The cold autumn air nipped at Sara's skin. Her hand clutched the multipage letter like a Talisman. How could she kill an innocent creature in the name of a personal crusade? Sara wanted off the crazy roller coaster Dawn put her on. However, the prospect of answers held her fast in the seat. "I have to know."
Sara read through the pages, "How do you find hidden animals? All life gives off an aura. You can't see them unless you open the third eye. You'll come to know it as the eldritch eye."
"Why don't I like where this is going?" Sara asked herself. She folded the letter. "Please don't be too horrible," she said.
Once more, her brown eyes perused the immaculate penmanship, "Why haven't I asked you to use the Werewolf form? Many of the tasks I'll give will require you to see the unseen. Some things are beyond smell and touch. You cannot hear the beyond, either."
Sara stopped at the mouth of a dingy alley. Her nose detected the pestilential scent all rats produced naturally. She could hear them, but they were beyond her scope of vision. The werewolf form would attract all the wrong attention. "Third eye it is."
"Not all third eyes are located on the forehead. To find it, you must follow the energy within. You will know when you've found it." Sara frowned and did as the letter asked.
Delicate lids covered the soft brown eyes of Sarah. Deep breaths ran in and out of her lungs. She lazily followed the flow of energy to the palm of her hand. "Now to open it."
The skin started to stretch and crack. Sara saw a world made of energy and swirling colors. The rats darted back and forth in search of food. "Found you. Now to capture you." The eldritch eye closed, and Sarah dove into the pile of garbage.
Seconds later, a rat struggled within her grasp. "I'm sorry, but I need answers." She stroked it with guilt and read the next section. "Imagine your energy taking form. Feel it wrap the object you intend to change."
The rat started to shriek in panic. White bands of power held it suspended in mid-air. "Close your eyes and reimagine your target's form. Keep the familiar's purpose in mind. If your squeamish, I'd suggest keeping them closed."
The rodent shrieked in agony the whole time. Each high-pitched squeak inspired guilt anew in Sara. The sounds ceased, and the rat went still. Sara covered her mouth.
A hairless winged wolf stood on her palm. The minuscule beast stared at her with expectation. Sara held up the letter, "A familiar knows what you know. All it needs is your instruction."
Sara stroked the tiny head, "I have a job for you. Find Dawn and lead me to her."
The familiar leaned against her thumb. It flapped the wings and hovered just above Sara's hand. "What are you waiting for, little one? Get to it."
The bald lupine caught a warm updraft and vanished into the distance. How would Sara know when the familiar found Dawn? Perhaps the letter held the answers. "You and your creation share a special bond. With the proper concentration, you see through its eyes. However, each time you use this skill, it steals your sight. You will know if it has found me."
Sara tucked the letter away and sighed. "Waiting around is the hardest part." The uncertainty gnawed on Sara's last nerves. She cursed her need for answers. Time to think didn't help.
Marcus Whitlock's death sent her into a downward spiral. She'd spend weeks as a wolf. Sara killed livestock to survive. At one point, she had fifty timberwolves in her entourage. Life was good until Benjamin Jones got in their way.
One hears about those who actively hunt humans. Sara never expected to do such a thing herself. She remembered the warm blood on her claws. At night, Bejamin's screams of despair tortured her dreams. She always woke up when the wolves descended on the bloody corpse. Had she eaten of Benjamin's flesh? The question plagued her waking hours. The answers were there, but Sara found herself unable to look, let alone forgive herself for the death.
It's why she moved to Duskhold. To escape the shame of that night, like some child who broke a window. Such emotions follow you. If she forgot for half a second, the world at large reminded her in a million ways. "Hurry up and find Dawn." Sara's angry voice escaped clenched teeth.
"Something wrong, Sara?" Liam's familiar voice came from behind her.
"This is not a good time, Liam." Sara clutched her fists in frustration. Why did he show up at the worst moments?
"I thought we were friends. Am I wrong in the assumption...," Liam trailed off. His strong hands touched her. How badly did she want to feel safe for ten seconds? At the moment, it wasn't a luxury she could afford.
A sharp pain dug into her frontal lobe. The soft growls of the familiar deafened her. Sara Clapped her hands against her ears until the noise subsided.
Sara didn't turn to face Liam. "I'm late for an appointment. Sorry." The familiar sent image clues to its location. The laughter of children rattled her brain. A school? Did Dawn hide herself among the children?
"Sara..."
"I don't have time, Liam. Please stay away from me," Sara said. Her mind mapped her route to the elementary school four blocks away. If Dawn hurt a single child, Sara would bring out the fangs and exact punishment.
Dawn's laughter filled her head, "Your familiar is quite impressive. friendly too. I'd hurry if I were you. It's just about recess, and I'd hate for your secret to get out," she said. The cruelty in her voice forced Sara to go faster.
Sara focused her thoughts on the familiar and spoke. "If you harm a single child, there'll be hell to pay..."
"Well, at least you're a fast learner," Dawn said, "You can barely face up to your past. How are you supposed to face me?"
"Children deserve..." Sara started to say.
"Benjamin's children deserved a father. The mother fell into a bottle after he died and never crawled out. You didn't partake of his flesh, but you destroyed everything he built."
"That wasn't supposed to happen. It was an accident." Sara came to a stop, "Wait. How do you know that?"
"Your timberwolf pack made the headlines in the local paper. How many cows went missing?" Dawn almost sounded impressed, "No one believed the footage on the trail cams. He thought himself crazy."
Dawn's slender form came into view. She leaned against the chainlink fence with the familiar on her shoulder. The smug grin irritated Sara. "Looks like you might be useful after all."
The bell rang, and children poured from the building like ants from a nest. Sara motioned for the familiar to hop in her pocket. It looked at Dawn and then back to Sara. "Go ahead. She is your maker, after all."
The miniature hairless wolf effortlessly glided into her pocket. Sara glared at Dawn. Her fists balled, and Sara threw her blind tormentor into the fence. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you."
Dawn pointed to the playground. More than a dozen students held up camera phones. "What sounds better: crazy woman beats blind woman or blind woman protects children from a crazy woman?"
Sara relented and growled in frustration. "Why are you tormenting me?"
"To prepare you for the challenges ahead, silly little girl. Your father's search for answers released the first ones. Twisted versions of what your kind became. A part of that lives in you."
"Werewolves are born of a gyspy curse..."
Dawn laughed, "A curse dies with the subject. Am I to believe that many people ran afoul of gypsies? You all say it's a curse, yet the cure eludes you. No, no, no, it comes from the blood."
"Where do werewolves come from?" Sara's world began to crumble.
Dawn put a hand on her shoulder, "That is quite a tale. Daenerys argued with her brother, Xorag, when they first discovered earth. Xorag saw the pitiful beings and tried to destroy them. Daenerys thought the denizens of earth were fascinating and wished to study them."
Sara pressed the button at the crosswalk, "That doesn't sound right..."
"The truth rarely does," Dawn chuckled. "Now then, before I impart any more knowledge on you. Have you a vehicle?"
"Yes, why?"
"There are some places we must visit. I will teach you along the way." Dawn's uneven smile bothered Sara. Something about it gnawed at her patience and irritated her.
The promise of answer still held Sara in a vise-like grip, "Is there anything else we'll need for the journey?"
"I can think of a few things," Dawn said, "But we'll deal with those once we have the car. Can you deal with that? I promise the answers you seek are just around the corner."
Sara almost walked away. She turned and faced Dawn. "Fine, let's go."