Page 71 of Blood of the Fallen
He smiled genuinely, and his entire face lit up. I’d never seen him smile like that. He seemed happy for me, for what I had built with my sister.
Together, we joined Maki, Novuk, and Bethel at the circle that had formed by the fire.
“They want to go to war,” the witch whispered to us, a hand shielding her mouth. “It’s a bad idea.”
Maki opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Lawana stepped to the center of the circle, the fire pit at her feet, the warm glow from below casting elongated shadows over her face.
“We knew this time would come sooner or later,” she started. “Last time we met, I warned you something like this would happen. The Mesickek pack is gone. Yura Ashoona’s pack is gone.”
“Not gone,” Kall snapped, taking a step forward as he threw his shoulders back and stood straight. “We’re still here.”
Lawana blinked slowly, patiently, and when she spoke it was as if she was speaking to a child. “Desna and the others have decided to join my pack.”
“What?!” Maki exclaimed.
Lawana went on in her raspy voice, displaying a pleasant smile that was at odds with her sharp features and stretching her arms out like some sort of benevolent parent. “You are all welcome to join us, too.”
Kall’s face twisted in displeasure. Novuk shook his head, while Maki cursed.
“You’re out of your mind,” he spat. “We’re not joining your pack.”
“Why would you not?” a gravelly voice asked behind Lawana.
Her mouth twisted in a crooked smile, Lawana stepped aside to reveal an elder woman sitting on a flat, wide rock. The elder’s almost-white hair was parted in the middle with two braids falling at either shoulder. Her eyes were clouded, and she held a carved walking staff in front of her, a pair of bony hands gripping it. Her skin was lined by deep wrinkles that made her face look like a road map.
For a moment, even Maki was speechless, then Kall took a deep breath and spoke calmly.
“I understand why you’re doing this, Lawana,” he said. “Your pack doesn’t have a tetrad and hasn’t in decades. You want to have control over us. I can’t fault you for trying, but I still belong to the Ashoona pack.”
Lawana’s nostrils flared with ill-concealed anger. It seemed Kall was onto something.
“There is no Ashoona pack anymore,” Desna said. She was standing at the edge of the circle, her arms hanging despondently at her sides. It seemed the fight had gone out of her. “Yura is dead.”
“But her daughters are here,” Kall said without hesitation.
Wait, what?!
Ila and I exchanged a glance. She looked as panicked as I felt. If Kall was insinuating that one of us could become chieftess, he was crazy.
Desna barked out a laugh, and I expected her to say something biting, but she just crossed her arms and shrugged as if it made no difference to her.
Lawana’s gaze danced between Ila and me, then she addressed me. “Sheela, that’s your name, right?”
I gave her a defiant nod. There was something about her I didn’t like. I’d just met her, but I had the feeling Kall was right. She wanted control. This was a power grab.
“Are you aware that you can’t be chieftess? You and your triad are linked too deeply, and a chieftess needs to be able to look after the whole pack.” She waited for an answer as an uncomfortable silence stretched between us. Everyone was watching me, and I could sense their judgment and disapproval.
I knew nothing about pack politics, and I was afraid to say the wrong thing. There was still so much I—
A warm sensation filled my chest. I glanced around and found Kall, Maki, and Novuk looking at me. They all gave me a reassuring nod, making me understand what that sudden warmth meant. They trusted me.
I turned back to Lawana, lifting my chin high. “As I’m sure you are aware of,” I said, “I have much to learn about the way things work. So no, I didn’t know that. I do appreciate the bit of knowledge, though. Thanks for imparting it. It is a relief since I have no intention or desire to become chieftess. And anyway, that honor belongs to my sister.”
Next to me, I felt Ila tense. I knew this wasn’t something she desired, but it was clear that Kall felt she was capable of leading the pack. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought it up.
“Ila is no chieftess,” Desna argued. “She’s a healer. A pack needs a warrior to lead them, especially at a time like this.”
“I believe Desna is correct,” Lawana said.
