There was no room to fail now.
* * *
A day had passedsince she saw Oliver, and they were already on the road to Scarlet. Rem had spent the rest of the day silent and withdrawn, the Rolland Clan doting on her and giving her a wonderful bed to sleep on. It was nice that she couldn’t speak their language, preferring the silence, doing nothing more than staring at the ceiling or out the window. At night, she stared at the moon that she would soon belong to.
Rem even tried to speak to whatever goddess these shifters followed.‘Help me. You have put this power in my veins, and yet my family suffers. Give me something to work with… Please.’
She wanted claws of her own and whatever supernatural powers that came with being a Silver wolf. Revenge fueled her more than anything had ever done so before in her entire life.
If she couldn't rely on anyone, she'd have to harness her own powers and save herself.
That night and next morning merged into one, everything blurring until Rem got inside of a refurbished truck. It was the first time she had been in one of those contraptions. It was something the humans of Thomasville reengineered and maintained for the shifters, crafting a metal covering for the back and placing rudimentary seats inside. It was from a vehicle built in the late twenties, just before everyone emerged from the Exiles.
Oliver would have liked to see this.
She looked down at her hands. He was all she could focus on.
Rem bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from thinking about everything. She looked over at Nia who was in the bed of the truck with Rem, sitting in the make-shift seats. Nia was excited to visit Scarlet Howl, and Rem was genuinely grateful that someone found joy in all of this. It made life seem less dreary, a reminder that it moved on for some.
They had been practicing Icelandic for nearly the entire ride and were currently on a break. It was enjoyable to learn new words, but many were hard to pronounce. There was also a sense of betrayal to learn their language so soon.
But it was necessary, and so were so many other sacrifices.
Needing the distraction, Rem asked, "Why don't most just turn into wolves and travel on all fours? Why are others riding with me?”
She referenced how there were at least four other trucks with shifters riding inside. She had grown used to seeing abnormally sized wolves tailing her, but she hadn’t seen them use such human technology before.
Nia looked over at Rem. "On any other day, we’d run on our own, but not with you at our side," Nia said, their bodies swaying as they hit uneven terrain. “We travel with you to keep you company, and just so you have us nearby and well-rested in case of a fight. Who knows what’s in these woods… The hunters are becoming craftier, using witch’s magic to conceal themselves, I hear.”
Rem leaned back into her seat before saying, "Sounds like everywhere is dangerous. Even here."
"Yeah. I think the decade of peace is gone from our world." Nia looked at her hands and as she said that. The other shifters in the truck watched them speak, unable to understand what was being said. Nia avoided their gaze, even if they stared at her.
"There was a decade of peace?" Rem straightened her back. She had never known that. The witches made it seem like it was always in turmoil. Even her gran lived with the witches for the sake of safety in her old age.
Or so Rem had been told.
She questioned everything now.
"Oh, yes. I mean, it took a while. Once we got our lands back, it took humans a long time to accept it. It’s been almost eighty years since we showed up, and the humansfinallywent quiet in their assaults a decade ago," Nia said, pausing as she moved a few of her braids over her shoulder. "They’ve gathered in the south and live their lives there. The rest of them, who didn’t go south, joined liege villages, like Thomasville."
Nia’s eyebrow twitched, and her face dropped its expression. "The hunters weren’t just recollecting themselves in the south, though. I think they have beenpreparingfor the past ten years… But at least we have Silvers now. You're a breath of fresh air for our kind.” Nia smiled at Rem.
Rem breathed in, doing everything she could not to say,'that's great for your kind, but not for me.'Instead, Rem just smiled, as surely Nia had her own family that she worried about.
“So, where exactly did all of this magic come from?” Rem asked, waving her hand around. “The witches don’t let us talk about anything related to the Great Purge. My gran was trying to get us to move south so my brother and I could become educated. It was too risky at home otherwise.”
Nia shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I know that our legends say that the Earth used to have all kinds of magical creatures—dwarves, dragons, sirens—all of it. Ourloresays that a great sorceress destroyed it all in a cataclysm that happenedthousandsof years ago, and that’s when the Earth warmed, and humans took over.
“That’s where it gets murky, though, but everyone seems to agree there must have been a curse placed on all those that survived the cataclysm, and creatures like me faded into legends. We existed but couldn’t seem to interact with humanity. We’d be hunted, or the witches would curse us, dedicated to their sorceress, who they say still lives in the shadows. But honestly, that’s all legend. All we know for certain is that we got banished to the Exiles in the last few centuries, and now we are back with a lot more power than before.”
“So, what exactlyisthe Exiles?” Rem quietly asked, listening to every word.
She glanced at one of the shifters that just stared at them, and they quickly averted their gaze, much like how Nia would if they looked at her.
Nia looked uncomfortable, staring at her hands. “My nan is from there. She said the entrances are deep within caverns on this planet, and inside are basically portals that lead to the same place. It’s likethisworld, but barren, dead, and dreary. I admit, I don’t like to talk about it much.”
“I am sorry for asking,” Rem conceded. “But thank you for the information.”
