A Luna's Flame

Chapter Seventy-One

I hopped over brambles, ducked under low-hanging branches, and climbed over overturned logs as I raced toward the echoed whimpering. My vision lost clarity as Enyo separated from our human form as our thoughts rivaled. Enyo's pacing in the recesses of my mind hinted towards her agitated state.

"We have to shift!" Enyo urged as her anxiety grew as the crying lessened.

"Pythia forbad it. I don't know where she is in this forest, but when she finds us, I would rather not hear her nagging," I argued as I took a sharp turn left following the racing noises.

"Someone needs us, Calista. We have to shift!" Enyo growled, her fur bristling.

"We swore against shifting unattended. Until we can control ourselves in our human form and strengthen our bond, we will continue to lose control in our wolf form. Remember everything that has happened so far," I explained as the thought of the long training sessions I underwent with Pythia and Noah crossed my mind.

They were relentless each session, never giving me a moment of reprieve. I was forced to shift quickly between my two forms for hours. I was expected to shorten the transformation time to mere seconds with all the additional training. My body would tremble as sweat glistened my skin. The nauseating scent of my failure always seemed to cling to the trees around me. Pythia was correct when she warned me of Enyo's emotions. One time, I had taken too long to shift into my skin, and Enyo's emotions hit me like a tidal wave. I was overcome with rage and sadness. We had lost control within minutes, and our bloodlust was almost uncontrollable. It took everyone to take us down. Pythia had cast a spell that knocked me out for two days. Since then, I was forbidden to shift unless someone was there to watch me. The incident rattled both of us enough that it was easy to follow her request. Since then, we have both occupied our human form as long as our hearts and minds align.

"We will get there quicker if we work together, Enyo. Please let this go for now," I pleaded as I pushed my legs to pump faster.

"If it gets out of hand, we will shift," Enyo grumbled.

"We cannot let it get out of hand," I said firmly as I retrieved one of my daggers from the leather holster that circled my thigh.

Enyo growled lowly before sighing. After battling with her internal thoughts, she merged alongside me, the feeling akin to being dunked into a cold, refreshing pool of water. My strides lengthened as we began to cover twice as much ground. I was able to see miles in front of me as we examined the forest with precise clarity. Anxiety tightened its grasp around my heart as I abruptly stopped running, quickly dropping to my knees. I took a deep breath as I cleared the debris that covered the forest floor, sinking my fingers into the cold ground. I closed my eyes and even my breathing as I focused on analyzing my environment. I found the 'pulse' of the earth, the mother of all things living. The pulse allowed me to connect to the living creatures that occupied her. I could feel the energy that sunk into the ground as a group of foxes threaded through the trees as they chased behind a small rabbit. I felt a squirrel burrow into the hard ground, probably trying to hide its treasured nuts.

I took another deep breath as I tapped further into my recently unlocked skill, feeling Enyo's energy tingle the tips of my fingers as we pushed to reach farther. And then I found it. Small, uneven footfalls of two people running from what I can assume to be a werewolf only a small distance behind them. I got to my feet and raced towards them, pushing my muscles more than I had ever before. Something felt off, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to save them.

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My curls were braided in their usual tribal design, the breeze kissing my scalp as I twisted and turned. My eyes watered with the force that the wind whipped my face. And then, I saw two small children break through the tree line a few feet in front of me, running horizontally across my path. Without a second thought, I launched into the air with my blade raised, hoping my instincts would carry my dagger to its mark.

With a loud thud, warm blood splattered my face as the wind was almost knocked from my lungs from the impact. I hadn't much time to dwell, so I clutched onto the grey wolf's fur as we tumbled across the forest floor. I let go of my dagger and rolled to my feet, trying to hide the shakiness in my knees. It took the wolf a second to recollect themselves, their yellowing blue irises alight with fury as they regarded me.

Despite the thick blood that stained its coat, the wolf readied itself to charge at me, releasing a thunderous roar that shook the leaves of nearby trees. Spit dripped from its long canines as it bared its teeth.

"I will only give you a few seconds to rethink your actions, wolf. Turn around and leave the children be," I demanded, unknown strength adding authority to my tone.

The wolf growled in defiance. I shrugged and cocked my head to the side as I analyzed my opponent.

"I'll give you two minutes of my time," I offered as I looked down at my hand.

An unknown adrenaline-filled my body, and raw, untapped energy pumped through my veins. It was Enyo's excitement and rage. I took a deep breath as I heard the wolf begin to charge at me. I battled with myself for only a moment before surrendering my inhibitions to the dark fury that filled my soul. I had only tasted this power once before, and with a dark smirk spreading across my lips, I couldn't wait to feel it again.

"Calista," a booming voice commanded.

I looked up and found myself in a pure white area, completely void of anything outside of a large, ornate mulberry-colored throne. I hesitantly walked towards the oversized chair that was facing away from me, nervous as I realized I was no longer reliving my memories.

"Quite the memory you've clung to. I remember this night vividly," the voice said again.