Liam Wolfe's Arc

Chapter 3 of 10

Liam reached the willow before dawn. The great tree stood at the heart of his sanctuary, its blossoms glowing soft in the dark. Luminara, the fairy who kept the tree alive, hovered near the branches. She had taught Liam to breathe and hold the wolf inside. Now they both knew the truth. The hunters had found the way in. Iron was coming for the roots. "They'll come by the next dark night," Luminara said. Her light dimmed. "We can't move the tree. We can't fight iron with claws." Liam paced the moss. He had no way to warn the creatures who sheltered here. He couldn't be everywhere at once. Then he smelled her. Not iron. Something green and warm, like rain on leaves. A woman stepped out from the brush. Curly hair framed her face. Her dress was pale and worn, stitched with faded flowers. She stopped when she saw Liam, but she did not run. "Liam," she said. Not a question. "I found you." Luminara flared bright. "A witch," she said. "You feel it. Nature runs in her." The woman's eyes stayed on Liam. "My name is Luna Thornwood. My coven bound me to you at birth. The full moon leads me to you. Tonight it did." Her voice was flat and sure. She did not soften it. Heat climbed Liam's chest. The wolf stirred at the sight of her, wild and fast. His hands shook. He turned away so she would not see. "Breathe," Luminara said. "With the tree." Liam breathed in. He held it. He breathed out. The heat stalled. He stayed a man. Luna watched him fight it. She did not flinch. She knelt and pressed her palm to the willow's bark. "Hunters are near," she said. "I smelled their iron on the trail. Half a day out." Liam's throat went tight. "I can't warn the creatures in time. There are too many trees." Luna looked up. "I can." She dug into a small wooden box at her hip. The lid was carved with leaves and flowers, soft with age. Inside lay dried herbs and seeds. "A nature witch speaks to roots. The trees carry my word. Every creature that touches soil will hear." Liam stared. "Then do it." Luna crushed the herbs in her fist. She pressed them into the earth at the willow's base. She spoke low words Liam did not know. The ground shivered. A ripple ran out through the moss, tree to tree, root to root. Far off, Liam heard wings and paws move. Creatures fled deeper, away from the hunters' path. Luna stood and brushed the dirt from her hands. "They're warned," she said. "They'll scatter before the iron comes." Liam let out a breath. The creatures were safe for now. But the hunters were still coming. And the woman he was bound to had just watched him nearly lose the wolf.