Chapter 20: Erick

 

 

 

I was back in the Wood. But something was wrong.

I was still human.

And I wasn't alone.

Her presence clung thickly to the air, as palpable as electricity, buzzing with an ancient power older than the earth itself.

"My child," she said, gesturing to me, "come."

The Lady of the Wood went by many names. Inanna. Freya. Earth Goddess. Here, she was simply the Lady. Even though it was my first time laying eyes on her, I knew that I'd known her my whole life.

She was standing in between the two rowan trees, draped in a heavy, diaphanous dress of rose-colored silk. Her delicate, ageless face was framed in black curls.

I fell to my knees at her feet, trembling from the waves of power flowing from her body. "Why am I seeing you here in the Wood?" I asked in wonder.

"You are not in the Wood, Erick. You are having a vision," she said. Her voice was deep and strong as a brass horn. "I've come to tell you that it's not your time to leave."

I stared up at her, hands turned up to expose my palms. "My Lady. I've fulfilled my obligation to my summoner on earth. I…I only wish to resume my rest."

The Lady smiled. At the same time, dozens of tiny, pink blossoms burst from the tree branches surrounding her head.

"You are meant for so much more than an eternity of sleep. I've set things in motion in Riverrun, and you're part of the plan."

"What sort of plan?" I asked.

Suddenly, a furrow appeared in the Lady's brow. She scowled, and the pink blossoms that had bloomed just seconds ago shriveled up into black soot.

"There is a darkness in Riverrun that must be stopped before more of my children are hurt," she said.

My children. "You mean shifters," I said. "Does Eliza Vreeland have anything to do with this darkness?"

"Yes," she said.

"How must I stop her? I may be a dragon shifter, but I'm only the servant of kings. The world has changed in ways I don't understand. I—"

"Am I not your mother, Erick? Am I not the mother of all shifters, of all witches, of all of Riverrun? Do not worry. Have faith in me. Trust the witch called Rowan. She is the key."

Rowan was the key? Now, I had even more questions than before.

I opened my mouth to speak. "My Lady—"

She lifted her white hand and touched her fingertips to my forehead.

 

* * *

 

"Shh. I think he's waking up—"

"Erick—"

"Give him some space—"

"Erick, can you hear me?"

They were Rowan's and Caleb's voices. Slowly, the veil of the Wood lifted from my mind. I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was Aiden's face, pale and clear with the musty barn roof rising up behind his head.

"Aiden," I croaked. My voice sounded like I hadn't spoken in years.

Aiden's taut expression cracked into a smile of relief. "Oh, thank god," he whispered, and he pressed his face to my chest.

I stroked his hair, remembering everything the Lady had told me. When he lifted his face back up, I saw a mixture of pain and relief in his eyes. It was the look of a prisoner released from torture, and it made me want to kiss him.

I reached up to stroke his cheek. His gaze softened.

Rowan dropped down beside him. "Do you know your name?"

Yes, I thought, brightening when I saw her. The Lady had said Rowan was the key. "I'm Erick—" I began.

"Do you know where you are?" Rowan continued.

"The clubhouse. But listen, I had a vision—"

Rowan grabbed my wrist to check my pulse.

"He's okay, Rowan," Caleb growled irritably as he appeared at my elbow. After tugging my wrist out of Rowan's grasp, he pulled me upright.

"Careful! He was just struck by lightning!" Rowan cautioned.

Ignoring her, Caleb hauled me into a sitting position and crouched in a posture that struck me as very wolflike. "What did you see, Erick?" he asked.

"I think it's best to wait for the whole pack to assemble first. Can you call them?" I said.

Caleb smirked. "Already did. They're on their way. Tonight's our meeting with the Grayback pack."