Chapter 8

Rune’s pov

Everything was happening so fast.

Lyra ran out of the house, I could not follow her as the tracking spell had worn off and all I had was following her in my astral form.

She seemed scared and the reason soon presented itself.

Not quite long after she zoomed off, a convoy of three trucks drove in, bearing several weapons.

I identified some rogues and wanted criminals in their company. 

I moved closer to identify as many as I could till a wizard sensed my presence.

"Etherea dissolvimus, forma astralis, absolve!"

That was the last thing I could remember hearing.

The spell hit my face before I could even react and I was flying back to my body.

Like lightning, I was back in my own body. 

It took a while to get comfortable in my skin, but when I did, I wasted no time relaying my reports.

“She's in danger, she's being tracked by rouges, and I barely escaped being hit with a spell…”  I uttered before I noticed the effect that report had on him.

But my attention was drawn back by the weird taste on my tongue

It was blood. 

I tasted blood, but from where?

I felt my face and discovered the cut. 

Placing my hands on the affected area, with my fingers gently curled around it. I chanted

"Corpus sanum, astralis vulnus, sana et restaura!" (Heal the body, astral wound, restore and renew)

A soothing white light emanated from my hands, enveloping my whole face. 

I continued, "I channel the healing energy of the astral realm, restoring my physical form to wholeness and vitality.”

The light died down revealing a neat clean face. 

“That boy is going to pay, he most definitely will,” I screeched angrily. 

“It's been a while but here goes nothing”

Holding my hand out with my palm facing upwards like I was inviting something to descend into my hands.

"Liber sapiencium, veni ad me, scientia et potestas revelentur!" (Book of wisdom, come to me, reveal knowledge and power!)

 I then, made a gentle, sweeping motion with my finger, as if tracing the outline of a book.

 A soft, pulsing light appeared before me, taking the shape of a book. It was my Grimoire. 

 The light coalesced into a leather-bound tome, adorned with intricate symbols and markings that shimmered in the dim light of the room

The grimoire's cover opens, revealing pages filled with ancient knowledge, mystical diagrams, and forbidden secrets.

Don't get me wrong. Magic is highly forbidden for werewolves. I was exiled by my pack but thanks to Alpha Xavier who picked me up and welcomed me to his pack. I owe him my life.

Back to my story.

The rustling pages released a whispery sigh as if the grimoire had been waiting for me to unlock its secrets.

“I know," I said to the grimoire, “it's been a while and I missed you too, come here.”

The book's weight settled in my hands, heavy with knowledge and power.

If there was anything I was pissed at, it would be how I was sent back to my body.

No one saw what happened but it seemed like everyone knew.

You know that feeling when you get back home to a torn pant and you've been up and about all day without knowing, only to discover that you might have shown everyone your underwear?

 Yeah, I had that feeling too.

Or when you miss your step and it feels like everyone saw how clumsy you were where but no one saw you. 

I was pissed at myself and embarrassed at the same time. It was a mess.

“You're bleeding,” Xavier said, as he bent over to hand me a wipe to clean my face.

I took the wipes and coughed out the blood which had trickled down to my lips. 

I muttered a weak thank you and walked towards the mirror to inspect my face.

“What did you say about her being in danger?” Xavier inquired. 

“Rogues!”  I  responded, “Something about her mother calling them on her and informing her she was a lone wolf,”

It was a thing to hear this story and another to be a witness to it.

It was Impossible to believe and if all this happens to be a staged act I'd gladly believe it to be true.

“Imagine all the shit she's been through within the past twenty-four hours, if you ask me, it can't be compared to what you've gone through in the past decade,” I said with a little laugh. 

The room became tense. I don't know if it was because of what I said, but I could cut the air with a butter knife.

I skeptically fixed my gaze on Xavier and said “I'm sorry your Highness, I don't mean it rudely."

"What then are we going to do," Xavier uttered, ignoring my apology. 

“I was absolved before I could do anything talk more of following her,” I said. 

“Can't you cast the tracking spell again?” Xavier asked again. 

I looked into his eyes and saw how important this was to him but I couldn't understand why.

“codex umbra, a little help?” I asked my grimoire 

The pages flipped back and forth continuously for what seemed like ages before settling on a page. 

I read through it and sighed.

 “I can, but it'll just stop at the barrier at her house, I can only get there physically and even that won't be enough as I have no idea where she might be as we speak,”

“Rune!” Xavier called, “put me on the phone with Luca,” He added with an authoritative tone. 

I hesitated for a while. I needed to be sure he said what I thought I heard.

“You're not thinking…” I said but he cut me halfway.

“Did I stutter? That young lady has been through a lot and enough already!”

“As you command,” I said softly. 

I got to my phone and failed his brother, Luca's number. 

The phone rang for a while before it got answered.

“Xavier of the Darkmoon pack demands an audience with Luca of the Darkmoon pack,” I declared to whoever picked up the call. 

I handed him the phone and walked back to my grimoire.

I had a score to settle and he appeared to have no time as he immediately got straight  to his point

“There's a lady I need you to save and fast, she's in danger. Do this and bring her back to the pack. She's one of us from now henceforth,” he said.

He put the phone down and looked around anxiously.

He was in luck as I had a solution already 

“There are spells alright, but I don't trust my capacity to cast them. There's only one and I'll need your blood," I stuttered.

“What for?” he asked immediately and that was the exact question I was expecting from him. 

“I was browsing through for spells when I came across this,” I beckoned on him to come closer to the floating grimoire 

“It would have been impossible to carry out until you called your brother for help and viola!” I said, showing him the spell.

“I do not follow,” he responded, confusion laced all over his face. 

I slapped my head in disappointment and sighed. 

“You sent your pack to scout the area, right?”

“Yeah,”

“Your brother included?”

“Yesss?”

“Great!, I'd see through his eyes, and probably plant thoughts in his mind to help in finding Lyra…”

“Lyra?” Xavier asked cutting me off mid-speech.

“Oh that's her name,” I said waving my hands as though I was waving the introductions for later.

Gesticulating was kinda my thing as I get to do it a lot when casting or learning spells.

“I am not certain how this would work as it is not a tracking spell per se,” I continued.

He turned with a disappointed look. 

“But it's worth a try,” he shrugged. 

“Great, give me your right Index finger,” I said to him and he did as I had instructed.

I took his hand, wiped it clean, and made a cut, instructing him to put some drops of it on my forehead.

"Oculus mentem, sanguis vinculum, vide et influere!" (Eye of mind, blood bond, see and influence!)

I held my hands in a cupped position, as though I was cradling an egg.  I made a subtle, sweeping motion with my finger, as though I was tracing a path.

 "I forge a bond of understanding, seeing through the eyes of another. May Luca and I become temporarily bound,” I cast my spell but nothing happened. 

I was devastated and turned to look at Xavier who was looking back at me strangely. 

“A third eye,” He stuttered. 

“A third eye?” I responded, “Where?”

“On your forehead.” He said, gently walking back. 

“Oh my God it wor…”

I was caught up in a trance-like state before I could finish my statement.

I could see everything. 

Luca had just arrived at that same building which I recognised as Lyra's home. 

“Wow…Lyra?. Lyra is the lone wolf and the wolf who needs rescuing,” Luca said with a burst of mocking laughter. 

“Let's get this over with,” he said to his men who had shifted to a wolf and had picked up a scent already.

I placed the direction she ran in his mind and he went that way. 

The others followed suit.

He was fast, and keeping a hold on his mind was chaotic but I held on.

A cry hit my ears, it was Lyra's. I placed the thought in his mind.

“This way!” Luca ordered. “I think I heard something”

There she was, sprawled on the floor with that same wizard.

He was casting another spell and held his hand in a claw-like position, gathering energy, and was about to release it.

I knew immediately what that spell was and how deadly, and painful it could be.

 "Fluxus electricus, ignis internus, stupor et ardor!" (Electric flow, inner fire, numbness, and burning!)

“Enough, she's coming with us!” Luca hollered and turned to his men.

 “Bring her along!” he added. 

“Well this is awkward, why will my brother send my men on a mission to save a lone wolf?” Luca said, looking at Lyra who was lying motionless on the ground. 

They were swift and did as they were told. 

I was about to leave when I deemed Lyra safe and sound but I couldn't just let that wizard go.

Fun fact, the same wizard that did that to her was the same one who blasted me.

He was going to pay and I was going to do that with a single thought.

“Let him stay behind a little longer,” I whispered in Luca's mind

“You'd be here a little longer Franz,” Luca said. “And break this mind link, you're driving me crazy!” he added on noticing that someone was mind controlling him. 

I slipped out of Luca's mind and informed Xavier of the situation at hand.

“I have something to deal with,” I said and teleported to the woods where the wizard was. 

“Franz is it?” I said with a sly smirk. 

 

He was startled to see me. 

“No time for long talks, this would teach you to be more careful with whom you deal with,” I added. 

“Who are y-”

"Fulmen eximius, mortalis ictus, vanios te!" (Exceptional lightning, deadly strike, Vanish!)