Page 3 of Wolf Trap

I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat. The stinking demon sneered as he stomped over and shoved me forward, whilst the other sniggered. “Any trouble, I’ll take your head.”

Yeah, thanks. I kind of got that part.

As I walked past more cells, head bent, I glanced in, trying to see if I could see Lycaon. But only darkness reflected back at me, and the only sound was the heavy breathing from the two monsters behind me.

My boots stuck to the ground as they marched me forward and high above us, a roar bellowed through the walls. Clenching and unclenching my fists, my stomach churned with dread.

Where was Lycaon, and where were they taking me? Probably to my death. Even though my heart pounded faster at that thought, it surprised me that a soft, blanketing feeling of stillness wrapped around me at the thought of dying. Of nothing more. An inner calm that I’d only felt from meditation or deep spell casting. It allowed me to breathe easier, which was unfortunate in those skanky, hell ridden cells.

The rancid stench clung to me, my clothes. As we climbed the stone steps, the growling noise above grew louder.

The demon shoved past me and took his keys from his belt. They jangled as he placed them in the lock, grating until at last,the door opened and fresh air swept over me. Around me I could see stone walls.

I was inside some kind of keep, a castle of sorts and above, a clear blue sky that had the demons flinching.

Finally, I found my voice. “Where am I? Where are you taking me?” I tried to sound commanding, like I wasn’t terrified.

It didn’t work.

All I got was a fist between my shoulder blades. “Shut up! Another word, I’ll take a finger. After that, your hand. Can’t weave your spells without hands, eh? Bloody witches.”

Stinking demons! Where the hell am I?

As I thought over the events that led me here, the feeling of calm lifted, replaced by catastrophic terror. I swallowed hard, my throat raw as panic rippled through every fibre, every muscle, every cell before turning to anger.

But I had to rein it in. I wasn’t a match for Adara or the demons.

My limbs like lead, heavy, devoid of magic. A pit in my stomach. Was this some kind of test? Adara had the chance to kill me before, and they hadn’t. Unless this was a perverse game to punish me, but I was a nobody. No, this had to be a test of sorts.

The fortress walls had macabre statues with wailing faces that leaned out of them. Like the guardians of death watching over me.

Something clanged underfoot. Looking down, I was walking over a metal grill, and the scent coming from it was musky, woody. In the clear blue light, I glimpsed white from eyes as I realised beneath me, in the dungeons, werewolves were imprisoned in human form. Dozens of them, maybe more. The tiny hairs on my arms tingled. What is this place? Unable to swallow as my instinct alerted me, I felt a presence, heavy and foreboding.

The demons halted abruptly and the one who was so keen to lob off my head pointed to an old wooden table that was set off to the side of the arena.

His voice grated as he said, “You’ll find tools there for your first test.”

Before I could speak, footsteps above me shuffled on wood.

Glancing up on the ramparts, sounds of soft trampling. The ledge above me filled with the masked assembly of Adara. Slivers of gold from the morning sun reflected from their masks, as their staring and their silence seemed to tear at my heart.

My chest tightened more. I glanced and realised that the demons had gone, and I was alone in the middle of this fort, awaiting my fate. With no magic.

Shit!

Rushing to the table, I surveyed the objects. My athame, which I snatched up. A wand and tarot cards.

A thumping of feet on the ground shook behind me. I grabbed the wand, shoved it into my pocket, and shuffled through the cards. There were a few I wanted. My hands were sweaty with nerves. I dropped a few, casting a fast glance over at them. The Magician, the Tower, and the Knight of Swords. Putting them in my pocket, I pulled the athame back from my belt and sliced my hand as Adara watched.

They hissed a gasp as they saw me do this.

A test then? They wanted to test my magic, my skill. Alright.

Time to fight dirty. Just like them…

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