of wolves ready for a battle. In a wave, bodies lifted and dropped behind it, piling up as the dheka swept through. After another minute, no one was alive except us. Saleh and the other dheka had to have joined the mass because out of the far distance, he was walking toward me human. Relieved, I took a ragged breath. No wonder the raiders had sat this one out. Saleh had also not killed all the millions of wolves in the ring. Although, this was enough to make a statement for them to leave his city alone and stick to the valley. Many of the dheka who were injured by the birds were already in their lotus poses, healing their wounds.

The doctor on duty and two more dheka women were laying hands on Niana. His human features calmed, looking at me before darkness consumed him. My chest tightened; my eyes burned with unwilling tears. Caleb and I stood back to give them space. The spear dropped to the ground. Caleb clutched my hand in an agitated manner. We waited. How long was this going to take? I didn't want to lose anyone else… The three dheka came out of their manifestations, standing over Niana, still lifeless. Did they put him to sleep? Her eyes met mine, and she shook her head. "No," Caleb's grip tightened around my fingers. Niana saved Caleb's life. Knowing myself, I dropped to my knees at her feet and placed her hand on my head. Caleb followed, mimicking me, and we were both put to sleep.