Ashes of night, p.4
Ashes of Night, page 4
part #5 of Haunted High Series Series
“They’re eaten,” she said with a tone that hinted at the stupidity of my question.
I watched her closely. “So let me get this straight. I’m going to be whipped and then thrown into some sort of trial, and if I fail, I get thrown to bears to be eaten. But if I survive, I get to stay in this glorious place as a member of the Pack?”
The wryness of my tone wasn’t lost on her. She gave a half-smile and said, “Maybe you’re better off dead.”
“I’m beginning to think that,” I replied.
Kiyah glanced behind her. “I’ve got to get back before Dad finds out I’m gone. I’ll have Bri sneak you some food if she gets a chance. You need to focus on what’s ahead.” Worry showed in her blue gaze when she said, “The Gauntlet is hard, Finn, and the new one is even harder. A lot of good werewolves aren’t going to survive.” The pain that swept across her face told of loved ones she had lost.
“Does everyone do the Gauntlet?” I asked.
She nodded. “We usually do it when we turn eighteen, but Meg said with your tendencies, she would waive the age restriction for the good of the Pack.”
“Sixteen isn’t that far off,” I replied.
She sighed. “Tell me about it. We practice from the time we can walk. More than half of the werewolves who go through the Gauntlet don’t make it.”
My mouth fell open. “You mean more than half of the werewolves here are thrown to the bears before they’re adults?”
She nodded. “Those who don’t die in the Gauntlet, and we’ve been training for it our whole lives. You’re going to be at a heavy disadvantage. Just remember to keep your head and obey the rules. They’ll throw you to the bears if you slip up.” Her gaze darkened. “They keep the bears hungry so they stay angry. The last time I told Dad that treating animals that way made us less than the animals, I got slapped.” She gritted her teeth and said, “Get me out of here, Finn.”
I nodded. “I will. Just keep my friend alive.”
“I will,” she replied.
Footsteps sounded down the hall. Kiyah ghosted away without a backwards glance. I moved back from the door, but kept my gaze on it. I didn’t mind that Kiyah had touched my arm through the bars, but nobody else was going to get that close.
My reservations strengthened when Meg, Stix, Roundy, and a skinny werewolf who was missing a hand appeared.
I rose to my feet despite the way my head pounded. I might not have had much dignity left with handcuffs and standing behind bars, but I refused to put up a weak front. I watched them approach the cage.
Meg sighed when she reached the door. “You’ve managed to stir up a whole lot of trouble in a very short amount of time.”
I glared at her. “You promised my friend would be safe. You lied.”
She glanced at Stix. “What’s he talking about?”
Stix cleared his throat with an uncomfortable expression. “Mancos accidentally shot the vamp in the head. Apparently, the vampire woke up and tried to attack them.” At Meg’s searching look, he admitted, “The vampire’s not doing so good.”
“He was bleeding out,” I told Meg hotly. “They left him there to die.” I crossed to the bars and felt a brief satisfaction when everyone but Meg stepped back. “You promised he’d be safe, and they left him to die. That’s why I attacked them. I was trying to save my friend’s life. As a werewolf, you should understand that.”
Meg watched me in silence for a moment before she turned her glare on Stix. “If that vampire dies, it’s on your head.”
“But, Meg—” he began.
She cut him off. “A promise has been made, Stix. I put you in charge of the vampire’s wellbeing and promised Finn he would be safe. The failure is on your shoulders.” Her voice lowered threateningly when she said, “If he dies while in the Den, you will be thrown to the bears.”
Stix’s mouth fell open. “But-but my children!”
Meg lifted a shoulder. “You made your bed, Stix. You better hope the vampire doesn’t die.”
Stix threw me a glare before he stormed back up the hallway.
“Thank you,” I started to say, but Meg cut me off.
“As for you, order is very important in keeping this place safe. And you’ve thrown order to the wind. The last thing we need is some sort of rebel telling our children that there’s a better life out there for them.” She toyed with something in her hand. It took me a moment to realize it was a whip with frayed ends. “You hurt members of my pack, Finn. You’re right when you say that I would fight to protect any of my family’s lives. I may not understand why you call a vampire your friend, but the same rules apply. Hurt for hurt; pain for pain.” She let the end of the whip fall to the ground. A twitch of her wrist made it move like a snake along the floor. “Tonight, you’ll pay for attacking members of the Pack. Tomorrow, you’ll be thrown in the Gauntlet. If you survive, you can stay. If not, well, the bears are hungry.”
Her gaze held mine with a glimmer of threat. I returned her stare with a threat of my own. “You don’t scare me, Meg.” I tipped my head to indicate the main area of the Den visible beyond the far wall of my cage. Werewolves had gathered there without me noticing. At least half of those watching were close to my age. I felt Vicken’s haughtiness on my face when I said to Meg, “You’re the one running some sick game here, controlling the youth with your rules and threats. They deserve freedom. They deserve to see what lies beyond these walls. Instead, they grow up with the fear that they’re going to die from whatever is in the Gauntlet before they’ve even had a chance to live! What kind of childhood is that?”
I lowered my voice but kept it pitched for the others to hear. “You’re the reason there aren’t any werewolves beyond these walls, but you can’t keep them in here forever. You can’t shield them from a world that isn’t nearly as bad as you’ve made it out to be.” I read the truth of my words on her face and continued with, “You might have made up for the lack of Alphas by death threats and false promises of safety, but the world is waiting out there and the youth in here should have a chance to experience it. You can’t block it out forever; all you can do is raise your pack in a way that they’re prepared to face it.” Murmurs rose from the werewolves on the other side of my cage. I couldn’t tell if they agreed or not.
I stepped back from the door. “I’ll take your punishment and I’ll face the Gauntlet. But if I survive, I’m leaving the Den and I’m taking Vicken with me.” I turned and faced the youth directly. “And any of you who want to get out and see what this world is all about can join me.” I heard the cage door open behind me, but ignored the werewolves’ advance. “There’s safety at the Academy and enough room for all of you.” Hands grabbed my arms. I moved my eyes from one teenager to another. Those who met my gaze did so eagerly. “And if I don’t make it out, tell them Finn sent you. They’ll let you in. I promise.”
“Stop talking,” Meg growled in my ear.
I fought back a grim smile at the suppressed panic in her voice and continued with, “There is life beyond these walls. Don’t let your elders hold you back. Choose to live your own life, not one that’s been dictated for you. Choose—”
A stunner bullet struck me in the back. I dropped to my knees and was pulled out of the cage, but not before I saw the light and excitement on the faces of the teenagers who had listened to me.
Satisfaction bloomed in my chest even as I was strapped to a whipping post in the middle of the compound. I didn’t struggle. Meg expected me to, as apparent by the number of armed guards that kept the audience at a distance who had gathered to watch my punishment. By the looks of things, she had required every werewolf in the Den to be a spectator. The sight of babies in arms and toddlers holding the cloth of their mother’s dresses in chubby fingers made me sick.
Kiyah’s voice saying, ‘We practice from the time we can walk,’ repeated over again in my head. Meg had a good hold on her pack. She trained them from birth to fear her command. It was a twisted but effective way to keep her control over them. I vowed to break that hold if there was any way to do so.
“Join with me, brothers and sisters, in reciting the pledge of the Den,” Meg instructed.
On cue, the rest of the werewolves called out with her, “Strength of one, strength of the Pack, life for one, life for the Pack. We unite in safety, progress, and prosperity. In every action, we work for the good of the Pack; in every deed, we strive for peace. Hierarchy is safety, and the rules will be obeyed. Strength of one, strength of the Pack.”
From my viewpoint strapped to the crossbeam of the post and with my head facing down, I saw Meg nod out of the corner of my eye.
“Very good. As you know, Finn is a stranger to our rules, but he has broken them, nonetheless.” She turned. “Roundy, recite the rules this werewolf has broken.”
Roundy lifted his deep voice. “One count of insubordination. Two counts of threatening a Pack member, six counts of injury to other members of the Pack, and one count of phasing to attack a Pack member.”
Murmurs ran through the crowd. I guessed they thought throwing in the werewolves that I had shot at the accident would help give fuel to the fire against me. I would have smiled if my face wasn’t still frozen under the effects of the numbing electricity.
Meg took over. “Per Den guidelines, Finn is to be punished with one lash per injured pack member.”
The murmurs increased.
“Finn will also be required to run the Gauntlet and prove that he is an asset to our pack instead of a threat,” Meg concluded.
The talking rose to a roar of surprised voices.
“But he’s too young,” one woman pointed out. “Children should be eighteen to attempt the Gauntlet.”
“He’s already proven to be a threat,” I heard Rhett say. “Throw him to the bears!”
A man yelled, “That’s too many lashes for a boy.”
“He has to pay the price,” another said.
“That’s not fair,” a girl called out. I recognized Kiyah’s voice. As much as I appreciated her standing up for me, I didn’t want to cause further trouble for her at the Den.
“Quiet,” Stix growled.
“It has been decided,” Meg said firmly. “Roundy, you can begin.”
The first lash sliced across my back with a sharp hiss. I heard a few whispers from members of the crowd, but everyone else watched in silence. By the second and third lashes, comments of, “He’s not making a sound,” and “It’s unnatural,” could be heard. But Meg had done me a favor when she shot me. I was sure she had no idea how much the stunner bullet had numbed my entire body. I could feel the impact of the lash, but the sting of the slice across my skin and the feeling of blood down my back was lost.
“Maybe he is an Alpha,” I heard one man say when Roundy lashed me for the last time.
I saw a few drops of blood fall from the whip when the werewolf wound it up before handing it to Meg.
“Carry him back to the cage,” Meg ordered, her voice level. She bent down and whispered for only me to hear, “You have one night to heal, then it’s onto the Gauntlet. You sealed your own fate this time, Finn.”
She rose and lifted her voice to say, “The rules have spoken. We will see you all in the spectators’ room tomorrow.”
The chains on the crossbeam were unwound. As I was dragged from the stocks, my last glimpse was of Kiyah’s wide eyes. She held up her hand to show me the colored handkerchief she had wrapped around her wrist. At least Vicken would be cared for.
Chapter Four
I made a show of not being stiff the next morning when I was escorted to a moving truck and loaded inside. Werewolves had turned out to see me go. I didn’t know whether to feel touched by their efforts or worried. Several of the teenagers wore handkerchiefs like Kiyah’s around their wrists. When I walked past, they lifted them to ensure that I noticed.
“Represent,” one boy said quietly.
“Alpha strong,” another called out.
A skinny girl of no more than twelve held out her thin wrist and said, “I’ll be cheering for you.”
The adults, their wolf brands visible on their forearms, didn’t look pleased at what their children were doing.
“Good riddance,” an older woman with gray streaks in her hair said.
A man with a bushy beard leaned against the truck as I was shoved inside and said, “I hope you rot out there, boy.”
The door was pulled shut and I listened to a lock close. There weren’t any seats in the back of the moving truck. In order to keep from falling over with the swaying after each bump, I sat down near the back door and leaned against the wall. My breath caught and I tipped forward again.
Despite the long night of moonlight that fell handily along one side of the cage, my back had only partially healed. I figured that the same bullet that had done me the favor of numbing my skin during the lashing had also impeded the healing process. Out of the clothing brought to me the next morning, I had chosen a black shirt to wear so that it could hide any blood from the whip marks. The last thing I wanted to do was show weakness around the other werewolves.
The sound of the truck’s tires changed from pavement to dirt. It bumped and jolted along a dirt road for at least twenty minutes before it stopped. Relief that we were no longer moving was chased away by the sound of footsteps and the reminder of what was to come.
“Up and out, boy,” Roundy said when he pushed up the sliding door.
A glanced to my right showed Rhett, two other boys, and a girl with long red hair waiting in front of a posh SUV. I had apparently been deemed not fit to ride with these other potential candidates for the Pack. I tried to find an inkling of feeling at the slight, but there wasn’t any. I wanted to be far away from any member of the Den, be they a potential Pack member or not.
“Now that we’re all present,” Roundy said with a glare at me as though I was to blame for the delay, “We can begin.” He waved a hand around in a bored gesture as though he had said the same words many times. “As you can see, the entire Gauntlet is monitored by cameras. Most of you have family who will be cheering you on from the spectators’ room. Even though you can’t hear them, know that they are pulling for you to succeed.”
His gaze was on his son. Rhett appeared nervous and excited at the same time. He grinned at me, showing the gap in his teeth. “Unless you’re Finn. He’s all alone.”
Roundy barely spared me a glance before he continued with, “You are the first group to attempt the new and improved Gauntlet. You have trained for this since you could walk; now is your chance to show us that you belong to the Pack.” His pride was evident in the way he looked the other teenagers over. “You can complete each of the three trials in wolf or human form. The choice is entirely yours. But you must complete each leg of the Gauntlet by yourself. No assistance is allowed.” He gave his son and the other three werewolves a big smile. “Good luck, do your best, and we’ll be cheering for you to reach the end and become an official member of the Pack.” He held out his arm to show the wolf head brand. “Make us proud, children. You can do this.”
At his motion, we headed toward a ladder that peeked out from the top of what appeared to be a deep canyon. I glanced back to see Roundy grab Rhett in a tight hug. He then held his son out at arm’s length.
“Make us proud, son,” he said, his eyes bright.
“I will,” Rhett replied.
He caught me watching and glared. I turned away and followed the others to the edge of the canyon. The ladder led straight down the side. A glance along it showed that the steps of the ladder ended about four rungs down and it was made up of merely two poles from there to the bottom. The side of the rock wall dipped inward so that the ladder was suspended in the air for the final thirty feet.
“Down to go up,” the girl said.
“Right,” the taller of the two other the boys confirmed. “Just like we trained. Remember, Lunera, keep a loose grip and let your body weight pull you down.”
“I’ve got it, Ross,” Lunera replied in an annoyed tone. “Just don’t come clobbering down on top of me.”
She stepped around the ladder and then looked at Rhett. For the first time, I saw a hint of uncertainty in her gaze.
Rhett gave an encouraging nod. “You’ve got this.”
Lunera let out a breath, then moved her legs to the outside of the ladder and slid down.
I stared after her, watching in amazement until she hit the ground, then waved up at us.
“Come on, boys! That’s how it’s done!” she shouted.
“That’s right, cur,” Ross said with a laugh. “You’re going to have to keep up. Too bad your Alphaness won’t help you here.”
“Good one,” the shorter boy replied. He shoved Ross’ shoulder and nearly sent him over the edge of the canyon.
“Watch it, Durnin,” Ross snapped.
“Sorry,” Durnin immediately apologized.
Rhett ignored them and stepped around the ladder. He slid down even faster than Lunera had done.
“I’m going before you push me over,” Ross growled with a glare at the other boy.
“At least you’d get to the bottom quickly,” Durnin replied sullenly as his friend slid down. He followed without a glance in my direction.
I sucked in a steeling breath and then swung around the side of the ladder. I didn’t have to wonder if my movements appeared fumbling compared to the others. The thought of merely holding on with the insides of my ankles and a grip on the poles made my heart pound in my chest. A quick look around showed that there was no other way down. It was either slide or become bear fodder.
I gritted my teeth and slipped my ankles around the outside of the poles. Loosening my grip was harder than I thought. Apparently, the wolf side of me thought sliding down was hazardous to my health. I couldn’t have agreed more.
My heart leaped into my throat when I opened my hands slightly and slid about ten feet. I accidentally grabbed the left pole harder than the right. I jerked to the left, my feet slipped clear of the poles, and I hung suspended with only the grip of my left hand keeping me from plummeting to the bottom of the canyon. It took a few heart-pounding seconds to swing back and get my feet and both of my hands situated again. The healing burn from the demon fire on my right palm made the skin a bit more slippery than the left. Keeping that in mind, I gripped hard and waited to catch my breath.
