Chapter 58

They stare at me for a moment in utter confusion, but a moment later Owen’s expression turns into a grim frown. He looks at Abel and Carter, and his voice sounds low and almost demanding, “Why did you bring her?”

“She knows where Gray is,” Rorie answers instead, pushing me forward, but it—it’s not true! I shake my head fervently, afraid to promise more than I can offer.

“I don’t know! If I knew, I’d be with him instead of hanging around with you all.”

The wolf suddenly growls again—although it sounds weaker, as if it’s just trying to make a point—and I’m pretty sure I hear a sigh from someone in the group. Owen turns to the wolf with a reprimand in his eyes. “Noah, leave her alone. It’s alright.”

Noah? I glance at the wolf that obediently steps away with a quiet, embarrassed huff. I mean, I understand that all of them are shapeshifters or whatever Gray called himself—but it’s still surprising to realize the animal in front of me is a human as well.

“Paula, come here.” I snap out of my thoughts and turn to Owen who’s already looking at me expectantly. “What do you know?”

Other people give way as Rorie guides me closer to Owen, squeezing my hand in silent support before letting go. I feel the gazes of strangers on me, and the odd primal nature of their presence isn’t helping me to calm down. My throat is dry with nerves as I meet Owen’s gaze, and damn it. Since when am I afraid to talk to him? But here, it does feel like a big deal, so I straighten up and hold his gaze, my heart beating harder.

“I had a vision,” I explain, glancing at Asya—but none of them seem to be surprised, listening carefully. “I saw Gray fall on the ground somewhere in the woods, and he was screaming in pain, but not…not as a human.”

“Are you sure it was him?” Owen asks, and my gaze darts to him. Is that really his first thought?

“Yes.”

“How do you know? You say he was a wolf in your vision.” He eyes me with doubt, and I feel the heat of annoyance bubbling under my skin. I’ve already explained this to Abel and Carter. Is it really so hard to understand that we don’t have time?

“I’ve seen him before.”

He hums, thoughtful, and it irks me even further. “Why do you think something happened to him? Maybe it’s just a dream or—”

“I don’t get these visions for nothing,” I snap back, finally regaining my composure, and a wave of tension runs through the crowd around me— but I don’t care. If he doesn’t understand that I’m serious, then it’s time to explain it right away. “I know it was Gray, and I know something happened to him. Now, are you gonna help me find him?”

“Calm down,” Owen says with a voice that accepts no objections. Before I have time to wire up even further, he catches my gaze. His blue eyes are calm and focused, and I see that he does care. “Can you describe the place?”

I shrug. “Nothing unusual. Trees, bushes, red flowers.”

“Flowers?” Asya suddenly repeats with a frown and turns to the oldest man in the group. “Harry, do you know any places with red flowers?”

The man shakes his head, looking thoughtful. “No.”

“Maybe it was some kind of magic,” the woman from before mutters, and my heart sinks. No, no, it can’t be a curse. Not again. I turn to Owen in panic, and his frown looks deeper as well, his lips a tight line.

“I’ll find him,” he says and moves to stand up, but Asya squeezes his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down with a glare.

“Where are you gonna go? You don’t even know where he is.”

“I’ll trace his scent.”

“You’ve already tried, and it didn’t work.” Asya glares at him, and her voice suggests that it’s better not to argue. Besides, she kind of has a point, even if I’m just as ready to run into the night as Owen. “Now, it’s dark, and you have no idea what kind of traps are waiting out there.”

“I agree,” Rorie adds all of a sudden, crossing her arms with a thoughtful frown. “If Gray woke up an old curse, it may find you as well.”

“But we can’t sit and do nothing. Can’t you use your magic?” Carter steps in as well, and others quickly join the conversation. I step back into the shadows surrounding the bonfire, allowing Rorie and Carter to take my place next to Owen and watching them nervously. It’s taking way too long.

They keep talking about possible ways to find Gray, from magic spells to the goddamn police, but all I hear is the thunder of my heartbeat in my ears. Time, we are losing time, how do they not understand that? None of their options are good enough to work, and I feel desperation crawling back inside me. Gray’s voice full of pain echoes in my ears. I have to do something, I have to…

I close my eyes, feeling frightened tears burn my eyelids, and curl my hands into fists, breathing through the panic in my throat. Please, I have to see Gray. Just once, just give me one more chance. I don’t know which gods or supernatural entities decide what visions to show me, but can’t they hear me now? I shut my eyes tighter. Give me a sign, please, I need it. I need him.

But nothing happens, only the noises in my ears are muffled by the rush of blood, and I exhale weakly and open my eyes—only to find myself in the middle of a small, wooden house. I don’t have time to look around before my gaze lands on an armchair in front of me, and I see Gray under a blanket. A wave of warmth washes through my veins, my heart singing in relief—until I realize that he’s shaking and barely breathing, slumped in the armchair like a broken doll.

There’s a girl my age crouching by the armrest, touching Gray’s forehead with a concerned frown, and beside her is a young man and…I breathe out in surprise. They look practically the same. If the young man didn’t look a little older than the girl, I would swear they are twins. I hear a hum and turn to see an older woman; she walks around the wooden cabin as if looking for something among the patches of herbs and cutlery.

I force myself to keep my eyes open without a blink, taking in as much as I can, when I hear a groan. It’s Gray, his face distorted in an expression of pain. I gasp, barely holding myself from running to him and ruining the vision.

“Mom.” Suddenly, the young man looks up at the woman, his eyes dark and calm. “Someone is watching us.”

“Ah, good for them,” the woman murmurs, not looking away from a jug of dried flowers. “Maybe someone will come after this poor boy.”

I will, I promise, I will! Just tell me where I can find you, and I’ll come for him, I promise—but not a single noise leaves my mouth. The tears finally spill from my eyes and I blink them away only for the vision to disappear in the next moment. I gasp for breath, looking around in a rush to see something important—but there are only flickers of fire and wooden huts. I’m back to the settlement with my heart pounding in my chest.

“I believe your friend just had a vision,” Fiona says all of a sudden, looking at me with a squint. How does she…? But I don’t have the time to figure it out and rush forward where everyone is already looking at me again.

“Yeah, I just—I just saw Gray,” I say shakily, my gaze darting over them to make sure they follow every detail. “He’s in a house somewhere in the woods. I don’t know where it is, but there are three people with him— young siblings and their mother.”

“Is Gray alright?” Rorie asks and steps closer, worry in her frown. Is he? I swallow, remembering his lifeless, shaking body in the armchair, and I shake my head frantically.

“I don’t know, but it looked like he was in pain, and—and he could barely breathe. Like he has a fever or something worse, I don’t know, but I have to—I have to find him. Do you know of such a place? Anywhere?”

I look at every person surrounding me, meeting the gazes even of those I don’t know, including the wolf that had almost attacked me a few minutes ago. But they all look away eventually, shaking their heads with grim expressions—except for the old man on the other side of the bonfire. Maybe it’s the smoke that distorts his features, but Harry holds my gaze with unfocused eyes, and I immediately rush toward him with hope in my voice.

“Do you know?”

“I do,” the man murmurs after a few tense seconds of silence, and

Owen stands up from his place. Almost everyone steps closer to Harry, and I keep my own gaze on him, waiting, pleading for more. He looks between us all before resting his gaze on Owen. “But it’s a difficult place to reach.” “It doesn’t matter,” Owen says immediately, echoing my own thoughts, and I exhale in relief. At least Owen understands what I feel.

“Where is it?”

“It’s in the woods of Rabbit Mountain.” Harry gestures at the shadow of the neighboring mountain looming over us against the night sky. “On the territory of witches.”

Everyone suddenly goes quiet, and I blink in surprise. Okay, Gray had mentioned that there are other witches in Raywald, but a whole territory? Well, that doesn’t sound too bad. But when I glance around, I see grim frowns and cautious glances, even Owen’s expression turning darker. He isn’t gonna give up just like that, is he?

But Owen nods slowly, as if coming to a decision with himself, and looks at Harry. “Alright then. Can you explain where it is? I’ll go—”

“Do you think you're going after witches on your own?” Asya interrupts even before Owen has the time to finish, swatting his shoulder with a reprimand in her eyes. “No, darling. Someone has to save your ass from curses.”

Owen huffs and rolls his eyes, but it’s obvious that he isn’t gonna argue. Harry, in the meantime, looks at Asya and hums. “With a witch to help us, I can show you the way.”

“Hey, what about us?” Abel steps in all of a sudden. “You can’t leave like that.”

“I can help you,” Rorie adds, her hand lingering on Abel’s elbow as she looks between Owen and Asya. “You don’t know what curses are there.

Let us come with you.”

Owen says nothing for a moment, studying them with a thoughtful look, but in the end, he nods. “Okay, Abel, Rorie, you can come. Carter, you stay to look after the pack—if anything happens, you and Caleb are in charge.”

It doesn’t look like Carter is happy about the order, but he nods with a frown on his face and steps closer to a man in the crowd I don’t know— Caleb, perhaps. I look after him for a moment before turning to Owen who…pulls off his shirt? Uh, okay.