Waxing Gibbous

Chapter 6

The waves were nibbling away at the shore. The sky above had cleared, leaving only puffy little clouds drifting peacefully along. The sun was about to settle for the day, descending slowly into the skyline. Above, the fingernail moon was beginning to glow. Stars began to peek out of their resting spots and lit the heavens above. Despite the colder air, it was beautifully serene out here, something that the city never offered.

Storm was busy tidying up a small stretch of beach, removing any debris scattered around. He had arranged most of the driftwood in the area into a pile and had lit a fire. He had told Tegan to hang back while he started setting things up. The only thing she had done since they had gotten here was stare out at the water and walk around a little.

Wrapping her arms around her middle, Tegan tried to fight off the chilly breeze coming off the water by getting closer to the crackling blaze. She was kind of bored because all she had done for the past hour and a half was trek down here only to watch her familiar scout the place and build a fire. He had told her to save all her energy because she was going to need it when she expended it later. Luckily she wasn’t fidgety. Whatever had been in the candle was still coursing through her system, keeping her anxiety and frustration to a dull hum.

Just as she was contemplating jumping into the sea and drowning herself from boredom, Storm clapped his hands together to drew her attention to him.

“I think this should be good enough. Come. Let me show you some things.” He motioned her over with the wave of a hand. He was crouched down beside a giant rock. He had the backpack open and was digging around inside. He started pulling things out that, if not for the fire, would have been hard to make out in the dulling light of twilight.

Tegan waded through the rocky sand and came to a stop where Storm had kneeled in the grains. Most of the things that he had pulled out Tegan didn’t recognized. Actually, everything he revealed was foreign to her except a brown blanket and a pair of scissors.

“What is all this?” Tegan asked, lowering herself to get a better view.

“It is a fairly simple spell so you should be able to remember how the ritual is performed.” He waited for her to get settled down in the ground before continuing. “This,” he said holding up a glass jar filled with something black and grainy, “is black sea salt. When blessed by a hand wielding magick, it can withdraw and absorb the poisons from one’s body.”

“What do I do with it?” Tegan reached for the jar. She twirled it around in her palms, closely inspecting its contents. There was nothing catching to the eye or special about it, especially in the dim light.

“You will spread it around on Vivian’s body. Some on her hands, her stomach, and some on each foot. Salt is more or less the main component in healing because of its purification properties. Without it, darkness can seep in and transform the spell into something more deadly. Do well to remember this, Tegan,” Storm commanded.

She nodded. “Okay, salt is good. No salt, bad. It’s a bit like cooking in that way,” Tegan murmured.

“Yes, casting spells are in resemblance to cooking. You have to follow the recipes almost exactly if you want the desired results. However, you have to be careful when you adjust certain elements because of the effects they can cause. It could either weaken or empower your craft,” Storm said. “Now for another crucial part are the runes. You remember the different markings that were in the room we first met in?”

Tegan nodded her head again, recalling the mess that she found. “Did you do all that?”

“Yes. That was part of the spell used to call you here. It was pretty difficult for me alone but with help from the pack I was able to do it. The markings are different from what you will use tonight but the utility is the same. You are going to draw a circle of containment in the sand. That way, the magick will know where to go when you call upon it. Only you and Vivian will be able to enter it,” Storm explained.

Tegan pushed a rebellious lock of hair out of her eye. “What happens if someone else comes in it?”

Storm was all business as he educated her. “The spell could collapse. The magick will eject them from the circle and possibly kill them depending on how strong the rite is. The magick will only recognize and accept you and those you intend to use it on. Outside intervention is a dangerous thing. The only ones that can enter and not suffer consequence are those that recognize the spell and wield the same brand and power of magick.”

Tegan set the jar of salt back down in the sand. “What about you? You said you were part of me. Couldn’t you enter the circle with me?”

He seemed to ponder the question for a moment before answering. “I could. But this is something you need to learn to do on your own as well.”

Tegan nibbled on her bottom lip gently while she looked up at her mentor. “But this is my first time casting a spell. I would kinda like you there.”

He smiled at her. “I know. It is better this way, though. It will help you grow. You do not need me as much as you seem to think you do. If you do this by yourself, you can begin the transition with more ease. You will gain confidence in yourself. Don’t worry. I will still guide you, but you will do the brunt of the work on your own.”

Tegan sighed. “At least you will still be there for moral support I suppose.”

“You can and will do this. You have the strength. Now,” he said picking up a bag filled with green leafy things, “here is the easy part of the spell. You will mix some of these herbs together into a brew. You’ll have Vivian drink it after infusing it with a bit of your essence. Once she drinks it, you will be able to banish the illness from her. The magick will recognize your essence and force it out of her body into the salt.”

“That seems simple enough,” she murmured.

“It will more than likely wear you out. Not to the point of passing out or anything, but you’ll be pretty weary afterward,” he informed.

“And there are no nasty side effects from this, is there?”

He shook his head. “Not really, no. But only if you follow instructions.”

“So, are we going to start when they get here?”

“We can start setting everything up now to save time. I still have to show you how to make the tea. You will need to know everything that goes into it and what it does. It’s fairly simple because there are only a few components.” Out of the bag he fished a small black kettle-like pot with a lid.

Laughing, she pointed at it and said, “Is that what I think it is?”

Storm raised a brow at her, finding nothing funny about it. “It’s a cauldron,” he told her in a serious tone.

Stifling her giggles, she reached out and held it up to examine it. It was a lot heavier than she suspected it would be. “Is this what I am going to be making an herbal brew in?”

“Yes,” he answered pulling out a clear plastic bag that contained more clear baggies filled with vegetation both dried and fresh.

“Tell me we aren’t smoking any of that,” Tegan said half jokingly, eying what he held in his hands skeptically.

He gave her an odd expression. “No.” He opened up the Ziploc and pulled out one of the smaller baggies. It contained a handful of serrated edge leaves. “This,” he pushed it closer to her face, “is verbena; lemon verbena to be exact.” He went back to his sack of tricks and pulled out a bottle of water. “Set the cauldron on the fire and pour the water in to boil.”

Tegan grabbed the pot and water and took it over to the low burning fire. She set it over some glowing coals after pouring about half the bottle in. Once that was set up, she went back over to her familiar. He had set out a few more things. “What is the rest of this stuff for?”

“This is mint.” He pointed to another bag of leaves. Then his finger moved to another unlabelled jar containing some kind of dark liquid. “That is eucalyptus honey. It’s more or less just a sweetener for the tea to make it more palatable, but it does serve a small remedial purpose. The verbena is what will essentially choke out the disease. The mint is another purifying herb. You add it after you cook the tea along with the honey. There is one more thing you must do. You need to add some of your blood into the spell as sacrifice.”

She recoiled. “How much blood are we talking about?”

“Just a few drops. You’ll use it to draw a rune upon her forehead.” He took out a book and opened it to a marked page. There was a symbol there that resembled a stylized number seven with three lines drawn through it. “This is the Rune of Purgation. You will have to paint this on her forehead with your blood.”

“Sheesh, you guys don’t worry about blood-borne pathogens much, do you?” Tegan grumbled under hear breath.

He pushed the pair of scissors into her hand and gathered a few verbena leaves from a bag. “The water should be close to boiling. Take the verbena and cut it up into the water.”

Tegan followed his direction and did what she was told. The water was just beginning to bubble. She took the stack of greenery and started chopping them into the pot. The scent from them was very soothing; lemony with a clean, fresh scent that reminded her of spring. After she finished chopping that up, she trotted back over to Storm. He had a knife that he was twirling in his hands as he watched her silently approach. Handle first he handed it over to her. Apprehensively, she reached out and took hold of the cool metal.

“You can use this to prick your finger.” His eyes then shifted around her form. She turned to see what had captured his attention.

Out of the forest came a group of ten or so individuals. In the arms of a man that Tegan didn’t recognize was Vivian. It must have been the girl’s father. And next to them was a somber looking woman. There were dark circles of worry underneath her eyes and there was something fragile about her, like one little fissure in her life would send her whole world crashing down.

When they reached the fire, Ulrick greeted Tegan than asked if she was ready. She looked over at her familiar for confirmation. When he gave the go-ahead signal she nodded to the alpha.

Storm grabbed a towel and removed the cauldron from the flame. He poured the steaming mixture into a small white teacup. Tegan grabbed the honey and squeezed a couple spoonfuls into it, sprinkled in the mint, and then gave it a good stir.

Tegan took the concoction to the girl and ordered her to drink it down. She did it slowly, taking tiny sips at a time because it was still hot. Once finished, the empty porcelain was taken from her. Storm took out a blanket and smoothed it out over the sand.

“Vivian is going to lie down on the blanket. You are going to draw a circle around her body, but be sure to add enough room for you as well. You will step inside of the circle before you complete it. After that, you will use the black salt, then slice your finger and make the blood rune. The magick shall guide you through the rest. Be brave because I am not certain the full extent of how it will affect you,” Storm instructed, handing over the jar of black salt. She took it and tucked it under one arm.

After a small pat on the back from Ulrick, Tegan instructed the father to put the little girl down on the blanket. Not knowing what else to use, she took the knife and cut a circle in the sand around the girl. Before it was closed, she stepped inside, locking them both in an enchanted seal. The air suddenly became pungent with the scent of sulfur and something like black pepper as magick thickened the atmosphere all around. Tegan wondered if the ones witnessing this could feel the tension from it. Vivian looked up at her with scared eyes and she knew her patient could.

Tegan smiled at her then kneeled down and place d the knife at her side. “It’s going to be all right,” she said reassuringly.

“Will it hurt?” Vivian whispered in a tiny, breathy voice.

“Maybe, but only for a little bit. I’m going to make you better,” Tegan vowed. “Now, I need you to hold out your hands palms up.”

The girl complied and Tegan opened the jar containing the salt. She put a decent amount in either hand then she moved down to her belly. She pulled up her shirt to expose the skin of her stomach. She placed a line of salt there. Travelling down to two tiny feet, she did the same thing.

Once that was done, she took the knife at her side and ran her finder along the blade, slicing it open. With a wince, she placed the welling cut against Vivian’s feverish head and scrawled a cruder version of the rune that Storm had shown her.

Power and perceptiveness surged through her then. It was like someone else had taken over her body; someone that knew exactly what they were doing. Placing a hand over the girl’s heart and abdomen, she could feel a pulsation in the air around them. That’s when it started, the vibrant green flaring up in a swirling mass. She could see it and it reminded her of an aurora. The cyclone whirled around the circle that she had created. She looked back down at the girl. Mixed with Tegan’s burst of magick, there was an orange sickly aura emanating from the prone body. She ran her hands through it only to recoil. There something very wrong with it. It was completely foreign and in the back of her mind she knew what the problem was. This wasn’t just any normal sickness. Someone had deliberately caused this girl to become ill with some sort of weaker dark craft.

Reaching into the very root of the spell constricting her tiny body, Tegan dug her magickal fingers into the hex and yanked. It took a couple of tries but she successfully loosened its hold. Her own aura seemed to wrap around the parasitic spell and strangled it until the orange tinge faded and was absorbed by the green swirling mass around them.

When the little girl opened her eyes, they no longer had the dull sheen of affliction, but were the bright eyes that children were supposed to have. Color was returning to Vivian’s skin and her breathing wasn’t ragged and strangled.

“You okay?” Tegan asked, her own breathing deep and uneven. Everything in her was throbbing in a dull rhythm as the rush of magick died down. The full force of the expended energy was suddenly weighing down on her. She felt like her muscles were about to melt of her bones from fatigue.

Vivian nodded her head slowly. “I feel like I’m better. And my chest doesn’t hurt anymore. You cured me,” she said in awe.

Tegan reached her hand out and ran it through her hair as the magick residue died down. She noticed that more of the werewolves had shown up to observe the display of power. They all looked on in wonderment as if they were unsure they really witnessed what had just taken place.

Vivian’s parents came forward slowly. “Is she well now?” the mother asked in a voice barely above a whisper. There were tears in her eyes and the shaking in her limbs was noticeable.

“Yeah, I think it all went like it was supposed to. She already looks a lot better and she said she felt better,” Tegan murmured in a low tone.

Her father bent down and cradled her in his arms once again. His whispered something into the girl’s ear. Viv nodded her head vigorously. He smiled at her then focused his attention on Tegan. “We are in debt to you.”

“No, you are not. I was glad to help,” Tegan said, getting up from the sand. “Beside, Ulrick already took care of payment.”

Ulrick stalked in between the four of them. He turned his head toward Tegan, a please look crossing his features. He began a quiet discussion with the couple and their daughter while Tegan took a few minutes to regain her composure.

Sweat was now trickling down her brow and neck. Despite the air being so cold that her breath came out in white puffs of vapor, Tegan felt like she was roasting. She whipped the hoodie off and used it to wipe the sweat away. She swayed on her feet as she stood up. Storm had been right; she was exhausted.

“Are you all right?” Ulrick asked after he finished talking with Vivian’s parents.

“Yeah, just a little tired. How is she feeling?” Tegan questioned, nodding in the direction of the girl.

“She is feeling much better. Tegan, thank you. Thank you for helping her,” Ulrick rasped out, his voice thick with emotion. “I knew you were the one.”

Tegan flashed him an uncomfortable grin. “I’m just glad I was able to pull that off.”

She then noticed that thirty or more pairs of yellow eyes were locked on her. The others that had bounded out of the forest earlier had crowded in, forming a misshapen ring around her. They were getting closer and closer, and the nearer they came, the more frightened she was.

“Um, what are you guys doing?” Tegan questioned cautiously.

They didn’t bother answering her. Led by Ulrick, they raised their heads skyward and began howling. The sound was beautiful and haunting at the same time, like a sad nocturnal serenade. Goosebumps prickled her skin even though she was roasting and soaking wet with perspiration. The baying seemed to go on and on. When it finally died down, they all started to come up to her forming a collective line. Ulrick was the first to stand in front of her. He smile then leaned down to press his nose to her cheek.

Tegan located Storm in the crowd as Ulrick pulled away. What the hell are they doing?

It is their way of greeting you; an informal way of course because, right now, you are just a guest among them. Storm gave her a half-hearted smile. The next one the stepped up was Ulrick’s wife. She repeated the same gesture that the alpha had performed, but on the opposite cheek. In fact, all the females nosed the left side while the males took the right. It was a weird custom for sure. She felt awkward just standing there while they nuzzled her. But after getting over the initial shook, Tegan wanted to giggle because their noses were kind of cold and damp feeling, just like a dog’s.

When they finished, Storm came up to her. Are you ready to go back to the house? He asked through a thought as the wolves milled about, gossiping among each other. The group started for the pathway leading back to the Den.

Stifling a yawn, she bobbed her head up and down. Right now, there was nothing she wanted more than a nice bath and then to go to bed.

With the pack trailing in front of them, Storm and Tegan walked a few paces behind them. It was obvious that Storm was holding back so that she didn’t have to rush and could take her time going back. It was dark and hard to see so she was happy when Storm produced a flashlight to help her see the ground better.

I wish I didn’t have to walk all the way back there.

Do you wish for me to carry you back? Storm offered.

Don’t be ridiculous, Tegan muttered telepathically to him.

I’m not. If you are too tired to travel back to the wolves Den by foot then I am more than happy to do it. Storm slowed his strides as if getting ready to sweep her up into his arms.

I can walk. But something like an ATV would be nice. I don’t suppose anyone here could turn into one of those.

Through their mental connection, she could read what he was feeling quite well. Actually, this connection seemed a lot stronger than the other times they had done it. Maybe the power surge that jolted through her tonight had juiced up her consciousness. She didn’t have to look at him to know he was gazing at her with confusion. What is an ATV?

Kind of like a motorcycle but with four wheels.

Oh, he said thoughtfully.

Tegan looked ahead as the gap between them and the wolves got wider and wider. Don’t you think we should catch up to them?

Before Storm thought of a reply, a hand snaked out of the darkened forest surrounding and caught Tegan by the arm and pulled her behind a tree. She was about to scream bloody murder when a hand clamped over her mouth.

“Don’t scream. I just wanted to talk to you,” rumbled a deep voice before she could even fathom what was attacking her. The warm hand over her mouth moved away, freeing it so she could talk.

In the moonlight she could barely make out the silhouette but she knew exactly who it was. “Will you stop sneaking up on me, wolf-boy? I’m going to have a heart attack one of these days from all of you scaring the shit out of me all the time.”

Soren flashed a lopsided grin as he gazed down at her with shining eyes. He was about to say something else when a blur of light from the right tackled him down to the ground.

Storm, Tegan realized, had launched himself at the werewolf and they were both tumbling around in the leaves fighting each other. The sounds of flesh slamming into each other and twigs snapping echoed in the night air, and she wondered if the other werewolves could hear the struggle and come to investigate the commotion.

“Will you two stop?” Tegan hissed angrily. The illumination from the flashlight had been cut off from getting buried in a pile of leaves. She couldn’t see well enough to know what was happening, but she was pretty sure that they were trying to beat the ever-loving hell out of one another.

The only reply she got was animal-like grunts. She stepped forward, reaching out to find the two tussling bodies. She found a head of hair – though she was positive of whom it belonged to – and pulled.

“Stop pulling my fucking hair!” Soren yelled loud enough to shake a few nocturnal birds from their trees.

“Not until you stop fighting. Storm, Soren, knock it off!” she commanded.

Someone reached out and grabbed her leg. With a cry, she went tumbling down on top of them. After that, they seemed to get a hold of themselves and backed off. Soren was the first to his feet and he pulled her up from the damp, crunchy ground. At least this time, she hadn’t landing in watery mud.

“What the hell is the matter with you two?” Tegan demanded hotly once she was firmly back on her feet.

“He grabbed you. I didn’t know what he was trying to do and my first instinct was to protect you and attack,” Storm said aggressively, his breathing ragged. He patted the ground and scooped up the only source of light when he found it.

“Look, I only wanted to talk to her, okay?” Soren lashed out in his usually arrogant manner.

Tegan balled up her fist and punched him as hard as she could in the shoulder.

“What the fuck was that for?” Soren barked, rubbing the sore part of his arm.

“For scaring me. Now, what do you want?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“I just wanted to talk to you alone for a minute,” Soren told her.

“Couldn’t you have approached me like a normal person instead of jumping out of the woods like a Neanderthal?” She punched him again to make sure he got the point.

“Jesus, will you stop hitting me?” he bellowed, cradling his aching arm.

“No,” she said striking him again, this time in the opposite arm. She heard Storm chuckle from the sidelines. “This isn’t funny,” she snapped. He turned his head away, but she could tell that he was trying to stifle his amusement. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I was hoping to have a moment in private,” he said, his glowing blue orbs shifting over to her familiar.

“Anything you have to say to her you can say in front of me.” All laughter was gone from his voice as he took a step closer to Tegan, his hands fisting at his sides. She could tell he was ready for round two.

Tegan sigh. Frankly, she had enough with the posturing. The testosterone was thick enough to choke on. “Storm, let him say his piece. I’ll catch up with you, ‘kay?” She was just too tired to argue at this point. Though, dealing with Soren was probably going to wear her out even more, she doubted that he would just let her walk away without some sort of fight. She would end up having to hear him out anyway.

Storm gave her an angry glare, none too happy to be dismissed. But he did what was asked of him, handing her the light and starting back on the trail.

“He’s gone. Talk so I can get the hell away from you,” she said, worn-out and pissed off.

He was staring at her curiously. “If you dislike me so much then why are you sticking around to hear what I gotta say?”

She rolled her eyes into her head and shook it. “Because I’m going to hear it anyway, whether it’s now or later. You don’t have any tact and there is no derailing you if you want to say something. Now go on, say whatever it is you have to say.”

He stepped up to her so that their bodies were just a few inches apart. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, you know? Earlier today, I mean. I really didn’t. So, I’m sorry.”

Tegan’s brows shot up. “Wow, the great wolf-boy apologizing. I bet this is a first.”

He smirked. “Consider yourself one of the very few.”

She glared at him. “You aren’t, by any chance, trying to get on my good graces so I don’t do something witchy and evil to you to exact my vengeance?”

That smile never left his face. “No. And you wouldn’t put a curse on me.”

“Is this apology all you wanted to say to me?”

“No. There is something else that I want to tell you,” he said.

“And that is?” she asked, trying to hurry him along. She was about dead on her feet and he was yammering on about stuff she was only half listening to.

“I want you,” he whispered in a deep, almost predatory voice.

She nearly choked as she gasped. “Excuse me?”

“I. Want. You.” With each word he seemed to advance on her. Tegan back away until her back hit the bark of a tree. He was still close. Too close. If she took in a deep breath, their chests would probably touch.

“Well, you are not going to get me, buddy,” Tegan huffed tartly even though her heart was beating rapidly.

“I’m a predator, a hunter, and I always get what I want,” he growled.

Tegan laughed in a short burst. “You are a jackass.”

“You know, screw the apology. I wish I would have gotten you a little harder so I could taste more of you. Or maybe I should just eat you right here,” he said lasciviously. Tegan’s eyes snapped up to his and he waggled his eyebrows are her suggestively.

“You’re truly disgusting, you know that. You’re vile and arrogant and a self-centered jerk that thinks he can say and do whatever he wants,” Tegan retorted, poking him in the chest with each insult. He hardly seemed fazed by her words or prodding.

He snatched the finger jabbing him, holding it in a tight grip. “Actually, I can. I’m beta in this pack, the next in line and the alpha’s son. That gives me power over everyone but my father,” he told her.

“I bet he wouldn’t like you talking to me like this,” Tegan grumbled, trying to take back her hand.

“I think my father would probably be overjoyed,” Soren said fondly, finally letting her digit go.

Tegan grunted in response. “No, he wouldn’t. You’re disrespectful and the most infuriating person I have ever met!”

He leaned in and pinned her body with his arms, blocking her from moving away from him.

“You’re imposing on my personal space. Back up!” Tegan pushed against his solid chest, but he didn’t budge.

He gave her a devilish grin and leaned down so that his mouth was right next to her ear. She could feel his lips brush against her lobe and she sucked in a breath. “I’m going to get you, Tegan Daniels. I’m going to claim you as mine. And when I do finally get you, you are going to want no other but me.”

“You are a severely twisted soul. I am never going to be yours. Now, please…get the fuck away from me.” She heard him laugh as she ducked out from underneath him and started walking away. Before she got anywhere, his hand snatched her back and pulled her against him. Their chests touched and she could feel the warmth radiating from his body, mixing with her own. He inched down slowly until their faces were just mere centimeters away.

“Welcome to the pack, witch,” he murmured before closing the distance and brushing his cold nose against her cheek.