Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

GAHRYE

Two hours later, as they crept into the portal cave clearing, Gahrye kept his eyes and ears alert for any sign of the bears. But prayed since they weren't breaching the terms of the agreement—they wouldn't actually go into the Portal—that even if they were found, it wouldn't cause problems.

It had taken a little while to convince Suhle to take the trek with him, out to the Portal. Since neither of them could shift, they were forced to take the full journey, which was nearly two hours. Suhle was reluctant to be gone so long. But Gahrye had been desperate to figure out if his suspicions were true….

"The thing is, Suhle," he'd pleaded back at the river, "this darkness, this infection you describe… I believe I know the source of it. But I can't be sure unless someone else confirms it. I met a man who was… off, like you describe. When I met him I smelled something on him that I didn't recognize, but it left me uneasy. I never trusted him. Over time I spent some time in his company and observed that his motives were often inconsistent. That he was, at times, brutal, while at others seemingly harmless. And when I learned his story… I just wonder if the source of the evil you describe in the wolf tribe is the same. And if it is, if we can both identify the scent—and perhaps teach others to do the same—we can remove this threat from our people.

"The problem is, while the Queen wants to see this happen, we can't afford to let anyone know what we're doing. If I'm right about the source of this, those that are infected could… receive information, or be warned if Anima know we are investigating. That is why I didn't immediately tell you. But I'm almost certain… if you would just come with me, we will be able to return immediately, whether the scent is the same or not. Please?"

Suhle looked at the things she'd spread out on the tree. "Very well," she said. "Your purpose, it is a good one. And good purposes do not always arise at convenient times," she said, with a dry twist to her lips. "I will come with you, Gahrye. But can we please hurry? Try to return here before dark?"

"Yes, yes of course," he'd said excitedly.

Now they were there, and Gahrye's heart pounded with fear and thrill. If he was right about the voices, if they were the source of the wolves rebellion—and if they could be scented on an Anima!—it wouldn't just explain the war and offer ways to identify further problems. But to Gahrye's mind it would also confirm that Suhle was, indeed, a Protector.

As they approached the cave, Gahrye tried to keep his mind on the task, and not on the terrible and frightening things that had happened in this clearing. The burble of the creek off to his right was a soothing music as he approached the darkness of the cave mouth.

They both hesitated, Gahrye reading the winds, and flaring his nostrils to scent for any bears or other intruders. But all he smelled was himself and Elia, and several creatures that had obviously used the cave for shelter recently.

"The Queen was here?" Suhle asked quietly.

Gahrye nodded, then stepped into the cave. "We must be quiet. There are many bears hibernating in the area and we don't want to disturb their sleep. The source is inside here, in a tunnel. It will only take a moment."

He walked in, Suhle on his heels, blinking to adjust his eyes to the darkness as they walked deeper.

Then suddenly she caught his elbow. "Wait."

"What is it?" he turned, whispering, looking for someone entering behind them, or some other danger.

"That smell," she said and lifted her head, her nostrils flaring.

"You can smell it?" Gahrye asked, trying to hold his excitement in check. "Apparently not everyone can. At least, not—"

"What is it?"

"I'll show you," he said, then hurried forward, leading her to the side tunnel and turning down until they were at the Portal itself.

He stopped in the middle of the cave. "Can you see it? Locate it?"

She looked around. His heart sank a little when her eyes didn't seem to latch on the space as his had the first time he came in here. But then she turned back to face it, her nostrils flaring again and again. She took first one step, then another.

"Oh, Gahrye," she said sadly, "What is that?"

"It's the Portal to the human world," he said.

"Why does it smell like… like.."

"Death?"

"Yes!"

"Because it opens to a traverse. A… a space between the worlds. And it's inhabited by voices—beings—that are pure evil. They will dangle your greatest ambitions in front of you, tempt with you with deepest desires, or threaten you with your greatest fears." He bit his lip, uncertain how much to reveal. "I'm sorry, there's so much I could tell you and I don't mean to rush you, but I have to know… is that the scent you caught on the wolves?"

She turned back to the Portal and sniffed again. "It is much, much stronger than I what I smelled on them. This is… this is consuming. But with them… it was as if… as if…"

"A part of them had died? A small, faint part?"

She turned back to him, watching him oddly. "Yes," she breathed. "Or as if I was smelling something within them. Not something on their skin."

Gahrye nodded. "You're much sharper than me. When I smelled it I couldn't identify it at all—even though I'd been through here already. It wasn't until he'd told me he'd been here that I made the connection."

"He was… tainted by this place?"

"Yes! Exactly. Only those who are strong enough can cross without giving in to the manipulations of the voices. And the Anima that are strong enough to do that… Suhle, I believe you are one of us."

She turned to stare at him, her brows pinched together over her nose. "One of what?"

"I think you're a Protector. Like me. And if that's so, you have a job to do. A purpose that is so… so important, Suhle. More important than anything else you might do in your life."

*****

IT'S A NEW PRIVILEGE MONTH!

Don't forget, if you purchase the highest tier of privilege in this book, or QUEEN OF BEASTS you go into the draw for a paperback at the end of the month! If you haven't purchased privilege before, or this is your first month buying privilege for the second time, please read my author note that begins "Understanding Privilege" so you know what you are, and aren't, buying! And don't be scared to ask me questions in the comments BEFORE you purchase, because privilege cannot be refunded, because it gives access to chapters that have not been published.