Bloodrose

  Adne had already begun to move, immediately lost in the intricate dance of her weaving. Multicolored, glimmering threads of light streamed from her skeans, twisting, braiding, slowly forming into the pattern that would be our door.

  A door to what?

  Tordis lay ahead. If we succeeded, Shay would have the first sword of the Elemental Cross. Remembering Logan’s hideous creation that had waited for us in the bowels of Haldis, I shuddered. What was hiding in Tordis?

  “Okay.” Adne was breathing hard. When Connor put his arm around her, she leaned into him.

  “You all right?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Just making sure we’re right on top of it.”

  Ethan strode toward the door. Sabine, in wolf form, stayed close on his heels. He nodded once to Anika before passing through the portal.

  I peered into the doorway. Through the shimmering passage I could see the almost-blinding whiteness of snow occasionally cut by jagged black rock.

  A soft touch on the small of my back made me jump.

  “Sorry.” Shay was smiling at me. “You ready?”

  “Yeah,” I said, throwing a teasing grin back at him. “You nervous?”

  “Nah.” He rolled his shoulders back. “I’m the Chosen One, remember?”

  I laughed when he twisted to show me the ice axes he had strapped on.

  “For luck,” he said. “And ’cause we’re headed for another mountain.”

  “Let’s hope we have more than luck working for us.” Connor laughed, brushing past us and into the portal. He threw a disgusted look back at Silas, who had pulled out his Moleskine and was already scribbling notes. “Don’t say anything embarrassing, kiddos, ’cause apparently it’s all on the record from here on out.”

  Adne tapped her foot. “Could you guys get a move on, please? The other team would probably appreciate us getting this done as quickly as possible.”

  “Sir, yes sir!” Shay grinned. He took my hand, squeezing my fingers before turning to follow Connor. Instead of letting go, I pulled him toward me, raising up on my tiptoes to brush a soft kiss across his mouth.

  “You don’t need luck,” I said. “But I’m still glad you brought the axes.”

  He drew me into a longer kiss until Connor whistled. Shay shook his head as he let me go and followed the Searcher through the portal.

  The warmth of Shay’s grasp was replaced by a cold touch. I glanced down to see Mason, a wolf, gazing up at me. I shifted forms and was greeted by his voice in my mind.

  Follow the leader. Ladies first.

  I’m no lady and don’t you forget it. I nipped his shoulder.

  Good point. Mason’s tongue lolled out. I don’t think proper ladies let themselves be kissed like that.

  Shut up, Mason.

  Just tell me. He yipped, wagging his tail. Would you have let lover boy get that close if Ren was still in the room?

  I said shut up.

  I just need to know what kind of odds I should be getting from Nev. He barked when I bit his flank, chasing him into the glittering doorway.

  When I hit the ground on the other side of the portal, two thoughts screeched inside my head. That the air pouring into my lungs was the coldest, freshest I’d ever breathed.

  I gulped the frigid air. How high up were we?

  Glancing around, I got my answer. The ground sloped away from my feet at an angle that seemed impossible. If I took one step down, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to stop until I reached the bottom of the mountain. If I turned the other way, I could see blue sky in the distance, partially blocked by a cloud drifting past. A cloud at eye level.

  Shay was turning in a slow circle, careful to keep his footing. “Where are we?”

  “Altitude fourteen thousand, seven hundred fifty feet,” Silas rattled off. “Latitude seven degrees, longitude forty-six.”

  “In the Swiss Alps,” Adne interpreted as she closed the portal. “Not too far from Mürren.”

  She pointed one of her skeans at the sheer obsidian rock face a few feet in front of us. “That’s the passage to Tordis.”

  Shay stared at the black wall and voiced the thought that lodged in my own mind. “But there’s no entrance.”

  “There’s an entrance,” Adne said, sliding the sharp spikes back into her belt loops. “It’s just tough to see.”

  Ethan was already moving toward the dark surface. When he reached it, he put his hands out, walking sideways, all the while sliding his palms along the rock. He stopped, gave a small cry, and disappeared.

  Sabine whined, rushing to the wall. She sniffed the edge, pawing at the rough black stone. Suddenly a hand appeared, reaching for her. She yelped, tumbling backward. I jumped forward, terrified she’d begin the long, unending fall down the mountainside. My jaws clamped into the ruff of her neck as I leaned back on my haunches while digging my paws into the snow.

  Let go, Calla. She snarled.

  Not until the law of gravity isn’t working against us. I growled back.

  Mason’s voice reached both of us. Stop fighting her, Sabine. You don’t want to fall off this cliff. You wouldn’t be an attractive pancake.

  She growled but stopped struggling.

  Thanks, Mason. I held on to her, probably digging my teeth in a little harder than I needed to, but she’d almost taken us both for an unwanted skydive. I was pissed.

  When I felt sure that we were both upright, I released her. She threw me one spiteful look before turning back to the rock wall.

  Ethan’s head, which looked like it was detached and floating against the black surface, appeared just as the hand had. “Sorry! I was just trying to show you the way.”

  Sabine and I moved toward Ethan’s bodiless head. Scanning the rock wall, I still couldn’t see where the rest of him was hidden. It wasn’t until we were practically on top of him that I saw it. A crooked opening like a gash in the mountain’s hide. Beyond Ethan lay only darkness. I wanted to whimper but covered it with a snarl.

  Shay was right behind me. “How inviting.”

  Ethan turned away, beckoning to us. “Let’s go.”

  A bellow, full of pain and rage, pulled me around. Barreling up the steep slope, churning snow and ice in its wake, was a bear. But it was larger than any bear I’d ever seen. Its girth was double that of the grizzly that had attacked Shay near Haldis. This creature looked like something left over from the ice age.

  “Ethan!” Connor shouted. “Looks like one got past the other team.”

  Ethan’s crossbow appeared from the slit in the rock before the rest of his body. By the time he fully emerged, he was already firing. Sabine, Mason, and I chased after the flying bolts.

  Our downward charge, aided by gravity, was almost too fast. We’d have no control when we hit the bear, which meant the first strike had to count. When we got close, I smelled copper and salt. The bear had already been wounded.

  It’s running from the other strike team. I threw the thought to my packmates. Try to find the wound.

  Got it, boss. Mason sprang into the air. He came down on the bear’s back, digging his teeth into its shoulder to keep himself from tumbling past it. Just as Mason went high, Sabine ducked low. She squeezed her limbs tight to her body, flattening herself to the slope so she slid under the bear. When it was directly over her, she struck. Her muzzle clamped onto the bear’s underbelly.

  The bear roared, slowing. It turned in circles, trying to shake the wolves loose. As it moved, I saw the gash in its side. I leapt, striking as hard as I could into the bleeding wound. I bit down until my teeth met bone. The bear rose onto its hind legs, roaring its fury. Mason and I went flying, our bodies crashing into the snow-covered slope. But the bear’s desperation to rid itself of our ripping teeth threw the beast off balance. It tipped over backward. Sabine, still clinging to its belly, landed on top of the bear, which now lay on its back. Not wasting a moment, Sabine tore into the bear, shredding its abdomen. The bear swung at her, but she leapt out of the way.

  The bear str
uggled to roll over, but Sabine’s attack had been fatal. Blood and gore spilled onto the ice, creating a river of crimson that flowed over the edge of the cliff. The bear groaned once before going still.

  Any more? Mason lifted his muzzle to the wind.

  Not that I can tell. I turned to Sabine. Nice work.

  She sniffed. Whatever.

  We trotted back up the slope.

  “We clear?” Ethan asked.

  I shifted forms. “That was the only one.”

  “Good.” He slung his crossbow over his shoulder. “Though I’m not surprised. Pascal’s team isn’t sloppy. He’ll be furious even one got away from them.”

  “They might have thought he wouldn’t get far,” I said. “The bear was already injured. Sabine just finished the job.”

  “She sure did,” Connor said, leaning over and whispering loudly to Ethan, “Hey, man, your girlfriend is kind of scary.”

  Ethan glared at him and Sabine snarled.

  Connor pointed at her bared teeth. “See. Look at that.”

  “You’re asking to get bitten,” Adne said, grabbing the back of his duster and pulling him out of range of Sabine’s muzzle. “Let’s get on with this.”

  Ethan laughed and slid back into the cavern.

  Sabine followed the Searcher, while Mason took up a position at her flank. I kept a few feet back from her and could feel Shay following close beside me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Connor, Silas, and Adne at the rear of our group.

  The darkness glowed red as Ethan set off a flare, basking the walls in crimson light so that it looked like the rock had begun to bleed. The tunnel was narrow. We squeezed our way through a passage barely wide enough for Ethan to fit through. I held my breath as he grunted and pushed his way forward. We had to shift into human form to wriggle sideways between the rough walls of the cave.

  A constant sighing of wind moved through the cavern, mournful and unsettling. Ethan’s flare sputtered out, but instead of that plunging us back into darkness, the passage remained illuminated. No longer red, the walls took on a soft, opalescent hue. I heard Ethan’s breath catch.

  He looked at us over his shoulder. “We’re not alone.”

  “Guardians?” Connor asked.

  Ethan nodded. “Three of them. Still human.”

  I crept up beside him, peering into the light. The tunnel opened up to a snow-covered hollow, nearly a perfect circle cut out of the mountain. The space was hidden from the outside world, accessible only through the narrow passage we’d scuttled through. On the other side of the open space an immense glacial wall covered the mountainside. Sunlight struck its surface, making the innumerable shades of blue sparkle like gemstones. The bright reflection made it almost impossible to see the outline of an opening in the ice, but I knew that Tordis lay within that glacier.

  But between Tordis and our party, smoke was rising toward the sky. Three people huddled around a small campfire. They were outfitted in full winter gear, enough to withstand sudden, harsh weather shifts on the mountain.

  “We’d better attack while we still have the advantage of surprise,” Connor said.

  “I don’t think we do,” Ethan said. “I’d bet they’re just waiting for us to show. We’ve scouted this area in the past and haven’t encountered Guardians beyond the first passage in. This group is new.”

  “The Keepers are tightening their watch on the sites,” Shay said. “They know we’re going for the pieces.”

  “Not much we can do about that now, is there?” Connor said, drawing his swords.

  “Wait.” I put my hand on his arm.

  “Wait for what?” Connor said.

  “They’re Guardians,” I said. “Like us.”

  “Sort of.” Ethan was frowning.

  “Let me talk to them.”

  “Are you insane?” Ethan said. He’d unshouldered his crossbow.

  “She’s not,” Shay said. “The more allies the better. Maybe the bears are disgruntled employees too.”

  Ethan shot him a withering glance.

  “You’ll be right behind me,” I said. “Anything goes wrong and you attack. I’ll be okay.”

  Connor looked at Ethan, who shrugged. “She’s the alpha.”

  “Okay, Calla,” Connor said. “If you think it’s worth a try, go ahead. Just keep in mind bears are grumpy, stubborn animals.”

  “And they smell bad,” Ethan said.

  “You want me to go with you?” Mason asked.

  “No,” I said. “I’ll be less threatening on my own.”

  “Good luck,” Shay said as I slid out of the narrow passage into the sunlight.

  The moment I stepped into the open, the three Guardians were on their feet, watching me approach. I lifted my hand, waving, walking steadily forward. They didn’t shift, which I clung to as a hopeful sign. The unmistakable fragrance of bear musk hit me and I wrinkled my nose. Ethan wasn’t wrong about their scent. Not pleasant.

  One of the Guardians stepped forward, pushing back the hood of its parka. A woman with dark eyes and braided copper hair stared at me.

  “Pourquoi vous êtes ici, le loup?”

  Why are you here, wolf?

  My three-and-a-half years of French class got me that much. Wolf. She knew what I was. But there was no way I’d be able to answer her in French.

  “My friends and I are searching for something,” I said, hoping she spoke English.

  She smiled. “You have friends who search.” Even her heavy French accent didn’t mask the spiteful emphasis she placed on the word search.

  “The Searchers are friends to our kind.” I kept walking forward. The other two Guardians had taken flanking positions close to the first woman. “Our masters made us believe otherwise, to our detriment.”

  “These are broad claims for one who is but a child,” she said. “Perhaps you have been misled because of your youth.”

  “I learned the truth about the war,” I said. “And we’ve been fighting on the wrong side.”

  She laughed, tossing a glance at her companions, who grinned. “No, petite loup, your friends are only more desperate to trick you because they know they will lose this battle.”

  I didn’t know if I shuddered because of the blast of icy wind that hit me or from the harshness of her tone.

  “The wolves may be fools.” She lifted her hand, and I watched her nails lengthen into claws. “Mais nous ne craignons pas la guerre.” In the next moment the shadow of a giant beast blocked the sun from view. I staggered back.

  “Calla!” I heard Shay shout as the immense she-bear swiped at me, but I was already rolling along the snow, shifting into wolf form as I tumbled.

  When I scrambled to my feet, she roared, clawing at the crossbow bolts that protruded from her dark fur. The bear’s fury filled her deafening bellows.

  Crossbow bolts buzzed through the air. The she-bear ignored them, charging me instead. I braced myself for her attack, catching a glimpse of Mason and Sabine flashing past to meet the onslaught of the other Guardians.

  A flash of golden brown fur caught my eye and I knew I wasn’t alone in the fight. Shay struck at the bear’s flank just before she reached me. The blow caught her off guard. She turned her head and I lunged, locking my jaws around her neck. My teeth tore through thick tendons, but I couldn’t get a strong enough grip to crush her windpipe.

  She rose onto her hind legs. Still clinging to her, I swung from her neck like a rag doll. I heard Shay barking below me; the bear grunted in pain and I knew he’d attacked again. Kicking up with my back legs, I propelled myself away from her, releasing my grip and flipping through the air. While it wasn’t graceful, I managed to twist around and land on my feet.

  The bear was bleeding profusely from the wound I’d left on her neck and bites Shay had inflicted on her flank. Connor was beside him now, wielding a sword in one hand and the short, wide blade of a katara in the other. While Shay kept the bear’s attention, Connor stalked close. With incredible speed he slashed the wound at her nec
k, widening it, and then plunged the katara into her chest. The bear shuddered. Connor had just enough time to spin away, pulling his blade free, before she collapsed.

  “Let’s go,” Connor said, bolting toward the others.

  We reached Sabine just as she leapt aside while two bears, one black and one ash brown, lumbered after her. The shaggy black bear roared, dropping lifeless to the ground. Ethan’s bolt protruded from its left eye.

  The brown bear gave what appeared to be a casual bat of its paw, but the blow sent Sabine sprawling. Ethan shouted, running to her side. The bear roared, charging at the shaken wolf. Mason stood his ground between the bear and Sabine.

  A blade whirled past Shay and me. The sharp steel of Connor’s sword sank into the bear’s side. It roared but didn’t falter. Connor swore. I threw myself at the bear’s hind legs, snapping at its hamstring, but I missed, crashing to the ground. Shay caught the bear’s left heel in his jaws. It kicked hard, shaking him loose, leaving Shay on the ground beside me.

  The bear suddenly stumbled, its right front leg jerking out at an awkward angle. A silver rope stretched from the bear’s shoulder, pulling it off balance. It took me a minute to recognize Adne’s spiked chain whip. Silas had his arms around her waist. The two of them hauled on the whip, dragging the bear onto its side. It roared in pain, swatting at the whip’s length.

  “Connor!” Adne’s knuckles were white as she clung to the other end of the whip, and Silas’s face was as pale as her bloodless hands.

  Connor dove forward, his left arm pulled back. While the bear fixed its gaze on Adne and Silas, Connor punched the katara’s blade into the wound at its neck, driving the steel deep into the bear’s throat. The beast’s roar became a gurgle and it slumped into stillness.

  Connor grunted as he pulled the blade from the bear’s throat, wiping it clean on the snow. “Some fight.”

  “So much for alliances,” Ethan said. Sabine had shifted to human form. He helped her to her feet and was studying her face.