Daughter of the Tides, Servants of the Moon Book 2

Outside, another winter storm howled viciously. The lonely wind begged for someone to sing with it. Ainsley ran through the halls of the Moon’s Gate Temple seeking one person. The smell of incense and snow leading her to her quarry. The Delphi was speaking in hushed tones to an Alpha who was not much older than Comhnyall. He had made a dangerous journey to come here between the mid-winter storms, December had been particularly brutal this year.

Esther was leaning against one wall, smoking. The wolf kept glancing between them as most wolves did. Identical twins were extremely rare in the wolf world, so rare that generations passed without seeing them. Ainsley didn’t care about his discomfort; she only cared about the drawing the Moon had given her for him. As she spent a moment catching her breath, Ainsley eavesdropped on the consultation.

“As you see, Alpha Montblanc, the vision Oracle Murine had my sister tell you, and the one I had are nearly identical. Your pack will split between those who follow your father and sister’s ways, an easy path of alliances that leads to betrayal and destruction, and those who follow the Moon’s way, a narrow difficult path of hard work, honor, and great reward,” Del’s voice said calmly.

He sighed heavily, “I was hoping when I heard that the Delphi’s twin took her place and gave false visions that...” He stopped for a moment when Esther growled, then continued, “Forgive me, Delphi, but these are my friends, my family… Are you sure?”

Ainsley felt the Moon nudge her and she walked in, marching straight up to the Alpha and holding out a paper to him. She shook it in an impatient way when he didn’t take it.

Esther gave a snort of a laugh, “Looks like our youngest acolyte has something for you, Marcus. I suggest you take it.”

Delilah took the image instead and looked at it, then held it out for him to see. A wide path through a lush valley that ended in fire and bones, and a second narrow, rocky path that led up a mountain to the peak, where the Moon waited for her children.

“You face a choice, Alpha Montblanc. Your pack will be divided, you cannot save them all. I’m sorry. Three oracles have now confirmed it,” Delilah looked at him with soft, grieved eyes. “Do not blame yourself, it is their choice to make. A choice all wolves will need to make in the coming years. A time of testing is coming to the faithful of the Moon.”

The young alpha stared at the drawing; his fingers tracing the image as he looked very distressed. Slumping forward in his chair, they could almost feel his grief, then he straightened his back, and bowed to the Delphi and then to Ainsley. “My thanks for your gift, young one. May I keep this?”

Ainsley leaned into Del’s arm and stared at him with deep golden eyes, her dark coppery curls bouncing when she nodded. She reached and patted his hand, before tapping the paper and then his temple.

“I believe she is saying seeing is believing,” Del said softly, smiling at Ainsley.

Marcus’ eyes lingered over the scar on Ainsley’s throat, “It is true. Thank you again. I’ll head home and make preparations.”

Marcus rose and followed Essie out, looking over his shoulder to see the Delphi hugging the thin redheaded girl before he hurried to catch up.

Their reassurance was that the first vision had not been false as his father’s allies had claimed made his heart ache. Knowing that an elder oracle had verified it before Essie told him, and the Delphi had it again this evening only increased his worry. He remembered seeing them both at Luca Dolbeau’s funeral. They had not looked identical then as they did now. Mate-loss was a terrible thing, and he knew that first hand.

He was more astounded by Ainsley than by the twin Oracles. The young acolyte seemed far too fragile to see such terrible things in visions, but she was so sure of herself as she held out the drawing to him. She had seen his choice too, and the Moon was blessing him with this warning thrice confirmed.

Essie threw a grin over her shoulder, “Spill it, Marcus.”

“The little one. She’s amazing, and so young. Where did you find her? What happened to her throat? What kind of wolf would attack a child and a Moon Blessed one at that?” He had so many questions. Those who chose to dedicate their lives to the Moon inspired him and while growing up he often wished he could join them, but the Moon never called him and at twenty-one he wondered if she ever would.

“Ainsley just turned twelve. She was rescued from the New Wemyss territory after the pack was destroyed by a large group of mercenary wolves. They killed every warrior, elder, female, and pup. Our newest wanderer was almost fifteen when he escaped with her and her sister and their grandmother. Her sister didn’t live long after. I believe the few other survivors from the towns were sent to your pack by my grandfather?” She asked.

“Yes, nine wolves from two families joined one who was mated to my Beta, and her cousin, a rejected female, who was sent to us before it happened,” Marcus shook his head.

Essie was surprised it was extremely rare to reject a true mate. “She was lucky to be with your pack.”

“She would have been free to return or find a choice mate, but when the Servants brought us the survivors, we learned that everyone else was dead. Do the Servants know who did it?”

Essie’s mouth made a thin line, “We know it was the Des Rues, two of their Betas went back to find that pup and her grandmother and brother-by-mating, they were planning on killing them.”

He stumbled a step and she glanced back, asking, “Are you okay?”

“No, you just told me the very wolves my father, sister, and brother-by-mating made an alliance with, are the ones who killed our oldest allies. Are they the ones trying to kill the Delphi?” He asked as she held the door to his room for him.

Essie sighed. “Yes, Marcus. And have more than once. That is why I pretend to be her. They murdered our mother the day we were born, killed our birthpack trying to kidnap us, and now they are just trying to kill us because Del refuses to be courted by Alpha Charlemagne. They have offered to move the temples to their territory to protect them, but in truth they want them where they can control them. They even built a false school for oracles run by their Oracle who was stripped of her rank of Delphi for using her influence for political reason and not the will of the Moon. The Des Rues have decided if they can’t control the Temples then they will destroy the Temples. We believe it is their desire to end the worship of the Moon, so no one will oppose their desire to rule over this land against the Moon’s will.”

He looked back down at the picture in his hand. “Less than a third of my pack still believes in the Goddess. The others want the lives the humans have, with big houses and fancy cars and worldly wealth. It is like they don’t want to be wolves anymore. My sister and her mate are part of those progressive wolves as the Des Rues calls themselves. The division will destroy our family. Our family bond is thin as it is.” He rubbed the side of his face where a new scar ran the length of his jawline.

“And?” Essie watched the gesture curiously.

“Two weeks ago, I was jumped by rogues. A couple inches lower and they would have had my throat. My mother and father were very upset, but my sister and her mate acted like they were surprised that I survived. I didn’t want to believe it then, but now I am sure they knew, and they set me up to die. They spend too much time with the sons of the Des Rues Alpha.” A growl vibrated in his chest and Essie laid a gentle hand on his arm.

“There is something else you need to know. The Elder Wanderers and Oracles believe the Des Rues are connected to the disappearances of whole smaller packs and the missing wolves in larger packs allied to them. It is always those who do not agree with being allied to the Des Rues that seem to go missing, and the families of the pack oracles.” She knew she couldn’t outright tell him what she knew but she had to warn him.

He glanced at her confused, “Disappearances of whole packs? Where do they go? What happened to them?”

Essie shook her head, “We don’t know. The wolves are just gone; they leave and take nothing with them. Wanderers and Guardians investigating the missing have found dishes in the sinks, food left cooking or uneaten, keys in vehicles, even water running in the shower. The wolves just vanish, like they were taken suddenly, but there is never any sign of a struggle. The Moon has shown us they are being killed, sacrificed, from eldest to pups.”

“I have to protect my pack! I... they... I won’t let them be killed,” he stammered, but Essie interrupted.

“Marcus, you have to accept the fact that you can’t save them all. You know what you need to do, and who you can and cannot save. Have the faith to do it,” Essie gave his arm another squeeze. “Sit down, there is a lot more I need to tell you.”

Hours later, alone in his room the young Alpha looked out at the snow swirling in the wind. The Moon’s eye was partly lidded while it sank further west through a cloud striped sky. As he looked at the symbol of his Goddess, tears made glistening streaks down his cheeks.

“Please help me, Goddess, I don’t know if I can do this alone.”

Soleil’s eyes glowed like the embers she knelt in. Helios watched his mother with bored eyes, glancing to his father, he hid his smirk.

Charles stared at Soleil, entranced. The witch who was his concubine swayed and hummed intelligibly as she knelt, unburned, in glowing orange coals. It never ceased to amaze him that she was never burned by the fire she used for her magic. Rising, Soleil walked effortlessly to the edge of the giant firepit. She swayed as the magic faded from her eye and held out her hand to him. Charles stepped forward; his fingers burned as he took hers. She felt like molten metal as she pressed against him.

Looking up at him with ember-colored eyes, she breathed out shakily. “My Alpha, the white mountain heir seeks justification to break the alliance. He must be stopped.” She sagged, barely conscious.

“Rest, my love.” Charles picked her up in his arms.

Helios stood quickly and opened the door to his mother’s bedroom. “I’ll go, Father. Melinda trust me completely, she will help me convince Alpha Markham and Luna Belinda to remain allied to us.”

As Charles laid Soleil down, he asked, “And what of Marcus?”

“A few weeks ago, Marcus was attacked by rogues, they almost killed him. It will be easy enough to say he was traumatized and is suffering from paranoia. His parents care for him, they will want him to get help and if they refuse… Melinda and her mate can take over. I’ll help them. We cannot lose Montblanc, not with Greater Montreal still refusing us and gathering all of Canada and Alaska for their alliance with the Moon’s Temples.”

“I’ll come with you, Helios,” Charles started but Helios interrupted, “No, Father. Mother needs you to be close until she recovers, just like our wolves need their mates when they are wounded or exhausted, her magic needs you to recharge.”

Charles looked down on his lover, she seemed so small and frail after her visions. “I’ll tell Charlemagne to pack, stay with her until I return.”

“Yes, Father,” Helios responded immediately but as Charles reached the door, Helios added, “Father, I am glad you and mother are together now and that you love her and I.”

Charles suddenly gave Helios one of his rare smiles. “I am proud of the wolf you are becoming, my son. Do whatever you must to secure the alliance. We cannot lose this pack and its allies.”

“Of course, Father.” When the door closed, Helios smirked before he looked down at his mother sleeping, someday he would kill them both.