Zira made her way back to the packhouse with Isabella hurrying behind her. She was nervous. Did something happen with Arias? That thought alone made her move a bit faster. Arias was in the living room with Percy playing with a toy. He still looked a bit under the weather, but he was smiling and that was good in her book. Percy’s eyes were filled with wonder as he looked at Arias before looking up at her. He got up and quickly pulled Zira into a hug.
“He is amazing,” Percy said. Zira forgot how expressive he could be. “I mean, he is so pure, full of light.”
Percy went back to stand over Arias, looking at him like a doctor looking at an interesting case. This made Zira hopeful. Maybe Percy knew a way to help Arias now that he has met him.
“I’m guessing this crystal won’t be enough to cure him,” she asked, already feeling her throat tightened with anticipation.
Percy bent down to ruffle Arias's hair. “Sadly, no, but look at this. When Arias touches it, watch.”
Percy picked up the crystal and placed it near Arias. Arias, as if he knew what to do, grabbed the crystal and it did something it hadn’t when Percy touched it.
The crystal lit up like a downtown Christmas tree. Zira felt a little hopeful, but she remembered what happened in the cave.
“Yeah, but does it mean anything? I picked it up and it glowed, too,” Zira said, picking up the crystal. True, it glowed but not nearly as bright when Arias did it. That difference alone did make her feel a bit hopeful. Or at least it was a good start though.
“I’m not exactly sure if it does, but it is something worth exploring. Especially since we spent months following the trail from an old pixie. Hmmm…if we had access to a library or something that holds a lot of our history, I could find something useful.”
Zira knew exactly where to go for that, but after her trial a little over four years ago she wasn’t that excited to go anywhere near the Elders or the Councilmembers. They were her last resort and right now she didn’t have any other ideas. Hell, she wasn’t sure if they would even permit her inside.
“Also, I do feel a sort of bind within him. Almost like he’s afraid of the part of himself. Did something traumatic happen?”
Oh, nothing really. Just his dad’s crazy ex-mate trying to kill us more than once, then kidnapping him and trying to steal his soul. “Something like that,” Zira said instead, moving over to Arias. For some reason she needed to be near him, to touch him, to feel a sense of peace.
“So, what can we do?”
Percy paced back and forth in front of them with his eyes closed. Each minute made Zira even more anxious. It got to the point where she was pacing back and forth with Arias in her arms, much to his displeasure. He wiggled out of her arms and ran over to Isabella as Zira tried her best not to be jealous.
Isabella gave her a small smile while Arias laid his head on her shoulders. It’s going to take some time, Zira kept reminding herself. Percy clapped his hands together, making Zira jump a little out of her thoughts.
“Look, we’re at a dead end, Zira. We have to go the Elde-”
“Nope,” Zira said flatly. “There has to be someone else.”
“I mean, the old pixie lady told us where to find the crystal or maybe even Blaze. he-”
“No,” Zira snapped at him. “I am not going back to that maniac, and I mean that for both of them. They nearly got me killed.”
“Zira, you’re not giving us a lot of options here. We went to that cave thinking that crystal would be the key to healing Arias, but we can’t figure that out if we don’t know how to use it. Besides, it looks like it goes somewhere. Maybe a lock or something.”
Zira shook her head. There had to be another way, another person that could help. She did not want to do this journey again but didn’t want to get involved with the Elders either. Percy touched her arm to get her attention.
“We can try to find the Nexus spring. It was said to be a healing spot for white wolves. Maybe it can get rid of this bind on him.”
All her hopes just went out the window. “That would be perfect, Percy, if we could find it. We tried for months and the last place we went to was crumbling to the ground. Maybe it doesn’t exist.”
“It does, Zira,” he said. “I’ve seen it.”
“Yeah, in books and heard about it in stories.”
Zira walked over to him and touched his arms. He’s been searching for this place his entire life. Trying to get away from his brutal life in his pack. To them, he was just something to be used for their pleasure. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what that would feel like.
“No,” Percy said, shaking his head. “It's a real Zira and now with Arias, I’m more determined to find it. Maybe we’ll find more white wolves.” Percy smiled down at her and she couldn’t help but feel optimistic by his expression.
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” she asked.
She was hoping this wouldn’t include Arias at all. If only one touch from Percy could magically heal whatever was wrong with Arias. After traveling with Percy, she knew he couldn’t heal others and she learned that the hard way.
“Maybe we go back to the cave. There has to be something we missed. Maybe the dragon was protecting more than just this crystal. Why else would he just let us go?”
“Because he knew we wouldn’t be able to use it,” Zira joked, remembering the little fight she had with Blaze after. One look at what they had in their hands and Blaze basically laughed them off the cliff.
“No,” Percy continued, “I think the crystal is only half of it. Maybe there’s a way we can access the Nexus with it.”
“If it was an access point, why didn’t it open when I touched it? Nothing happened, remember?”
“Because you couldn’t activate it but Arias…”
“No,” Zira almost yelled. “Arias is not going anywhere near that place. I would rather talk to that crazy old pixie.”
“What is this Nexus place anyway,” Isabella asked while gently rocking Arias to sleep. Zira’s hands ached to hold him, but she learned from yesterday that she was not so great with him when he’s sleepy.
“The Nexus was a sanctuary for white wolves, created by four white wolves. They were known as the Elders for all white wolves. They provided safety for those in need of it. This was back when white wolves were killed for ritualistic reasons.”
“Are you serious,” Isabella asked, clearly more interested in the story than the sleeping Arias. “I heard the stories, but I didn’t believe something like that really happened.”
As Isabella got more curious about the story, Zira took this chance to pick Arias up from her. His head fit perfectly on her shoulder, and she could feel his snores along the side of her neck. It was very calming, she thought, as she placed her nose in his hair to take in his scent.
“Yes, thankfully, that is not a problem anymore with the Council spreading their protection over any surviving white wolves. Not that I found any others.”
Zira looked at Percy, offering him a comforting smile. This story was always a pain for him to tell, though that never stopped him from telling it.
“What happened to this Nexus place,” Isabella asked. “Does it have anything to do with the lack of white wolves now?”
“Well, stories say the Nexus was destroyed by a group of Alphas believing the Elders of the White Wolf Clan were creating more white wolves to try to take over. So, they attacked them in the dead of night, and worst of all, they had hunters' help. They threw silver bombs that burned the lungs and skin of hundreds. Women, men, and children, cutting them down one by one.”
Isabella gasped. “That’s horrible.”
“The stories say one white wolf used her gifts to keep the attackers back enough for some of the white wolves to escape. So, they had no choice but to go back to the one place they weren’t liked. I know all too well what it’s like to be different.”
Percy paused as a flash of pain crossed his face. Zira knew exactly where this was going and heard this story many times.
“When I found out I was a white wolf, I thought I was so special. That I was lucky the Goddess trusted me with such a gift. Though my pack saw me as their puppet to use whenever they wanted. They made me…made me…”
“Percy.”
Zira reached over to touch his shoulder and watched as he swallowed hard. He could never get through this part without choking up. Hell, even she could feel the emotion behind his words.
“My pack made my life a living hell. When they found out what I was and what I could do, they used my gift for their selfish benefits. If I didn’t comply, they would hurt my family. At the time, it was just me and my mom. After a year of torment, she couldn’t take it anymore, so she …” Percy stopped but Isabella looked as if she knew what he was going to say.
“Anyway,” Percy continued, “a couple of years later, I was visited by the Goddess herself in a dream. Or at least I think it was her. She told me about the Nexus and the other white wolves. She said I would have a family that would love me and cherish who I am. That gave me the strength to break free and I was able to escape.”
Isabella quickly embraced Percy, who was surprised by the sudden action, but a small blush crept across his cheeks. She quickly pulled back and straightened herself.
“Sorry, I too know about losing someone and blaming yourself,” Isabella said.
Percy laughed it off. “It’s all good. I mean my early life was painful but now it’s getting better,” he said, glancing at Zira. Zira laughed nervously. “I’ve been on my own ever since, searching for the Nexus until I bumped into Zira. She saved my life.”
Percy continued to stare at Zira and smiled before walking over to gently touch Arias’s hair. Now it was her turn to blush. It was nice to hear that at least someone wasn’t disappointed in her.
“Now, it’s my mission to find and help others like me. Like Arias. I think it’s time to have a family I belong to.”
His hand fell from Arias’s head to Zira’s arm in a gentle caress. Zira stiffened a bit, knowing what he could do with his touch. She could even feel Nina’s discomfort in the back of her mind. She looked at Percy, who was smiling down at her and saw something she hadn’t before.
“Um, Percy…”
“Don’t worry, Zira. I’m not going to use my gift on you or anything like that. I would never hurt you, you know. I’m just…just…”
A loud growl erupted through the air, waking up a frightened Arias. They all turned to see Isaiah standing in the doorway.
“You’re just touching…my…mate,” Isaiah growled with his eyes changing to a piercing blue.