Page 83 of A Skirl of Sorcery
‘I had to choose between Thane and the rest of the pack.’
Both Tiddles and I stared at her. Neither of us moved.
‘I knew about the beatings – of course I did. I told Mark to stop but he was a law unto himself. I couldn’t kick him out of the pack because we needed him. We were weak.’
She drew in a shaky breath. ‘We needed someone with his strength in order to survive and not be subsumed by another wolf pack. In a few years, Thane might have been able to take hisplace but he certainly wasn’t ready at fifteen. And my son never had the same sort of steel as Mark.’
‘Because Thane is a good guy,’ I said.
Her response was cool. ‘Sometimes you need a bad guy on your side to succeed.’
I rolled my eyes but Ashina didn’t react. ‘I could control my brother up to a point but it was getting harder. The night he died we had an argument. He told me he had endured enough.’ She laughed harshly. ‘He was planning to make a play for alpha. I knew that he would win if he did. What happened after that would be a disaster for everyone, especially Thane. So we argued. We fought.’ She sniffed. ‘And I won.’
‘So why not tell everyone that? You were alpha – you are still alpha. Dealing with someone like Mark was your responsibility. You would have been forgiven.’
‘I doubt that. Mark had as many supporters as detractors. If they had learned what I’d done to my own beta – to my own brother – they’d have demanded that I step down.’
I swallowed hard. It was an incredible effort to keep my voice even. ‘So this was about maintaining your own position?’
‘Don’t be naïve! It was about the future of the Barrow pack. The vultures were already circling. I knew we’d barely survive losing Mark. Dissension in the ranks would have finished us off.’
I curled my hands into fists, my fingernails digging painfully into the flesh of my palms. ‘Unless you could offer up a sacrificial lamb. Your own son.’
‘His exile satisfied the more aggressive and vocal Barrow wolves. In time I was able to increase my authority over them and matters settled down. I’m not proud of what I did but the Barrows needed to survive. This was about more than Thane, it was about the survival of my pack for the generations to come. As alpha, I didn’t have the luxury of caring only aboutmyson, I had to care abouteveryone’s sons.’
For fuck’s sake. ‘Did you use a memory spell on him?’
For a moment she didn’t answer then her whisper drifted across the room. ‘Yes. I called him to me. I placed the knife in his hands and I cast the spell so he wouldn’t remember.’
I half-closed my eyes.
‘It was the right thing to do,’ she said. ‘Thane survived. In the long run, he thrived and so did the Barrow pack. We grew stronger. We were able to put off our enemies and increase our numbers. In the end everyone won.’
‘If you believe that,’ I said, ‘then you’re more of a fool than I realised. Memory spells are very dangerous and incredibly expensive – they always have been. You wouldn’t have simply had one lying around the place in case you needed it, you’d have had to go out and buy it in advance. You planned Mark Barrow’s death and you planned that Thane would be blamed.’
There was a defiant tilt to Ashina’s chin. ‘I won’t deny it – and if I went back to that time, I would make exactly the same decision. I did what was necessary, no matter how much it hurt.’ She hesitated. ‘How is Thane? Is he happy? Does he ever think of me?’
Tiddles hissed and I wholeheartedly agreed. ‘Youdon’t get to ask those questions.’
This time Ashina Barrow didn’t say anything.
‘There is a spriggan waiting at a nearby café. Once I give him the nod, he will come here and give you the box containing your wolf. We had a deal and I will keep my end of the bargain.’
I gazed at her. ‘If you ever try and contact Thane, if anyone from the Barrow pack ever hurts him or attacks him, if I have the slightest suspicion that you’ve done anything against him, I will come back here,’ I told her. ‘And I will kill you. I’m capable of more than I appear.’ Tiddles miaowed so I added an extra comment. ‘So is the cat.’
She looked at me and I knew she got it. Then I turned and left with Tiddles at my heels.
Epilogue
Four hours later, Thane and I were seated in my garden, sharing a bottle of wine. I’d left a spare glass out for Bin. Once he arose he might enjoy a drink before he returned home to Green Humbleton, and he certainly deserved one. I suspected he’d skedaddle as soon as he could, but I wanted to make sure he knew how grateful I was for his help. The trows had been invaluable in catching Jimmy Leighton.
Although it was too light yet for Bin, all the cats were with us. My motley crew were stretched out together in the day’s last patch of warm sunshine, while Tiddles was on Thane’s lap offering him the furry comfort he needed. I had spared him no details. He had listened but asked no questions. It was a lot to take in.
‘We can tell the world, if you wish,’ I said. ‘We can set the record straight and clear your name.’
He shook his head. ‘I know the truth now. That’s enough.’
‘Say the word and I’ll kill her. And the entire Barrow pack alongside her.’ I was only half-joking.
