Page 1 of The Wolf and the Chimera
Chapter One
Elle
Magic eclipsed everything.
As my paws hit the concrete floor, the magic roared in my ears and pounded in my blood. Only moments ago, I had been trapped by the High Witch and seconds away from being put to eternal sleep.
Now, I was more awake than ever.
You’re welcome,a woman purred.
I jolted in fear, but another wave of power rolled through me. The fear was forgotten as quickly as it had come. The warmth of a thousand suns surged in my veins. It was so potent, I could rip the world apart with it.
Flashes of darkness and proprietary touches and such suffocating solitude my bones ached with it flashed through me, and the idea of such destruction held appeal.
Why had anyone ever dared to keep me from my power? Why had I let them?
Not your power, pet,the woman in my thoughts said,but itiswondrous, isn’t it?
As if it would silence the voice, I shook my head. My vision blurred. Traveling through the ripple that connected the High Witch’s court to our world left me dizzy.
When I could see clearly, I took in the cramped space I stood in. Weapons lined the walls, and a sparring mat occupied the center of the space. Across the room, a narrow staircase stretched out of view. My pulse leaped at the sight of an escape,but I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a wide mirror on the far wall.
A red-eyed monster stared back at me.
My head was that of a golden-maned lion, and my shoulders rippled with muscle. I flexed my paws and admired the flesh-shredding claws. Along my back, my fur transformed from gold to silver, and mighty hooves had replaced my feet. Behind me, a green-scaled tail slithered against the floor.
I shifted my weight, and pain stung between my shoulder blades. With a start, I realized what I had mistaken as shadows were actually black, leathery wings. They sagged to the floor, but when I tried to raise them, pain rippled down my back, and the wings merely twitched. I lacked the muscle to control them.
I bared my long, white teeth at the creature staring back at me.
Really?the woman demanded.You’re frightened of your own reflection?
That isnotmy reflection,I argued, though I couldn’t remember what my actual reflection looked like.
This body was mine/not mine, as were the instincts wreaking havoc on my mind.
Maim. Kill. Escape.
The woman’s annoyance was palpable.Have you even noticed where you are?
I studied the armory and noted the utter lack of windows and the damp scent of earth. This room was underground.
Wretched memories rushed through my magic-addled mind again, though this time, names and specifics came with them.
When I had agreed to go with High Witch Cordelia and her Handmaidens in exchange for mercy upon Cady, Freya, Walker, Arion, and Ryder, Cordelia’s court had used magic to put me to sleep. It had been a sickening prelude to what eternal Entombment would be.
Though I hadn’t moved a muscle, I had screamed and raged and tried to free myself from the suffocating stillness.
My thoughts had been a sluggish mess of fear,but some part of me had held onto consciousness. Around me, voices had boomed, footsteps had pounded, and witches hadlaughed,but I hadn’t been able to move. In the dark, deepest levels of High Witch Cordelia’s court, I’d been trapped.
I never wanted to be underground again.
Something crashed on top of me. Magic and mind-numbing fear consumed my thoughts. The memory slipped away, and I was yanked into the present. Instinctively, I rolled.
An amber-eyed black wolf scrambled and righted himself in front of me. I crouched before him and bared my teeth. As I stared at his massive form, I ran my tongue over my long canines to remind myself I wasn’t defenseless.
Never again,I thought. The woman in my head murmured her agreement, but I ignored her. She was a problem for later. Now, I would handle the wolf.
