CHAPTER 13

 YEMAYA STARED INTO the flames of the huge stone fireplace. Summer was approaching, but it didn’t stop the nights from becoming cold and damp. Dakota had called to say she would be late, something Yemaya wasn’t thrilled about but had refrained from commenting on.

Dakota was very independent, and after their recent argument, Yemaya didn’t want to do or say anything to cause more problems. Still, she had sent Regina and her pack out to patrol the area in case there was something wandering around the woods.

In the meantime, her encounter with Lia had left her tired. Dreams normally told a story if they could be dissected and properly analyzed. This one was definitely saying something, but what she didn’t know. Lia was being tormented. The orange flames terrified the young woman. The blue, however, seemed protective. Yemaya couldn’t shake the feeling that the blue and orange flames were connected, perhaps even the same entity. It could be symptoms from a new strain of virus.

Rubbing her eyes, she decided she was just too tired to think about it. Perhaps when Dakota got home, she’d have something to add. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Come in.”

“I’m sorry for the intrusion, but Mr. Marino called. He wants you to phone him tomorrow about your new show. He said he’s trying to line up the European tour and needs to know what you’ll require and a list of the cities you wish to perform in.”

“Thanks, Maria.”

“Oh, and he said Shezarra is on her way home, wherever that may be.”

“A long way from civilization. I just hope she stays there. I would hate to have some fisherman killing or capturing her because she has no fear of humans. Go to bed.”

“Yes, mistress, and I suggest you do the same. The wolves will let us know when Ms. Dakota arrives.”

“In a few minutes.”

After the housekeeper left, Yemaya’s thought about her new act. Now that Shezarra was free, she wanted to try something different but so far, hadn’t come up with any ideas.

Yawning, she decided it was time to call it a night. Sleep was impossible anyway until her lover was snuggled close to her. Just the thought of Dakota’s warm body touching hers was enough to arouse Yemaya. If Dakota didn’t make it home soon, she was definitely going to need a cold shower.

The ringing of the telephone interrupted her musings. Looking at the grandfather clock in the corner, she frowned wondering who would call so late. “Hello? Lysannes.”

“Ms. Lysanne? This is Dr. Lichy. I’m sorry to bother you this late.”

“No need to apologize, Doctor. What can I do for you?”

“I thought you’d be interested in the lab report that just came in.”

“At this time of night? You keep late hours.”

“I decided to wait for the test results, hoping something would show up. The techs just called it in.”

“I take it they found something?”

“Yes and no. Most of the results are normal. The white cell count was a little high, but that’s expected considering the blood loss. What was interesting, though, is an unusual bacteria found in her blood. So far, the lab hasn’t identified it. It could be a new strain.”

“You think this is causing the comas?”

“It’s possible. Although the amount of bacteria is so small, I can’t see how. If it is, though, this strain could be catastrophic if it becomes widespread. I’m more inclined to think it has something to do with the dreams, although I’m not discounting the coma part. Certainly, the toxins they released into the bloodstream could be affecting the neurological system. We’re trying to isolate it to see how it affects mice, but it could take several weeks or months for those results.”

“At least it sounds more promising. I would rather have a scientific explanation than deal with the supernatural.”

“You and me both,” Dr. Lichy said. “I’ll let you know what the lab comes up with.”

“Thank you. Anything will help. If they can figure out what strain this is, we might be able to discover its source and prevent a serious problem.”

“I agree. Unfortunately, my experience has been that these things appear suddenly then disappear just as quickly. We may never discover the source.”

“As long as it goes away with no further victims.”

“Let’s hope that’s the case. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to cause permenant damage to the patients. Lia regained consciousness this evening and should be able to go home tomorrow. Other than losing a few pounds, she in good health. She doesn’t remember anything, though.”

“Maybe she will later. Tell her Andrei will take her home tomorrow. Please make sure someone stays with her for a few days.”

“I will. Have a good night, Ms. Lysanne.”

“You too, Doctor.”

Yemaya hung up the phone and sank back in the oversized leather chair. The news of the bacteria changed everything. With a possible scientific explanation, she felt better. Still, it was a good idea to keep all options open until they were sure. Glancing again at the clock, she yawned and decided to get some rest.

Running up the stairs, she began undressing when wolf howls broke the silence. Walking to the window, she opened it to listen. Something was definitely wrong.

Shadows moved near the drawbridge. Yemaya recognized Simtire amongst the pack and called to her.

“Simtire. Wait!” she ordered. She changed quickly into hiking clothes and boots and ran out the door, almost colliding with Maria and Andrei.

“We heard them, too,” Andrei said.

“Follow me with some of the men. Something is terribly wrong. Simtire will show me the way. One of the others will wait for you. Marie, call me when Dakota gets in. I have my cell phone.”

Grabbing the small backpack Marie was holding, she trotted toward the young wolf waiting by the drawbridge. The two disappeared into the woods.

“I don’t like this,” Marie muttered, turning to Andrei.

Shaking his head, Andrei picked up his own pack.

“Neither do I. Call Bruneo and Cheznic. Tell them to get Romano and let him know the mistress may be in trouble. One of the wolves will meet them at their campsite.” Looking into the darkness, he sighed. “She’s a brave woman, but whatever can upset the wolves this badly may be more than even she can handle. I don’t like her going off alone like this.”

“She knows what she’s doing. Yemaya was raised in these woods and Simtire is with her.”

“Maybe, but Simtire is young and inexperienced. Youth and caution rarely travel the same paths. I’ll call you when I find out what’s happening.”

Several young wolves crouched on the far side of the moat. Seeing Andrei, they wagged their tails enthusiastically before jumping up to run to him. Laughing, he petted each one before motioning them to move out.

 

*  *  *

Regina was the first to catch the smell of death. Turning her nose to the wind, she inhaled deeply and whined. Clovn’s scent was strong. Anxious to make sure her youngest pup was well, she loped in the direction of the smells. Voinic caught up and charged ahead to ensure the safety of his mate, as well as his offspring.

In the shadows of the forest, well beyond the town lights lay the body of a young wolf. Beside him lay Voinic’s daughter, Clovn. He stopped and tested the air. The stench of another animal filled his nostrils. Growling, hackles raised, he crouched, unwilling to approach the two wolves without ensuring it was safe to do so.

Seeing her mate’s agitation, Regina circled the area but found no visible signs of an enemy. Both wolves slowly moved forward. Voinic sniffed at the body of the young male. Although not a member of his pack, he recognized him as kin to the wolves in the next valley. After nudging the body several times, he lay down and rested his chin on the cooling body.

Cautiously, Regina nudged Clovn, hoping for some sign that she had survived whatever attacked them. Rubbing her cheek against her daughter’s, she whined softly. When that failed, she licked Clovn’s face tenderly. In her heart, she knew her youngest pup was dead. Raising her nose to the sky, Regina howled, voicing the age-old anguish of a mother who had lost a child.

The wind carried her cries through the forest, across the high ridges, and into the mountains beyond. Voinic joined in, their mournful howls announcing to the world their losses. Within seconds, they were answered by the other packs. The howls traveled quickly from clan to clan until the dead male wolf’s family received the news. For nearly an hour, the countryside was filled with the sound of sorrow. The forest remained unnaturally silent.

In their grief, the two wolves failed to notice the human form standing in the shadows until it stepped into the moonlight. Raising her head to watch the approaching figure, Regina whined but didn’t move other than again lowering her chin protectively across Clovn’s face.

The woman knelt and stroked the graying fur of the old wolf’s forehead. “I feel your loss, Queen Regina,” she murmured softly, her voice low and soothing. “No mother should lose a child.”

Regina kept her eyes closed, comforted by the warm hand stroking her forehead. The woman stood and moved to Voinic, who watched the exchange between his mate and her. Growling slightly, he warned her that he was less accepting of her presence.

“I understand,” she said, acknowledging his objection. “I’ll respect your privacy. I only wish to see the cause of their deaths.”

Voinic stared unblinkingly into her eyes before finally lowering his head.

“Thank you.”

Again the woman knelt, running her hand over the soft fur of the dead male. When it passed over the neck, she stopped to probe the muscles and spine. The neck was broken but in such a way as to keep the animal alive for a short period. Frowning, she returned to Clovn’s body and found the same injury. She leaned down and peered closely at the throat. Sighing, she stood to leave.

“Your mistress comes. She’ll take care of your child and her playmate. Remember well the smells you first noticed here, queen. That is the scent of both death and the killer. You must warn the packs to avoid this one. You can’t defeat him. Only your mistress can, if she’s wise and lucky.”

The woman walked away and disappeared into the shadows. Regina reluctantly left Clovn to nudge her mate, sending him on his way to find the mistress. She would guard the bodies. Unhappy about leaving Regina alone, Voinic grudgingly conceded, loping quickly away into the darkness.

Twenty minutes later, he located Yemaya trotting in his direction with Simtire in the lead. Whining softly, he sank to his belly and crawled toward her. Yemaya knelt beside the old wolf, resting her head against his. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him against her breast, sensing his need. His pain was unbearable, but for his sake, she endured the waves of grief hoping to give him some comfort.

“I am so sorry, Voinic,” she whispered, her voice husky from unshed tears. “We must go now. Regina needs us.”

Rising tiredly, Voinic growled, looking in the direction Yemaya had come. Within minutes, Andrei and the rest of the pack appeared. Several of the younger males ran to Voinic, sniffing to make sure their sire was okay.

“I thought I told you to bring the men,” Yemaya grumbled, reluctant to show her relief at having his company.

“They’re on the way. I’ve telephoned our location to Cheznic. He and Bruneo are meeting Romano’s men by the river and will be coming up from that direction. They should be here in about twenty minutes. The wolves will show them the way.”

“Very good. Clovn and another wolf have been killed. Regina is guarding the bodies, so we need to make sure she is still safe.”

“It’s a sad day for all, mistress,” Andrei said, his voice breaking slightly.

“Yes” was all Yemaya said, motioning for Voinic to take the lead.

 

*  *  *

Yemaya would never forget the scene before her— the bodies of the two young wolves, cold and stiff, Regina lying next to them, her head resting wearily on Clovn’s.

Eyes closed, the old female acknowledged Yemaya’s arrival with only the faint flick of her tail. Andrei quickly brushed a tear away as he knelt next to the three wolves. Yemaya sat by the old queen and her daughter. Placing her hand on Clovn’s forehead, she closed her eyes and concentrated.

Overwhelmed by a sense of freedom, Yemaya could feel Clovn’s youthful exuberance bouncing around the young male, teasing him mercilessly as she flirted. Eager to impress her, the wolf nipped playfully at her shoulder before dashing off, only to stop a few feet away, a wide wolfish grin spread across his face. Their playful enthusiasm prevailed over caution, leaving both vulnerable to the stranger watching from the shadows.

Clovn was the first to smell him. Hackles raised, she growled, baring long fangs. The male wolf reacted quickly, stepping in front of Clovn to protect her from the intruder.

Yemaya shivered at the sinister laughter coming from the tall, humanlike figure who stepped from the shadows. She could feel Clovn’s confusion. Nothing about his smell was human. Nudging the male, she whined, wanting to retreat. Unfortunately, the young male wanted to impress her with his bravery and shouldered her aside. Crouching slightly, he slowly approached the stranger, growling ominously. Had the man been more human, both wolves would have loped off into the darkness.

It was the taunting laughter that was the wolf’s undoing. Inexperienced, the wolf sensed the mockery and lunged. With unnatural speed, the man grabbed the wolf by the throat and held him high above the ground. Clovn reacted by launching herself at the man’s face, but he turned, placing the body of the struggling male between them. His laughter mocked her.

“Try again, young one,” he taunted, shaking the helpless animal in his grasp. “Here, let me give you some incentive.” With a sharp twist, he snapped the wolf’s neck, flinging the limp body to the side. Holding his hands out, he motioned her forward. “Come! You can do it. He was weak, but you’re strong. I smell it in your blood. You know you want me,” he coaxed.

Growling, Clovn looked at the limp body of her friend, then back at him, unsure of what she should do. Her decision was made when she saw him pick up the dead wolf and bite into its neck, blood running from the wound and down the silver fur. Fury replaced common sense and training. Clovn snarled and attacked. When the hands closed around her throat, she struggled, kicking and snarling at the creature holding her captive. His laughter only increased her fury and her fear.

“Your mistress will be proud of you. Such a shame you have to die so young, but alas, life is filled with inequities. Your death is sure to get her attention. If not, there’s always the journalist.”

Clovn growled and snapped at the hands around her throat desperate to free herself. Ramus laughed, amused at the wolf’s feeble attempts, and tightened his grip.

“Now, now. Is that any way to act? You should consider this an honor. Your death will ensure a meeting between your mistress and me, something I’m very much looking forward to. She seems to have very unusual skills that I find rather interesting. So you see, you’re the messenger and unfortunately, in this case, I am killing the messenger.”

With a flick of his wrist, Clovn felt a slight twinge. The image of Regina passed swiftly through her mind and she whimpered.

 

*  *  *

Yemaya jerked her hand away as if burnt. Shaking uncontrollably, she rocked back on her heels, trying to distance herself from the lifeless body. The image of the young wolf’s last cry for her mother and the blackness rushing in to steal her soul was unsettling.

Her own darkness stirred restlessly, sensing a weakness in the defenses she had built against it. Recognizing the time wasn’t right, the beast settled back into its cave. It was learning patience.

Yemaya took a deep breath. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She shifted Regina’s head onto her lap, stroking it tenderly. Words eluded her. Silence was the only comfort she could offer her lifelong companion and friend.

A wolf mother’s love was as great as any human’s, perhaps greater since their lives were often shortened by the harshness of their environment. She would deal with the killer later when the time was right.

Andrei clutched the thick fur around Voinic’s neck, massaging the tense muscles. From across the clearing, several men approached quietly, making sure not to disturb Yemaya and the aging female wolf.

“Ola, Romano,” Andrei said in a low voice. “It’s late and this is a hard climb for you. You should have just sent the younger men to handle this.”

“Andrei. It’s good to see you. You know I would never disgrace my people by remaining behind. I’m their leader. I don’t stay behind on matters this grave.”

“The mistress and the queen would understand. If something happened to you on the way here, they’d be devastated.”

“I’m old, not decrepit. Don’t bury me before my time.”

Chuckling, Andrei slapped his friend on the back. “Forgive me. You’re right.”

The men stood quietly watching Yemaya and Regina.

“This is a sad day for all of us,” Romano said, his brown eyes watering from unshed tears.

“Yes. The old queen has lost her youngest and possibly the last she will ever bear.”

“Regina has lived a long life. I fear she has only a few years left. Tonight’s sorrow will be nothing compared to the day her spirit moves on. She and Yemaya have been together almost eighteen years.”

Nodding, Andrei didn’t want to dwell on that inevitability. “We must take the bodies to the burial grounds and perform the ritual to send their souls to the afterlife. Can you send your men ahead to make the preparations?”

“It’s already done. They await our arrival. Vyushir won’t be disappointed.”

“Thank you.”

After a few minutes, the men heard Yemaya whispering, her voice tinged with sorrow.

“It is time, Regina. My people will take care of Clovn and her young friend.”

Regina refused to move, whimpering softly. Yemaya pressed her cheek against the graying forehead, feeling suddenly very old and tired. Realizing she had tuned in on the wolf’s emotions, she ruffled her fur gently.

“I know you want to be near her, but I need your help if we are to find this killer. Others are in danger. I can’t do this without you.”

Regina raised her head to stare into the eyes of her mistress, offering everything she had to give. Yemaya felt herself being drawn into the world of the wolf’s mind. Coffee brown irises gleamed silver, reflecting the light from the moon. Images wavered and danced elusively as she saw and felt the pain. Had she not been invited into this merging, she would have felt like an intruder.

Both understood the importance of the connection, so she continued watching the events prior to her arrival. It was the shadowy figure of a woman that temporarily pushed away the sorrow. Not only had she offered the wolves comfort, but neither Regina nor Voinic had objected to the stranger’s presence. Regina had even accepted her comforting touch and words as if she were an old acquaintance.

“Who is this woman?”

Regina had no answer. Time was irrelevant in a wolf’s life. Although stories and information were passed down from one generation to the next, the origins of them held no significance other than for learning and keeping the alliances.

“Have you met her before?” Yemaya continued, trying to fathom the connection between the stranger and the wolves. The negative response made her frown. “But you trust her. Why?”

Regina couldn’t explain why. At best, Yemaya caught a fleeting vision of Corona, Regina’s mother, Silva, her grandmother, then shadowy images of wolves beyond them. This usually signified a past well beyond the memories of their lifetimes. To refer to such a period meant the wolves were honor bound by a pact made in the distant past.

Yemaya found the thought unsettling. To her knowledge, only her family held such an alliance. Regina nuzzled her mistress’s hand to reassure her. One had nothing to do with the other. The images of the mountain wolves flashed through her mind, along with the stranger’s, Yemaya’s, and curiously Dakota’s. Smiling, Yemaya felt comforted.

“Thank you, Regina. I am neither mistress nor keeper of the wolves. You owe me no explanation. I only wish to understand who is friend and who is enemy. Is there anything else that might help?”

The feeling of the stranger’s touch stroking Regina’s head was disconcerting. The touch was warm and soothing, like the blue flames in Lia’s dreams.

“We must leave now. Your daughter is in good hands. Vyushir will guide her spirit to a place free of pain and hunger. You will see her again.”

Motioning for Andrei and Romano to take over, Yemaya stood and walked away. It would take her and Regina a couple of hours to get home.

“You know what to do,” she said, turning to Andrei.

“Yes. They’ll be honored in the old way.”

“Thank you again, Andrei. We have had too many of these funerals lately. Hopefully, this is the last for many years.”

Andrei nodded his agreement.

“Romano, you should not have come here. It is too long a hike from your camp.”

“It’s my duty and my wish. Would you expect me to do otherwise?”

Giving the old gypsy a quick hug, she shook her head. “No, but I still worry about you. Would you have me any different?”

Romano smiled and motioned for two of his men to pick up the wolves’ bodies.

“Preparations are made, Yemaya. Go home!” he ordered brusquely, then followed his gypsies into the forest.

Andrei pulled gently on Voinic’s fur, a sign for the old male to accompany him. Voinic looked to Regina for permission before walking slowly away with the stocky human.

Stroking Regina’s head, Yemaya leaned down and whispered. “Tonight, when all is quiet and you are resting, Vyushir will come for you so that you may run with your daughter’s spirit. She is only gone in body. I promise you this.”

Regina again nuzzled Yemaya’s hand gratefully. The mistress never made promises she couldn’t keep. It would give her comfort to see Clovn one more time.