Chapter 25 25

Chapter 25 25

Eudora's POV

I looked towards the Ruminant, paralysed with fear. There, rendering them unable to move, to breathe, to think.

This was not like the hungry wolves I had seen, or had been told of from news reports and whispers. This was not some abstract threat lurking at the gates.

This was evil of old incarnate. Standing before me. Real and horrifying and wrong in ways my mind could not process.
And it knew me.

The being talked to me as if we knew each other. As if we had met before, though I certainly did not remember it. The knowing in its searing red eyes made my flesh shiver..

The affinity I’d felt with magic suddenly made terrible, dreadful sense. My dad did something to me. Consigned me to these beings before I was even born. Turned me into something I never wanted to be.

He lowered me to the floor cautiously: he was so goddamned tense and his entire body was a line of his, tensed up like it would stop fucking working in a second. He stepped in front of me, taking the Ruminant head on.

“You not going to take her,” he growled, his voice low and in the dangerous tone that signaled when his wolf was near.

The creature laughed, a rumble like rocks grinding together. Like mountains grinding together. It gave me a ache in my teeth and a jangle in my bones.

"The young Lycan King. How predictable." The Ruminant’s voice was choral, many tones speaking at one. "You must think you are quite the hero to believe you can prevent something that has been in the making for years. What was arranged before you were even born?”

More Ruminants poured out of the hole in the wall. Lesser than the first, yet no less dangerous. Their shapes were composed of shadow and smoke, in continuous motion. Their eyes shone red in the dark.

Five. Six. Seven of them.

We were outnumbered and trapped.
Marjah had pulled out her sword, even with the injuries. Cuts spotted her face and arms with blood that hadn’t yet fully dried. But she stood straight, fearless. "I have killed the likes of you before," she stated, even-voiced. "You can be killed."

The attention of the Big Ruminant was diverted to her. Its head at a weird angle. "The Night Fang warrior. Yes, we know of you too. Your whole pack has been difficult for years.” So many of our scouts taken out by your female soldiers."

My blood pulsed with something. A little tugging in the direction of the animals. Like a rope around my heart, pulling me forward.

My moonstone pendant around my neck began to heat up. Then hot. As though it had been struggling against something that was pulling at me.

The Ruminant captain stepped forward, apparently unconcerned by Oberon’s warning growl. Nevermind the way his claws elongated, prepared to go in for the kill.

“You feel it too, don’t you, vessel?” it asked me directly. Its voice was nearly gentle, now. Almost kind. Which made it so much worse. "The call in your blood. The recognition. You are ours, child. You have always been ours."

Still choking with fear, I found my voice. “What did my father ever do to me?”

The Ruminant looked gratified that I had asked. It was solidifying somewhat, taking on shape. "Your daddy was a genius, in his way. Ambitious. Ruthless. To steer power, one had to join it. Shit, you have to travel between worlds.

It came closer still, and Oberon grasped my arm. Anchoring me. Preventing me from being tugged forward.

"What did he do?" I repeated it, my tone stronger this time.

”He had got a deal when you were in thy mother’s belly! Came to us in the shadow places where worlds meet, and offered up a bargain. The Ruminant's eyes were fastened upon me with an intensity that was horrible. Ruminant essence ran through your veins !" Just a single drop. But that was enough. Enough to mark you. Enough of you to be a bridge from our world to your world.”

My stomach turned. I reached down and clutched at my stomach, feeling nauseated. “He poisoned me before I was born?

"Poisoned?" The Ruminant laughed again. "No, child. He elevated you. Made you at least one thing more than a witch and a wolf.” He believed he could manage it, of course. Thought to use you as a way to order us, to break the will of our armies and force it.
“But the core will is strong,” Oberon added, his voice gruff. "It cannot be controlled."

"Precisely." The Ruminant's form flickered. "The essence grows. Learns. Waits until the time is right to awaken.”

Oberon took my hand and we entwined our fingers. His fury and fear radiating through the mate bond. I could sense how badly he wanted to slay this thing for what it was feeding me.

"On your twenty first birthday." the Ruminant continued, an ever so serious note in his voice. "The essence will fully awaken. The transformation will be complete. You will become one of us. A chimera who can wield both witch magic and Ruminant power. The ideal conduit to deliver our armies through, to this world."

The words struck like blows to the body. Six months. I was six months away from humanity.

“I’m gonna die before YOU,” I said, and I was perfectly sincere. “I would sooner kill myself than let that happen.

The Ruminant actually laughed then and a real hearty laugh at that. "You cannot die, little vessel. No, they will not let it. Your father saw to that when he did his deal. You can't die until your mission is over. Each of your suicide attempts will be unsuccessful. Every injury will heal. ‘You are immortal until you fulfill your purpose.”

Oberon drew me close, enfolding his arms around me in a protective manner. His heart was pounding against my back. “There has got to be a way around it,” he said. "Every curse has a counter. Every binding can be undone."

The Ruminant’s look altered, took on something almost sympathetic. "Perhaps. In theory. But the price would be steep. You’mores vacant, Lycan King darker than you ever # think. Are you willing to pay it? Are you ready to give everything up for her?”

Before Oberon could reply, before I even had time to think about how enigmatic that thing’s words were, Yamal dove through the passageway. Twelve warriors who will fight with him. Their fangs were bared, and their eyes glowed golden.

"Your Grace!" Yamal screamed, processing what he was seeing. "The palace is secure. We have repelled the disease-wolves. "Uh-huh," Jack said." The Alphas and their fighters are combing the area took for any lingering threats."

He froze when he spotted the Ruminants. His sword whipped up, instinctive reaction. "Get behind me, Your Grace."

The Ruminant leader appeared amused rather than worried. "More warriors. How delightful. What fearless little wolves, so prepared to die for their king!”
It made a dismissive motion toward the warriors, and some of the littler Ruminants took to defending them. It’s putting a barrier between us and possible help.

“But we are not here to fight today,” said the leader. “Message is the reason for our coming. To make our intentions clear."

It stared straight at me with eyes which glowed red upon mine. "You've got 6 months until your twenty first birthday. Six months to tell humanity goodbye. To prepare for your transformation. Against what you’ll become.”

Oberon clutched me more tightly, his voice now fierce. "We have to find a solution to all of this. We will break your curse."

The Ruminant grinned, a too-many-teeth grin. Sharp and predatory. "You are welcome to try. We encourage it, even. The challenge makes finally saying yes so much sweeter.”

It started going in reverse, toward the hole in the wall. The other Ruminants followed suit.

"But know this, Lycan King. The more magic the ship uses, the stronger that spirit becomes.” And with every spell, every surge of power, every ounce of magic she harnesses, the transformation draws nearer. “If she goes on using her witch instincts, it will be a matter of weeks instead of months.”

The words were a fatal sentence. Magic was my only weapon. My sole means of self-defense and defense of others. And reaching for it was hastening my demise.

"Until we meet again, vessel." The form of the Ruminant was already fading into shadow. “And Lycan King, please take good care of our bridge. She is quite precious to us."

Then they were gone. Disappeared in again through the hole in the wall. And then there was nothing but darkness and the scent of sulfur.

As the Ruminants vanished through the hole in the wall, my legs buckled under me. The power that had been keeping me up also suddenly dissipated.

Oberon caught me, and we went down to the floor. He put his arms around me, helping to keep my pieces together when they wanted nothing more than to fall apart.

I was shaking uncontrollably. The shock of what I had heard forgot everything else. Every other thought. Every other emotion.

“I am a monster,” I whispered, my voice tasting of ash. “My father turned me into a monster before I was even born. Before I had any choice. Before I could refuse."

Oberon cradled my face in his hands, and he was gentle. Making me look at him through my tears. You’re not a monster Eudy. You are my mate. My queen. And we will fix this. We will find a way."

But fear was all I could discern in his golden eyes. The hesitancy lurking under the resolve. He was uncertain we could ever fix this. Neither of us did.

Six months. I had a half-year of humanity remaining. Roughly six months before I would become the thing that would ruin everything and everyone I loved. That would unleash an army of darkness into the world.

"Oberon," I said, and I knew what to do next. Something I wanted him to promise even before logic could do so. "If we can't lift the curse. If there is no stopping the transformation."

I took a shuddering breath. “You have to promise me you’re going to kill me before the apocalypse comes. Before I am a bridge like they need. Before I hurt anyone."

His expression turned thunderous. Dark and furious. "Never. I will never harm you. Do not ask me to do that."

"Promise me!" I clutched his shirt, crying and crying. "Please promise you won't let me be like that. That you’ll end it before I hurt someone. Before I destroy everything. Please, Oberon. Please."

Before I could answer, before I had a chance to say no or yes, there it was.

The essence in my blood. Pounding with awareness that I now knew was there. And, with that out of the way.

It was alive. Conscious. They were listening to everything we said.

And I knew with that cold feeling of horror that it was learning from me. Strong, gaining power from my fear and desperation. Feeding on my emotions.

The Ruminant had been right. I was running out of time before anyone knew it.