Chapter 27

Russel and Lola spent the next two days traveling in a northwestern route across Oclan. The one thing that Lola noticed was the surprising lack of villages, towns, or even cities. The lands seemed to only be barren, rocky hills, snow, skeletal-looking trees, or iced over lakes, rivers, and ponds. The only animal life she spotted was some large birds circling overhead on several occasions. If she didn’t have Russel with her, she would have been terrified to travel across such a foreboding place. Even the skies overhead were sullen, gray, and filled with clouds most of the time. The sunniest part of Oclan appeared to be near the border with Alcroft.

When she asked Russel about why everything looked so dreary, he just shrugged his shoulders and said that’s how it’s always been.

“Since we’re much further north than the human kingdom or even Sarchi or Harvenk, we get a lot of snow. It doesn’t make for a whole lot of pleasant days. My father said our clan moved here because of those reasons. All this tough, rugged terrain makes for great natural defenses and barriers to attacking armies.”

She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Was it a good thing they were hard to attack? Or that Russel’s father seemed to have war on his mind?

For the first time since leaving Alcroft and entering Oclan, she wasn’t sure if she made the right choice in seeking sanctuary there. She supposed it was her own past experiences making her extremely nervous. Having everyone she loved slaughtered to a man and then being involved in two ghoul attacks, plus the oni, had a lasting effect on her it seemed. She wanted to push those fears down into the depths of her mind, but it was no good. Not only did her misgivings come back even stronger, they also brought back all those terrible memories to the forefront of her mind again. It was like her brain wanted her to remember why she should be cautious.

As if she needed it.

All of those things were so fresh, they were almost replayed on a constant loop inside her head.

“Is everything all right?” Russel asked her during one of these long and introspective moments of hers.

She looked at him and smiled softly.

“Yes. I’m fine.” She huddled in on herself as an icy, chilling breeze suddenly blew across them. She felt it across her face and ears the most but the thick, wool-lined coat she had on did a lot to blunt the effects. It was one she bought in Wrexon under Russel’s urging before leaving the city.

“You sure? You look like something might be wrong.”

He, Lola noticed with some envy, didn’t have to wear a coat or even a thicker shirt. He strolled around in a thin, long-sleeved cotton shirt, a pair of pants, shoes and that was it. “Werewolves,” she remembered him explaining. “Have a natural resistance to most colder temperatures. Our bodies run a lot hotter than a human, even in our base form.”

Base form meaning his human one of course.

“Don’t worry,” she said, brushing off his concerns. “I’m really fine. With everything that’s happened, I’m just constantly on edge, you know?”

“Yeah. I think with everything you’ve been through, you have a right to be,” he told her.

She didn’t say anything back but nodded her head a little in acknowledgment. Russel realized she didn’t want to talk about it so he let the matter drop. She had to deal with her trauma in her own way. No amount of prying or butting in from him was going to help her. In fact, it might do more harm than good.

Besides, if she came to him directly and asked for advice, he would be more than happy to offer it.

They continued trudging across the rather unpleasant landscape for a while longer, Russel urging them onward with promises that the castle was close.

“It’s really not much farther now,” Russel would keep saying.

But, Lola kept thinking bitterly to herself, he’d been saying that for the last three hours or so. By the time she saw the perimeter of Oclan’s capital city and the impressive towers of Russel’s ancestral castle home, she wanted to punch him in the stomach; she was so irritated. She forced that away though. At least now, she could actually see an end. That was something.

“Another two hours and we’ll be there,” Russel said, way too chipper.

“Two hours!?” Lola asked, groaning.

“Why don’t we stop h…”

His voice suddenly cut off. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared.

At the same time, that sensation of ice water dripping along Lola’s spine suddenly flared up again. It was still a fainter sensation but she couldn’t deny its presence any longer. Something was up with her. But she had no idea what it was or why it was happening.

“We need to go,” Russel suddenly said, grabbing her arm and trying to take off running with her in tow.

The sensation across her spine intensified sharply. Lola gasped.

Something started coming out of the scant trees up ahead, mostly obscured by the grayness of the day and the shadows.

Not something, Lola realized with dawning horror. Somethings. Plural. Four to be exact.

As they continued walking, each one started to gain definition. They looked human but Lola knew they weren’t. They were werewolves. She had no doubt in her mind.

“No need for all that,” one of them said. He was taller than the others but slender. His face looked oddly familiar too. “Tell me, what did you think you were going to accomplish here…”

He paused, a smirk growing on his face like an evil fungus.

“Brother.”

Lola looked between the four and then to Russel. That explained why he looked familiar even though she had never seen his face before. It was a family resemblance.

“Russel,” Lola said, looking at him inquiringly. “Are they…”

His jaw clenched tightly and his eyes never strayed from the four werewolves.

“Yes,” he said simply, his voice hard and steely. “They’re my brothers.”

“Ah,” another one said. He was easily the shortest and exceptionally hairy. His arms were covered in thick, black hairs and a big, bushy beard covered most of his face. “That’s her, ain’t she Russel.”

Russel took a few steps in front of Lola, pushing her behind him so that he could shield her if necessary.

“What’s the matter?” she asked. “They’re your brothers. Aren’t they here to help?”

The four of them stared at each other for a moment and then each one burst out laughing. Lola watched, confused. What was happening here? Russel said she would be safe in Oclan but his brothers were acting completely contrary to that.

“Us? Help you?” another one asked, still laughing. He was even clutching his pretty expansive gut as he did. Then his face went deadly serious and he stared menacingly at Lola. There was a hunger burning in his eyes she had seen in only one other.

Russel when he had given himself over to the wolf.

Was this one that far gone too? She didn’t think so. There were still traces of humanity left in him but she wasn’t sure how much. In fact, as she looked at the four of them, they all seemed to have that quality about them. A hunger. They looked at her like she was prey.

“Back the fuck off, Ray,” Russel snapped at the heavy-set brother. “I swear I will rip your throat out if you get any closer.”

The first one that had come out of the wooded area, the tall and slender one, stepped forward with both of his arms out wide. There was a cocky, self-assured smile on his face that Lola instantly detested.

“Now, now, brother,” the man said. “There’s honestly no need for all that…unpleasant business. We can resolve all this nastiness easily. Just hand the girl over.”

Russel’s entire body stiffened.

“Go to hell, Ro. I am invoking my rights as prince now. I have offered this human woman, Lola Tarnvol, sanctuary. She is to remain here, unharmed and unmolested.” His lip curled into a snarl as he spoke. “By my decree.”

The four of them looked among each other but didn’t stop advancing. In fact, the hunger in their eyes had switched to something more unpleasant.

Eagerness.

They were preparing to fight.

Ro looked between Russel and Lola, saw the confusion on her face, and his sinister smile spread even wider as realization dawned on him. He took a step forward and pointed a finger at Lola.

“Your rights as prince are denied, Russel,” he said. “Because this woman has been ordered to be killed by our father.”

He paused, a spark of gleeful satisfaction in his eyes.

“By you, Russel. And since you have failed in your duties, you can die right along with her.”