Page 23 of Blood of the Fallen
“I’m fine.”
I forced myself to sit in front of the fire, refusing to let yet another aversion settle in. The kids sat together on the ground and resumed eating from small wooden plates. After a few minutes of deep breathing, the wild knocking in my heart and the desire to sprint through the trees disappeared. With a deep exhale, I relaxed and opened my eyes, which had closed of their own accord.
“Hungry?” the cook asked with a toothy grin. He was standing right in front of me.
I nodded and smiled back.
Slowly, he pulled a plate from behind his back and offered it to me, pinching his brow as if worried I would reject it.
The plate was mostly occupied by squash and a few pieces of well-done meat, mostly hidden from view. The delicious smell of rosemary and thyme wafted below my nose. I took the plate, frowning slightly as I wondered where he’d gotten the spices.
The cook sat on the log next to me. “We trade with the witches for the spices,” he said as if guessing my question. “During the summer, we managed to grow a few of our own.”
I took a bite of squash. It was tender and perfectly seasoned. “Hmm.” I couldn’t help the sound of pleasure that sounded in the back of my throat.
“Good, huh?”
I nodded and shoveled more into my mouth.
“My name is Nosh, by the way. We haven’t been properly introduced.”
“Nice to meet you,” I mumbled.
“I heard you shifted, even got your clothes back.” He winked. “Took me a while to be able to do that.”
I paused and looked up at him. “What do you mean? I thought it came naturally to everyone.”
He stuck out his upper lip and nodded. “It does if you grow up among them.”
Cocking my head to one side, I frowned. “You didn’t… Um, where did you grow up?”
“Atlanta, Georgia.” He twirled his braided beard.
“What?!” I couldn’t help my surprise.
He bobbed his head up and down several times. “Yes siree! Born and raised. A proper Skew.” He chuckled.
Skew was what supernaturals of all kinds were called in the rest of the world. The Academy had taught us that they invaded every town and city, preying on humans. Lux City was free of Skews, and I’d been told that it was the only peaceful place on earth and must be kept free of the infection. And even though I’d never been outside of these lands, I had to assume that the picture they’d painted was nowhere close to reality. They only dealt in lies, after all.
“So… how come you’re here?” I asked, my curiosity pegged to the max.
“I went on a spiritual search. During college, I learned about thewildpacks, and read that they were truly connected to their wolves and their magic. You see, most Skews out there have lost that link. Technology and industrialism have bred it out of them. A lot has been forgotten, including how to keep your clothes. That’s why they all end up buck naked after shifting.” He threw his head back and rumbled a deep laugh. “Anywho, I had to reconnect with my animal spirit.” He put his middle fingers and thumbs together to make a circle with each hand and chantedOm, om.
I couldn’t help but laugh. He was a character for sure, and I liked him.
It was so odd to encounter someone who actually knew about the rest of the world and could talk about these sorts of things, which I’d assumed no one in the pack could understand.
The coals sizzled loudly. “I’d better watch this before it burns.” Nosh jumped to his feet and set to work, turning the meat and stirring the vegetable pot.
I finished my food, enjoying every bit of it and watching Nosh whistle as he went about feeding anyone who showed up looking as if they’d been hard at work.
When I was done, I stood, holding my wooden plate. “Where do I wash this?”
“Oh, just put it there,” he pointed toward a pile of dirty plates and utensils set aside. “The people on wash duty will get them later.”
I put my plate on top of the others. “Um, how do I… help out? Do I sign up somewhere?”
“Oh, yes, talk to Wyome, she’ll tell you what to do.”
