Page 6 of The Wolf and the Chimera
“And what she wants is your Anchorbond,” the blonde Elder said with distaste. “Whatever Goddessforsaken thing that is.”
“The Goddess didn’t forsake Anchors or warlocks,” Lyra argued and shivered. “The sorceress did.”
I wanted to ask how Lyra knew about Anchor bonds, but as the white-haired witch stared vacantly at the floor, she was deeply flummoxed. I couldn’t bring myself to push her. Gloria brushed her hand against Lyra’s.
“I’m going back for her,” Walker said.
Before anyone could stop him, he charged toward the closet and threw open the door. Instead of finding a ripple, however, there was only cleaning supplies and cobwebs.
“What the hell?” Walker demanded. He slammed the door shut and reopened it, but nothing changed. He turned to the Elders with a wild expression. “How does a ripplemove?”
“It doesn’t,” Gloria replied.
The other witches murmured their agreements. Arion stomped impatiently.
“It took us directly to Cordelia’s court,” Cady said and frowned. “Ripples can access all different pockets of dimensions. They take you anywhere you tell them to go, right? They’re basically mega-portals?”
“Yes,” the dark-haired Elder agreed.
“So either we’re really good at navigating across dimensions,” I realized, “or Cordelia somehow controlled this ripple to bring people right to her dungeons.”
“She was waiting for us,” Walker added and shook his head. “That had to be how we landed in her dungeons. How’d she gain control over a mega-portal inside a hunter’s house?”
“That,” Gloria said, “I don’t know. But it’s the only explanation for the ripple’s absence.”
Elle slept soundly beside me. When I considered what we were up against—a witch capable of controlling doorways to other dimensions—I shivered.
“I have to take Elle somewhere Cordelia can’t find us,” Isaid.
The words tasted like bile. I wanted nothing more than to search for my friend and save her from the clutches of a power-hungry witch, but Elle was my mate for a reason. Fate had decided I was the one to protect her, and I was damn sure going to do it.
Walker scoffed. “You’re just going to leave Freya behind? You got your mate back—who we all know hates you—and you’re just going to run off into the sunset with her?”
Elle resented me for leaving her parents behind to save her, but it wasn’t a decision I regretted. I didn’t back down.
“Keeping Elle out of the High Witch’s hands ensures Freya lives to see another day,” I said. “Don’t you remember when Cordelia tried to take your bond? It almost killed both of you.”
“He’s right,” Gloria admitted. “I hate it, but he’s right.”
“The wolf has his role in this,” Lyra agreed. “He must keep the chimera out of Cordelia’s hands at all costs. It is up to us to save our Coven Mother.”
“She was never coronated,” the gray-haired, short Elder said. Her face stayed puckered, like she’d just eaten something sour. “She’s technically not our—”
“Anything Freya has ever done,” Walker interjected, “has been for all of you. For us. For her coven. Watch how you speak about her.”
Lightning crackled on his fingertips, and the sour-faced Elder swallowed. I wondered if I was about to witness a fight between Walker and the old witch, but movement caught my eye. Beside me, Elle groaned, and her hand twitched. When she opened her eyes, fear clenched my heart.
“She should not have awoken so quickly,” the dark-haired Elder whispered in a rush.
I crouched beside Elle. Her eyes were the color of my favorite tree bark—the richest shade of brown, not the blazing, ruby they turned when her powers activated.
“It’s her,” I said. “Not the sorceress.”
Elle swallowed and sat up. When her towel fell askew, she gasped, but I trained my eyes on the wall and shielded her from the view of the others. Obviously, Elle was not so used to the whole nudity thing.
“She hasn’t blinded or bitten anyone yet,” Cady agreed. “That’s a good sign.”
The Elders continued to eye Elle wearily, and Walker inched closer to his sister.
