Page 47 of Bullied Wolf Mate

Unfortunately, no matter how much I stalled, it wasn’t going to be long enough. We reached the clearing in what felt like no time. Any time I’d had to contemplate my options had vanished.

The clearing was more overgrown than I remembered, with over a decade of undergrowth creeping past the trees, blurring the once crisp outline of the area. The grass around the boulder had grown in tufts. Yet, the stone itself looked as though it was in perfect condition, untouched by the years of weathering.

I walked up to the boulder, running my hand along it. That crackling sensation of lurking magic rushed to my fingertips. How had I missed it all those years ago? As I ran my finger along the stone, I found sharp etchings carved into the surface, crisp and well-defined as if someone had made them earlier today.

“This is it,” I said.

Inara beamed. “Brilliant. Good girl. Now, you can’t do any magic with those on, now can you?” Inara flicked her wrist, and my handcuffs fell to the ground with a soft thunk. “I’m sure that feels better, doesn’t it?”

I didn’t answer, rubbing my wrists as I considered the symbols in front of me, trying to remember exactly what the spell book had said.

“I’m getting bored,” Inara said, her voice sharp. “If you don’t move faster, I’m going to assume you’re stalling, and I’m not in the mood to tolerate time wasters. Open The Trove before I lose my patience.”

I shot her a glare. “Threatening me isn’t going to do anything,” I said. “We both know that.”

Inara cackled. “I’m not threatening you, dear,” she said. “I’m threateningher.”

A wave of her hand, and another figure materialized. Holly stood there, her arms bound behind her back, a shift-suppressing collar locked around her throat. Her black hair whipped around wildly as her head moved from side to side, her arms wide as she got her bearings. Her gaze caught me.

“Lorelei?” she asked. “What’s going on?”

“Lorelei here is helping me with a problem.” Inara’s fingers rested possessively on Holly’s shoulder, pinning her in place. “And you’re here as her encouragement.”

Holly shook her head. “Don’t do whatever she wants,” she implored me. “It’s—”

Inara, bored, flicked her wrist, and Holly cut off abruptly. She opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out. She shot Inara a glare. It bounced off the witch with no effect. A moment later, a dagger materialized in Inara’s hand, and the witch placed it against Holly’s throat above the metal choker.

“Now, get to work, or I’ll slit her throat,” Inara told me. “And then I’ll move on to the next. And the next. Have I made myself clear, dear?”

I glanced at Holly, my stomach twisting in guilt. I had grown to like these girls. I couldn’t let anything happen to them.

“I need a knife,” was all I said.

One appeared in Orin’s hand, and he held it out to me. I took it, imagining plunging it into his chest even as I knew it wouldn’t do me or Holly any good.

I stepped toward the stone. Taking a deep breath, I drew the knife across my forearm near the crook of my elbow.

I gave a sharp intake of breath at the sharp pain blooming along my arm. Gritting my teeth, I stuck out my arm, letting the blood drip splatter onto the rock face and the sigil carved there.

Something began to glitter, a shimmer appearing in the air like a mirage in a desert. I gaped, staring at the image as I felt magic surge around me, electrifying at a magnitude I’d never experienced before. I froze, letting the sensation wash over me, temporarily forgetting what I was doing or why I was here.

“Get on with it,” Inara snapped behind me, bringing my focus back to the problem at hand. “Or your friend will spill some blood of her own.”

The sharp intake of breath told me Inara had pressed her blade deeper into Holly’s throat. I tried to force myself to stay calm. I had to figure out a way to get out of this.

“You threatening her isn’t going to make the magic work any faster,” I fired back.

Inara blinked away surprise before her eyes narrowed. But I turned back to the boulder, ignoring her, and watched the ripple of air as I recited the words I remembered from the spell book.

It felt strange. I had never done anything remotely this complex, yet the words flew out of my mouth easily, as if I had known how to do it all along. I wasn’t sure if it was the blood magic at work or something else, but either way, it felt like I had done it for centuries.

The air ripped open, much like a portal, but cleaner and sharper, like it had been torn with a scalpel. The opening widened. I sucked in a breath as I caught a glimpse of what lay inside.

Piles of treasure, glittering in a light that came from no source, appeared on the opposite side of the portal. I saw swords and staffs, even stacks of gold and presumably enchanted jewelry. The whole room shimmered from its contents. I stared at it like an idiot, eyes wide. I had always wondered what The Trove looked like, but I couldn’t have imagined this.

“Excellent,” Inara said. “Now, you and Orin go inside.”

I frowned, turning to glance at Orin and then at Inara. “Aren’t you going in?” I asked her.

---