Chapter 14

CLEMENTINE

I swallow hard as the purple-haired woman introduces herself to me. I notice that we share a lot of the same features, and that’s when my blood starts to boil.

~Why the hell did she abandon me?~ That’s the first thing I want to ask her.

Kalisto gives me a motherly smile. “How are you, Clementine?”

“Good,” I mumble, hoping she won’t hear, but of course, she will with her inhuman hearing.

“Come,” she says, motioning for the two of us to follow her further into the forest.

The way Kalisto walks tells me a lot about her. She never once turns around to check whether we’re still behind her, as if sure we won’t stray away. She is clearly the leader of this part of the woods, and everyone apparently knows this.

More birds fly around this area than I’ve ever seen in one place, as if they are not afraid of anything. It’s so interesting that I keep looking at them until I collide into a tree.

Yes, I have supernatural powers, but I still walked straight into a tree.

“Be careful,” Helen scolds.

Eventually, we see a castle carved into the rocks of the mountain. It looks unique and old, and I find myself wanting to see it up close.

“We have to climb,” Kalisto says, giving me an apologetic look.

~Oh, hell no. If I can’t go up there in wolf form, they can’t either.~

***

“Ahh!” Kalisto grunts as we reach the final steps. “I’ve been told you’re annoying and stubborn, but I didn’t know it was this bad.”

We’ve been climbing up the mountain for a while now—all on human legs—but I roll my eyes at her whining. I would’ve had to come up this way regardless.

“Thanks,” I reply sarcastically.

After we’ve caught our breath, I stare up at the most magnificent thing I’ve ever seen. I’ve always loved old architecture.

“This is beautiful,” I mumble.

Kalisto and Helen hum in agreement.

When we enter the gate, the first thing I notice is the smell—wolfsbane. I’m surprised, given that Kalisto is half werewolf, and start to ask how she can take it when she volunteers the information.

“If you’re wondering, my wolf, Kartia, loves the smell of wolfsbane.”

“She loves it?” I ask, confused.

“Yes, most hybrids are okay with wolfsbane. If you had a wolf, she would be okay too, but you obviously can’t be a wolf.” She smiles.

“Why?”

“Because you are already a phoenix. You cannot be both.”

I nod. “Oh, that makes sense.”

As I check out the castle, another weird thing I notice is that no one is around. I can hear heartbeats and some breathing, but it’s as if they’re hiding.

“Where is everyone?” I ask, still looking around.

Kalisto smiles and looks at the floor.

~What is she doing?~

“They are hiding,” she finally says, confirming my earlier thoughts.

“Why?”

“Because a phoenix just entered the palace,” Helen quickly replies with a proud smile.

“Oh,” I say awkwardly. “I didn’t know I’m that scary.”

~“You fucking are,” ~Helia comments.

“Trust me, you still haven’t seen a thing,” Kalisto says. “Come on, let’s go to my office so we can talk freely.”

I nod and follow her. On our way, I keep glancing at the beautiful, ancient designs on the walls, including Roman writings like “Amat victoria curam,” which means “victory loves preparation.” I wonder if this castle was built during Roman times.

When we reach a black door, Kalisto opens it and lets us into a beautiful, vintage-looking office. Like any other office, there’s a desk with chairs on either side; unlike other offices, many candles light the place, illuminating beautiful designs on the ceiling.

“You like it?” Kalisto asks.

I smile and sit down. “Yes. It’s beautiful.”

She smiles back, then gets down to business. “So, we don’t have much time before you two have to go back, but I figured I’d teach you some spells.”

I chuckle. “The first time you see me you just want to teach me magic?”

That wipes the smile off her face.

“Clem…,” Helen starts, but Kalisto raises her hand.

“You’re right,” my biological mother says, looking down at the floor. “I am sorry.”

“So…?” I prompt, waiting for her to say something about being my mother.

“Look, I know you have a lot of questions, but now is not the time.”

“And when ~will~ be the right time, Mother?” I spit, surprising myself.

I have never been this angry, even when pack members and my own family bullied me, but the thought of my old life with my so-called mother makes me furious. How dare she abandon me and leave me with my father? I know I still don’t know half of the story, but no one is telling me anything.

Kalisto nods sadly. “Clementine, I promise I will tell you everything, but not today.”

I don’t respond.

“How about we learn those spells, huh?” Helen asks, trying to lighten the mood.

Not wanting to make any more drama than I already have, I agree.

***

We go to a much wider room, and for the first time, I see a few people scattered here and there. No one dares to look into my eyes, as if I’m a beast. ~Are they afraid of me?~

It feels unfair that they seem to know more about me than I currently do. I desperately want to ask Kalisto and Helen about what Malcolm told me, but I refrain because I know they won’t answer my questions. Besides, I don’t want to accidentally become an evil phoenix, as Helia warned.

“Okay,” Kalisto begins, “the first spell that you need to know is the Arta spell. This spell is very important in fights. When someone attacks you, this spell will make them fly back far—far enough for you to plan your next move and protect yourself.”

“What do I say?” I ask.

Kalisto laughs. “Patience.”

I frown. “Why are you laughing?”

“You remind me of myself when I was your age.” She shakes her head as if discarding the old memories.

For the next few hours, Kalisto and Helen teach me more spells, like the Tricia spell, which sends a person to sleep. Or the Martha spell, which makes someone’s head boil from the inside—mostly used for vampires. In between, Kalisto also tells me stories about when she was my age, and I listen eagerly.

Before sunrise, Helen and I go back to the pack house. Thankfully, the luna is able to erase the two bodyguards’ memories, so it’s like we never left.

But when I go back to my room, I find Ivan sitting on my bed, looking angry as hell.