Little Red (✅ COMPLETED)

CHAPTER [ 8 0 ]

The air was getting colder. Although it was dark Robyn could feel the clouds looming heavy above them. The wind blew stronger around them as Daiyu reinforced the markings on the ground. Robyn only then noticed what looked like a black sheet on which she had drawn the markings, the edges of it held down by heavy rocks. They were in the middle of the forest and drawing with chalk on the earth would be physically impossible after all.

There was a rustle in the leaves behind her. On instinct, Robyn whipped around and gathered her magic in the palms of her hand. A silhouette stepped out from behind a tree.

'It's okay Robyn. There's no need for that,' Daiyu said, stepping in front of her.

Andrew moved into the light, a look of distress sunken into his face.

'So you heard it all,' Daiyu said.

He took a shuddering breath and ran a hand through his hair. 'All these years... Why didn't any of us know about... It?'

'It's more complicated than that,' Daiyu said, sounding almost irritated, 'right now what's important is we work fast to save our boys.'

She turned to Robyn, her pin-straight black hair framing her round cheeks, her sleek eyes alive with new determination. 'Here's what you need to chant,' a slew of unrecognisable words left her mouth. 'Say it with me.'

Robyn tentatively repeated the sounds she heard. Daiyu corrected her a few times and they practiced a little more until their voices chanted the words in unison. Already, Robyn felt the electricity rise from the earth, up her legs all the way to the ends of her hair. Robyn could tell Andrew felt it too because he rubbed his arms, as if it pricked his skin.

'Well done, you practice that under your breath while I finish up,' she said, pulling the cork off of one of the vials. She held them in one hand and hovered her other hand over their open top, whispering something under her breath. Then she poured the blood into two, small metal cups placed in the centre of the markings. She turned to Andrew, her gaze softened now, 'if you want to help...'

Andrew looked just as distressed as before, but upon hearing those words from Daiyu he stood up a little taller.

Daiyu sighed, 'I knew you were eavesdropping on Robyn and I. But given the circumstances we are in I thought it would be best for you to know the truth too.' She pulled out red and black candles from inside her robe and held them against her lips, whispering something on them. Then she stooped down and placed them on the ground. To Robyn's surprise they stood perfectly still even in the sweeping wind and when she lit them with a small, neon yellow lighter their flames stayed unwavering, drawn to the sky.

'Rick was a troubled young boy and I thought I could raise him...' her voice trailed off. She stood up once she had placed the last of her candles on the six corners of the geometric markings. 'Because he had half of the beast, thanks to Raina, Eric used him, brainwashed him, thinking if Rick would have the fruit and go through the Alpha ceremony he would be stronger than his half-brother. And stronger than every other werewolf that ever walked the earth. And their pack would be...

'It was their greed. Raina's greed to be Luna, hoping it would unlock her own powers, Eric's greed to rule the most powerful pack. Rick grew up in their shadows even after they had passed,' she paused, her eyes trained on the ground. Then she looked at Andrew, 'you may have your feelings towards him, but I know underneath it all he's just a boy who grew up without a family or a pack, dedicating his life to his dead father's wishes.'

Robyn stopped practising the words Daiyu had told her, a new feeling unfurling in her heart. Pity.

'We're all set up,' Daiyu said suddenly, turning to look at Robyn. She nodded and walked over to her, mentally repeating the words.