“Hi, I booked a cabin,” she said to the woman working in the vegetable garden. She smiled at the woman who was completely gray and her face showed kindness.
“Oh, hello dear, what’s your name?” The old woman looked like a grandmother with her garden gloves on her hands and her hair trimmed short. She had wrinkles but Dezrael could see that she had been pretty in her younger days.
“Dezrael Danielsson,” she answered and looked towards the beach. The view was breathtakingly beautiful and for a moment she forgot the cold as she got lost in the thundering waves that broke onto the beach.
“What a beautiful name! You can call me Addie. Let’s go get you settled in. Where are you from, dear?” Dezrael liked this older woman and hoped that she could be a source of information for her.
“I’m from Sweden, on a retreat as I write my thesis. I’m studying Environmental Psychology.” Dezrael lied easily and she could see that the woman was confused.
“What’s that, dear?” Addie asked her.
“It’s the study of transactions between individuals and their physical settings, like influential families in a small town and so forth.” Dezrael really hoped that her explanation was sufficient for Addie because she hadn’t really studied up on Environmental Psychology. It was the first thing she could think of to explain her interest in the Sinclair family.
“Oh! Then you will definitely want to meet the Grant family! Very influential here in Seward and also the Sinclair family!” Addie told her excitedly. Dezrael made mental notes. The Sinclair family, this might just be how she could meet Kiran and cast her spell of deceit.
“What do you know about the families?” Dezrael asked and Addie smiled at her.
“Well, the Grant family is very rich, they have a son, Sam is his name. If there’s a party in Seward, Sam is the host. Johnathan Grant inherited rich, and he travels frequently with his wife, Shawna. He owns a few businesses across the country. I’m not sure if you’ll ever get an appointment with that man.” Dezrael got the sense that Addie didn’t really care for them but was too polite to say it outright.
“And the other family you mentioned?” Dezrael guided her to what she actually wanted to know.
“Ah, the Sinclairs! What nice people! Malachi Sinclair is a lawyer and he has an office right here in town. He recently lost his wife in a terrible car accident and we haven’t seen much of him in town. His son, Kiran, just like his father that one, well-mannered, quite the catch under the girls. He’s very involved with almost everything that goes on in Seward, especially the charity work his mother did. They own the hotel up on Lowell Canyon Drive. Although, it’s also been a while since I’ve seen him down this way.” Addie talked as Dezrael filled in the form she had received from Addie and took the keys she handed to her.
“Thank you so much, I will definitely consider interviewing them,” Dezrael said as Addie walked outside with her and showed her which cabin was hers.
“Enjoy your stay dear and please ask me if there’s anything you want to know about Seward,” she said and smiled at Dezrael.
Dezrael unpacked her suitcase and sent a text to Sean saying that she was safe and where to send her books. She blessed the cabin and took out her amulets and crystals and placed them where they would recharge with the sun’s light.
She opened her laptop and plugged the charger in since it was dead and made tea while she waited for it to hum to life. She searched online for Malachi Sinclair’s law office and phoned the number listed there.
“Sinclair Law Office, how may I assist you today?” A woman answered after the third ring.
“Hi, I want to make an appointment to see Mr. Sinclair please,” Dezrael said to the woman.
“Unfortunately Mr. Sinclair isn’t taking on any new clients at this time. He will consider new appointments next month. Can I refer you to another lawyer in Seward?” The woman’s voice was very professional and she doubted that she’d get any information from her over the telephone.
“Does he come into the office at all? I actually just have a package that I need to deliver to him,” Dezrael said.
“No, I’m sorry, he will be at the office again in the new month. You can leave the package at reception and I’ll make sure that he gets it,” she replied again and Dezrael thought of another plan.
“Thanks,” Dezrael said and disconnected the line. Good, he wasn’t there. That worked perfectly. She would visit his office tomorrow. She went to the Safeway she saw on her way into Seward and bought groceries.
She cooked dinner and then took a hot shower. She slept easily and awoke refreshed the following morning. She dressed casually and headed to Malachi’s law office. She smiled brightly at the receptionist she had spoken to the previous day and looked around.
The reception area was tastefully decorated and she saw that Malachi’s office was just a one man show, not a firm. This was better, currently only the receptionist was there and she could use less magic to enchant the receptionist.
“Hi, sorry what’s your name?” Dezrael asked her.
“Hi, I’m Lynne, how can I assist you today?” She smiled at Dezrael.
Dezrael took a hold of the woman’s hand and chanted softly while she held onto her gambanteinn. The gambanteinn was a smallish staff and hers were carved from wood, with her ancestral symbols carved into it.
“I strike thee, Lynne with my gambanteinn, to tame thy mind and heart, to work my will.” She touched Lynne’s hand three times with the gambanteinn and then promptly let her hand go. Lynne had been entranced easily as the spell took effect.
“What would you like to know?” Lynne asked her and Dezrael smiled. It had been too easy.
“I want to know everything about Kiran Sinclair,” she said as she sat down on a chair and Lynne started talking.
She told Dezrael where they lived, but she knew almost nothing about Kiran’s daily routines, though she could tell her a whole lot of Malachi’s comings and goings. He had taken some time off and Kiran worked half-day at their hotel. She also told Dezrael about Kiran’s fiancé, Adara, and that they all lived together.
She left Lynne still entranced; she might need more information later and every time she cast a spell from the dark side it took more energy from her than normal magic did. She would make her forget everything later.
The fact that they all lived together could prove to be a problem. She would need to get into that house, to get something personal that belonged to Kiran. She wasn’t dissuaded by the idea that he was engaged and happy. She was happily married too but she needed to get pregnant and it had to be Kiran who did it.
Now she would have to wait for Sean to send her the boxes, her tarnkappe was in there. She would need to restore all her energies for that spell anyway. A tarnkappe looked like a normal cloak but you could call upon the magic of Loki to enchant it and the wearer would become invisible.
It would be the easiest way to enter the house, whether they were there or not, though she would prefer it if they weren’t. They were just lowly wolves and had no magic at their disposal. Any and all spells Karani had cast would have died with her and Dezrael smiled. She could almost taste the victory.
They would never even know that anything had happened.
Malachi hugged Adara tightly and kissed the top of her head as they stood in the airport in Anchorage. She was crying and she hadn’t really stopped since Kiran had left. She was withdrawn, depressed and moody, everything he felt as well.Malachi put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “You’re not being punished. I just need you to be safe. With everything going on, I can’t keep an eye on the pack and keep you safe at home.”“I know, I just wish I knew what I did wrong,” Adara said to him.“You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s hard to explain, but one thing I do know for sure is that he’ll come back,” he replied gently.There was an announcement that the boarding gate would open in five minutes and Malachi looked at his watch.“You have to go and before you know it, you’ll be coming back with Kiran standing right here waiting for you.”Adara hugged him once more and then walked away. The smile faded from his lips as he walked back to his car. He drove back to Seward in
That evening James welcomed all the men from their pack and they went to the dining room. Shoran had bought snacks and drinks and had carefully arranged them on the table. She excused herself and went upstairs. This was a men’s only meeting.“Where’s Kiran?” Carl asked James as they stood around the table pouring drinks. Normally it would be Kiran that received them at the house when Malachi was unavailable.“And why isn’t Garrick here?” Carl asked before James could answer his first question.“I think we should rather wait for Malachi. Garrick couldn’t get away from the hospital,” James said as Carl frowned at him. Twenty minutes later Malachi walked into the dining room and looked apologetically at everyone.“I apologize for my tardiness, I was with Robert Jones. Please take a seat, this is an informal meeting but a serious one,” Malachi said as he sat down at the head of the table. The chair across from him at the other end remained empty and he looked at it.“Welcome and thank you
Adara had reluctantly flown back to Ireland, her soul numb. Kiran hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye to her, that hurt more than she could’ve imagined it would. She had cried so much that she didn’t think she had any tears left. Rejection was something she was used to, though it hurt so much more coming from him.His note had just said ‘I’m sorry.’ Sorry for what? Sorry for leaving or sorry for pushing her away? She wasn’t sure which one was worse but his absence just made everything hurt all the more. It even hurt more than the years of abuse she had endured.Adara looked at the screensaver on her phone. It was a picture of Kiran. She had taken it while he was laughing at something silly James had said at the time. He wasn’t looking directly at her and she remembered that day well.Now it seemed that everything had changed. He had just left, he had yelled at her, told her not to touch him. She could barely remember a time when she hadn’t loved him. The screen darkened and she put th
Adara excused herself to go upstairs even though it was only six pm. She was exhausted. She checked her phone and saw that all her messages to Kiran still showed unread. She sighed and turned on her side. She felt so alone that she cried herself to sleep.Adara finally phoned Malachi after she’d been in Ireland for a week. The phone kept ringing and then went to voicemail. She ended the call without leaving a message. She was about to walk out of the room when her phone rang. “Hello Malachi.”“Adara, I do apologize. I was on another call,” Malachi said to her.“Have you heard from Kiran?” she asked him and he was quiet for a bit.“Nothing yet. He isn’t answering your calls either?”“No. I haven’t heard anything from him in seven days!” Adara replied. She was beginning to worry.“He’ll call. I’m sure of it.” Malachi tried to ease her anxiety. “He used his credit card in Canada six days ago.”“Why would he go to Canada? What about his GPS?” Adara asked him.“It just shows him crossing t
I slowed the Jeep as I drove up to the Alcan Port of Entry which was the border post between Alaska and Canada. I had driven through Anchorage, past Palmer and Glennallen and onto Tok. I was dead tired, but I had to keep going. Once in Canada I would breathe more easily, at least that’s what I told myself.I waited to go through the border for about two hours and I finally passed through without any problems. I drove further on until I saw the sign for Burwash Landing. I had phoned earlier and made a reservation for myself. I’d been driving for close to fourteen hours and I needed to sleep.As I crossed the Canadian Border I stopped to disconnect my GPS and bought new clothes, shoes and toiletries. I would look odd dressed in my suit especially with the blood stained cuffs from when I had inserted my hands in Karani’s rib cage earlier.I had to focus as the road blurred in front of me and I turned the volume on the radio up. Metallica’s Low Man was playing and once again the music spo
“My water just broke,” Karani said and Malachi sat upright instantly. “I’ve already called Stephanie, they’re on their way.”“Where’s your bag?” Malachi asked her and saw it on the chair next to the door. He grabbed her bag as she insisted on walking down the stairs and to the car herself.“I can still walk you know,” she said to Malachi irritably as she stopped and her hand gripped the edge of the couch as a contraction went through her. Malachi got her into the car and they arrived at the hospital at the same time as Garrick and Stephanie.Stephanie started yelling at the staff working the night shift at the hospital as they got Karani on a gurney and pushed her through to an examination room. Malachi followed closely behind as Stephanie put gloves on and she started examining Karani.“We’re going to have to do a c-section Karani,” Stephanie said to her and she nodded at the nurses as they got ready to move her again, “Malachi you’ll have to wait outside.”“There’s no chance that I’
That afternoon I checked out of the cabin and drove the Jeep until I found a spot alongside the highway where I could park. I hoped that it would go unnoticed since this area wasn’t so populous. I waited until nightfall and left my clothes in the boot.I hid the key and then changed into my wolf. I started running and crossed the icy river and shook the water from my fur. I alternated between trotting and walking for about eight miles and it took me two hours over the rough terrain.The mountain loomed in front of me but I kept going. The gravity was getting stronger. I could feel it moving through the air. Montgomery had described Wolf Peak as a place of ancestral powers where the more powerful wolves had all gone to either die or heal spiritually.You’ll know that you’ve reached Wolf Peak, when the Northern Lights dance around you and your spirit fills with the power and magic of the experience. I looked around me in wonder and amazement as it seemed that I was part of the lights an
I started making my way down the mountain. I had to get back home and pray that I wasn’t too late. I had done the best I could with the time that I had on the mountain and I felt sure that the emotional chaos would never again threaten to put me back in that dark hole. I came down that mountain stronger, wiser, and more resilient. I was running so fast that I made it back to the Jeep as the sun started rising.I had tried five times to start the Jeep with no success and I flagged down a car that came driving down the highway. The man and woman helped me to start the Jeep and I thanked them. I plugged my phone in to charge as I let the Jeep idle.I waited for about fifteen minutes so that the engine could warm up and then I tried to turn my phone on but nothing happened. It must have been affected by the cold weather for the few days I was on the mountain. I wanted to call Malachi and warn him.I turned the Jeep around and drove the way I had come. There was no time to stop and phone h