Page 109 of The Lone Wolf Café
Aria’s tiny, translucent form sprang ferociously toward Big Red, pausing just a few feet away from the wolf’s snarling jaws. The air elemental stood up on two paws, bracing herself just like Rowena did, as individual cones of wind sealed themselves around each of Big Red’s legs.
Now, between the vines and the tornadoes, Big Red was locked in place. They gave up struggling against the restraints within a few seconds. Even they feared that this time, there would be no escape.
So instead of attempting to break free, Big Red turned their attention to me. They growled, exposing their large, yellow, interlocking fangs, and thrashed their head wildly in the air.
At first, I’d been terrified that Big Red would catch Aria and harm her. She was a powerful air elemental, but she was also incredibly small, and I worried about her in the way I imagined a mother would fear for their offspring.
But as Aria darted around Big Red’s paws, casting more currents of wind to cover the wolf’s ears and eyes, I realized her size gave her an advantage. Because her body was so tiny and translucent, Big Red didn’t see her, and therefore didn’t realize where the wind spells were coming from. Aria realized this too,and in a bold move that made me nearly cry out in fear, she crawled up the Big Red’s head and bound the wolf’s muzzle with a cone of wind.
The whole time Aria worked, I stood there, dumbfounded and exhausted, clutching my aching ribs and wondering if I’d just witnessed a miracle.
Ten minutes ago, I thought I would die.
Now we had another chance to end this.
Big Red was completely incapacitated. The swirling cones of wind bound their feet and jaws, and they were blinded and deafened by the tornado around their head. I had expected the wolf to be even more pissed, but somehow, it was completely still. Not fighting against the wind at all.
Maybe they just seemed calm because they were immobile. Or maybe Big Red losing all of their senses caused them to enter some sort of trance.
I stumbled toward the restrained wolf, my back arched as I fought against the aching pain in my lungs, and placed a very sore hand on top of the wolf’s forehead.
I was right next to Big Red’s jaws. If they broke free of the wind restraints, they could easily bite my neck and kill me. But it was a risk I had to take. I wasn’t willing to climb back onto the giant wolf and possibly get thrown off.
Big Red was still angry, lonesome, and confused. But those emotions were duller than before, and there were several new ones floating through their mind. Pain. Exhaustion. Hopelessness.
Fear.
The giant red wolf, the menace of Wisteria Grove, nowfearedus.
I closed my eyes, steadied my breathing, and began to think. This wasn’t like calming down Rowena, where I could simply flood her mind with happy memories of us and override anynegative emotion she was feeling. I didn’t know Big Red. I didn’t know what would make them happy.
I opened my eyes again, and spared a glimpse into the wolf’s milky, glowing eyes. The witches may have seen Big Red as a monster, but they were still a person. They had a whole life beyond this chaotic persona that they took on against their will every full moon.
A past. A family. Hopes and dreams.
Just like I did.
I didn’t have any memories of me and Big Red together. At least, not any happy ones. So I had to hope my own memories would be enough.
I pulsed those images into Big Red’s mind, flashing one after the other like images on a camera. My sisters and I in the kitchen, flinging flour at each other as we baked scones. My father and I galloping through the forest, in hot pursuit of a rabbit. Rocky shoreline sunsets with my cousins, skipping stones across the water and wondering what lay beyond the endless ocean.
Lastly, I thought of when I was very young. When my mother was still alive, and the five of us were together. My sisters as babies, being soothed in the massive wooden rocker that still adorned my family’s living room. Me as a toddler, my tiny hand in hers as she walked me down the dirt path to Hollenboro’s town square.
A million memories, all shoved away in the back of my mind for far too long. It nearly made tears slip from my eyes, but I swallowed that feeling away.
I felt something snap within Big Red’s mind. At first, I thought its rage was returning. Then the emotion settled, and I realized it was shock.
They were reacting to my memories.
Is Big Red imagining their own family?
Are they starting to remember who they are?
“Nettie…”
Rowena’s voice was soft with awe. I kept my eyes shut, pushing more memories into Big Red’s mind. I was so close. I couldn’t lose them now.
“Nettie… the light… it’s fading…”
