Page 9 of Magic and Medicine

Was this determination the trait that attracted me? The first memory of my golden warrior was seeing her face down the raiding party that had killed her siblings, spear and buckler a blur as she danced through their ranks, merciless and deadly until staggering from exhaustion and blood loss, she pierced the leader’s chest, ending the battle, and leaving them to rot on the ground as she fulfilled the funeral rites for her kin.

I looked at the statue one last time, then locked it away in a drawer. I won’t poison my mind with those thoughts anymore. What will be will be, and fate weaves the fabric of our lives. It is time to focus on the things I can control.

That focus needed to be aimed at the cause of the latest attacks. There had been no warning, no demands, nothing to hint at the vaguest clue as to why my people kept disappearing. Like the teenager riddled with arcane bullets, their bodies turned up days later, desecrated and lifeless, the wolf being the first to be found alive. I withdrew my phone from its protective case and called the pack leader. It took several rings before a rough, wary voice answered, and I hoped he was not playing pissy dominance games because I needed his cooperation.

‘Hello?’

It may have been framed as a question, but there was no way Tomasz didn’t know who was calling and why. I was sure he wanted to be anywhere else than on a call with me, but he wouldn’t dare to refuse me, knowing I could destroy his pack if challenged.

‘I’m glad you picked up Tomasz, your young wolf. How is he?’

‘Licking his wounds and singing the praises of the beautiful human doctor that saved his arse. Is it true? You letting humans into the fold now?’

His accusation irked me, but I understood his reasons. Tomasz had to care for the entire pack, but the disinterest in his voice when talking about the pup’s life made me think we might need a new pack leader soon.

‘Send him to me. I need answers, and yes, a human doctor is in my service. It is time we expand the business, and unless you think you can challenge for my position, I suggest you remove that tone from your voice.’ I knew I was goading him, but finding out how he felt was useful and hopefully would help me decide whether he could be saved. ‘Her name is Sara. She is skilled in medicine, not fazed by fur and fangs, and knows how to be discrete. She is just an associate, but if any of your pack thinks to lean on her, I will hold you personally responsible. I hope I’m making myself clear?’ I didn’t realise my magic infused my voice until I heard Tomasz’s muffled whimpering.

I was about to add something to lessen the impact, but there was a strange choking noise before I could, and the pack leader spoke, compliant and reverential. ‘Yes, Master, no one will touch her. As for the pup, he will be on his way in a minute.’

I put the phone down, cursing my lack of control. Fear had never been a favoured tool while overseeing the magical world. I preferred respect and common accord, which allowed our community in Gdansk to flourish. However, after only knowing Sara for two days, here I was, subduing a respected leader for showing contempt for her species. I needed to bed the wench or figure out what was fuelling this fascination. Otherwise, I would quickly lose the esteem of my subordinates over this obsession with a human.

The thought of taking the seer to my bed was appealing, but I was too old to give in to my baser instincts. No, I would investigate why Sara affected me this way before anything else happened. My delicious doctor, let’s see what difference time and distance make to this feeling, I thought, stretching out like a cat before scrolling through the news, waiting for the young werewolf to arrive.

The light doze I awoke from reminded me why I paid for an accountant. Financial reports could send me into a coma, and the one open on the laptop was no exception. It took a moment for me to wonder what had awoken me, but a hesitant knock reminded me of the visitor I was expecting.

When I let him in, the werewolf pup staggered as he entered the room, desperately trying to look unaffected by his injuries and turning bright red as he failed to hide his body’s need to transform and complete the healing process. With an assessing gaze, I forced the teen to wait longer than necessary, giving his bravado the respect he desired before gesturing to the seat next to mine.

‘Sit down, lad; you don’t have to pretend here.’ I nodded toward the chair, and when he hesitated, I projected the forest’s calming aura. The comforting scent of the sacred grove filled the room as the boy shuffled to his seat. Dejected, the poor soul hung his head, and I felt the need to reassure him.

‘Just sit. I dislike having people towering over me during a conversation,’ I said, trying to inject a little friendliness into my tone, smiling when it appeared to improve his mood. ‘Tell me what happened. How did you get captured?’

‘We were unloading a shipment of amber for artisans and artefacts for Gedania at the docks when it happened. We were… what… can you tell me what happened to my friends? Two members of my pack were with me, but nobody wants to tell me what happened to them.’

‘We haven’t found them yet. Adam and his people only found you when they checked the warehouse.’

I watched him crumble, a short sob escaping his lips as uncontrolled shakes wracked his body, but I had to continue, even as I increased the strength of my calming aura, knowing it was the only way we’d find the other members of his pack. ‘I’m sorry, but I need to know what happened if we’re to have any chance of finding your friends.’

‘They shot us with some bizarre-looking weapon that shot bullets of sunlight, and when they hit, it was… it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt, and the bleeding wouldn’t stop. I think I passed out ’cause next thing I know, I’d fallen between two crates, and there was shouting all around.’

Bullets of light? Were those strange projectiles bespelled as well as constructed of cursed materials? It would explain the overpowering of Tomasz’s shifters and how so many people had disappeared so easily. I looked at the boy, hoping he would recall more about that night when he blurted out.

‘Oh, the shouting; they spoke Russian, but I couldn’t tell exactly what they said. It sounded like the old stuff you talk to Adam in sometimes, the same words, but different.’

‘And what did you hear?’ The human government had ongoing issues with Russian mobsters, but the elder races never dared to encroach on my territory. There’s always a first time, and with Czernobog’s dagger being used on Adam, it could be a neighbouring Guardian too bored with the current status quo. This thought was intriguing and worrying, especially regarding unearthing a weapon designed to kill my kind.

‘I don’t know, I could barely understand them, but I think it has something to do with your business. They mentioned amber a lot and mentioned summoning the old master.’

‘Tell me what happened to you. Why weren’t you killed?’

The haunted look the werewolf gave me pricked my conscience, but I couldn’t afford to ignore the issue. I had to have an answer. There were more important matters than looking after fragile feelings, but the pup remained silent despite my stare pinning him to the chair.

‘Make a guess if you’re unsure. What do you think they were doing?’ I added when he didn’t respond.

‘I think they were testing it, Sir. They must have forgotten about me or thought I was dead, but the others were still alive when I awoke, and the shooting hadn’t stopped, only slowed down, one or two shots, then more talking. I wanted to help, my Lord, but I was in so much pain and… I’m sorry, but the screaming, I was scared and… I’m sorry, I should have tried….’

‘Could you see what was happening or just hear it?’ The need to know who or what had carried out the attack was starting to frustrate me, and the wolf’s reaction affected my demeanour.

‘Sir, I couldn’t see, but they were close enough for me to catch their scents. The shooters, well, they were wolves like me and the boys, but whoever they were talking to was human, no doubt in my mind, and I think they feared him; the wolves, that is.’

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