Eternally Bound, Chapter 56: You'll Pay
Eva
I let the silence envelop me, a rare moment of tranquility in the storm. Astaroth’s name echoes in my mind, a whisper that sends a shiver down my spine. She is no mere enemy; she is a force of nature, a tempest that cannot be contained. Raven was but a puppet, a distraction to keep us at bay while Astaroth gathered her strength. Now, with Raven’s dark essence dissipating into the ether, the true battle is upon us. Raven said that we would pay, but it was just an empty threat, right?
My thoughts turn to the White Wolf, a figure shrouded in legend and mystery. He is said to possess the power to force balance in a world teetering on the edge of chaos. But where is he? Is he even still alive? The last whispers of his existence faded into the shadows centuries ago. I wonder if he could be the key to defeating Astaroth. There had to have been a reason for my vision.
I survey the men who stand beside me—my mates, my protectors, my strength. Bael, Brandon, Eric, Vincent, Sam, and Vlad all look at me. "Eva," Bael’s deep voice cuts through my thoughts, grounding me in the present. "What’s our next move?" He must know that I am changing our plan. We were supposed to go take on Astaroth, but I want to pursue the White Wolf.
I turn to him, my expression resolute, though my mind is a whirlwind of possibilities. "We need to find the White Wolf. If he’s still alive, he could be our best chance against Astaroth."
Brandon snorts, his sarcasm dripping like honey. "Great. Another wild goose chase. Because what we really need is more uncertainty."
I shot him a withering look, my patience wearing thin. "If you have a better idea, I’m all ears."
He raises his hands in mock surrender, a smirk playing on his lips. "Just saying, we’ve been chasing legends and myths for years. Maybe it’s time to focus on what’s right in front of us."
"And what’s right in front of us is Astaroth," Eric interjects, his voice calm but firm, cutting through Brandon’s flippancy. "If the White Wolf can help us, we need to find him. Time is not on our side."
Bael steps forward, his blue eyes piercing through the shadows, his tone laced with skepticism. "Even if we find him, there’s no guarantee he’ll help us. The White Wolf is... unpredictable. At least the man I once knew was.”
"Unpredictable or not, we need every ally we can get," Vlad adds, his voice smooth and confident, a steadying force amidst the tension. "Astaroth won’t wait for us to get our act together."
I nod, my mind made up, though the decision weighs heavily on me. "Then we start searching. Bael, use your shadows to scout the realms. Brandon, tap into your network. Eric, see if your visions can guide us. Vincent, Vlad, use your connections. We’ll leave no stone unturned. Sam scour Gran’s office. There has to be something we have missed, and well, the rest of the world has missed. I had that vision for a reason. If it can save any of us, we need to try everything we can to find the White Wolf.”
As they disperse, each to their tasks, I take a moment to gather myself. The weight of responsibility rests heavily on my shoulders, but I am not alone. I have my new family. But as I stand there, the wind whispering through the ruins, I can’t shake the feeling that Astaroth is watching us, biding her time. And I can’t help but wonder if we’ll find the White Wolf before she makes her move.
We made our way home, where Pekhet was waiting for us. “Goddess, what you seek is out there. But it has been changed.”
“Changed, how?” I ask as I take a seat in the living room.
“There’s a darkness in him now. I can sense it. It was there before, but now it has intensified. I can’t discern why, but I will try as will my consorts. Just be careful. His once good intentions have been clouded by grief and betrayal.” She squeezed my hand before she lowered her head. “I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t. I am at your disposal should you need me. I will watch over your loved ones until then.”
“You aren’t my servant.” I look around. “None of you are. You are my equals and my family. A family stands and fights together, and that is exactly what we will do!”
Morgan and Agnes give Pehket a hug. Morgan says, “Sometimes it is good not to see everything. Being cautious can be good, but it can also be a hindrance. We can all save each other; we just have to be smart about it. Your warning, Eva, is more helpful than you realize.” She’s right. I would rather be a tad cautious should we find him. Time and heartache can change a lot.
Astaroth
Raven was late. She was supposed to bring me anyone from the Fall compound, or could be used as leverage. She had messaged me that she had a plan. I should never have let her go alone! I exited our secret lair, but was met with this strange fog. I used magic to try and see, but it kept fizzling out like a limp dick at an orgy. I tried to use a portal, but it kept bringing me back to the fog. I couldn’t escape it so I just sat down. While I sat, I closed my eyes and listened. I could hear faint voices and laughter. I couldn’t make out if they were familiar or not. That unnerved me.
Since I couldn’t rely on magic to escape whatever this was, I had to use my wits. Fog is nothing but air. If there is no air, there is no fog. But how can I make that happen? I need to either make the air go away or make it heat up. Well, the heating up, I can make that happen. I pull the lighter from my cloak. I wrapped up my cloak and removed some of my clothes. Then I set it all ablaze. The fog disappeared, and that’s when I realized that I had somehow gone back in time. But how?