OLIVIA…
I shivered and kept my mouth shut.
“Good girl. Maybe you do have a brain after all.”
The Others stilled. Blindly, I turned my head.
“Don’t turn away from me,” Frank said, gripping my abused jaw cruelly and forcing me to face him.
“I have a brain,” I said. “And ears. They’re coming.”
He swore and released me. “Get in.”
He shoved me back toward the car, and I spread my arms wide to catch myself against the frame, not willing to sink onto the seat like he wanted.
“No, Frank,” I said, trying to swivel away from his gripping hands. “This is why we’re here. To face them. To give them a message.”
The bruising pushing stopped.
“What message?” he asked.
Tires crunched on gravel, and I turned my head toward the sound.
“What message?” Frank demanded, stepping closer.
The world exploded with motion again, outlining Frank and the four vehicles pulling to a stop just inside the clearing. Frank’s anger wrapped around me, and I opened my mouth to prevent another blow to my head.
“The only message that—”
A door opened. People started getting out of vehicles. Fear and trepidation pooled in my stomach. Anything else I wanted to feel, I kept hidden.
Frank moved to stand beside me. The Others converged upon the newcomers, giving me my first glimpse of the other Judgements and the werewolves protecting them. No one spoke. It gave me a moment to study the group of thirteen. Based on shapes and sizes, there seemed to be six women and seven men.
“My name is Olivia,” I said, taking a step forward and stopping. “I’ve been sent with a message. Which of you is Emmitt?”
“I am.” The owner of the smooth voice stepped forward.
“You’re the one who stole my sister, the provider, from Blake.” I turned my head slightly to the right toward Frank. “I’m sure you remember Frank.”
“What’s your message?” Emmitt asked crisply.
“Who leads you?” I asked. “Is it Winifred? Sam? Grey?”
“We lead our people together,” a woman said.
“Yet you spoke. So, it’s you I need to talk to.”
I turned to Frank. “What kind of ground is this?” I asked softly.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“What I was told to do.”
“You stay here.” His fingers wrapped around my wrist.
I sighed. “This will never end, then.”
He growled, shoved my hand away and told me to hurry up. Without knowing what kind of terrain I needed to cross, I started forward slowly, testing each step.
“It’s gravel and grass with a few divots,” Winifred said, moving to meet me halfway.
I lifted a hand, palm out and fingers raised. When she was close enough, I set my fingers on her face. She held still as my fingertips slid over her features. Worry pulled at her brow but couldn’t disguise the laugh lines around her eyes or mouth. She had kindness and strength. I hoped it would be enough to keep me alive for another day. I let my relief free.
“He needs to die,” I said, clearly.
The words had barely left my mouth when Emmitt, still a step in front of the rest, flew at a snarling Frank. Their growls and the sound of ripping fabric, along with a few soft female gasps, filled the air.
Frank’s end came swiftly, and silence once again claimed the clearing as the Others played with his body for a few moments.
“Are you all right?” Winifred asked.
I couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked me that and needed a moment to consider the question. The temperature stole my body heat with each passing second, my pulse throbbed in my face despite the frigid air, and my bruised throat ached with every swallow. Yet, I knew this wouldn’t be the end of our suffering.
“No,” I said honestly. “But it doesn’t matter. We need to leave.”
“And go where?” a new voice asked.
“I’m not sure. Hopefully somewhere warmer, though.”
“I second that,” another female voice said.
“I apologize if this sounds rude, but can you all say your names for me so I know who’s talking?” I asked. A lifetime of listening left me with a very good memory for voices.
“I’m Bethi.”
“I’m Luke, Bethi’s Mate.”
“Isabelle.”
“Carlos.”
“Gabby.”
“Clay.”
“Charlene. Do you want some ice for your face?”
Again, the unexpected show of concern gave me pause. They stood together just beyond Winifred, a united group. A group I needed to join. Would it be enough? I swallowed hard, the pain a useful reminder of what was at stake, before answering.
“No, thank you. It’ll be fine.”
I turned my head toward the rest.
“Thomas, Charlene’s Mate.”
“Michelle.” Her voice sounded shaky and strained, understandable given her connection with Frank.
“Emmitt, Michelle’s Mate.”
“I’m Sam. Can you tell us why you came here?”
“This was the most likely place the locator would know well.”
“The locator?” Gabby said.
“I don’t mean anything insulting by using that term.”
“I’m Grey. You look cold. We can talk in the cars.”
“Thank you.”
Winifred wrapped her hand around mine and gently drew it away from her cheek. A swell of embarrassment pushed its way forward, and I didn’t suppress it.
“Sorry,” I said. “I forgot I was touching you.”
“It’s all right. I’ll lead you to the SUV.”
“Keep us posted,” Isabelle said before she and a man moved toward a car.
The rest went back to their vehicles, splitting up the Judgements. Smart.
Winifred led me to the SUV. One of the smaller women walked beside me. It wasn’t until she spoke that I knew it was Bethi.
“Please tell me my mom’s okay.”
Winifred opened the back door. The Other’s swirled around the seats to guide me. I didn’t get in, though. I faced Bethi, who moved anxiously from foot to foot.
“Your mother?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if she was speaking of her birth mother or the Lady.
“When the news broke about werewolves being real, she called a news station then disappeared.”
I didn’t envy that she still knew her birth mother. It would only make what needed to be done that much harder.
“Blake didn’t take her,” I said. “He didn’t have time. I promise.”
“Good.” She let out a shaky exhale and climbed back into the third row of seats. I took a spot in the middle row. Winifred settled in next to me while two men sat in front. The last woman joined Bethi in the back. Before the door even closed, we were moving.
It felt weird that I was finally here, with them.
“Where to, Gabby?” Sam asked.
“South, I guess. There’s still not much movement,” she answered.
“What about Jim?” Winifred asked.
“He’s staying ahead of the Urbat for now. You might want to suggest that he find a car, though. They’re definitely tracking him. Others are moving position to the north of him. They aren’t coming at him but repositioning, I think.”
“Urbat?” I asked, unsure.
“Yes,” Winifred said. “How does Blake know where to place his men?”
“He doesn’t. His men have phones and send out group texts when they sight one of you or catch your scent trail. By communicating where you are and aren’t, they slowly pinpoint you. Sometimes.”
“Seriously?” Bethi said from behind me. “A mix of dumb luck and technology is kicking our asses? We need to end this now. We’re all together like she wanted.” Something tugged on my seat, and her voice moved closer. “Tell me you know how to make the Judgement so this can finally end.”
My chest tightened as I realized which Judgement spoke.
“You dream our past lives?” I asked.
“Yep. Every crappy one of them.”
“Can you tell me about mine?”
“There’s not much to tell. You’ve always died young.”
“That’s what I thought.” But not this lifetime. This lifetime would hold so much more suffering for me. For all of us.
“She’s told me what we are. Hope. Peace. Strength. Fortune. Wisdom.” Bethi said the last word with contempt. “I know what the others can do, but I’m not sure what Courage does. In each brief glimpse of your lives, you’re always sorta blind.”
“Not sort of. I am blind. To this world.”
“This world?” she asked.
“Yes. This world. The coveted playground for all the races to rule. It’s not the only world, just the most desirable one to inhabit. And, I don’t know how to make the final Judgement. The Lady only tells me the things I need to know when I need to know them.”
Bethi made a sound of frustration.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“It’s not you. It’s her and the dreams. I’m so tired of dying.”
I couldn’t reassure Bethi. Not with what I did know.
“I do know that we need to decide what Judgement to make before the Judgement can be made.”
“What do you mean?” she asked through a yawn.
“Will we Judge in favor of the Urbat or the werewolves?”
There was a moment of silence.
“Bethi’s sleeping. Perhaps this conversation should wait until we’re all together again,” Gabby said.
I nodded and turned my head to watch the Others zoom around trees and signs and houses. After years of waiting, everything was starting to fall into place at an alarming speed.
Courage, the Lady whispered from the grey, a reminder of what I would need.