Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Zaira's POV

His hand continued to clasp mine, but everything else about his posture had changed. His presence filled the room and you couldn't help but give him all your attention. He was no longer Aramis, the dominant wolf, but Aramis, the demigod.

"Hades created an entire army of warriors from Hell," he succinctly got to the point. "For now, he's still trapped in his underworld, but it won't be long before Serdas will find a way to free him."

I placed my free hand on the round wooden table we were sitting at and stroked its grooves. Reah's tree house was... Well, how could you describe it... It was beautiful and special at the same time. It would also be a bit chaotic. Cloths hung on the walls, as well as pictures and plants. It was colorfully furnished, decorated pots and cupboards everywhere, even their chairs were painted. But as confusing as it was in this house, I liked it, it had its own charm.

She came to our table with three cups in her hands and placed them in front of us. Their clothing was very similar to that of the other gis, made of dark brown leather. Her top stopped well above her waist, showing her toned abs, and instead of a skirt like Arya and I wore, she wore long, tight-fitting leather pants. I knew instinctively that she was of high rank in her tribe.

Reah sat in the empty chair across from Aramis and me. "What happened to Luna and Gaia Aramis? You would never let that happen."

"It was Serdas, he poisoned them and he must have planned it with Hades, because no other poison would do that to them. However, as soon as Ares got wind of it, Serdas was gone. I knew exactly what he was up to as soon as Ares told me about it and so do you Reah." Aramis released his hand from mine, put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "He'll destroy everything if he gets the chance. If we don't heal Luna and Gaia as soon as possible, then... we're done for."

Reah sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "It's not good, not good at all. That's a catastrophe! They've already traveled an army, oh dear." She shook her head, rubbing her hands over her face and then went very still. "Okay, okay..."

"Omorphies," Aramis said.

Her hair rose and her dark brown eyes glowed. "But of course. How many do you have?"

"All four." The corners of his mouth twisted arrogantly.

My claws erupted from my fingertips and dug into my palm. A growl was suppressed at the last moment, but if this gaze duel continues, I couldn't guarantee anything.

"Very good. Very good," she murmured as she stood up and rummaged through her closets. I let out the breath I was holding and my fists opened. Another second and I would have scratched her eyes out.

Reah came back with a whole handful of herbs and stones and splattered it all on the table. “That should actually be all you need for the ceremony. And then of course another..." Her eyes flickered to me and she smiled. "A healer werewolf."

"Reah, how much do you know about the ceremony? Can you teach her how to do it?" Aramis demanded, looking at her impatiently.

She shook her head dazedly, her gaze still where Aramis was last seen. "Aramis. He's so different. He's... like before."

I couldn't stop the growl escaping through my human vocal cords. I jumped to my feet, claws out.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh no no no! She hurried to say. "I don't want anything from Aramis, honey. Not at all, he's my brother, how could I ever think of him like that?" She grimaced in disgust.

I stopped abruptly and looked at her in amazement. "What else did you mean by that?"

Now she smiled mischievously. "Well, you changed him, how you did that is beyond me. Before, he was full of energy and zest for action. He was funny and curious, yes, he was even nice." Her smile faded as she added the following words: "And then something happened... He had changed. He became cold and numb."

I knew what she was referring to. "The red age, that's what happened." I said that, without any condemnation or disgust. I had known of his actions and I didn't push him off me, never would. Even if I didn't approve of what he did accomplished at the time and frankly it scared me to think about it any longer, it was his past and I would make sure it didn't happen again.

"Yes." Her eyes sought mine and then widened at what she seemed to see in them. She shook her head vehemently. "Oh no, you're thinking something completely wrong Zaira! Didn't he tell you? "

"Said what?" my eyes narrowed. I hated being ignorant and left out again.

"Oh Aramis you idiot!" she exclaimed and I growled again. No one insulted him in front of me. Reah shook my hand. "I honestly don't know why he didn't enlighten you."

"You do it then." I hissed sharply. My patience was finally gone.

"Aramis did not turn against the people and attack them. He hadn't killed thousands of innocents and wasn't on Serdas' side, he was on ours. He, Xenos, Leav and I tried to stop Serdas, but it was already too late. And since Serdas and Aramis were seen and worshiped as the divine guardians, they had been lumped together and assumed that Aramis was also involved in Serda's work." Reah's hand gripped the back of the chair and her skin stretched tight over her knuckles "Then they were hunted. They were hated and cursed by everyone."

"That bloody bastard," I cursed, and a mighty gush of anger swept through me. I gritted my teeth. "I'm going to kill him."

Reah cocked her head to the side. “I see what Aramis sees in you. Your fire is most... mesmerizing."

My head turned red, but not because of my anger. "So... Can you teach me how to consciously activate and control my powers?" I diverted from the topic, embarrassed.

"Best way to find out is to try it." She sat down and gestured to the chair next to her. "Come on, sit down."

I did what she asked and sat down.

"In what situation did your powers manifest themselves and how did that feel?"

For the next few hours I told her everything I knew and could remember while she listened carefully to me. When I had given her all the information on my part, she took out an omorphy and showed me how to let her power flow into me. At first I had difficulties and couldn't concentrate properly. I constantly heard the chirping of the birds, felt the light breeze on my skin, but I never felt what I should. Because in order to absorb the powers of the flower, I had to feel, hear or see its life energy. Each healer werewolf had his own way and could perceive the energies that were around us and in us differently. And finally, to my great amazement, I had found mine.

I have seen her. Each flower had its own energy color, sometimes it was blue, other times it was pink. But as soon as I asked her - because you had to ask her for it. Either the flower surrendered voluntarily, or else that was it - surrendering to me, the energy and the warm feeling disappeared with her.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong." I sighed in frustration and suddenly felt infinitely tired.

"It will be fine! We just have to keep practicing." Reah cheered me up. "You just have to remember that it's different than the demon. You can't just force an omorophy to give you its energy, nor can you just transmute it , just as you turned the bad energy of the warrior of hell into love. You must ask her, talk to her, show her that you are full of unconditional love and your intention is also guided by it."

I sighed again and my shoulders sagged. How am I supposed to do this? I've been hated and loathed almost my entire life. How could an omorph ever see love in me?

Reah gently grabbed my hand. "All you have to do is open up to her and let down the walls around your heart. Only then does she realize how much love is in you."

I just shook my head. "This will never work, I'm not full of love." There, it was out.

"Oh Zaira, how blind you are. How do you think you could take the black energy of an entire demon and turn it into love if you didn't have nearly as much and such a strong love? Not a single healer werewolf I had heard of had that much power on their own without the power of any flowers or other props. You're incredibly strong, you just have to see it for yourself."

I couldn't reproduce anything, my words stuck in my throat. me and strong? Arya had said something similar, but I just dismissed it as a compliment. But Reah's words got me thinking. Maybe I really was more than just a weak little wolf and maybe I would really become as strong as Samantha.