章節 40: Chapter 40: The Heartless Isles

Dane POV

In the dark, he could hear the roar of the waves even more strikingly because of the quiet of the night. Seabirds' cries filled the air as well. The moonlight created a shining trail on the water. His eyes could detect glowing plants and fireflies around them.

Dane gripped Lilia's hand as they stood on an overlook point on one of the Heartless Isles, their destination. Even in the dark, he could tell it was quiet and deserted.

"Welcome to Abandonnado Island," Daxius said. "It's as remote and lonely as the name."

Jude noted, "This is probably a haven for smugglers."

"It is, and with luck we won't encounter any," Daxius replied, turning in a swirl of robes. "Now, my home for the last several years is just a short walk from here. Just round the corner."

Curiosity got the better of Dane. Where had Daxius been living–and with whom? He'd said little about his life up till now. It didn't inspire much trust.

Yet he looked at Daxius' actions, finally facing all of them, fighting beside them, and even taking all the scorn and anger heaped on him by everyone. Maybe he was being foolish, but he realized that Daxius might not be the villain Dane had come to loathe. As the final piece of evidence, Jude, who had every reason to want him gone, fought for Daxius!

"Do you trust him?" he murmured to Lilia.

"Mostly," she said, which made him smile. His Lilia didn't play games.

"Then I'll mostly trust him too–he is my other father-in-law. The family isn't so sure–you heard them when we reported in."

"Well, they knew we couldn't stay here and be targets for Melisande."

They all followed Daxius in single-file along a narrow dirt path through waving long grasses, around a bend, and through a grove of trees. The road opened up and Jude and Ravyn moved to walk on either side of Daxius, protecting him.

Duffy, who'd left his merchant wagon at the inn, scurried past them so his gnome senses and his sharp eyes could spot any dangers. Dane thought fleetingly that his brothers and sisters-in-law and all their children would fall in love with Ravyn's old friend.

Jude asked Daxius, "NOW can you tell us more than 'I'll explain when we get there'?"

A long pause from Dane's other father-in-law. "Ravyn is on her way to forgiving me, so I can share a little more."

"I do forgive you," Ravyn said softly. "I thought my actions demonstrated that."

Daxius sounded and smelled frustrated. "The … the curse must be specific, then."

"What IS this curse?" Jude demanded. "Fenrir's guts, Daxius, tell us!"

Daxius paused again, and recited, "'By the power of darkness and the will of the Night, I curse you with a prison of solitude and sorrow. Your words shall be silenced, your mind trapped in an abyss of guilt and regret. The shadows shall embrace you, the shadows shall confine you, and the shadows shall never release you. May the Dark Goddess have mercy on your wretched soul.' Then, a benevolent voice spoke after the curse was laid on me, and said, 'Only through the earned forgiveness of the one you have wronged shall the curse be lifted.'"

Everyone had stopped to listen to Daxius.

"The Dark Goddess," Lilia burst out. "Of course she would meddle in our lives!"

"But you were a child," Ravyn burst out. "Daxius and I knew about shifters … but we didn't associate much with them. Maybe once in a very great while."

It made no sense.

Why would the Dark Goddess target Lilia's family at a time when none of them had even been to the shifter lands? And why would the Moon Goddess intervene? On the other hand, she'd picked Lilia as his fated mate.

He said a silent prayer of thanks to the deity.

* * * * *

Jude POV

Jude was awed by the Moon Goddess' strength. "Luckily, the Moon Goddess is far more powerful. For her to help you when you aren't even a shifter says so much about you!"

Dane offered, "Lilia turned out to be my fated mate. Maybe that was why the goddess helped Daxius … Lilia and Ravyn would be under her protection."

Daxius shrugged and said humbly, "The Moon Goddess is opposed to the Dark Goddess, who thinks of everything and everyone in the world as her toys. The Moon Goddess can't stop her sister's dark powers, but she can help us defeat them. At least that's what I've learned by listening to you Crestas."

"You're a Cresta too now," Ravyn said.

Those words just came out of Ravyn's mouth so effortlessly. Jude wanted to kneel and kiss his mate's feet.

Lilia said enthusiastically, "Welcome to the family, Father."

Dane's blue eyes were full of steel. "I wouldn't argue with Ravyn and my mate. Anyone, especially the Dark Goddess, who tries to harm you will have to get through me–and our entire family."

Jude suspected that part of Dane's willingness to embrace Daxius stemmed from the Dark Goddess and Melisande targeting him. However, the wizard had courage and intelligence in spades. And his sneaking around the shifter territories, his hostile attitude, and his secretiveness now made perfect sense. He couldn't approach Lilia and Ravyn and speak the truth because the Dark Goddess' curse prevented him. A prison of solitude, sorrow, and shame, indeed!

He cleared his throat. "You're a Faolan now, too."

Daxius' eyes popped and his mouth hung open. With joy, he hugged Ravyn, wrapping his arms around her. "Thank you. This shows that you've truly forgiven me. You've set me free!"

Lilia wrapped her arms around both of them, her pink lips stretched in an enormous grin. Dane moved to join the hug pile.

Jude felt his mate's peace, joy, and love wash over him like warm sunshine on a perfect summer day or refreshing rain in the autumn or spring. In many ways, she'd been a prisoner too along with Daxius, and she hadn't even known it! Now, the feeling of freedom from her felt so delicious.

He felt a tiny tug on his robes, and he looked down to see Duffy smiling up at him. Jerking his thumb at the group hug, Duffy asked, "Are you going to join them?"

Jude paused. He didn't want to intrude.

"You just said he was family," Duffy nagged.

"And you've said during this whole trip–"

The gnome gave him a baleful glare. "That was before I heard he was muzzled."

Surrendering, Jude picked up Duffy and put him on his shoulder, then muscled his way into the group hug and felt the warmth of this mini-wolf pack surrounding him.

After they all broke apart, Daxius looked lighter and freer. He waved his magical staff and said, "Come. There's someone I want you to meet–someone who saved my life."

Intrigued, Jude nodded. "Lead on, Daxius."

Duffy opted to ride on Jude's shoulder while Daxius strode through the dark grove. Ravyn and Lilia surrounded Daxius this time. Jude and Dane brought up the rear, listening and sniffing to detect anyone following them.

"Nicely done," Dane murmured to him.

Jude blushed. "You too."

Duffy pinched his shoulder playfully. "You're as stubborn as any Alpha but not as thick-headed as a gnoll."

Dane raised eyebrows. "What happened in that room between you two just before Mars attacked you two?"

Jude smiled. "It was interesting."

The trees thinned out, revealing …

The burnt-out shell of a wooden house, with the wooden door gone. Daxius' horrified gasp told everyone whose house it was.

Jude hissed, "I smell shifters around what was your house, Daxius."

Daxius stood still in shock for a second, then got a frantic look on his face. He bellowed, "MARIEKE! MARIEKE! WHERE ARE YOU?"

* * * * *

Ravyn POV

Marieke. A woman's name.

A woman had saved Daxius' life.

The wheels turned in Ravyn's mind.

In the beginning she wondered whether Daxius wanted her back. He'd wondered if she found someone after he vanished. She assumed he ran off with some woman because that's what all the gossip said.

Why had she ever believed the rumors?

He hadn't run off with a woman–rather, a woman, if you could call the Dark Goddess that, had kidnapped him. Stolen him from his family, and worse, robbed them all of years they could never get back.

Yet a woman had saved him, a woman who he sounded desperate to find. And he WAS desperate. Afraid for this woman. Who was she? A friend? A healer? A lover?

Whoever she was, Daxius called her name as he raced toward the house, only to have Dane and Jude seize him by the arms and pull him back. He struggled, trying to break free, but he couldn't match the combined strength of two Alphas.

"Let me go," Daxius commanded.

"Idiot! I smell magic," Dane growled, his teeth sharp.

"Dark magic at that," Jude agreed. "Lilia? Ravyn? Can you possibly bless and cleanse the area so we can find this Marieke?"

Ravyn was already forming the spell before Jude finished speaking. Lilia joined her, both women chanting blessings and prayers to the Goddess Brigid and the Moon Goddess. Ravyn had felt the taint of dark magic in this fire that destroyed Daxius' home.

Rays of golden and white light danced all around them, cleansing the house, followed by violet light to seal the spell and keep out the bad energy.

Ravyn turned to Daxius. "Go on."

With relief, he raced toward the smoking ruin of his house. Duffy had gotten Jude to put him down, and he darted ahead of Daxius. "Let me make sure you don't fall into a hole," he said in his crusty way.

Ravyn glanced at the others. "Should we go in, too?"

Jude and Dane tensed, ready for action. "He may need our help," Dane growled.

Ravyn whistled three times. Two long whistles, one short. A signal Ravyn and Duffy had developed when they worked together.

After several tense moments, from within the ruins, Duffy whistled back, one short whistle, two long. Ravyn smiled. "It's safe to go in."

Approval gleamed in Jude's golden wolf eyes. "Clever signal!"

Dane and Jude slipped into the house, with Lilia and Ravyn following them. The men who wanted Daxius' head several days ago now willingly walked into a deathtrap to help him.

Ravyn called out softly, "Marieke? Are you there?"

Lilia added, "It's alright. We're friends."

No answer. Ravyn shuddered, trying to peer into the ruins of the house as she came closer to the door …

Then someone lunged from the shadows and grabbed Ravyn from behind!