Chapter 0005

"Handcuffs?" I asked, a hint of panic in my voice.

He glared at me, a quick glance at the werwolves who were all watching with interest. Angry that I was making him look bad in front of his hired help.

"Can't have you running off," he said simply, a warning growl in his voice. 

What are you playing at old man? You know I wouldn't run even if I could... I glanced quickly over at Aiden before looking back down at the metal bindings in his hands. And there was my answer. My knees grew weak.

Runes.

There were power suppressing runes all along the metal. I slowly shook my head back and forth, taking a step back and the danger that glinted in my father's eyes froze me solid as a pressure formed around my neck.

It suddenly became impossible to pull in a breath and my hands flew up to my bare neck, expecting to find something there, cutting off my windpipe. Nothing. Panic flooded through me as I locked eyes with my father. Get over here, he seemed to say with just a look. The pressure intesified and I forced my feet to move forward, each step toward him loosened the crushing feeling until I was directly in front of him.

"Hold out your hands," he said maliciously.

I did and the resounding clinks of the shackels as they fastened around my wrists was almost deafening. Immediately, that hum within me that was always present, always a comfort, silenced. It was gone. I reached for it and there was...

"Nothing," The word came out in a pained, almost silent sob. But my father didn't give me time to adjust before he grabbed the chain that connected the two together and started walking. I had no choice but to follow along behind him. I cast a weary glance over my shoulder, past the three werewolves that had taken up their spots behind us and to Aiden who Leanne seemed to be scolding in a hushed tone. I wondered what she was yelling at him for but just then my father yanked on my chain and demanded my attention.

"This is the man we're looking for. If you see him, don't act a fool. If you fail, you know the consequences." he said simply. I nodded, the wolf standing beside me peered around my arm at the photo as well. The two unchanged males were standing behind me.

But they're werewolves! Why would they be helping us take advantage of one of their own kind, you might ask? 

Well, you see, back during the huge war between werewolves and vampires, mages were used to aid either side. There were these things, these stones created. No one knew the original honorifics for the gems, every people seemed to have their own names for them, similar to how every people or religion has their own deities and calls them all something different. 

Anyways, we mages know them as Essence Gems. Whereas the werewolves call them Midgard Crystals. The vampires used to call them Blood Crystals, but now they refer to them as Soul crystals. Anyways, long desciption short, they're all the same thing, and there are seven of them. Each one represents a different branch of magic. There are the four physical elements: Fire, Wind, Water and Earth. Then there are the three soul elements: Spirit, Light and Dark.

Each one was created, given to a "guardian" and split between the seven continents of the world. 

When this happened, properties from every magical being was pulled away from them, and locked inside these Gems. Affecting them in ways that were still prevalent now, like history, powers and abilities, instincts. Basically, things that made them who they were. 

A great example, since we're in the company of some, would be werewolves. 

The werewolves of old were territorial pack creatures that had a distinct hierarchy that didn't allow for chaos. They used to have this blessed chance of finding their "fated mate" as they used to call it. But that was all taken away. They still had their increased strength, most still had the ability to change, but even that was beginning to fade with time. 

Some who didn't believe in the Gems thought it was a genetic malfunction and when a wolf grew up, unable to change, they were castout of werewolf society to live amongst humans since that's essentially what they were at that point. 

Magic was fading from the world the longer the Gems stayed separated.

So, naturally, we had some nutcase members from every race that believed in the prophecy that the Synod kept close to their chest. No one but them knew the whole prophecy. Most people didn't even know there was more than just the first verse which I shared with you already.

So, in short, that is why these werewolves would help us manipulate one of their own kind.

I took the picture from him, this being the first time I was able to see what Lathan looked like. He was handsome.

In fact, he was downright gorgeous. He had a chiseled face, serious brows and his eyes were green, like mine, only darker. Brown hair, down to his shoulders and a wicked looking mouth. I swallowed hard, memorizing his features before my father ripped the picture back out of my hands, shoved it in his briefcase and marched ahead again.

I walked along behind him obediently, shooting coy looks at everyone we passed. I couldn't tell who was human, werewolf, vampire or even if there were any rare sightings of a succubus or not. And without my magic, I couldn't even prod their auras to figure that out.

"Hold her while I sign her up," my father ordered, handing the chain to one of the werewolves. I watched him go, every step he took felt like another dagger sliding across my skin. How was I supposed to live through this?

He returned with a man following behind him, "She'll need to have a wellness check done," he was saying to my father as they came into earshot. 

"Of course, how long will that take?"

"Not long. I can take her back right now and have her back out to you before the bidding even starts," he said, looking down at some papers on a clipboard.

"Good, but I go with her," my father responded simply, taking the chain back from Brody.

"Is she suppressed?" The man asked, now giving me a curious look and my father pulled my wrists up to show the man my cuffs with the abhorrent runes that decorated them. "Good, good. Follow me."

So we did.