Page 18 of Wolf's Bane
As angry and frustrated as her father made her, Solenne couldn’t bring herself to lie to him. “You’ll have to leave this room if you plan to make me stop,” she said. Not that she would.
“No. Practice in the courtyard. I want to see,” he said hurriedly, almost as if he were ashamed. Then, he added, “I was wrong to end your training. But your arm—”
“Is fine, and the other is perfectly functional. I’m not swinging a broadsword, but I don’t think I’d be able to do that anyway.”
Another pat, then he motioned for her to back away. Leaning heavily on the quarterstaff, he heaved himself to his feet.
“There’s no shame in seeking help. We’re strong together. Don’t you always tell us that? Strength in numbers,” she said, gentleness returning to her voice.
Six days until the full moon. She hoped Aleksandar arrived in time.
Chapter 5
Solenne
Boxon Hill
The Woods
Repetition.Repetition. Repetition.
Four days until the full moon.
Solenne drew the bow and waited. A twig cracked. She spun and released. The arrow planted itself into the tree, and the rabbit hopped away.
She had not made superhuman strides in the last few days, but forcing her body to remember what it once knew through stubborn determination helped. Muscle memory unlocked. Skulking through the forest, forced to act fast, also helped. If she thought too much, she favored her wrist and her stance went wrong and she used the wrong set of muscles entirely. Hunting rabbits forced her to move on instinct before she got too in her head. Her aim had improved, even if she still hadn’t hit a rabbit.
Sunlight filtered through the forest’s canopy, creating pools of shadows. She waited. Listened to the sound of birdsong. The wind made a lovely spring melody with insects buzzing.
This was a waste of time. She could not hunt alongside Luis in four days, and she’d never hit the cursed wolf unless she walked up to it and stabbed it with a silver-tipped arrow. As it stood, she was a liability. Her time would have been better spent preparing tonics and salves, boiling bandages so they were fresh and sterile. How much string did she have for stitching? She loathed dragging needle and thread through flesh, but if Luis needed it, she’d do it. Willow bark for pain and to reduce a fever? She could always use more.
If Luis failed to trap the wolf, if he suffered a severe injury, Godwin would have no choice but to contact the provincial government for support. Familial pride would smart. They would lose the contract to protect the village and they might even lose their home, but too many lives were in danger. The people of Boxon and the valley deserved to live without fear of the monsters that prowled the dark.
Alek said he would come.
Four days until the full moon.
A twig snapped. Solenne finally noticed the stillness in the air. Birdsong had vanished. Even the insects retreated.
Solenne notched an arrow and held the bow at ready. It was not uncommon for a cursed creature to feel the pull of the nexus as the moon approached its zenith. They were known to give in early to the shift and prowl the territory outside their den, which is why she was by herself and not with her brother. Luis searched for signs of the wolf and its den.
The back of her neck crawled with the sensation of being watched. She shouldn’t have gone into the forest alone. She should have stuck with hay bales for target practice.
Carefully, she picked her way through the undergrowth, back to a deer trail, and toward the old cottage. She’d run for the safety of the building if need be. The door should hold. Either the wolf would grow bored when it realized she was locked up tight and leave, or someone in the house would realize she was missing. Travers, most likely. He always seemed to know where she was, especially when she was somewhere she wasn’t meant to be.
Reach the cottage.She’d be safe in the cottage.
The undergrowth thinned. Sunlight broke through the canopy of leaves. The cottage sat half in shadow, half in the sun. The light made the golden stones glow against the darkness of the surrounding forest.
She had never seen anything so inviting.
A growl came to her ears. Solenne spun, the bow drawn and ready to fire.
A man held up his hands in surrender. He stepped back, holding his hands up. “I did not intend to startle you,” he said.
“Who are you?” She kept the arrow trained on the man. Only a few feet separated them, and she felt confident that even she could hit him at this range.
Several days’ beard growth covered his face. Dust and dirt covered him too, like he had rolled in the mud. Dark circles hung under his eyes. Hair had been pulled back to keep it tidy, but it escaped in a tangled mess. He appeared thin, in need of a hearty meal and a good night’s rest. Those things were hard to get on the road, Solenne understood, especially as far out on the edge of civilization as they were.
